Gerald Wilson, noted jazz orchestrator dies at 96.

Posted on 2014-10-30 by Rod Wilson

Gerald Wilson has been around forever. He is a link back to the big bands of the 30’s and 40’s. He worked as an orchestrator for some of the great jazz names including Jimmie Lunceford, Duke Ellington, Dizzy Gillespie, Count Basie, Sarah Vaughan, Dinah Washington, Stan Kenton, Billie Holiday, Ella Fitzgerald and many others. Outside of the jazz realm he arranged charts for Ray Charles, Bobby Darin and B.B. King. He worked prolifically in the 50’s and 60’s composing for film and TV. Along the way he defied the trends of small group jazz and rock and roll. He wrote a symphony and many extended pieces including “State Street Suite” for the 1994 Chicago Jazz Festival; “Theme for Monterey” composed for the 40^th anniversary of the Monterey Jazz Festival; “Yes, Chicago is….” for the 2008 Chicago Jazz Festival and in 2009 he wrote “Detroit Suite” for the 30^th anniversary of the Detroit International Jazz Festival. He has recorded prolifically with his last CD Legacy released in 2011. He was, at that time in his mid nineties. Like most really creative jazz artists he “bopped ‘til he dropped”. Some of his best work is captured in the MOSAIC 5 CD boxed set The Complete Pacific Jazz Recordings of Gerald Wilson and His Orchestra (1961-1969)

And a concert clip

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

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.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

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?

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Paco de Lucia dead at 66 years

Posted on 2014-03-04 by Rod Wilson

It always comes as a shock when a legendary musical figure suddenly passes away. More so when, in this day and age, 66 years is not considered old. Recently the news has been littered with the passing of a number of very significant musicians. Pete Seeger at 94 years passed away a few weeks ago. Jazz guitarist Jim Hall at the age of 83 years also slipped away a few weeks prior to Pete Seeger. Last year Dave Brubeck at 91 years passed away and not too far back in 2009 Les Paul also passed away at the age of 94 years. Unfortunately Paco didn’t have the longevity of his colleagues. Pete Seeger, Dave Brubeck and Les Paul were household names. Jim Hall maybe not so much and outside guitar circles Paco de Lucia probably would elicit the response ?Who. Paco de Lucia in the post Sabicas, post Carlos Montoya flamenco guitar eras was probably the most significant flamenco guitarist of the past thirty years. Paco de Lucia Wikipedia entry . For his innovations in “New Flamenco” Paco was a towering figure in Flamenco circles but outside Spain he is probably better known for his collaborations with John McLaughlin and Al Di Meola in the The Guitar Trio. This was a very successful group on the international touring circuit in the 1980s. It was based largely on the marketing strategy that three incredibly fast guitarists would be a box office hit. On that basis it definitely was a success but from my perspective I didn’t find the music particularly attractive. John McLaughlin’s huge body of work in his East/West collaborations with Indian musicians is probably way more significant than his work with the Guitar Trio. Al Di Meola never figured large in my sonic universe. The whole idea of three guitarists playing super fast never really appealed to me. Even Paco expressed the opinion that he preferred “controlled expression to velocity”. In regards to Paco, his innovations in New Flamenco, including the introduction of the Peruvian Cojon (box drum), far exceeded the musical values of the Guitar Trio. Outside of The Guitar Trio one of the high points of his career was his performance of Joaquin Rodrigo’s guitar concerto Concierto de Aranjuez in 1991. Until asked to perform the piece Paco was not proficient at reading musical notation. ^“Biographer Pohren, however, at the time of writing his biography in 1992, said that he was still not proficient and had found a bizarre way of learning the piece, locking himself away. His performance with the orchestra under Edmon Colomer was highly acclaimed, a sensitive, atmospheric rendition that composer Rodrigo himself praised, describing it as “pretty, exotic, inspired” … I might add that Paco plays it with a great deal of feeling, far more than is normally heard. And that goes for the orchestra that backs him up.” – wikipedia. After having heard numerous recorded versions by some of the great classical guitarists, and having heard the piece numerous times in live performance I can only underscore the notion that Paco’s version is probably the most exciting. If you want to hear his version click on the following link The Rodrigo Concerto . While you are at it check out any of the hundreds of YOUTUBE entries in the side bar. Also of interest is Michael Meert’s documentary Paco de Lucia – Light and Shade (A Portrait) on YOUTUBE. Click on the following link Light and Shade Documentary . It is also available on DVD.

On February 25, 2014, while vacationing in Mexico Paco de Lucia died suddenly after complaining of chest pain.

@@@@@@@@@@

Death of another Hero – Pete Seeger dies at 94

Posted on 2014-01-31 by Rod Wilson

Pete Seeger Wikipedia entry

“Peter “Pete” Seeger (May 3, 1919 – January 27, 2014) was an American folk singer and left-wing activist. A fixture on nationwide radio in the 1940s, he also had a string of hit records during the early 1950s as a member of the Weavers, most notably their recording of Lead Belly‘s “Goodnight, Irene“, which topped the charts for 13 weeks in 1950. Members of the Weavers were blacklisted during the McCarthy Era. In the 1960s, he re-emerged on the public scene as a prominent singer of protest music in support of international disarmament, civil rights, counterculture and environmental causes.” (wikipedia entry). He died peacefully in his sleep January 27,2014. He survived his wife of 75 years by a mere 6 months. There will never be another like him or at least that is the wish of most right wing reactionaries.

I was fortune to be able to hear Peter Seeger live in Australia in 1963 at a concert held at Sydney University. Because of his left wing views Seeger had been prevented from leaving the USA (“land of the free”) to tour and, I suspect, the Australian tour was one of his first appearances outside the USA. I am not one to be celebrity struck but that concert left an indelible mark on my memory. Pete strode onto the stage with a banjo in one hand and a 12 string guitar in the other. With only his voice and those two props he gave us a memorable night of mostly traditional songs and counter culture attitudes. It was a portrait of an America that we hardly knew. Before that concert I had never heard banjo played that way; nor seen a 12 string guitar; and I had never heard of Huddie Leadbetter (Leadbelly). Since that time I have not heard a performance that matched the one on that night. The nearest I have come to it was the concert by Chris Coole at the Clawhammer in Fernie a year or so ago. The wikipedia entry suggests that the Peter Seeger tour initiated a folk boom in Australia and was responsible for the explosion in folk clubs and folk music in general in Australia. I would contest that notion. I further suggest that the Seeger tour was a response to an already significant ground swell of traditional music, and specifically Australian folk music, that was well under way prior to the tour. I suspect the folk boom got under way in Australia because of the influence of the new British immigrants to the country who were already well versed in traditional music back in the old country. Be-that-as-it-may, I am forever thankful for the concert and the life of Pete Seeger.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Jim Hall – R.I.P. December 10, 2013

Posted on 2013-12-25 by Rod Wilson

“A light snow falls today on the wonder that is New York City. As I walk the streets and ride the subway, I glance at the faces around me. Young jazz student firebrands blow be-bop in the West 4th St. station. A young woman wearing earbuds mouths the words to a song and does some dance steps down Sixth Avenue. It is another day, a new day. But as I ponder the news received this morning that Jim Hall, one of the greatest musicians of all time and a monumental influence on me and many of my elders and colleagues, has passed away, it’s not just the blessed arrival of a new day and all its possibilities that assails me. It is the sad fact that one of the great ones has moved on, and that feeling always affects everything as I/we move forward…. “ – Nels Cline

Jim played some of the most innovative and visionary jazz throughout his career, From the late-50s, he blazed trails and made history with the Chico Hamilton Quintet (Chico, R.I.P.), the Jimmy Giuffre Three, Paul Desmond, Sonny Rollins, and in duet with Bill Evans, among many others. – Nels Cline

Jim Hall Wikipedia entry

Jim Hall Documentary

It seems like the jazz guitarist Jim Hall has been around forever. The first time I heard him was on a Jazz Anthology LP in the mid-1960`s that, unfortunately, also featured the superb Herb Ellis. I say unfortunately because Herb was a blues oriented player with an edge that, at the time, had more appeal to my youthful rock&roll sensibilities. I tended to overlook Jim Hall. He was more laid back with a very mellow approach. It took me many years to develop a real appreciation for Jim`s approach and realize that he is one of the true giants of jazz guitar. My appreciation grew exponentially when I first obtained the Mosaic Box Set of The Complete Capital and Atlantic Recordings of Jimmy Giuffre. Recorded from 1954 through 1958. Jimmy Giuffre was a clarinetist, saxophonist and composer with a somewhat experimental approach that proved to be a perfect fit for Jim Hall. The Complete Recordings of the Paul Desmond Quartet with Jim Hall was another milestone in my developing appreciation. Paul Desmond was definitely one of Jim’s musical soul mates and this collection features a fairly straight ahead jazz approach to many jazz standards as well as a wealth of Bossa Nova tunes. The material was recorded between 1959 though to 1965. Like a lot of true musical giants Jim Hall recorded prolifically throughout his career and constantly evolved from one project to the next. He was not a dramatic figure; no prima donna acting out; no drug abuse issues; just a solid ordinary guy with a family, a career, and a very professional approach to his craft. Throughout his life he played exceptional music in a plethora of circumstances. He was still actively performing, and I don’t mean just going through the motions, right up to his death. He died peacefully in his sleep on Tuesday December 10th, 2013.

@@@@@@@@@@@@@@

Dave Brubeck dies at 91

Posted on 2012-12-06 by Rod Wilson

Reported in the most recent electronic version of Down Beat

“Dave Brubeck, pianist, composer and bandleader, died Wednesday morning, Dec. 5, at Norwalk Hospital, in Norwalk, Conn., one day before his 92nd birthday. Brubeck died on his way to “a regular treatment with his cardiologist,” said long time manager-producer-conductor Russell Gloyd.

Brubeck’s career spanned more than 60 years, comprising nearly the entire existence of American jazz since World War II. He was revered for recordings with his legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet, including “Take Five” and “Blue Rondo à la Turk.” The album on which they appeared, Time Out, became one of the best-selling jazz recordings of all time. He was revered for his daring use of rhythm and unusual time signatures, both of which transcended previous conceptions of swing rhythm.

Brubeck was born on Dec. 6, 1920, in Concord, Calif. His mother was a classically trained pianist who introduced him to the instrument at a young age, and he was performing professionally by the age of 13. Brubeck enrolled as a zoology major at the College of the Pacific in Stockton, Calif., but became highly involved in the school’s music department. From 1942–1943, he led the school’s 12-piece big band.

Around the same time, Brubeck began to study classical composition at Mills College in Oakland, Calif., under French composer Darius Milhaud. Brubeck’s studies under Milhaud subsided during World War II, when in 1944 he enlisted in the U.S. Army. He led a service band in Europe, was discharged in 1946 and then resumed his musical training. Brubeck’s studies with Milhaud influenced his experimentation with odd time signatures and classically inspired counterpoint.

A pioneer who did not accept the idea of “pigeonholing,” Brubeck was an integral force in venturing outside of the accepted boundaries of jazz. He was a lifelong advocate of the genre’s racial integration, performing in African American clubs throughout the South in the 1950s.

He was also an important figure who brought jazz to the forefront of academia, and his groups became wildly popular at colleges throughout the 1950s and ’60s. In 1949, Brubeck and a group of fellow students at Mills College formed the Jazz Workshop Ensemble, which would later record as The Dave Brubeck Octet. Brubeck’s octet often performed standards by other composers, but this was the pianist’s segue as a leader into 5/4, 9/8 and 11/4 time signatures, as opposed to traditional two and four counts. That same year, Brubeck formed his namesake trio alongside percussionist Cal Tjader and bassist Norman Bates. He was joined by alto saxophonist Paul Desmond in 1951, resulting in the creation of the legendary Dave Brubeck Quartet. With the newly formed quartet, Brubeck continued his advocacy of jazz on college campuses by recording Jazz At Oberlin in 1953. He also solidified his position as a public figure when he became the first modern jazz musician to appear on the cover of Time magazine on Nov. 8, 1954.

The “classic” Dave Brubeck Quartet would not form until the late 1950s, with the additions of drummer Joe Morello in 1956 and bassist Gene Wright in 1958 alongside Brubeck and Desmond. The quartet’s 1959 album Time Out was the first jazz LP in history to sell a million copies, and many of the tunes on the album have become standards. The album opens with the Mozart-inspired “Blue Rondo à la Turk,” which Brubeck composed in 9/8 time. The album also features “Take Five,” a tune composed in 5/4 time, which made the Billboard singles chart in 1961 and remains one of the most recognizable jazz recordings of all time. The quartet performed together until 1967, when Brubeck, a self-proclaimed “composer who plays the piano,” left to focus more on composition and arrangement. Brubeck, Morello and Wright would later reunite in 1976 to perform and record in celebration of the 25th anniversary of the classic quartet’s initial formation.

Throughout the 1970s, Brubeck assembled a number of other quartets that included one or more of his sons: keyboardist Darius Brubeck, trombonist and bassist Chris Brubeck, and drummer and percussionist Daniel Brubeck. He also composed numerous large-scale works throughout the 1960s and ’70s, including two ballets, a musical, an oratorio, four cantatas, a mass and solo piano works. Brubeck’s music was also used on one episode of the eight-part TV series This Is America, Charlie Brown.

Brubeck performed at the White House in 1964 and 1981, and at a dinner for Mikhail Gorbachev hosted in Moscow by then-President Ronald Reagan.

Brubeck was a frequent winner of DownBeat polls throughout his entire career. In 1994, he was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame, and he received a Lifetime Achievement Award from The Recording Academy in 1996. He was named a Kennedy Center honoree in 2009.

Brubeck was named a National Endowment for the Arts (NEA) Jazz Master in 1999. On Wednesday, NEA Chairman Rocco Landesman issued a statement, saying, in part, “On behalf of the National Endowment for the Arts, it is with great sadness that I acknowledge the passing of National Medal of Arts recipient and NEA Jazz Master Dave Brubeck. One of our nation’s greatest and most popular jazz pianists, Brubeck’s experiment with odd time signatures, improvised counterpoint, and a distinctive harmonic approach resulted in a unique style of music. Brubeck became a leader in cultural diplomacy, taking part in the first Jazz Ambassadors program during the Cold War. In a 2006 interview with Dana Gioia about his cultural diplomacy efforts, Brubeck said, ‘One of the reasons I believe in jazz is that the oneness of man can come through the rhythm of your heart. It’s the same anyplace in the world, that heartbeat. It’s the first thing you hear when you’re born—or before you’re born—and it’s the last thing you hear.’”

In 2008 Brubeck was among the inaugural recipients of the Benjamin Franklin Award for Public Diplomacy from the U.S. State Department.

Brubeck is survived by his wife, Iola; four sons and a daughter; grandsons and a great granddaughter. His son, Michael, died in 2009.” DB

Classic DownBeat Dave Brubeck Interviews:
“Dave Brubeck: They Said I Was Too Far Out”
(Aug. 8, 1957)

“Brubeck Charms at Litchfield”
(Sept. 1, 2010)

For those of us who predate the 1960’s world of Rock and Roll Dave Brubeck was a towering musical figure. As a testament to to his musical stature, his land mark recordings are still selling consistently well in a world dominated by less substantial music. Dave Brubeck did not live in the past . He was still actively composing and performing right up to his death.

Rod Wilson's Blog

Tag Archives: obituary