Feb4c

The

Jazz Culture Special Issue: The Detroiters

Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer,Donald Walden, Rudy Tucich, Ira Jackson, photo courtesy Rudy Tucich; Hank Jones, Sheila Jordan, Betty Carter, Frank Foster photo courtesy Brian McMillen

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DETROIT JAZZ TREE When The Stars Were Aligned

by L. Hamanaka I. Introduction (late 1940's-1960) II. Individual Artists III. Interviews Acknowledgements: Sincere thanks to Rudy Tucich,

who still lives in Detroit, for his photographs, recordings, suggestions and corrections; Ira Jackson, for remembering so many musicians who did not leave Detroit and anecdotes; and the interviewees, including Ron Carter, Barry Harris, Louis Hayes, Sheila Jordan, Ira Jackson, Charles McPherson, Rudy Tucich and Kiani Zawadi.

Thank you for the comments by Ira Jackson, Charles McPherson on Yusef Lateef. Special appreciation and thanks to Brian McMillen for permission to use his beautiful photographs. Thank you to Lars Bjorn and Jim Gallert for “Detroit Before Motown.”

This article is about the musicians who were born in Detroit and joined the jazz scene there in the late 1940’s and 1950’s, or who moved to Detroit and developed their career there: Detroit’s contribution to the many prominent musicians who moved to New York City and became leading exponents of bebop, hard bop and post bop. The musicians from Detroit played in different styles so they must be listened to individually to decide if you like their particular style of jazz. Detroit produced a bountiful harvest of leading jazz musicians, aside from the well known pianists Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna and Barry Harris who are said to embody the "Detroit school of piano playing."

Secondly, there is a list of individual artists and a very brief summary of their careers. If you detect musicians who are

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overlooked or factual inaccuracies, please accept our apology in advance and email their names and instrument and any other biographical data to: info@thejazzculture.com and the factual corrections will be included in a future ERRATA section.

In These Pages The Detroiters‐Intro 1‐4 Individual Artists 5‐33 According to Instrument Interviews 34‐96 Rudy Tucich 34 Ira Jackson 40 Louis Hayes 48 Sheila Jordan 52 Ron Carter 58

Roma Jazz Workshop ad 61 Following that, there are February listings 62‐63 individual interviews with Kiani Zawadi 65 musicians living in New York Charles McPherson 75 and Detroit who help capture Barry Harris 89 the high level of passion, fervor, and devotion they felt about jazz by telling stories about that time.

Lonnie Hillyer said, “You can’t take off without a launching pad.”

Detroit’s artists fulfilled the mission of the artist-they told their stories with style, technique and passion.

This article does not cover the many swing musicians and big bands in Detroit or most of the swing to bop musicians. This article only covers musicians from the late 1940’s to the late 50’s. If others are included it is a mistake or reaction to the pleadings of subscribers. Many factors led to Detroit being one of the key cities in the US to be a fertile branch of the jazz tree. The Detroit community fostered, supported and developed jazz. A number of clubs hired groups for years that played three-five days a week.

When conditions fluctuated, the musicians created other venues like the World Stage. Finally, according to Yusef Lateef, most musicians migrated to New York because of a lack of work and hope of recording. Barry Harris said they went to New York to continue the legacy of Bird.

Before that, Detroit’s musical traditions can be traced back to the civil war. Detroit had both black and white owned venues, The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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clubs and concert and dance halls. There were many gigs in clubs and private affairs; the economy was one of opportunity and success. The people loved jazz and gave respect to the musicians.

Music was part of the curriculum in public schools like Cass Tech, where the Band Director was the great Harry Begian, and many recordings of these bands, considered by experts to be “The finest high school band ever developed in the nation,” are now in the Library of Congress.

Interesting Note: Alfred Lion of Blue Note recognized the importance of the Detroiters by producing “The Detroit-New York Junction” in 1956, (featuring Kenny Burrell, Thad Jones, Billy Mitchell and Tommy Flanagan). Later Mr. Lion produced “The Magnificent Thad Jones,” with many of the same players.

Venues: Club Plantation, the El Sino, the Greystone Ballroom, the Forest Club, Frolic Show Bar, Flame Show Bar, Cozy Corner, Rouge Lounge, Chatterbox, Club Sudan, Blue Bird Inn, Sportree's Music Bar, Klein’s Showbar. Note: The Blue Bird Inn on the west side of Detroit had music in the late 1930’s, and not consistently thereafter, but in 1948 it began to focus on “modernists.”

INDIVIDUAL MUSICIANS PIANO: Johnny Allen­pianist-b.1917 raised in East Chicago,

Indiana, who worked in Detroit, who was recommended by Howard McGhee to replace Dave Spencer in Kelly Martin’s 12 piece band that became the Club Congo Orchestra. He played with the Club Congo Orchestra in 1941. Mr. Allen’s innovative arrangements gave solo space to most of the musicians. In 1948 he worked in the Leonard Morrison Band. He remained an active musician in Detroit, and recently passed away at about 97 years of age. “I would call him every once in a while and joke, “I hope you’ve been practicing.” (said Barry Harris) 4

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Willie Anderson, pianist- led a trio with Paul Foster, bass, Billy Burrell, guitar, and accompanied Coleman Hawkins in May, 1945 at a “Strictly Jive” concert at the Detroit Institute ofArts. He was in the Four Sharps, which disbanded in 1945 when Milt Jackson left for New York to be part of the Dizzy Gillespie Sextet.

Mr. Anderson worked at Club 666 in 1947. Mr. Anderson later worked at Club Sudan and was thought of as the modernist pianist in the 1940’s in Detroit, influenced by Art Tatum and Nat Cole.

Milt Buckner­ pianist, organist.

Milton (“Milt”) Bent Bucker; born July 1915 St. Louis-July 1975, Chicago; an orphan whose uncle (John Tobias) was a trombone player taught him to play; another uncle, Ted, was a saxophonist. Mr. Buckner invented the block chording style used by Red Garland, George Shearing, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, and innumerable pianists since then, also the use of the electric organ, that could be carted around, smaller than the traditional pipe organ used in churches. Mr. Bucker first played in Detroit with McKinney’s Cotton Pickers and then worked with the Cab Calloway Orchestra and Lionel Hampton’s Big Band, where he was the staff arranger. Mr. Buckner recorded about a dozen records as a leader, and with Illinois on four records on the Prestige and Cadet labels. He formed his own combo and toured Europe in the 1960’s.

Tommy Flanagan, pianist, b. March, 1930-Nov 2001, New York. Born in Detroit, taught piano by his brother Johnson and Gladys Dillard, who also taught Barry Harris. Went to Northern High School with Sonny Redd. Played at the Bluebird and also school dances, where Barry Harris admits he looked over Mr. Flanagan’s shoulder to learn how to play. After he moved to NY in 1956, he stayed with Kenny Burrell’s aunt in Harlem, since Burrell had convinced him to come Tommy Flanagan along. A pianist with a unique tone, understated but by Brian powerful emotive ability, a controlled, elegant style McMillen

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capable of rhythm surprise in the left hand and intriguing right hand lines, with perfect articulation, always graceful and swinging.

Later that year he recorded Detroit-with Thad Jones, worked at the Newport Jazz Festival with Ella Fitzgerald, and recorded with Sonny Rollins. Recorded Giant Steps with Coltrane, Sonny Rollins’ Saxophone Colossus with Miles Davis; Incredible Guitar ofWes Montgomery Mr. Flanagan first worked with Frank Rosolino, and Lucky Thompson, though underage at the time. During the breaks he went into a nearby room and did his homework. Mr. Flanagan worked with Ella Fitzgerald for many years; Kenny Burrell, Coleman Hawkins, Harry Edison, Lionel Hampton, Jo Jones, Pee Wee Russell, Jim Hall and Percy Heath, Tony Bennett, Art Farmer, Tal Farlow, Red Mitchell, George Mraz, Peter Washington. He received the NEA Jazz Masters Award. Recorded on: Prestige, Blue Note, Enja, Baybridge, Uptown, Timeless, Reservoir, Galaxy, Denon, Pable, Evidence and many others. It is notable that Mr. Flanagan was adored by his fellow pianists. He was nominated for five Grammies.

Roland Pembroke Hanna­pianist, cellist, electric piano; composer/arranger, b. February 1932 Detroit-November 2002

Hackensack. Known as “Sir” Roland Hanna. Studied classical as a child, but was introduced to jazz by Tommy Flanagan. He studied improvisation with Barry Harris in Detroit. With Hank Jones, Tommy Flanagan and Barry Harris, he is the fourth member of what the critics call the “Detroit School of Pianists”-combining the intricate harmonies of bebop with the finesse, understatement and elegance of other periods of popular and classical music. A veteran, he served from 1950-52. He went to the Eastman School of Music in 1953 and went to Juilliard when he moved to New York in 1955. He worked with Benny Goodman’s band and Charles Mingus. From 1966-74 he was in the Mel Lewis-Thad Jones Orchestra. In the 1970’s he was in the New York Jazz Quartet. He wrote the song “Seasons” and Sarah Vaughan recorded 6

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it in the 1980’s. He toured, leading his own Trio and also toured with the Mel Lewis-Thad Jones Orchestra. He became a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz orchestra and the Smithsonian Jazz Masterworks Orchestra, and at that time began composing chamber music, a ballet and orchestral music. Mr. Hanna taught at Aaron Copland Music School in Queens and several other music schools. Mr. Hanna did about 50 cd’s as a leader, and a number more as a sideman. He recorded with Frank Wess, George Mraz, Ron Carter, Gene Ammons, Elvin Jones, Jim Hall, the Mel Lewis-Thad Jones Orchestra, Hubert Laws, Kenny Burrell, Stephane Grappelli and many others. He died of a viral infection of his heart in 2002.

Barry Harris- See Interview.

Phil Hill: pianist b.

1921 Detroit. Attended Cass Tech. played block chords; headed combo at Bluebird Inn in 1948 with Beans Richardson, b, Art Mardigian, d., and Abe Woodley, vibes and Eddie Jamison, as. He played at the Sudan, the Bizerte and the Zombie. He worked in George Jenkin’s band at the Old Time Café, and with Billy Mitchell. In 1947 he was part of David Heard’s sextet at the Club Zombie.

Hank Jones­pianist, composer, arranger, musical director and bandleader, July 1918 (Vicksburg,

Mississippi)-May, 2010 (New York) Mr. Jones grew up in Pontiac into a family with ten children, near Detroit which was the jazz center for Michigan, where he first performed professionally at the age of 13. At one time, Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones had jam sessions every Thursday night where many major musicians from Detroit played. He played Hank Jones by around Michigan and Ohio, touring with Brian McMillen territory bands Lucky Thompson. In the 1940’s he moved to New York to work with Hot Lips Page on 52nd The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Street. Mr. Jones became popular with musicians, working with Coleman Hawkins and Billy Eckstine. Mr. Jones worked with Ella Fitzgerald from 1947-53, toured in Europe with her and also worked with Benny Goodman until the 1970’s. He worked for CBS and built an economic base for his career. In 1966 he was charter member ofThad Jones and Mel Lewis’s Big Band. In 1967 he worked with Ron Carter, Miles Davis and Tony Williams in a quartet. He has about 60 records as a leader in diverse context, including a string quartet, on the Verve. In New York he was musical director for “Ain’t Misbehavin’.” A pianist with a beautiful sound and incandescent ) chord voicings. He won an NEA Jazz Masters Award, ASCAP Jazz Living Legend Award and a National Medal of the Arts Award.

Hugh Lawson­pianist,

born Detroit March, 1935-March, 1997, New York, a gentle, lyric and swinging musician. Attended Cass Tech High School. Worked with Yusef Lateef for ten years and played on a dozen records with him, mostly on Atlantic.

Recorded with Harry “Sweets” Edison, Roy Brooks. A member of the Piano Choir (“Strata East”) with Harold Mabern and Stanley Cowell. Recorded with Charlie Rouse, Kenny Burrell, Doug Watkins, Jimmy Forrest and George Adams; toured with Charles Mingus in . Died of colon cancer in March 1997 at the age of 61.

Recorded as a leader on Soul Note, New Jazz, Storyville, Somethin’ Else. He can be heard as a sideman on Prestige, Atlantic, New Jazz, Riverside, Muse, Savoy.

Kirk Lightsey­pianist/composer,

b. Detroit February, 1937.

Now lives in France. Studied piano at age 5, and piano and clarinet through high school. Mr. Lightsey was an Army veteran; when he came back home, he worked as a singer’s accompanist in Detroit and California. Mr. Lightsey has a strong and open sound mostly in the hard bop style; he is a very good song composer. He worked with many outstanding musicians, including Yusef Lateef, Kenny Burrell, Chet Baker (with whom he recorded five records), Betty Carter, Sonny Stitt, Bobby Hutcherson, Pharoah Sanders. From the 8

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late 70’s to early 80’s he toured with Dexter Gordon and was a member of the Leaders. He also collaborated with Joe Lee Wilson, Jimmy Raney, Clifford Jordan, Gregory Porter, Adam Taubnitz, Harold Danko, Harold Land, Woody Shaw, David Murray. He made about 15 records as a leader, and as a sideman recorded with Blue Mitchell, Kenny Burrell, Sonny Stitt, and Harold Land.

Labels: Criss Cross, Sunnyside, Black Saint, Limetree, Timeless, Evidence.

Alice McCleod­a pianist, organist, harpist, composer born

in Detroit August, 1937, died September died January 2006. Ms. McCleod had a duo with Terry Pollard in Detroit. In 1960 she married singer Kenny (Pancho) Hagood and had a daughter. From 1963-64 she worked with Terry Gibbs and met John Coltrane.

Studied classical music and jazz with Bud Powell. Worked as intermission pianist in Paris at the Blue Note in 1960, Married John Coltrane in 1965 and they had three children, John, Oranyan and Ravi. In January 1966 she replaced McCoy Tyner as pianist in Coltrane’s group and worked with him till his death in 1967. In 1975 Mrs. Coltrane moved to California and founded the Vedanta Center there. In the 1990's there was renewed interest in her own compositions. She worked at the San Francisco Jazz Festival on November 4, 2006, with Charlie Haden, Roy Haynes, and her son Ravi. She was leader on Astral Meditations and Translinear Light.

Recorded about 20 records as a leader, and several with John Coltrane on Impulse, Columbia and Warner Brothers; also with Terry Gibbs, Charlie Haden, McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson.

Terry Pollard­ pianist, vibraphonist, b. Detroit August 1931,-December, 2009, Bronx, New York-a leading pianist prominent on the Detroit scene in the 40’s and 50’s, where she worked with Billy Mitchell, Johnny Hill, and Emmett Slay. She recorded with Billy Mitchell in 1948. Terry Gibbs discovered her at Baker’s Keyboard Lounge in Detroit and she toured nationally with him, recorded “Terry Gibbs Quartet Featuring Terry Pollard” and appeared on the Steve Allen TV show. She also recorded three

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records with Yusef Lateef, another with Terry Gibbs, and one with Dorothy Ashby. The labels were: Savoy, Dreamland, Brunswick, Argo, and EmArcy. Ms. Pollard worked with Charlie Parker, John Coltrane, Miles Davis, Chet Baker, Nat King Cole, Dinah Washington, Duke Ellington and Ella Fitzgerald. She also played piano with Elvin Jones in the house band of the Bluebird. Ms. Pollard backed Diana Ross and the Supremes at one time. She retired to raise a family and is survived by a son, Dennis, a daughter, Marlene, and their families. Before this, she was inducted into the Michigan Jazz Hall of Fame, recorded for Bethlehem Records as a leader, and won the Down Beat New Artist award in 1956. A major talent, Ms. Pollard died at the age of 78 in the Bronx; she was a member of Detroit Local 5 Musicians Union for 60 years.

Otis BuBu Turner: pianist, “one of the best,” according to Ira Jackson and Barry Harris; “one of the leading modernists” (“Before Motown”) age unknown, played with Little John and His Merrymen in The Club Valley with Pepper Adams, Ali Mohammed Jackson on bass, sometimes Frank Foster or Yusef Lateef; at the Blue Bird with Moon Mullins’ group around 1953 with Major Holley and Freddie Metcalf on drums.

Harry Whitaker­pianist, arranger, producer and musical director born Pensacola, Florida, September, 1942, died New York

in November, 2010, he started on piano at the age of five and moved to Detroit at 13; took a few lessons from Barry Harris and then Lonnie Hillyer, who taught him how to play chords on the piano. He worked in a quintet in school, and got a break with Ray McKinney’s Quartet. He worked with Charles Lloyd, Slide Hampton, Roberta Flack, Lloyd Price, Blood Sweat & Tears, Roy Ayers, Buster Williams, Woody Shaw, Mtume, Lola Falana, and the Spinners. He played jazz at Arturo’s, as well as Small’s and Fat Cat in the west Village for 12 years. Recorded “Black Renaissance.”

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DRUMS: Elvin Jones, drummer, bandleader-(born in Pontiac-

September, 1927-May, 2004) into a musical family (Hank and Thad) in a Elvin Jones by Brian small city on the northwest of Detroit McMillen suburbs. A veteran who was broke, when he returned from the U.S. Air Force, Mr. Elvin Jones borrowed $35 from his sister to buy a drum set. He gigged at the Grand River Street Club in 1949 until 1955 before taking off for New York City, where he became a star. In Detroit Mr. Jones joined the Blue Bird Inn house band and played with the Four Sharps that played the Monday night sessions at the Rouge Lounge and the Klein Show Bar. He worked with Kenny Burrell, Tommy Flanagan and accompanied Charlie Parker and Miles Davis, visiting guest stars. According to Frank Gant, Billy Mitchell told Elvin Jones his right hand was not strong enough, and suggested he fill in with his left hand. Elvin Jones filled in with triplets from his left hand and make tremendous rolls that wowed the audience. Mr. Jones’ concept used more polyrhythms.

In New York he played at the Five Spot with Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, and Doug Watkins, and also in NY Mr. Jones worked with Charles Mingus, Teddy Charles, Bud Powell and Miles Davis. For six years he worked with John Coltrane and was on the Love Supreme album. He formed the Elvin Jones Jazz Machine, a combo, and recorded with his brothers Thad and Hank.

He later worked with Joe Farrell and Jimmy Garrison, Steve Grossman and Dave Liebman, McCoy Tyner and Wayne Shorter (on Speak No Evil); also Frank Foster, Lee Morgan and George Coleman. With Kenny Clarke and Max Roach, Mr. Jones was an innovator who developed the use of the drums to more than functioning as a time keeper, one of the most influential 20th century jazz drummers with use of polyrhythms, dynamics, timbre. He appeared in several films. He recorded about 40 albums as a leader, some on Blue Note, Impulse, Enja, Polydor, The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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and many more as a sideman with musicians including: Frank Wess, Frank Foster, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, JJ Johnson, Tommy Flanagan, George Mraz, Sonny Rollins, Paul Chambers, and many more.

Frank Gant­drummer-born Detroit,

May 1931- as a teenager he bought a pair of drumsticks for a nickel and started taking lessons with Barry Harris at a local center. He worked and recorded with Ahmad Jamal, Red Garland, Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Monty Alexander, JJ Johnson and Sonny Stitt. Mr. Gant worked at the Bluebird with Yusef Lateef, and Barry Harris. He worked first with Billy Mitchell and Pepper Adams, and also at a local club with a show band, and then backed Alvin Jackson at the houseband of the Bluebird. He was with Alvin Jackson at the House Band of Detroit’s Club 12, backing Thelonious Monk and Charlie Rouse. Mr. Gant was with Ahmad Jamal for eleven years. He is recorded on 31 cd’s. In New York, he worked with Chris Anderson, Walter Booker, Harold Mabern and Jamil Nasser and many other leading players at local clubs.

Frank Isola, drummer-played with Stan Getz and Gerry

Mulligan. He was drafted in 1943 and did not return till the late 50’s.

Eddie Locke­a drummer who was also a dancer,

who went to Miller High School, who paired with Oliver Jackson, another drummer, played at the Apollo and became active in NY. The duo was known as “Bop and Locke.”

Oliver Jackson­drummer (whose nickname was “Bops Jr.)

who partnered with Eddie Locke and went to New York, played the Apollo, returned to Detroit in 1957 and was on Yusef Lateef’s recordings; he then returned to NY and played with many mainstream groups as a drummer.

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Art Mardigan­drummer, returned to Detroit after going on

the road with the Georgie Auld big band. Also went on the road with Woody Herman in 1952. Mr. Mardigan had a jam session on Sundays at the River Rouge Show Bar. In 1948 he moved the session to Tuesdays the Bowl-O-Drome. In 1954 recorded with Stan Getz. Played with the DaVita brothers and Leo Osobold, worked at the Chatterbox, Bowl-O-Drome, and at the Bluebird.

Recorded with Dexter Gordon and Fats Navarro.

Gayelynn McKinney­ drummer b.

Detroit, daughter of Harold McKinney who was the brother of Bernard and Ray. Played at the Detroit Jazz Festival.

Roy Brooks­drummer born Detroit,

March, 1938-November, 2005. He went to the Detroit Institute ofTechnology for three semesters and dropped out to tour with Yusef Lateef. After that he worked with numerous stars, such as Barry Harris, Sonny Stitt, Lee Morgan, the Four Tops in Las Vegas, Dexter Gordon, Chet Baker, Junior Cook, Billy Mitchell, Charles McPherson, Pharoah Sanders, Wes Montgomery. During the 1960s and 70s he was in New York City. Mr. Brooks recorded on the “Song for My Father” album with Horace Silver. He used innovative musical saw and vacuum tubes on the drums. He worked with the Aboriginal Percussion Choir, devoted to non Western percussion instruments.

In Detroit Mr. Brooks worked with Kenny Cox, Wendell Harrison, and Harold McKinney. Mr. Brooks recorded with Dollar Brand, Charles Mingus, Amina Claudine Myers, James Moody, Red Rodney and manWendell Marshall, Charles Mingus.y others and had several albums as a leader on labels such as Enja, Muse, ImHotep, Workshop Jazz. He recorded The Free Slave with Cecil McBee and Woody Shaw. He was in Mc’Boom with Max Roach and formed Artistic Truth in 1972. He had some mental disturbances that led him to medication. After getting off medication in the 90’s he suffered breakdowns and died in a nursing home. He is survived by his wife Hermine and two sons.

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Louis Hayes-See Interview.

BASS: Paul Chambers­ bassist,

born in Pittsburgh, April, 1935, raised in Detroit after his mother died, Mr. Chambers died January 1969. Started on baritone sax, switched to tuba, started learning bass from Barry Harris who played bass in high school. Mr. Chambers went to Cass Tech. In 1952 he started studying with a bassist in the Detroit Symphony, which was basically a rehearsal band. From 1952 to 1955 he played in the Cass Tech classical ensemble. Known as a perfect all around musician, he was a formative player for his instrument, bringing bass into foreground for arco work and soloing. He listened to Bird with the rest of his classmates. He liked Oscar Pettiford, George Duvivier, Percy Heath, Milt Hinton. Paul Quinichette invited him to New York and he was by then a multi instrumentalist. Impeccable bass player, and improvisor. In the 50s and 60s, he played with multitude of stars, including Barry Harris, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Thad Jones, Bennie Green, Clifford Jordan, Paul Quinichette, Kenny Burrell, Red Garland, Johnny Griffin Joe Henderson, Kenny Dorham, Sonny Clark, Sonny Rollins, Kai Winding, Bud Powell, JJ Johnson, Wynton Kelly. One of the busiest studio players, he recorded with Monk’s Brilliant Corners, Miles Davis’ Kind of Blue, Coltrane’s Giant Steps. He became a substance abuser and died ofTB at 33.

Ernie Farrow­bassist. Attended Northeastern H.S. with Barry Harris. He played alto first and switched to bass. In 1958, a flourishing year for the Blue Bird, he led The International Jazz Quartet, with Sonny Red, Hugh Lawson, himself and Oliver Jackson on drums. The same group also worked in the Cafe Bohemia.

Major Holley­bassist, b July,

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died, Maplewood NJ. Married to Minnie Walton Atcheson.

Attended Cass Tech, studied violin and tuba took up bass in the Navy. When he came back to Detroit he worked with Moon Mullins group at the Bluebird. He worked in the late 40’s with Ella Fitzgerald. While in New York, he worked with Dexter Gordon, Charlie Parker and recorded duets with Oscar Peterson. He moved to England worked at the BBC; when he came back he worked with Phil Woods/Zoot Sims, and Woody Herman. He was a busy studio musician. He worked with Duke Ellington in 1964 and also with Kenny Burrell, Lee Morgan, Coleman Hawkins, Michel leGrand, Quincy Jones and many others. In the 1970’s he taught at the Berklee School of Music. Major Holley sang while playing arco, and did two duet albums with Slam Stewart in the 70’s. He is recorded on Impulse, Muse, Columbia, Prestige and other labels. brother of Oliver Jackson, who influenced Paul Chambers, and was active on the local club scene.

Ali Jackson, bassist,

Alvin Jackson, bassist,

bandleader-brother of Milt Jackson; led H.S. band with Milt Jackson, Art Mardigan, Lucky Thompson, Willie Anderson and George Sirhagen, combos at the Blue Bird in 1955 (including Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Bernard McKinney (Kiane Zawadi) and Frank Gant or Art Mardigan, World Stage. Played with Kenny Burrell and Tommy Flanagan in 1947 and joined Billy Mitchell’s band at the Bluebird. In Sept.

1959 he and Frank Gant backed Thelonious Monk and Charlie Rouse at Detroit’s Club 12.

Beans Richardson­ bassist, bandleader who came to Detroit in 1946 after the army. He worked at the Bluebird with Wardell Gray before Gray rejoined Benny Goodman, in 1948, in the 1954 ensemble with Phil Hill, Art Mardigan and Abe Woodley. Worked the Bluebird with Phil Hill, Terry Pollard and Elvin Jones. He gave Roy Brooks his first gig when he was still in high school.

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Vishnu Wood­bassist, educator,

founder of Safari Productions, a multicultural jazz ed program in several cities in Massachusetts, London, Chicago and New York, manager for Alberta Hunter; played with (among Detroiters) Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris, Joe Henderson, Alice Coltrane, Elvin Jones, and many stars including Vishnu Wood Thelonious Monk and Dizzy Gillespie. Recorded several cd’s with Randy Weston on Black Lion, one with Alice Coltrane, on Impulse.

Doug Watkins­ bassist- born March,1932 – February,

1962. At 22, played on “Saxophone Collosus” album by Sonny Rollins. In 1958, toured and went to France with Donald Byrd, working at Le Chat qui Peche, A very beautiful bassist, according to Sheila Jordan.An original member of the Jazz Messengers, he also worked with Horace Silver, Donald Byrd, Jackie McLean, Lee Morgan, Gene Ammons, Kenny Burrell, Art Farmer, Phil Woods, Tommy Flanagan, Specs Wright, Yusef Lateef. Famous for great intonation and impeccable phrasing, he was best friends with Paul Chambers and best man at his wedding. Recorded with aforementioned players and also Thad Jones, Charles Mingus, Hank Mobley, Curtis Fuller, Rita Reys, Billy Taylor, Dizzy Reece, Lee Morgan, Benny Golson, Red Garland.

Herman Wright­bassist, worked with Yusef Lateef and Frank

Gant at Club 12, the Minor Key and the Hungry Eye and moved to New York with them in 1959, on the road with James Moody in the early 50’s, and joined Terry Gibbs group with Terry Pollard.

Then he worked around New York with the Yusef Lateef Quintet and with many other players.

GUITAR: Billy Burrell: guitar- played at Club 666 with Willie

Anderson and Paul Foster in 1947. Eleven years older than Kenny Burrell, he taught him as much as he could, and later switched to 16

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bass because there was more work as a bass player.

Kenny Burrell­ Guitar- July 1931-present.

Born in Detroit, graduated Wayne State University. He studied classical guitar with Joseph Fava. His mother sang and played piano, his father played banjo and ukulele.

Worked at the Bluebird in Detroit. First Burrell by worked with Dizzy Gillespie’s Sextet in 1951. Kenny Also a vocalist. Known for technique, taste, and Brian McMillen emotional honesty, as well as swinging, Mr. Burrell is a world class player whose consistent productivity over six decades has helped the guitar evolve in stature from a timekeeper to a first class solo instrument in jazz. Awarded an Honorary Doctorate and the Ellington Award from Yale University. Since 1996 Professor Burrell has been Director of Jazz Studies at UCLA; students include Gretchen Parlato and Kalil Wilson. Duke Ellington’s favorite guitarist. An Ellington expert, who has designed and conducted courses on Ellington since the 1950’s.

Recorded Jazzmen of Detroit with Paul Chambers, Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Clarke, Pepper Adams, on Savoy. Also recorded on: Fantasy, Verve, Blue Note, Prestige, Columbia, Fortune. Recorded about 90 albums or cds, as a leader, the most popular Midnight Blue, a solo album. Popular as accompanist.

Recorded with Pepper Adams, Gene Ammons, Oscar Peterson, Chet Baker, Bill Evans, Red Garland, Terry Gibbs, Coleman Hawkins, Gene Harris, Jimmy Heath, Illinois Jacquet, Etta Jones, Thad Jones,Wynton Kelly, Herbie Mann, Jack McDuff, Hubert Laws, Milt Jackson, Jimmy Smith, Shirley Scott. He has been an in demand studio player in New York, worked in Broadway show bands, and had his original compositions performed by Symphony Orchestras. A Grammy winning composer, he founded the Jazz Heritage Foundation to promote jazz as a classical art form. His work has been recorded by many jazz stars, and he received an award from Meet the Composer for a work done at Lincoln

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Center.

John Evans- Outstanding guitarist;

in Barry Harris’s ensemble that he organized at his house, who played around Detroit for a while, who got sick and had to be hospitalized.

Emmet Slay­guitarist who was in a trio with Willie Anderson

and played at the Civic Center, the Cotton Club, the B&C in late 1944 and early 1945, Harpist: Dorothy Ashby, August 1930-April 1986,

b. Detroit, composer and harpist. Attended Cass Tech, played saxophone and bass before choosing the harp. Attended Wayne State University and studied music education. She played piano at clubs in the area. Most musicians considered the harp a classical instrument and she organized free shows to overcome resistance. She toured the country with her husband, drummer John Ashby, and worked with Louis Armstrong and Woody Herman. During the 1960’s had her own radio show in Detroit. Recorded with Ed Thigpen, Richard Davis and Frank Wess. With her husband created their own theatre company, The Ashby Players, that featured musicals that she composed songs for; she created opportunities for black actors in Detroit and Canada.

SAXOPHONE: Pepper Adams­ Baritone saxophone player.

October, 1930 (Highland Park, MI to Rochester, to Detroit at age 16) to September, 1988 (New York). At age 12 he met Harry Carney and switched to baritone. In 1947 he started working in Lucky Thompson’s band. Mr. Pepper did gigs and worked at an auto plant. He went to Wayne State University, was in the US Army band and served briefly in the Korean war. Played at the Bluebird and was part of Kenny Burrell’s group. Influenced by Wardell Gray among others. Recorded Dakar with John Coltrane, Lee Morgan on The Cooker, and in Benny Goodman’s band in 1958.

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Worked in Charles Mingus’s band, recorded Blues and Roots, and founding member with Thad Jones/Mel Lewis’s band. He worked with Donald Byrd and Elvin Jones, and played intensely propulsive, authentic bop lines at top speed. In the 70’s and 80’s he gigged in England and the Continent with pick up rhythm sections. Nominated 3 times for a Grammy, Playboy Award, and two Downbeat polls, one for New Star and in 1980 for best baritone. Composed 43 pieces, recorded on Muse, Blue Note, Uptown, Enja, Warwick, Savoy, Riverside, Prestige, 18 albums as a leader, for 28 years, and recorded 600 records as a sideman.

Worked with-Johnny Griffin, Stan Getz, Charles McPherson, Barry Harris, George Mraz, Lionel Hampton, Stan Kenton, Kenny Burrell, Thelonious Monk, Frank Foster, Kenny Clarke, Paul Chambers.

Joe Alexander­ tenor saxophonist active in Detroit in the late

1940’s who taught Frank Foster and moved to Cleveland.

James Carter­ saxophonist b.

Detroit January, 1969 Member of Bird-Trane-Sco-Now! Ensemble. Toured Europe with International Jazz Band in 1985. Toured with World Saxophone Quartet, Wynton Marsalis, Kathleen Battle, Mingus Big Band, Cyrus Chestnut. Recorded on Atlantic, Columbia, 18 records.

Marion Di Vita­ tenor saxophone- played in mid-late 40’s at The Chatterbox (a soda pop place) with Leo Osobold, Bill Spencer, his brother Johnny and Art Mardigan. Also noted by Ira Jackson. Played in John Rajeski’s big band with his brother. Was active into the 50’s, when he got sick.

Lefty Edwards­ tenor saxophonist,

b 1927, attended Cass Tech, follower of Lester Young; active in Detroit in 1949 who was playing with King Porter at the time he taught Frank Foster.

Frank Foster­tenor saxophonist, arranger, composer and band leader. September 1928 to July, 2011. For a long time, he

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led the Count Basie Orchestra. Born in Cincinnati, Ohio, at 21 he moved to Detroit and became part of the local music scene, working at the Bluebird with Phil Hill, the Flame, Club Valley, (in 1949, making $50 for four nights and $36 for three nights) at that time including the Jones (Elvin, Thad and Hank), Barry Harris, Tommy Flanagan, Wardell Gray. He was drafted in 1951. He was in the Korean War in the Infantry Division. An Frank Foster by Brian McMillen important jazz composer, Mr. Foster wrote standards such as “Shiny Stockings,” “Down for the Count, “Back to the Apple” and arranged innumerable pieces for big bands. He taught his fellow musicians theory, harmony and taught orchestration to masters like Slide Hampton and Barry Harris. In 1986 he took over as leader of the Count Basie band from Thad Jones and won 2 grammies during his tenure. Dizzy Gillespie commissioned him to orchestrate and piece for the London Philharmonic, and other pieces were played by various symphony orchestras. “A natural leader,” according to Cecil Bridgewater, Dr. Foster formed The Loud Minority, a big band with a distinctively modern sound. He was awarded an NEA Jazz Master, and an Honorary Doctorate from Central State University in Wilberforce. The Jazz Archives at Duke University are the home for Dr. Foster’s papers, compositions and recordings.

He has about 30 records as a leader and innumerable recordings as a sideman and arranger.

Kenny Garrett; saxophonist, b. Detroit, October 1960.

Composer, bandleader. Attended MacKenzie High School.

Worked in Duke Ellington’s band, with the Mel Lewis Band, and the Danny Richmond Quartet focusing on Charlie Mingus’ repertoire. He later worked with the Five Piece Band, Woody Shaw, Art Blakey, Marcus Miller, Miles Davis, Joe Henderson, Freddie Hubbard, Brian Blade, Chick Corea, John MacLaughlin, Mulgrew Miller and others, and did hard bop, bop and fusion.

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Labels: Atlantic, Warner Brothers, Criss Cross Jazz, Mack Avenue.

Mr. Garrett received an Honorary Doctorate from Berklee College of Music. He won the Downbeat Readers Poll for alto saxophone 9 times, last in 2013. He won a Grammy for Five Peace Band and was nominated a number of times, including for “Pushing the World Away.” Mr. Garrett has about 20 cd’s as a leader, and a number of others as a sideman.

Wardell Gray­ tenor saxophonist,

b. Tulsa Oklahoma, February 1921 moved to Detroit at 8 years of age, died May, 1955.

Attended Cass Tech H.S., started on clarinet, but after hearing Lester Young with Count Basie, switched to tenor. Worked first with Oscar Goodwin and Dorothy Patton in small bands. He then worked with Jimmy Raschel and Benny Carew, locally. His partner, Jeanette Goings and he had a daughter Anita. Mr. Gray worked at the African American owned Congo Club, and moved up the street to the Three Sixes, where his girlfriend Jeri convinced Earl Hines to hire him. He and Jeri married in 1945. He recorded on Sunset Records, worked with Benny Carter, Billy Eckstine and jousted with Dexter Gordon at local LA clubs. He divorced his first wife and married Dorothy and lived in LA. Mr. Gray recorded a hit record “The Chase.” In the late 40’s he worked with Count Basie’s orchestra and also toured with Benny Goodman’s small “bop” group. He has about 20 records, mostly as a leader, some with Charlie Parker and Benny Goodman, on various companies: Dial, Prestige, Sonny Criss. He was found with a broken neck in Las Vegas and his death was ruled accidental and has been open to dispute.

Joe Henderson – tenor saxophonist­ b.

Lima, Ohio. Born April, 1937-died San Francisco, June, 2001. His family was large.

Piano teachers Richard Patterson and Don Hurless gave him a familiarity with the piano as a child; he also became familiar with the drums The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

Joe Henderson by Brian McMillen

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and the saxophone. He went to Detroit for the music scene at 18.

Attended Wayne University and studied flute and bass, and composition and saxophone with Larry Teal at the Teal School of Music. He transcribed many Lester Young solos. He studied with Barry Harris, Yusef Lateef and Donald Byrd. When he was inducted to the Army, he won some music contests and was chosen for a world tour to entertain the troops. While in Paris he met Kenny Drew and Kenny Clarke. When he got out of the Army, he met Kenny Dorham at Junior Cook’s house. They went to hear Dexter Gordon at Birdland, and Henderson was invited to sit in with the band. He played with Kenny Dorham and Horace Silver, was on the recording of “Song for My Father,” and his solo on it was very popular. He played the bebop, latin, avant garde and R&B styles. Labels he recorded for also included Blue Note (6 as a leader) Verve (& as a leader), and Milestone (12 as leader), and others, and many more as a sideman. He worked with Herbie Hancock, co-led a group with Kenny Dorham, Lee Morgan, Andrew Hill and Pete LaRoca. In 1967 he signed with Orrin Keepnews Milestone label. He moved to San Francisco and started teaching. In the 80’s he went back to standards and his own originals and did some tenor trio records. In the 90’s he was “rediscovered” and recorded the work of Billy Strayhorn, George Gershwin, Miles Davis and Jobim. He died of emphysema in 2001.

Tate Houston­ Saxophonist who got into a fight with Phil

Hill at the Bluebird in 1949 who was replaced by Frank Foster.

Ira Jackson- See Interview.

Eddie Jamison­Alto saxophonist who attended Northwestern High School and played in the style of Bird who opened the Bluebird Inn with Phil Hill in 1948.

Yusef Lateef­tenor saxophone, flute, Oboe, bassoon, koto, shanai, shofar; born1920, Tennessee- 2014. A Grammy winning

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multi-instrumentalist. born in 1920 in Chattanooga, TN, at 5 years of age moved to Detroit, then moved to NY. Dr. Lateef went to U Mass, Manhattan School of Music and Wayne State University. He is known for integrating Eastern music with jazz. He started touring after graduating high school. In 1949, he worked with Dizzy Gillespie. Along with trumpeter Don Cherry, he started the concept ofWorld Music, using Chinese and other instruments. He worked with Cannonball Adderley from 1962-64. Dr. Lateef formed YAL Music (his own label) in 1992, owns FANA music, a publishing company, and has written novellas, an autobiography.

He composed the African American Epic Suite, played by symphony orchestras. He taught at U Mass and Amherst, following a period in Nigeria, and initiated concept ofAutophysiopsyhic music, a theory of fusing technique, theory and life experience.

Yusef Lateef recorded on Impulse, Verve, Atlantic, CTI, Prestige, Savoy and Riverside. Over a 6 decade career, Yusef Lateef composed for symphony and chamber orchestras, stage bands, small ensembles (e.g., 123 duets for treble clef instruments), singers, choirs and solo pianists. His long works have been performed by the WDR (Cologne), NDR (Hamburg), Atlanta, Augusta and Detroit Symphony Orchestras, the Symphony of the New World, Eternal Wind, the GO Organic Orchestra, and the New Century Players from California Insitute of the Arts. In 1987 he won a Grammy Award for his recording of “Yusef Lateef’s Little Symphony.” Yusef Lateef combined a spiritual approach and an innocent, reverential and holistic sound with knowledge of world music, jazz and deep musicality.

Comment: Ira Jackson: “Yusef Lateef was a very, very good person. I can’t remember anything bad about him. I remember hearing him with Barry Harris at the Bluebird, with Tommy Flanagan at Klein’s Showbar, Frank Gant used to work with him all the time. Imagine working a gig for three, four or five years, six nights a week. Detroit had a place called the ‘World Stage’ that had concerts every Tuesday nights. They (the professionals) used to let the young guys play after they got through – to play with a

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professional rhythm section, and Yusef was there for years.

“Yusef was playing at Slug’s and I asked him about his sound, he always had a great sound. He recommended two books to me, “The Psychology of Sound,” and a Sufi book… [He was playing at the Vanguard] and he bought a Mark VI in Paris. I said, “That’s a great horn, but I liked the King Super 20 you used to play at the Bluebird.’ His face fell. He said he had sold that horn and tried to buy it back from the guy and couldn’t. He was very nice, very protective of women, very respectful. Once Charlie Mingus threw a fork at Nica, and he got Charles Mingus so he couldn’t move… I went to a book signing of his Autobiographythey had a party somewhere-just a few years ago. Yusef went up the stairs so good.”

Sonny Rollins: “He was an enormous spirit who everybody involved in our art loved. He was a dear man who was not only a great friend to me but also a role model.” (from the Detroit Free Press in an email from Mr. Rollins) Charles McPherson:

“Let me say this too, since Yusef just died. Yusef was the premiere tenor player in Detroit. He was certainly a mentor. Yusef was very forthcoming in giving advice.

He was very, very strong; as a player at that time, being a wonderful tenor, in Detroit he was just the King at this particular time, [as] he should have been. He was worthy of that, he gave me good saxophone advice. We really looked up to him.”

Rick Margitza: Tenor saxophonist,

b 1961. Grandfather a cellist and father violinist with Detroit Symphony; started on violin. Influenced by Coltrane, Wayne Shorter and Michael Brecker. Studied at Wayne State University, Berklee, played in New Orleans for four years and went to NY in 1988. Toured with Maynard Ferguson, Flora Purim and worked with Miles Davis in 1988. Made three albums as a leader for Blue Note. One in 1994 for Challenge.

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Billy Mitchell­ tenor saxophone-November,

1926-April, 2001-a bebop player who moved to Detroit when he was 17, matured in the Detroit jazz scene where he worked in Nat Towles’ band, and was close to Thad Jones. He worked in Lucky Millinder’s band in New York during the 1940’s and played for 34 years at Sonny’s Place in Seaford, N.Y. till 1997, where he hosted a floating jam session with visiting stars, after which he retired.

Mr. Mitchell worked in Count Basie’s band, Dizzy Gillespie’s, and Woody Herman’s. He recorded ten albums as a leader; was on the Blue Note “Detroit-New York Junction.”

Charles McPherson-See Interview.

Bennie Maupin ­ Multireedist; saxophones, flute, bass clarinet; August 1940-present composer of short works. Worked

with Herbie Hancock in Mwandishi and Headhunters band, Roy Haynes, Horace Silver, Miles Davis on Bitches Brew, Almanac with Cecil McBee, Mike Nock, Jack DeJohnette, Eddie Henderson, Lee Morgan, Records: Slow Traffic to the right, Jewel in the Lotus, Early Reflections. Label: Columbia.

Frank Morelli­baritone saxophonist, flute-played with Yusef Lateef at Klein’s Show Bar in 1958, formerly member of the Down Beats at the Hajji Baba. He continued to play in Detroit until his death in 1987.

Moon (John) Mullins­ tenor saxophonist,

a leader active in Detroit who led a band that replaced the Billy Mitchell, Elvin Jones band at the Bluebird in November 1953. He had “Bu Bu” Turner, piano, Major Holley, bass, Freddie Metcalf, drums, and Willie Wells, trumpet.

(George Walker) Big Nick Nicholas­ tenor saxophonist and singer; b. Lansing, Michigan, 1922 -- died, Queens NYC 1997.

He composed “Big Nick” included on Coltrane album “Duke The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Ellington and John Coltrane.” He worked with Hot Lips Page and Buck Clayton. Active in some Detroit bands before he joined the army, Mr. Nicholas worked with Thad and Hank Jones, Tiny Bradshaw and Earl Hines. After the war, he worked with Lucky Millinder, Sabby Lewis and J.C. Heard, Duke Ellington, Cab Calloway, Charlie Parker and Charles Mingus. In New York he led a combo with John Ore, Al Harewood and Walter Bishop Jr. at the West End Café in the 60’s. He was recorded on the India Navigation label and died of a heart attack at 75.

Stoney Nightingale­alto & tenor saxophonist, a veteran of

the Korean War who played very well, according to Ira Jackson.

Leo Osobold­tenor saxophone; worked with Art Mardigan at Owl-O-Drome and The Chatterbox, and with Phil Hill and Kenny Burrell at the Crystal, and in Dave Heard’s combo; according to Pepper Adams, Mr. Osobold was a remarkably fine player who played exactly like Stan Getz. He played at the American Jazz Festival in 1960 where he impressed Ira Gitler.

Sonny Red­ alto saxophonist, Born Dec.1932 Detroit;

died March, 1981 as Sylvester Kyner. He was a friend of Roland Hanna and together they studied improvisation with Barry Harris.

He was also a classmate ofTommy Flanagan who made about 8 albums as a leader, on Blue Note, Regent, Jazzland and Mainstream, and also recorded with Frank Wess, Paul Quinichette, Bobby Timmons, Bill Hardman, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd and Curtis Fuller.

Rudy Rutherford­ baritone saxophonist/clarinetist born June 1924- March 1995, swing musician. Worked for Lionel Hampton and Count Basie and Ted Buckner in Detroit. Rejoined Count Basie in 50’s, also worked with Wilbur de Paris and in New York with his own combos. He then worked with Earl Hines and Illinois Jacquet.

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Lucky Thompson­ tenor saxophone, b. Columbia, South Carolina, June 1924- died Seattle July, 2005 moved to Detroit as a child. Practiced fingerings on a broom handle before getting his first horn and upon graduation from high school in 1942 he went with Erskin Hawkins band. He worked with Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Don Redman, Lucky Millinder, then moved to bebop and hard bop with Miles Davis, Dizzy Gillespie, Milt Jackson and Kenny Clarke. Recorded with Charlie Parker and on Miles Davis’ “Walkin’” album. Lived in Paris for five years and in Switzerland for three years. Taught at Dartmouth College. Recorded a dozen records as a leader, and as a sideman worked with Oscar Pettiford, Art Blakey, Thelonious Monk, Stan Kenton, Dinah Washington, Milt Jackson, Dizzy Gillespie on Blue Note, Savoy, Limelight, Fresh Sound, Impulse, Xanadu, Delmark, Atlantic, Norgran, Concord, Nessa, Prestige, Sunnyside, Rivoli. His son Daryl is a guitarist.

Donald Walden­tenor saxophone,

educator. Producer. Born Clarksville, TN, moved to Detroit, attended Larry Teal Music School and Detroit Community Music School. At Chadsey High School worked in group with Lonnie Hillyer and Roy Brooks.

Studied improvisation with Barry Harris and Yusef Lateef. Moved to NY in 1960, worked with Grant Green, Joe Chambers, Sun Ra, Booker Ervin, moved back to Detroit in 1966, worked with Aretha Franklin, Stevie Wonder and the 4 Tops. Recorded about ten albums with various artists including Geri Allen. Taught at Michigan State, Oberlin, University of Michigan. Taught Rodney Green, Geri Allen, Regina Carter, produced tribute albums to Monk, Mingus and Dameron.

TRUMPET: Marcus Belgrave­trumpeter,

born Chester, PA, went to Detroit, teaches at Oberlin and Stanford Jazz Workshop. In the 1970’s started the Jazz Development Workshop. 6 records as a leader, also recorded with George Gruntz, BB King and David Murray. Mr. Belgrave worked with Ray Charles, Gunther Schuller, The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Ella Fitzgerald, Dizzy Gillespie, Tony Bennett, Sammy Davis Jr., La Palabra, Max Roach, Charles Mingus, was the staff trumpeter at Motown Records.

Thad Jones­ trumpeter, composer, arranger,

born (March, 1923-August, 1986) in Pontiac, MI, moved to Detroit. Member of musical family (Hank Jones, Pianist, Elvin Jones, drummer) self taught on trumpet, started gigging at 16, he became a leading trumpet soloist, unique arranger and composer. In World War II from 1943-46 in U.S. Army bands. After discharge, worked with military bands and studied at US Military School of Music in Des Moines and Oklahoma. Joined the Count Basie orchestra in 1954.

Created two dozen arrangements for the Basie band and was a featured soloist. In 1963 he became a freelance and studio musician. He moved to New York City, taught at William Paterson College, and formed the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Orchestra at the Village Vanguard. This band won a Grammy in 1978. His dissonant voicings forced the band to play in tune, otherwise the result would be too jarring. In 1977 he suddenly moved to Denmark and married a Danish woman in 1978 and led the Danish Radio Big Band. He led both bands at alternate times. In 1985 he took over the Basie band, but got sick and in August 1986 he died.

“A Child Is Born” is a famous standard he wrote. He recorded on Blue Note, Prestige, RA, Metronome, Solid State (with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Big Band), Verve, Fantasy, A&M, Savoy and several others. Recorded with Mingus, Frank Wess, Ben Webster, Thelonious Monk, Curtis Fuller, Dexter Gordon, Herbie Hancock, Coleman Hawkins, Lou Donaldson, and many others. Survived by his wife, and three children, two of them in the US. Donald Byrd­Donaldson Toussaint L’Overture Byrd II ­trumpet. (December, 1932-February, 2013) Mr. Byrd attended

Cass Technical High School. He started play with Lionel Hampton’s band before he graduated high school. He did a stint in the U.S. Air Force, graduated Wayne State University and the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Byrd replaced Clifford Brown in 28

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the Jazz Messengers, recorded with Jackie Mclean and Mal Waldron. He later worked with John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Sonny Rollins, and co-led a group with Pepper Adams at the Half Note. He mentored and subsidized Herbie Hancock and gave him a bed in his apartment for several years. In 1973 he did Blackbyrd for Blue Note, a top selling album. He ended his career doing straight ahead, with Orrin Keepnews’ Landmark Records and recorded “Touchstone.” Mr. Byrd was a committed educator and taught at Cornell, NYU, North Carolina, Delaware State, Queens College and Howard among other universities. He did some fusion while working for his JD at Howard in the 80’s.

Edwin Davis, trumpet. Attended Cass Tech.

Worked with Benny Carter’s band, touring and recording in 1944. In May 1945 he returned to Detroit and played a concert with Art Mardigian’s sextet at DIA. He led groups in concerts, clubs and at dances. He played at the “Turntable,” Bizerte and Club Delisse; also as sideman for Lester Young at the Masonic Auditorium in 1946, and with Ted Buckner’s Band at the DIA and the Frolic Bar, and in Candy Johnson and his Peppermint Sticks in 1947-48. Mr. Edwin “Youngblood” Davis also led a band at the Sudan, where he hired Tommy Flanagan and Kenny Burrell.

Johnny Di Vita­ trumpeter­he played at 1946 at The

Chatterbox with his brother Marion, an alto player at the time, according to Ira Jackson.

He also worked at the Bluebird with Miles Davis.

Lonnie Hillyer­ trumpeter. March,1940

(Monroe, Georgia) to 1985 (New York). Lonnie Hillyer moved to Detroit with his family at the age

Lonnie Hillyer

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of three. He was a brilliant trumpet player by his late teens heavily influenced by Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Mr. Hillyer was a unique modernist composer/lyricist of note who played the piano. Lonnie Hillyer was a 14 year old schoolmate of Charles McPherson when together they studied with Barry Harris. Hillyer and McPherson formed a quintet as they came of age in Detroit and also in 1966. Later formed Quintet with Charlie Rouse in1983, Bebop Quintessence (Ben Brown, Buster Williams, Hugh Lawson). He played with Thelonious Monk, Charlie Rouse, Charles McPherson, Willie Bobo, Charles Mingus, Art Blakey, Abbey Lincoln, Yusef Lateef and Clifford Jarvis. Mr. Hillyer also recorded with Pharoah Sanders, Yusef Lateef, Barry Harris, Charles McPherson, Charles Mingus, and Eric Dolphy. His son, Lonnie Darryl Hillyer, is a well known rock bassist. Career cut short by cancer.

Howard McGhee, trumpeter, b. Tulsa, Oklahoma, moved to and raised in Detroit, died NY 1987; one of the first bebop trumpeers, recorded with Coleman Hawkins and Charlie Parker, James Moody, a high note and virtuoso player, who worked at the Club Congo (African American owned) in 1941. Recorded and coled about a dozen on Dial, Savoy, Argo, Steeplechase, Storyville, Prestige. After 1945 played key role in L.A. jazz scene. Appeared in many George Wein Productions. Worked with Lionel Hampton, Andy Kirk, Count Basie.

Doug Mettome, trumpeter- known as a bebop trumpeter,

in the mid 1940’s; worked with Billy Eckstine, Bill Randle and Willie Anderson, among his fans: Miles Davis and Barry Ulanov.

Eddie Nucelli­Trumpeter/Arranger. B.

Detroit 1925.

Attended Cass Tech and wrote his first arrangements there. He later wrote for altoist John Rajewski’s big band. Played with Leo Osobold in the late 40’.s Willie Wells, trumpeter- played in Moon Mullins band at the

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Blue Bird Inn; also appeared with Milt Jackson in 1948, Will Davis,p, David Heard,d, Jimmy Glover, b. that recorded on the Sensation label under the name Lord Nelson and His Boppers.

Little John Wilson, trumpeter,

who led Little John and his Merry Men, a 7 piece band for which Frank Foster and Cleveland Willie Smith arranged. Played at the Club Valley, a teen dance club, in Cleveland at the Globe Theater. Frank Foster and Pepper Adams worked in this band.

Cliff Oless, Dave Kelton and Wesley Fields were also

excellent trumpeters active in Detroit from the late 40’s through the 1950’s. A pair of twins who were active at the time was Jimmy and Tony Stephonson, who played alto and trumpet like Bird and Miles Davis, according to Ira Jackson.

TROMBONE/EUPHONIUM: Curtis DuBois Fuller­ trombonist-b.

Detroit Dec. 1934.

Played baritone saxophone in high school and switched to trombone at 16. Played in Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers, Unfortunately his parents died when he was young. A schoolmate of Donald Byrd and Paul Chambers, he also knew Tommy Flanagan, Thad Jones and Milt Jackson. A veteran who was in the army from 1953 to 55, he was in the same band as Cannonball and Nat Adderley. He moved to NY with Yusef Lateef in 1959, and recorded with them on Prestige. Alfred Lions featured Mr. Fuller on dates with Sonny Clark and John Coltrane. He also worked with Miles Davis. He recorded for Impulse! Savoy and Epic. Mr. Fuller worked with Bud Powell, Joe Henderson, Jimmy Smith and Lee Morgan, Wayne Shorter, and currently works for NYSummer School of the Arts. He also worked with Dizzy Gillespie and Count Basie.

Frank Rosolino­trombonist, born in Detroit in August,1926-

November, 1978, Van Nuys, California. He started playing guitar at the age of 9 with his father and switched to trombone at 14. In The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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high school he played with Milt Jackson, at the Bluebird with Tommy Flanagan, Kenny Burrell, the Jones Brothers (Hank Elvin and Thad) and Paul Chambers. He played with Miller of the Miller Dance band in the late 1930’s and with Milt Jackson in high school. He was drafted in 1944 and was in the 86th Division Army Band during World War II. He returned to Detroit in 1946. Ira Gitler believes he met Bird on 52nd Street, where he played with Charlie Parker at the Three Deuces. He was active in big bands of Stan Kenton, Gene Krupa, Tony Pastor, Herb Fields, Bob Chester and Glen Grey. He went to California and worked with Howard Rumsey’s Lighthouse All Stars on Hermosa Beach. Hired Tommy Flanagan for his first gig at the Bowl O Drome in 1945. Was a feature act at Klein’s Show Bar in 1954.Recorded with Barry Harris on “Swing not Spring,” Savoy 1952. Later he worked in the California studio scene, for Frank Sinatra, Mel Torme, Tony Bennett, Sarah Vaughan and others. Mr. Rosolino played for movies, the Tonight Show and Steve Allen’s show. He had a mental breakdown and died in a family murder-suicide. He had a dozen albums as a leader, and was a sideman on many records. He also sang, scat sang, and was on one of Oscar Brown Jr’s Series.

He recorded with Stan Kenton, Benny Carter, June Christy, Chet Baker, Zoot Sims, Horace Silver and many others.

Kiani Zawadi:

See Interview

SINGERS: Betty Carter­singer, educator,

entrepreneur: born Flint, Michigan, May,1929- 1998, LA, moved to Detroit, attended Cass Tech. She was in a H.S. band with Barry Harris and others, sat in with Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Worked with Lionel Hampton, worked in NY with King Pleasure at the Apollo. Toured with Ray Charles, with whom she recorded the hit “Baby It’s Cold Outside,” toured Japan with Sonny Rollins. Recorded on ABCParamount, Hitco, Impulse, Verve, Peacock, United Artists.

Extended the ‘horn’ phrasing style of jazz singing from prior generations; famous for scat singing. Created Bet-Car Records in 32

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1969 and recorded for 18 years on that label. Performed on Saturday Night Live and the Cosby Show. Created the jazz Ahead program of the Kennedy Center. On college tour taught jazz history. Toured Europe, South America, the U.S. Discovered John Hicks, Benny Green, Curtis Lundy, Mulgrew Miller, Cyrus Chestnut. Member Downbeat Hall of Fame. Grammy for Best Female Jazz Vocal Performance.

Kenny Pancho Hagood-singer April, 1926-November, 1989, started singing at 17 with Benny Carter, with the Dizzy Gillespie Orchestra from 1946-48; Tadd Dameron, Thelonious Monk, and Miles Davis, He recorded with Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk on The Complete Thelonious Monk, and with Miles Davis on the Birth of the Cool sessions, and Milt Jackson. He was in LA from 1965-1980, then moved to Detroit and Chicago. Known for his free, irrepressible and passionate style, scat singing on the changes with bebop masters of the day. He sang ballads in the tradition of Billy Eckstine and was a pioneer of scat singing. He was married briefly to Alice Coltrane in 1960 and has a daughter.

Sheila Jordan-See interview.

Skeeter Spight­singer, b. Detroit.

Co-singer and lyricist in trio with Sheila Jordan and LeRoy Mitchell; a brilliant scat singer.

LeRoyMitchell­ singer, b. Detroit, the third member of trio with Sheila Jordan and Skeeter Spight.

Vibes­Milt Jackson­ vibes (“Bags”)-born in Detroit,

January

1923-Oct 1999, Teaneck, NJ. A formative player for his instrument, composer, played with Modern Jazz Quartet for 20 years from the 1950s to the 1970s. Discovered by Dizzy Gillespie in 1946, he played with Woody Herman, Howard McGhee, Charlie Parker, Thelonious Monk. In Dizzy Gillespie’s small group with Ray Brown, John Lewis, and Kenny Clarke. Known for his soulful improvisation,. From the 1970s to the 1980s, he recorded for Norman Granz on Pablo, sometimes featuring JJ Johnson, Ray Brown, Tom Rainier, John Collins and Ray The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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McCurdy. He worked with BB King, John Coltrane, Wes Montgomery and Ray Charles. He did about 50 albums as a leader, on Pablo, Impulse, Atlantic, Prestige, and others, some with Oscar Peterson, Joe Pass, Wes Montgomery, Coleman Hawkins, and as a sideman with Dizzy Gillespie, Hank Mobley, Miles Davis, Cannonball Adderley and others.

Abe Woodley­ vibes, b. 1926, in Phil Hill’s group at the Blue Bird Inn in 1948. A promising vibes player whose “bop inflections, ideas, sense of restraint,” were admired in the local press. A “good musician,” according to Barry Harris.

Violin:­ Regina Carter-born Detroit,

1966-violinist, educator.

Attended Cass Tech, Oakland University. Recorded Atlantic, Verve: 8 cds as leader. As sideperson, with Cassandra Wilson, Steve Turre, Mark Elias, Carmen Lundy, five cds with String Trio of NY. Pop Jazz Quartet Straight Ahead, toured with Wynton

INTERVIEWS

RUDY TUCICH (below with Miles Davis, 1952)

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Rudy Tucich (RT): Drummer, jazz DJ 1970's-90's, WDET-FM. Madison Ballroom, June 2, 1952 interview with Miles Davis. He attended Cass Tech High School, worked at Al’s Record Mart, Detroit’s leading record store, a contemporary of McPherson, Hillyer and Jackson, played in combos and gigged with Charles McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer and Ira Jackson at local clubs, schools and concerts. He had a radio show called 52nd Street where he interviewed many jazz stars.

JC: When did you first start listening to jazz and where?

RT: When I started to listening to jazz, this was 1947 or 1948 and I was like 11 or 12 years old.

JC: Were there certain radio shows you listened to?

RT: In Detroit there were a couple of radio stations that would play jazz, there Jack the Bellboy, (Illinois Jacquet…made a record, “Jack the Bellboy.” “Jack the Bellboy” was used as his theme…

And there was a guy called Bob Murphy…nicknamed “Tall Boy Third Row,” cause he was like 6’5.” He finally left Detroit and went to Cleveland…These two guys would have jazz programs in the afternoon. But that’s where I would hear jazz. Right next to our high school in a little restaurant where high school kids could go and have a coca cola, in the juke box, they’d have Errol Garner and Charlie Parker records. After school we’d go for coffee and listen to “Cool Blues,” I remember that was one on the juke Box. I went to Cass Tech, Hugh Lawson and I were classmates…Paul Chambers used to show up there, Kiane Zawadi (Bernard McKinney back in those days). I think Donald Byrd would show up there. Some of them went to Cass Tech. Also at that time I worked at a record store which was like the jazz mecca. Pepper Adams and I worked together at the record store, Al’s Record Mart. It was on Broadway. Saturday morning there would be like all these jazz fans, older and younger guys, they’d converge there, and the older guys would say, “You gotta listen to Coleman Hawkins,” and the younger guys would say, “No, I wanna listen to Bird.” We liked the music and we’d push what we’d like. And it The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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was good vibes.

JC: So even then Bird was famous.

RT: “Among the younger guys coming up, Bird was like a God. And this was in the days of 78’s. You got one on one side and one on the other side, and they were roughly 3 minutes long. 3 minutes and ten seconds. I don’t know if you’re familiar with the old Bird Savoy things.”

JC: Were there neighborhood clubs you went to? Tell me about the Blue Bird.

RT: [The Blue Bird] was on Tireman Avenue. Its address was 5021. I don’t know if you know the tune 5021 by Thad Jones...

And everybody in the late 50’s early 60’s went to New York.

Charles came into town, 2000, 1999 and he worked at the Blue Bird, it was like a Bluebird reunion kind of thing. The Blue Bird is still there, but it’s empty.

RT: Oh [Barry] knows it. I used to play drums, but I’ve learned to comp in my old age, you know comp on the piano, play chords.

Me and Charles and Lonnie Hillyer had a bebop band.

JC: You have a piano at home?

RT: Oh yeah.

JC: What were you saying about the Blue Bird?

RT: Barry Harris, Pepper Adams, Tommy Flanagan, Elvin Jones, Billy Mitchell worked there, the house band. It would vary from time to time, but all these guys that I mentioned to you they did work there at that time. You mentioned something about a window at the Bluebird. I’m sure you’ve heard that tale a million times. The bandstand was at the front of the Blue Bird. That’s where the bandstand was. And Elvin was the drummer, and there was a window face high. And he would adjust the Venetian blinds so that the younger guys, me and Charles and Lonnie, and Ira, and Donald Walden, so Elvin would adjust these blinds so we could 36

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Sonny Red, Barry Harris, Kiani Zawadi, Eumon Broxton, Ernie Farrow (L-R) Concert rehearsal at the Detroit Institute ofArts

look in. We’d be standing out on the sidewalk and looking through the window. You could hear it perfectly. And in the summer there were little screens, and he would open these little narrow windows and we could hear the sound perfectly.

JC: The Blue Bird was the main club in Detroit? How long did it last?

RT: It was going well into the early 60’s. After everybody left Detroit, Clarence Eddins would bring in Philly Joe’s band and Miles’s band. It went on for quite a while.

RT: For beboppers, yes.

JC: Did you know Frank Gant?

RT: If you see him say hello, he’ll know me. Frank worked with Yusef’s band.

JC: Was Yusef from Detroit?

RT: Originally he was from Tennessee or somewhere down south. He was working at Klein’s Showbar at 12 Street and Pingree with Frank and a lot of other people.

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someone in your family?

RT: I played drums. Once I hooked up with Charles and Lonnie, then we started playing dances. All kind of –black organizations—they would always have dances at various halls.

And often, Ira was a real go getter and he would get the jobs.

Maybe a job like for a quintet, all of us would be there. If the band only paid for a quintet, Donald Walden, a tenor saxophonist it didn’t mean we’d all show up…

The people that hung out together were me, Charles, Lonnie, (Trumpet) Donald, Ira, trombone Mike Terry, the piano player was Johnny Griffith…I’ve totally forgotten, but we worked one or two gigs with Alice McCleod, a few with Pancho Hagood (he could comp good), James Jamerson or Bobby Friday (bass). We always played together.

We’d play like Friday night, Ira was a real hustler. We worked pretty steadily. There was always a black club, all these little organizations. We could play jazz and people would dance.

The tune might be “up a little bit,” and the dancers would cut time, and they’d be …gliding around, [doing] regular ballroom dancing.

New Music Society started in the mid 50’s I would say.

Sometimes they’d call it the “World Stage.” The World Stage was a place where they’d give plays, something like that at the northwest corner ofWoodward & Davison.

Kenny Burrell and I believe Oliver Shearer (he was a guy that.. kind of like a producer), they started a place that had sessions where young guys like us, we would play the first set with some of the older guys.

JC: Did you ever get paid?

RT: No. When we were done the older guys took over. That’s when all of us (the young guys) got a chance to play with the older guys, Yusef, Tommy, Barry).

JC: Terry Pollard, was she the only woman you remember.

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Kiani Zawadi, Rudy Tucich, Barry Harris, and Frank Mann at a session in Detroit, circa mid1950's at the World Stage

RT: Bess Mackris. She was blind and lived on the far east side.

JC: What Terry Pollard?

RT: Terry was a great piano player…she didn’t sound like a woman playing the piano, she sounded like a man. She played with grit… She played hard. She was a bebop piano player.

Eventually she got divorced, she might have moved to NY, the last I heard she was in a nursing home. I think she passed.

JC: What about Bess?

RT: Well, she was good piano player.

Back in those days we had record machines, the 33 and 1/3 came in, and these record machines would play all speeds, 45’s, they had 16 machine where you could cut the time almost in half.

It was 16, 33, 45, and 78. Here’s what happened. Those first records we were listening to were 78 revolutions a minute. Then they came out with 33 per minute. Then they came out with 45’s.

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The machine, you could slow it down to 16 revolutions a minute.

So it would cut Miles or Bird solo in half and you could pinpoint what he was playing.

JC: I heard there was a lot of racism in Detroit at the time, that is, the police harassed interracial relationships, which jazz brought about.

RT: Blacks lived on one side of town, and whites lived everywhere else. I was so young I didn’t know anything about it.

Every night when we would get in the car, I’m the only white guy in the group. We’d go to Wayne University and the cops would stop us. “What are you doing with them?” “I don’t know what you mean?” They stopped us so often I’d stop being afraid. We’d have me, Charles, Roy Brooks, Lonnie. We rented a place above the clothing store, we lived there for two years. That was another good thing.

IRA JACKSON Ira Jackson, Alto & Tenor Saxophonist, educator. A contemporary of Charles McPherson and Lonnie Hillyer, he was born in Detroit to a family of five brothers; he was the youngest.

Mr. Jackson’s older brothers were famous in sports circles in Detroitmainly track and baseball; as a child he played basketball and ran track, and a representative from the University of Michigan assured him that he would get a sports scholarship to college. However, Mr. Jackson contracted rheumatic fever and his involvement with 40

Ira Jackson, Tenor Saxophonist, Educator in his studio

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sports was cut short. He was hospitalized for six months and recuperated at home, where he found an alto saxophone.

One of his brothers encouraged him to take up the saxophone and switch from Western High School to Cass Tech, that had a special music department. “You had to compete to get into Cass Tech,” he recalled. The school had an art, music, and even automobile department, where student apprentices under supervision got paid to fix cars sent in by consumers from the community. Some of the kids who went to Cass Tech were from well heeled families. “When they had a bus strike, some of them were driven to school by chauffeurs,” he said.

The same brother played Charlie Parker playing “Just Friends,” and Mr. Jackson was overwhelmed by the magnificence of Bird’s performance. Mr. Jackson became a lifelong devotee of Bird, who was the “man” in Detroit at the time, the idol of his generation of jazz artists and following generations. Peter Bernard, the “most intelligent person I ever met,” would compare great architectural structures, or any major accomplishment to Charlie Parker, and say, ’Yes, those are great buildings, but nothing compared to Bird’, and if something was very hip, [Peter] would say it was ’very Yard,’ referring to Bird. Mr. Jackson also quoted President John Kennedy, who once said, “There are a lot of great minds in this room, but not as great as Charlie Parker in a room by Ira Jackson sits in front ofa photo himself.” ofBird The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Jazz so permeated Detroit culture, that there were two teenage jazz joints where liquor could not be served, (the Tropicana and the Club Sudan). “Louis Hayes played at the Club Sudan with Eli Fontaine, who played alto and could sing. It was the “in” teenage club.” Near Cass Tech High School there was a soda fountain called The Bungalow that had a juke box that played the latest jazz hits.

While at Cass Tech High School, Mr. Jackson had a quartet with various classmates or teens into jazz, including Kirk Lightsey (pianist), Bob Friday (bass) or Rudy Tucich on drums. This Quartet got gigs due to Mr. Jackson’s entrepreneurial skills, at school dances, private affairs or club dates, hired by the NAACP, the Dell Sprights and Coeds, the Tropicana (one of the teenage jazz clubs at the time), Nacirema, or academic settings like the University of Michigan. Mr. Jackson recollected many incidents that occurred while living in a community where jazz was the most popular music of the day. Bebop, (the jazz music started by Charlie Parker and cohorts) after World War II was the newest incarnation of jazz.

He spoke with fervor of one who had, firsthand, experienced some of the golden age of jazz in America. He remembers hanging out at the Madison Ballroom, hearing Sonny Stitt and Stan Getz live. He made friends with Al Levitt, Getz’s 17 year old drummer. “He was the same age I was so we made friends,” he explained. Mr. Jackson “took a couple of lessons from Frank Foster” who was a legend already, and by the time he was a teenager had written the music for a big concert for strings and orchestra. “Frank Foster showed Barry Harris how to play chords on the piano…” Mr. Foster was in World War II, and Mr. Jackson …”I remember him coming to a Veteran memorial gig with his uniform on, before he went with Count Basie’s Band.”

In the days of pre-TV, live music was so pervasive that everyone had a piano in their living room and most families had someone who could play it. Mr. Jackson’s uncle was a porter on a train, a very select job, “he always had more money than most 42

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One ofIra Jackson's photos, featuring a young Harry Whitaker on the left and Mr. Jackson on the extreme right.

people in the neighborhood, he owned two houses, and wore special clothes.”

He remembered fondly that this uncle came by with about eight musicians he’d met on a train and they had a big jam session where “everyone played.”

He recalled going to jam sessions at the West End Hotel, where Kenny Burrell had a trio. “Kenny Burrell married the daughter of the owner of the hotel,” he said. “Bars closed at 2, and the jam session (at the West End Hotel) started at 3. One night Yusef Lateef was playing and Sonny Rollins walked in, took out his horn and went straight to the bandstand.”

Mr. Jackson remembered hearing Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Billie Holiday at the Greystone Ballroom. He remembered the night Barry Harris got to play at the Greystone with Charlie Parker himself, who was on tour and would work pick up rhythm sections in different cities. “Andrew Hill was the piano player and he was late,” recalled Mr. Jackson. “Some people pushed Barry Harris on the bandstand. When Bird heard Barry, he turned around and looked,” he said, “because Barry Harris was better” than the regular pianist. But after Mr. Hill came back and made a fuss, Barry Harris had to give the piano bench back.

Mr. Jackson spoke about an early apartment his group of musicians had in Detroit. “We had three bedrooms, a big living room, dining room, kitchen, an alcove where I had my bed, and I put a large screen down to block [it.] We rented a place above a The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Chinese restaurant.

“We had an upright piano up there; we carried it up the stairs, and we hit a corner and couldn’t get through and had to hold it up for an hour. It was right near Wayne University and then on weekends sometimes we would have jam sessions and people would pay $1 to come in and listen. Junior Cook stayed there one time and the trumpet player, it was a beautiful place. We had it fixed up really nice. Rudy, myself, Jeff Kilgore (he was an Maitre D’ at this place where I saw Duke Ellington, The Minor Key), Roy Brooks, Vishnu Wood lived there. There’s a picture of Charles Lonnie, myself and Vishnu. You know Alice McCleod is Alice Coltrane. Pancho is a singer; he was Alice’s first husband. He made Land of Obladee and Darn that Dream. He came by my house with a diamond ring and told me he was going to marry Alice. I was going out with Alice before he was. She gave me a ride in NY and told me she was going to marry John Coltrane. She was a good piano player. We used to work at the Tropicana.

“Betty Boo gave us a lot of nice furniture to put up there. We had a little library with glass paneling and wood. It was a very nice place. Musicians used to stay there instead of having to pay a hotel bill, we let them stay there for free.

[He remembers musicians who came through, including] “Freddie Hubbard [who] was late for a gig because he had a record date. The guy docked his pay, and Freddie was outside and he said ‘I oughtta throw a rock through the window.’

“Kenny Burrell had the gig at the West End Hotel on the weekends where everybody used to go, he married the guy’s daughter that owned the place. He was a scientist, he invented a lot of stuff on the Ford Motor Company place. Sonny Rollins and all the guys in town, Yusef was playing, he got his horn out and walked right up to the bandstand.”

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“Nica called me (once) and said, ‘we’re going to pick up Bean.’ It didn’t sink in until Coleman Hawkins appeared that she meant him, and when he found out I was from Detroit, he was very warm and said, ‘Detroit of the 1920’s was the greatest jazz town in the world.’” At that time, before prohibition, there were a lot of speakeasies in Detroit, and Canada was less than one mile away, he explained, adding that he had paddled over to Canada in a boat with classmates several times. So Detroiters had access to great liquor in those days.

“When Clifford Brown died, they (Max Roach) hired Barry Harris and Donald Byrd” to take his place.

Mr. Jackson noted many great musicians in Detroit did not make the migration to New York, and who never achieved national recognition: Piano: Terry Pollard. “I used to be Barry Harris’s chauffeur.

Yusef was playing at Klein’s Show Bar. Tommy (Flanagan) was Yusef’s piano player, Frank Gant on drums, and Paul Chambers on bass. You could not see the band from the door, you had to make a right turn. (As we walk in, we hear the pianist) and Barry says, ‘Tommy’s really playing his ass off tonight,’ and we turn the corner and it’s Terry Pollard. She was great! On vibes, she was better than Milt Jackson or Lionel Hampton. I remember once Yusef had this funny song and the rest of the musicians had to read it, and Terry did it like it was easy. She was self taught, she never took a lesson, she was a genius.” After touring with Terry Gibbs and making an album as a leader, Ms. Pollard retired to raise a family.

“Bu­Bu Turner­­” the best pianist in Detroit at the time, according to Mr. Jackson and Barry Harris.

Guitar: John Evans- a guitar player who was in and out of mental institutions during his early 20’s, who supposedly surpassed The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Kenny Burrell.

Trumpet: Claire Roquemore, the same age as Barry Harris, who studied with Frank Foster in high school. “Claire told me that he had practiced things for Frank The Blue Bird Inn Foster…He played long, very good

by Ren Farley phrases at the Blue Bird. Miles was in town for almost a year, and when Claire Roquemore came to the Blue Bird, he’d hand him his trumpet and then stand back and watch him, like, ‘this guy really knows how to play.’ Miles loved Claire Roquemore.” He added that Miles Davis was very generous and also, self assured about his own talent.

Wesley Fields,

a bebop trumpet player who worked with Stoney Nightingale. Other trumpet players working at the time who were excellent were Cleff Ofess, Dave Kelton. Mr. Jackson mentioned two pairs of brothers: Johnny Di Vita, a trumpeter whom Miles worked with at the Bluebird, and his brother Marion who played alto. A pair of brothers who were twins was Jimmy and Tony Stephonson, who played alto and trumpet “like Bird and Miles.”

Stony Nightingale­a tenor and alto saxophone player who was

“a Korean War veteran, who had to take part in hand to hand combat. He was never (violent) before that, and when he came back from the war he was never the same.”

For music fans interested in pop music, Mr. Jackson recalled that James Jamerson was playing bass at the time in Washboard Willie’s Band(a guitarist). He called Lonnie Hillyer, a trumpeter who died at the age of 43 due to cancer, a “great musician.” “I left a tenor saxophone at Lonnie’s house for several months, and after I came to pick it up, he was playing like Coleman Hawkins.”

Lonnie Hillyer had an apartment on 103rd street given to him by John Coltrane because he was married to his niece Maxine. Mr. 46

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Jackson recalled playing with Kirk Lightsey, Roy Brooks, Lonnie Hillyer at Monday night jam sessions that Yusef Lateef led (the drummer was Frank Gant, the pianist was Tommy Flanagan and the bassist was Paul Chambers) at Klein’s Show Bar in Detroit.

There was a very good trumpet player named Dave Kelton, who asked me who Lonnie was, and said, “He really fractured me.’”

Mr. Jackson worked at the Bluebird with Ernie Farrow when he returned to Detroit to see his mother. Mr. Farrow was Mr. Harris’s bass player for years.

During his childhood, the police in Detroit were so racist that one of Mr. Jackson’s older brothers told him when he was eight, ‘If you see police nearby, never run, because they will shoot you in the back.’ He recalled an instance where a policeman stopped him because he had a gig bag with an alto saxophone in it. It was raining, and the cop told him to take out the saxophone, and he refused. He didn’t want to get water into the saxophone, and the police arrested him. He was luckily bailed out of jail by one of his brothers. On a chance trip to New York so that he could hang at the cafes in Greenwich Village, the live and let live atmosphere convinced him to move here, where he has become one of the “go to” experts in teaching improvisation. When he moved here, Freddy Redd offered him a Mark VI tenor saxophone “dirt cheap.”

Up until then Mr. Jackson played the alto.

Ira Jackson compared learning bebop improvisation to the Native American Navajo code that the Axis powers were unable to crack during World War II. Surgeons and lawyers and other professionals he has taught have told him their jobs were much easier than learning to improvise jazz. Ironically, he recalled a time he went to Queens, where Charles McPherson had a gig, and the guy who was cooking chicken in the back came out and played “great” saxophone.

While he has been heard and still continues to be heard at certain night spots featuring jazz, such as Grata, Mr. Jackson has The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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enjoyed being called by many pop groups for gigs, such as the Coasters, Dick Clark, the Shirelles and Evelyn Champagne King.

He said he was once on a tour in California where the promoter had the group booked as the “Bar Keys,” a popular group of the day, and that the pop music was so easy that anybody could do it, and therefore the musicians are easily replaceable. “The people who control music, milk and exploit young people…whereas jazz musicians are much more intelligent than rock players. He illustrated the difference by recalling that when Barry Harris went to Slugs, the piano was missing some keys in the middle. Mr. Harris walked out and said “Call me when you fix the piano.”

See: Ira Jackson's cd “BeBach” and on Facebook.

LOUIS HAYES

LOUIS HAYES, at a memorial for Wilbur Ware

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Louis Hayes (LH)-drummer,

born in May, 1937 in Detroit:

LH: Actually [I was] about 14 or 15. I was just playing the instrument with my friends. At school dances and on street parties, they’d block off a whole block, and in each other’s homes.

When I first got a job at a club, it was a teenage club. One teenage club was the Club Sudan, and another was Tropicana, nestled there in Detroit. That’s how I formed a group: saxophone, bass, piano and drums. A quartet. Every place had a piano. Most kids played piano. Most homes had pianos. Before television and all that stuff. And in the schools, music departments were valid; all schools had music curriculums; they had instruments so the kids chose what instruments and you could take the instruments home. So a lot of kids played instruments in the neighborhoods. I had my father and mother, they had piano and drums there in the home. I played piano first, but I liked the drums, I had a feeling for playing that instrument, the way they sound and look, I gravitated towards the drums. …[music was] all in the family [his father played drums, piano and his mother played piano]. I have a brother Jerald and he played saxophone. Music was just something to keep my mind occupied. I liked sports and being a kid, so music just came into my life gradually over a period of time. As I grew up I played different jobs in Detroit and it gradually…coming up, who knows what’s going to happen. I just was doing things and people liked the way I played and the older musicians, much older guys and then the guys I really respected, like Kenny Burrell, Barry Harris and Elvin Jones. So many marvelous musicians in Detroit, they were at least ten years older than I was. I came to New York in 1956 ahead of some and same time as a lot of them. Horace Silver brought me here. He called and asked me to join his band.

In Detroit, I practiced in the basement on my set of drums. In New York, that was more difficult, living in an apartment, so I The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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practiced on drum pads. That was the big difference. So I wouldn’t disturb people around me.

I did have a practice set, a setup like a set, I know how to get to everything so it’s a matter of being creative and it works out okay. I have so many idols, but they’re really not drummers, per se. Charlie Parker. Dizzy Gillespie, Bud, Duke, so many I can’t name them all. Everybody that can play well is an idol of mine. I like music, all kinds and my idols are not only musicians, writers, athletes, people that are… anything can happen to give you a good feeling, gives you an idea, makes you think a certain way. You’re playing while I’m playing. I might think of a person. Creative people are my idols. Some people are not creative. All the different things you go through have an effect on you.

[Rhythm] It’s a concept, depending on when you’re born and the artist you are involved with, direction you take, your influences. I happened to be born and the people I was listening to -- that’s the direction I chose to go in. I was born in 1937, so I was hearing those bells. Papa Jo was an artist born in his time and I came up functioning and being around my buddies. Our concept was the way it’s been and I was fortunate enough to have a lot of drummers that came along with me and after me and emulate what I do. That I must say is a good feeling. They admire you enough.

You are the one that keeps everyone together. If the drummer is the pulsation, and the feeling it (the drums) makes it so that the rhythm lays the red carpet out for everyone--to cruise down the red carpet and be able to express themselves. You have to depend on the drummer to keep everything together or it will come apart and no one will be able to function. What happens is, it’s me as a person--you can’t get away from that. I was born at a time that this happened for me at this particular time. I am very happy and honored to hear all of these marvelous artists that came before me and are still living and those that are after me.

I have the Louis Hayes Cannonball Legacy Band, and the 50

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Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators. I was just in Detroit.

JC: You have worked with Cannonball Adderley, Junior Cook, Rene Mclean, both bebop and hard-bop groups. Kenny Burrell, Curtis Fuller, Kenny Drew, John Coltrane, Yuseef Lateef, Horace Silver , Barry Harris, almost a Who’s Who of jazz. One of Barry Harris’ most admired recordings was The Jazz Workshop.

LH: I remember that we just played what we felt like playing, no rehearsal. We were the rhythm section with Cannonball’s band at that time. And we recorded with the Cannonball Adderley, the brothers quintet and we also had the opportunity to record with the rhythm section --Barry, Sam and myself. I don’t remember rehearsing. It was about 1960 and it was a very important trio record. I did not have the information that that was Barry’s most influential. It was in San Francisco. And Barry has been a person I’ve admired for a lot of years and he was on my first recording, Louis Hayes Quintet.

JC: When you came with Horace Silver, where did you live in NewYork?

LH: Alvin Hotel on 52nd Street. Birdland was right across the street.

People have died, music has changed, the whole business has changed, constantly A lot of it. It was very enjoyable meeting people and being introduced in different parts of the world. This art form is existing and if you’re fortunate you can do it on a high level you can create and grow with. You’re doing exactly what you want to do.

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SHEILA JORDAN Sheila Jordan-Singer born 1928 as Jeanie Dawson, in Detroit, went to Cass Tech.

Survived a childhood in an alcoholic family (her grandparents and mother) and a Girls Home to develop a unique style based on her knowledge of horn articulation and phrasing; a follower of Bird since hearing the juke box in a soda shop near high school, she became a girlfriend of Frank Foster for three years, a Sheila Jordan by member of a vocal trio called Skeeter, Brian McMillen Mitchell & Dawson, and absorbed a lot of music from the juke box, sessions, and studying with Lennie Tristano for three years. Left Detroit because she wanted to be close to Bird, and she was sick of racist harassment, often by police, due to interracial relationships. She got married to Duke Jordan, pianist, and is the mother ofTraci, (a former record company executive). Sheila Jordan’s style is ‘birdlike’ in tone, elegance, with a horn player’s phrasing and articulation in singing and scatting on the changes. She developed an international following, with many musician fans who have gotten gigs for her. She was a friend of her idol, Charlie Parker, in New York, and hung out and listened to classical music with him.

Ms. Jordan has over a dozen albums or cds under her own name.

JC: I saw a photo of you online, sitting next to Barry Harris as teenagers or young adults—you’re both so serious.

Sheila Jordan (SJ): The photo was taken in New York City in the early 50’s at a jazz club on 52nd street. I had moved here and a lot of times when the Detroit musicians whom I was close to came into town, I would put them up at my loft... The guy next to Barry in the photo is Doug Watkins, a great bass player, who died quite young in an automobile accident.

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JC: Given your varied roots, the Pennsylvania coal mines, the urban industrialization of Detroit, and the native American heritage, do you think they all influenced your style?

SJ: Absolutely, no doubt about it. I’ve been singing since I was three. Not jazz, but you know the songs of the day, which were great songs…Like Cole Porter, George Gershwin, they were on the “Hit Parade” and I would hear these songs when I was a little kid.

We didn’t always have electricity, because if the bill wasn’t paid the lights were cut off. I didn’t know what I wanted to do till I heard Charlie Parker.

[Before then] I was a big Fred Astaire freak. I loved his singing and dancing; he made movies with Ginger Rogers. I used to walk two miles to see a Fred Astaire movie. He sang a lot of wonderful songs. Between the radio, “Hit Parade”, and going to Freddie movies -- that was my learning.

JC: You moved to Detroit when you were 14.

SJ: I lived a poverty stricken life with my grandparents in a coal mining town in Pennsylvania. I moved to Detroit when I was 14 and that’s where I heard jazz for the first time. It was very difficult for a young white girl to go out and hear jazz music.

There was a lot of discrimination at the time. The cops were against interracial mixing. I took chances. I didn’t care, the music was more important to me than anything. I heard Bird’s “Now’s the Time” playing on a jukebox across the street from my high school, and after hearing Bird I decided to dedicate my life to the music. I never gave up.

When I was 18 I moved into a young women’s residence. I worked in an office and finished high school. I’ve been on my own since my late teens, but it wasn’t easy because of the racial discrimination in Detroit. They were very much against whites mixing with Afro- Americans. The police were always stopping me when I was with my Afro-American friends. They would ask me my age, where I was going, where I lived, all that bs. As The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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upsetting as it was, they were not going to tell me who I could hang out with. out.

So I’m here today doing the music. I won

JC: I remember the song you wrote when your house burned down.

SJ: [That was]“Sheila’s Blues.” I talk about how I feel, then I tell my story and about hearing Bird and you know the whole thing.

Sometimes in the beginning I just improvise.

So probably at that time I sang about my house burning down…the first couple of choruses I improvise, instead of talking about it.

Sheila Jordan at a concert

I’m very fortunate to have been given this music and keep it alive. I don’t want to be thought of as a diva, I’m not a star. I’ve won some beautiful awards, the latest being the NEA Jazz Masters Award (2012). These are beautiful gifts and I don’t take them lightly. I’m just out here doing the music, it’s my dedication. I’m 84, that’s 70 years of keeping jazz music alive and I’ll do it till I die.

JC: I noticed that you do “Confirmation” slower than Bird but you use Skeeter Spight’s lyrics so you are singing love lyrics.

SJ: “Confirmation?” These lyrics were written years ago by Skeeter Spight and Leroy Mitchell, two guys that I used to sing with in Detroit. They wrote the version of “Confirmation” that I recorded and sing.

JC: How do you plan a solo?

SJ: It’s all feeling. I don’t plan solos. I’m not saying I don’t repeat phrases, but if I do I’m not aware of it. The phrases I sing come from what I am hearing and feeling. When I find a tune I like, I learn the original melody, the lyrics, and the chord changes.

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One of the joys of improvising is your feeling and what’s going on around you. I listen intently to what the rhythm section is playing. If you keep the original melody in your head, you’ll never get lost. That’s why you should learn the original melody, don’t force improvisation. Let it happen. That’s my opinion. You can listen to other singers for inspiration, but don’t sing the song the way they do. Do your own thing.

JC: You recorded “You Are My Sunshine.”

SJ: I recorded “You are my Sunshine” in 1962. It was an arrangement George Russell recorded for the out of work coal miners from the mining town I grew up in. This is covered in my book, “Jazz Child,” which is coming out (hopefully) in the fall of 2013.

JC: Do you think because popular music is like always aiming promoting the middle, because the middle can always be replaced, but if someone is a great artist, they are hard to replace? And they’re always thinking numbers, how many will sell.

SJ: The blues started with poor Afro-American people that came from Africa, they were slaves because of their skin color.

How did they get through this agony of life? By singing the blues as they picked cotton for their masters. They sang out of a need to express themselves because life was a bitch. That’s the only way they could deal with it. Why some Americans cannot hear this music is beyond me. Jazz musicians are seldom hired on talk shows, to play and talk about their music. Talk show hosts don’t give them a chance. Even at the Grammys. They never have any part of that program dedicated to jazz music. Usually they just show it on the credits at the end of the show. One time Miles Davis and Bobby McFerrin got Grammys. That sure was a surprise. They used to have jazz at the Grammys but now they only have rock, pop, rap, and country performers. Jazz is the stepchild ofAmerican music.

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JC: Is jazz looked up to in other countries?

SJ: Yes, much more than in the U.S. Where do I work? In Europe. I’m going to Italy in another week, then in April, Japan, and then Germany in the fall.

JC: So you have fans over there.

SJ: Yes, I know the jazz community in the U.S. loves and respects jazz music, but jazz musicians in general, are not always accepted in the U.S. All we want to do is keep the music alive and get it out there.

JC: Do you think without exposing jazz to a wider audience it will die?

SJ: Jazz will never die. You’ll always have people out there like myself who are trying to keep it alive. Teaching it to the younger generation.

JC: Why did you like working with the bass? How is a duo format challenging?

SJ: I presently have a bass and voice duo with Cameron Brown.

We rehearse a lot because we love what we’re doing. I started the bass and voice duo in the early 50’s… If I heard a bass player who was compatible with what I wanted to do I would approach him. A lot of singers are starting to do bass and voice duos.

JC: What have you learned from being an educator?

SJ: I learned how to teach from teaching. I don’t have a college degree. I teach what I know and how I approach jazz music. A lot of teachers are on power trips and they break students’ spirits. I do it with love. Every time they sing I give them feedback on how they can improve. I don’t scream at them but I will let them know where they can improve.

JC: You have upcoming tours in Italy, Europe, Japan and the U.S. Now that you have become an international star, do you enjoy traveling?

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SJ: Not really, but I’m so dedicated to the music, after I get there, I’m fine. I work with different musicians in the U.S. and Europe. Most of my gigs are through musicians. They set up tours for me in Europe and the U.S. JC: Do you plan recording project?

SJ: I hate to record. I don’t mind live recordings. Once I get into the music, I’m okay. Going into recording studios is not my favorite way to record. I know I have to record to keep the music alive. If I’m pressured enough I’ll do it. But I have to really be pressured. I’m supposed to do a duo recording with Steve Kuhn in the near future; I just need more time to rehearse.

JC: Do you usually rehearse a lot?

SJ: When I did this concert Saturday it was in a little town in upstate New York. It was at the father of the bass player’s (Gregg August’s) house. A wonderful young Italian piano player, Alberto Pibiri, came up to my house and we rehearsed for a couple of hours. My charts are easy to read because they’re clearly written so the musicians don’t have to struggle with the tunes. All the introductions and endings are on the charts and in the middle part we are free to do what we feel and hear. I’m not going to give a musician half a page with a bunch of chord changes on it. Respect what you do and make sure you have good lead sheets so the instrumentalists don’t have to struggle with the songs.

Jazz music has always and continues to save my life. What a gift! Follow Sheila Jordan: www.sheilajordanjazz.com

Two images ofSheila Jordan by Brian McMillen The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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RON CARTER Ron Carter, Bassist,

cello, piccolo bass, electric bass, Professor, clinician, performer, big band and quartet, quintet leader. Born May, 1937-Ferndale, Michigan. Mr. Carter’s family moved to Detroit when he was 10 years old.

JC: How did you discover the cello?

Ron Carter (RC): The teacher brought certain instruments and laid them on the table, and said whichever one we touched and liked, we would be able to study that; and I picked the cello.

JC: So you just liked the sound of the cello.

RC: Yes.

Ron Carter

by Brian McMillen

JC: What pieces did you work on?

RC: The usual-the teacher, who was the orchestra conductor, picked up easy pieces. When she saw I had talent above the norm, she recommended me to a professional cello teacher. I continued to play cello till high school in 1955 when I switched to string bass. I was 18.

JC: Mr. Carter attended Cass Tech High School, where he learned to play violin, clarinet, trombone, and tuba. Was the education you received at Cass Tech a full music program?

RC: Just like being in junior college. [It was] A school ahead of its time (Cass Tech). You had to take a test to get in, they had an orchestra, chorus, 3 bands. That most colleges would envy. Mr. Harry Begian. They’ve all passed away. Discrimination?

Everyone got jobs to pay at PTA’s, which had conventions and small music events and I never got the invitation and felt that that was because I was African American.

JC:. Did you gain anything musically by being raised in 58

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Detroit?

RC: My parents were hard working parents who wanted us to be successful..[to develop] the qualities to be professional in some kind of line of work.

JC: Was there anything about the atmosphere in Detroit or conditions there that led to its producing so many jazz musicians?

RC: It must have been the water. I was not a jazz player and I was not in that environment. I was not at all... I was a classical player. I left to go to New York and the Eastman School of Music.

RC: My question would be why don’t they turn out these players now?

JC: In 1960 most of the leading players from Detroit came to NY, and in 1964 there was the advent of rock and roll. Also the clubs there seemed to lose popularity.

RC: It is a concern [of musicians of my generation] that there will be no flag carriers when we’re no longer performing. My best guess [is], there’s no music in elementary, junior high and high schools the grounds for these kids to be inspired to play this music.

My general feeling is that once they took the arts out of elementary schools the focus of arts did not exist anymore, and those kids who had an interest at age 7,10,11, had no way of validating if what they heard was a real choice of occupation or if these sounds existed outside of their imagination.

JC: Mr. Carter went to Eastman School of Music in Rochester, where he graduated in 1959.

RC: I played in its [Eastman’s] symphony orchestra. I was playing with a local band Don Manning and Joe Klose Cont. p.62

Happy Birthday February Babies!!

Leroy Williams, drums; Neal Miner, bass The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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BARRY HARRIS JAZZ WORKSHOP FIVE DAYS MASTERCLASS FOR ALL MUSICIANS AND SINGERS From Monday 17 to Friday 21 March 2014

Felt music club & school – via degli Ausoni 84 – Rome, Italy

Barry Harris is one of the world’s most respected jazz piano players and teachers, considered by many to be the foremost interpreter of the music of Bud Powell, Tadd Dameron and Thelonious Monk. For more than half a century, Harris has played with the giants of jazz including Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, Dexter Gordon, Cannonball Adderley and Coleman Hawkins, travelling the world over as an ambassador of jazz (www.barryharris.com) Schedule:

Piano and Guitars 11:00 – 13:00 Singers 14:30 – 16:30 Horns & General workshop 16:30 – 18:30 On Friday 21 classes last one hour and an half 160 €qQCostCc‐Cc15015015011 for the week/40€ for

Fees: daily seminar Accomodation: b & b or private apts, from 15 € per night BARRY HARRIS TRIO FELT CLUB – CONCERT FRIDAY 21 MARCH 9:30 PM Luca Pisani,b;Oreste Soldano, d Admission: 15 € MONDAY TO THURSDAY JAM SESSION EVERY NIGHT

Info: ass. cult. roma jazz workshop anna pantuso +39-339 3383139 annapantuso@hotmail.com luciano fabris +39-328 6748724 lucianofabris@hotmail.com

The Jazz Culture Newsletter

Wishes the Jazz World Community a Happy, Healthy Prosperous 2014! Jazz Tours in NYC are available; also music teachers in various countries for students & jazz lovers. email: info@thejazzculture.com. Ads are available in The Jazz Culture Newsletter. The Jazz Culture Newsletter has been read in 67

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countries. Brian McMillen is a contributing Photographer.

Connie MacNamee and Arnold J. Smith are contributing writers." Countries: US, UK, Albania, Argentina, Australia, Austria, Belgium, Bangladesh, Belize, Brazil, Burma, Bulgaria, Canada, China, Chile, Colombia, Czech Republic, Denmark, Ecuador, Egypt, Estonia, Finland, France, Germany, Greece, Holland, Hong Kong, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Iraq, Ireland, Israel, Italy, Japan, Kazakhstan, Kenya, Latvia, Lithuania, Luxembourg, Malaysia, Mexico, Moldova, Netherlands, New Zealand, Norway, Pakistan, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Portugal, Romania, Russian Federation, Serbia, Seychelles, Singapore, South Africa, South Korea, Spain, Sweden, Switzerland, Thailand, Turkey, Ukraine, Uzbekistan, Venezuela, Vietnam

Lionelle Hamanaka's single, "Lost Puppy Blues" is available on CD BABY for kids, with Richard Wyands, Ron McClure and Leroy Williams. see: lostpuppyblues.com February Listings Clarence Banks, Trombone‐ Swing 46 most Thursdays with Felix and the Cats, 346 W. 46 St. Ray Blue‐ Feb 1 Division St. Grill, Peekskill 7-1 0 Kim Clarke, Women

Beanrunner Cafe

in Jazz Festival starts March 1 in Peekskill at

Richard Clements‐ Pianist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 Kenney Gates, pianist. Philadelphia, Tues., Sun. some Sats.‐ High Note Cafe on Tasker & 13th, 5‐9 p.m.

Bertha Hope ‐ Minton's on 206 W. 118 Street George Gee Orchestra at Swing 46, every Tues, most Fridays 9:30 Loston Harris: Bemelmans Bar at The Carlyle; Tues ‐ Thur 9:30pm ‐ 12:30am, Fri‐Sat 9:30pm‐1:00am Bemelmans Bar Residency at The Carlyle, 35 East 76th St.,(on Mad Ave.) 212‐744‐1600 Mike Longo: Feb 4, Jazz Piano Celebration 8 P.M. Tues 2/11, 2/18 check listing 212‐222‐5159 Dizzy Gillespie Auditorium at the Bahai Center, 53 E.11th St.$15; 10 stud Jim Malloy with Felix & the Cats at Swing 46 every Thursday in January‐ check with club John Mosca & Michael Weiss, Vanguard Orchestra every Monday at the

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Village Vanguard 8 p.m.

Jimmy Owens: Feb. 13 Chico Hamilton Funeral Feb 21, Jimmy Owens Plus All Star Group, 966 Fulton, Brklyn Bill Saxton; Every Friday and Saturday Bill’s Place 1 33 Street

Rick Stone Trio- Feb 1 2, Garage 6 p.m.

Valery Ponomarev‐ February 5 Zinc Bar 82 West 3rd Street Murray Wall, bassist, 11th Street Bar most Mondays, 8 p.m.

Leroy Williams, drums: Minton's Sun & Tues 2‐6 W. 118 St. ENGLAND: John Watson Trio at the Palm Court, Langham Hotel, London, 1c Portland, Regent St. 207‐636‐1000 Fri‐Sat ITALY: Luciano Fabris Trio: February 15,Pentagrappolo wine & music bar,via Celimontana 21b, Rome,10.00 p.m.

Dado Moroni: "5 for John" tour February 1: il Torrione, Ferraro February 2: Blue Note, Milano February 3: La Claque, Genova February 4: Il Cavato Spirito Jazz, Calcinaia di Pisa February 5: Jazz Club Torino, Torino February 6: La Mosca Bianca, Ventimiglia

Cont. from p. 59 piano on weekends, but was strictly a

student.

JC: It was when Ron Carter attended the Manhattan school of Music graduating with a Masters in 1961 in double bass performance. Dr. Carter said he came to New York with the intention of playing jazz professionally. Did you go out with your classmates to jam sessions or on your own?

RC: I went out on my own [to jam sessions] and got gigs.

JC: And who was the first person to hire you?

RC: Chico Hamilton.

JC: Dr. Carter worked with Jaki Byard, Chico Hamilton, Don 62

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Eastman and Eric Dolphy. In 1963 he replaced Paul Chambers in the Miles Davis Quintet and worked with Herbie Hancock, Tony Williams, Wayne Shorter. On Blue Note he recorded with: Sam Rivers, Freddie Hubbard, Duke Pearson, Lee Morgan, Andrew Hill, McCoy Tyner and others.

JC: Are you a follower of Gunther Schuller, who created the term Third Stream, which connotes being able to play jazz and classical? I mean you do play jazz and classical.

RC: I don’t accept that term. [I think it’s] Meant to be kind of a put down. I am trying to maintain the level I’m capable of. I don’t consider myself a third stream musician.

JC: In the 1970’s Mr. Carter played with the New York Jazz Quartet. Also, Mr. Carter developed a cello-like piccolo bass to play with Buster Williams in a two bass group.

RC: The reason I made the instrument [was that] I wanted to be in front of the band. It’s seldom that people come to an event and recognize he [the bass player] was the leader; he [the leader had to be] physically in front of the band. This person in front of the band was the leader.

JC: What led you to want to help found the Jazz Foundation?

RC: They have a great purpose and are one of the few organizations that are aware that musicians have needs; and whatever a musician in trouble needs, they found the resources to [fill it]. Musicians want to help each other and don’t know what format to use, [even if it’s] just physically--to be there. And this organization makes people available for this kind of help.

JC: You also helped the Hurricane Katrina survivors.

RC: They had benefits when I was available to be there, and The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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whatever benefits I can do, I’ve always done that.

JC: What are your future plans?

RC: I’m working at the Blue Note from February 4-9 quartet, and also at the Blue Note with Billy Cobham from March 4-9.

I have a book titled: “Finding the Right Notes” on Amazon.

Interesting facts about Ron Carter: At one point in his career he was First call bassist for CTI Records, where he recorded with Joe Henderson, Houston Pearson, Hank Jones, Cedar Walton. Dr. Carter is an NEA Jazz Master, was elected to Downbeat Jazz Hall of Fame in 2012; won a Grammy for song, “Call Sheet Blues” & Best Jazz Recording for: A Tribute to Miles Davis. Mr. Carter did a recording of Bach’s Cello Suites on bass that went gold. A prolific recording artist, he also recorded on Blue Note, Prestige, CTI, Embryo, Milestone, Sunnyside. His first date as leader was the album: “Where?” with Mal Waldron and Eric Dolphy. He appeared in the film “Kansas City” where he did a duet with Christian McBride. Dr. Carter has also scored films and composed theatre pieces.

Dr. Carter was named Professor Emeritus in recognition of his outstanding work during 20 years at CCNY, Berklee, and Juilliard where he has been since 2008. Dr. Carter was a judge at Essentially Ellington at Lincoln Center in 2013. Dr. Carter has two honorary doctorates: one from New England Conservatory and one from the Manhattan School of Music. He received the Most Valuable Player Award from the National Academy of Recording Arts and Sciences; also, Frances’ Order of the Arts and Letters. He was the Artistic Director of the Thelonious Monk Institute in Boston.

See: roncarter.net 64

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KIANI ZAWADI Kiani Zawadi-trombone, euphonium, born Bernard Atwell McKinney in Detroit.

Kiani Zawadi was born into a family with ten kids; five became musicians, Ray (bass cello), Harold (piano), Clarence (classical piano, bass), Earl (drums). His mother Bessie Walton McKinney played piano and organ in a Baptist Tabernacle Church. They had a record player and radio. They lived on the west side and his father Clarence Howard bought a big Kiani Zawadi at Wilbur house that was a former creamery when Ware Memorial Kiani was ten or eleven. At the age of 12, his father bought him a trombone and his sister Claire a clarinet; she later played bassoon in a high school band. He presently resides in NYC. Known as the only jazz soloist on the euphonium. In the 1950s he worked with Sonny Stitt, Ann Jackson and Barry Harris. He started working with Art Blakey in the mid 50s and moved to New York in 1959 with Yusef Lateef, after which he played with Illinois Jacquet, James Moody and Curtis Fuller. In the 70s he worked with Harold Vick, Archie Shepp, Carlos Gannett, Frank Foster, Charles Tolliver, Dollar Brand, and McCoy Tyner. He has also worked with Aretha Franklin, appeared at a town Hall tribute to Bird in 1985,appeared with Dizzy Gillespie, Clark Terry, Joe Henderson, Mongo Santamaria and lately his own Quartet and in Jazzmobile concerts with Barry Harris. Mr. Zawadi recorded with Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Grant Green, Su Ra, James Moody, Archie Shepp, Slide Hampton, Freddie Hubbard, and Yusef Lateef on various labels including Blue Note, Savoy, Atlantic, Impulse, Versatile.

He remains active today with his own quartet.

KZ: “We always had a piano in the house, so Clarence and The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Harold played piano. Clarence always played European classical.

He introduced us to [the] Charlie Parker bebop style when Bird was playing with Jay McShann. I was about 14.

JC: Did Clarence study with anybody?

KZ: I don’t remember him studying with anybody but he used to practice about 8 hours a day on piano. Harold played European style piano very good too.

JC: How many pianos were there in your house.

KZ: Two, as I remember.

KZ: I learned in intermediate school [how to play trombone].

Mr. Danta at McMichael Intermediate School. At the Veterans of Foreign Wars I got my chops back together after putting down the horn for a couple of years; by playing at the VFW band; they played mostly marches. In the James Europe Post VFW Band--this was named after him.

JC: What kind of music did you play at the James Europe Post?

KZ: European, maybe a few marches.

JC: Did you get to perform these marches?

KZ: For football games in high school at Cass Tech, where Donald Byrd went, at the same time.

JC: Who were your teachers at Cass Tech? Did you play in a band with Byrd?

KZ: My teacher was Harry Begian. I had to take a musical test on the horn (to get into Cass Tech). Donald Byrd organized a jazz band for a while, 8-10 pieces, more or less a rehearsal band, just stock arrangements. My father worked at Ford Motor Company, painted signs out there. Sign painter.

JC: Did you have a job or help around the house?

KZ: I remember helping a guy had a cart where they sold

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popsicles, and eventually I did that myself, and worked as a janitor in a supermarket. My family had a Victory garden (during World War II) where we had vegetables in the backyard.

JC: When did you decide to become a professional musician?

KZ: I hoped to become one when I went back to playing in the VFW band. On the way I met Barry Harris and went by his house a lot to learn the music. Myself and Sonny Red. He went to high school on the north side.

JC: Barry had an open house. Did you go by after school?

KZ: Sonny Red came over to Barry’s-we met at Barry Harris’s house.

JC: How many people were over there?

KZ: Barry set up a band to four horns and a rhythm section, Tate Houston, baritone player, Claire Roquemore, trumpet, Sonny Red, alto, and myself trombone.

Mr. Zawadi at Dr. Harris's 84th birthday party

JC: Did you play stock arrangements?

KZ: Barry’s arrangements. I got out of Cass Tech in ’51.

JC: Was there a lot of integration at that time in the musical community?

KZ: There were white guys you played with, like Pepper Adams, Frank Morelli (baritone sax).

JC: Did they go to high school with you?

KZ: I met Pepper on the scene, I don’t remember how I met Frank. They had a lot of musicians in Detroit. I remember going to Charlie Parker, a roller rink (name?)—they had dances there.

When he came to Detroit with strings—I went to that. After the first set everybody was waiting for him to play the second set, a The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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guy came out and said he had to make a flight to Philadelphia…we were not too happy. They played “Rock Salt” ..I don’t remember what tunes they played.

JC: Tell me about Yusef Lateef. How did you meet?

KZ: I met Yusef at the World Stage. We used to go hunting and fishing, when we went hunting we would hunt with a bow and arrow. I started target shooting with the bow and arrow. They had targets out there on the field. Never did shoot anything; a couple times a deer crossed my path. Clarence took me up there.

20 yards in front of me… you have to have something in front of me, a shield so the deer wouldn’t see you right off. We did catch a lot of fish when we fished, perch mostly in the Detroit River. He had the history…he used to play with Dizzy’s big band. I learned a lot from his musical experiences.

JC: When was your first professional gig?

KZ: [At the]Madison Ballroom with Sonny Stitt and Barry Harris. Barry Harris got me on the gig. It was a jazz dance.

Madison Ballroom probably held 150-250. I was 19, just out of high school.

JC: What made you take up euphonium.

KZ: At one point I thought I might mess around with the valve trombone. I got the euphonium from McMichael intermediate School. I started playing euphonium and playing it at the World Stage, we used to go up to every Tuesday night and jam. I got my chops up on the euphonium at that jam. Barry was up there and Donald Byrd made a record “Byrd Jazz.” Myself, Yusef Lateef, Donald Byrd, Alvin Jackson bass-Milt Jackson’s older brother, Frank Gant on drums. Rhasaan Roland Kirk (when he came to town), him and Yusef were throwing down one night, battling out so to speak, one night. From that experience, Alvin Jackson got a gig at the Bluebird for a couple nights at the Bluebird on the weekends. He said, “I love that sound, if you just play that euphonium, you got that gig.” That same group, me, Yusef, Barry 68

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Harris, Frank Gant.

JC: How long did you work at the Blue Bird?

KZ: A couple of years. It wasn’t real classy but it was a nice space, cozy and the atmosphere was good. They had regular food, chicken, steaks, greens and string beans, corn bread, biscuits, pies and ice cream. Before we went in there, Elvin Jones, Thad Jones, Billy Mitchell had the gig, Hank Jones was gone to New York JC: What amazes me the amount of geniuses coming out of Detroit.

KZ: From hearing Charlie Parker, those records. [We] copied solos by ear.

JC: How did you learn to solo?

KZ: Through listening to Charlie Parker, Sonny Rollins, JJ Johnson, and going to Barry’s house. He was playing licks on the piano and use our ear to pick out these phrases, bebop phrases by ear and play them on our instrument. He worked out scale patterns of the dominant 7th scale, an important scale in the music. We worked from that.

JC: Did you get into voicing?

KZ: Barry did, in those arrangements, trying to develop lines.

We started from blues patterns which has all the dominant 7ths involved in that. Any type of chord possible would be played in the blues pattern, dominant scale mode or pattern used to set up the blues form. I start off with the blues and I got rhythm when I’m teaching. All those chords are used in different tunes. The Dominant 7th is in every tune somewhere.

I [have been] teaching at Jazzmobile for the last 20 years, took over from Benny Powell, and before that Curtis Fuller.

JC: Who were your main influences?

KZ: JJ Johnson and Benny Green and Lawrence Brown as a trombone player. I liked Henry Coker, in the Basie Band, his solo The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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approach. Slide, yeah definitely Slide since I got to New York.

JC: 1959 you came to New York with Yusef Lateef.

KZ: I had a short stint in 1954, Sonny Red had a gig at the Blue note in Philadelphia with Art Blakey and he called me when I was still in NY, can you make the Saturday matinee. It was a beautiful experience. Then they came to NY, I had a clerical gig in Detroit and I got laid off. It was government gig and it ended, so I was getting unemployment, so I had my address transferred to NY, I had a room a couple of doors from Minton’s Playhouse. I stayed maybe a week or two.

JC: That must have been exciting. How did music fulfill your goals as a person?

KZ: I was always musically inclined from my parents. It was part of my DNA. I remember going down to the Paradise theater.

A lot of bands came through there. We used to go and jam at the World Stage besides an alto player named Joe Brazil, we used to go to Joe Brazil’s house quite often and jam. There were always different places you could jam, not at a club but somebody’s house, learn to study music, either on paper or by rote or by ear. A lot of musical contacts. I guess it still is but not like it was back then, Charlie Parker and Max Roach were still. Miles came by the Bluebird and listened to Alvin Jackson, and he gave me little pointers. We were playing Sweet Georgia brown and there were too many gaps in my solo. He told me, “Keep on running,” I appreciated him giving me that advice. When he was there, he had a couple of gigs. He used Yusef and Sonny Red and these other horn players. Clifford came through when Max was in town and heard the band. Harold Land the tenor player with Max sat in with our band. They heard the group together.

JC: Did you feel inspired?

KZ: Oh yeah! There was another place guys were playing, called Klein’s Show Bar. We were so hot at the Bluebird, he [Klein] kidnapped Yusef from the Blue Bird. Clarence Eddins 70

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owned the Blue Bird. Abe Woodley, [the] vibes player took Yusef’s place for the remainder of time we were there.

JC: Were the guys who played at the Bluebird considered the hippest guys in town?

KZ: From the jazz community, out on the street, they’d say, ‘Glad to see you playing there. You sound good,’ or something like that.

KZ: After my unemployment check got ripped off from my mailbox [in New York] I didn’t have any money. I wasn’t there too long. I remember going to Blakey’s house and met Kenny Dorham. He invited me to have dinner with him at an Indian restaurant nearby on 10th street. He bought me dinner.

In 1956 and ’57 is when I got the gig at the Bluebird.

JC: In 1959 you moved to NY? KZ: Before I came to NY in 1959, I came to do a record with Pepper Adams in 1958.

Yusef had a gig at Small’s Paradise. I was on the gig, he had a couple of record dates, a double album, I played euphonium on it.

At the Rudy Van Gelder Studio in Englewood. The gig we played with Yusef, these tunes I recorded with Yusef, most of them were standards, “Stella by Starlight,” most of the date was comprised of tunes he had written, original tunes.

My wife (Ima Vann, one of two twin sisters, the other being Oma) that I married in 1969, her father (“Baby” Irvin Vann) was a piano player in Texas and had a band (quartet) and Herschel Evans played in his band. I have a son Kiambu; he played the drums in high school and at Jazzmobile with Dizzy for a while. My daughter Kaia played clarinet with Spike Lee’s uncle Cliff Lee was teaching when she was in intermediate school. I had a loft on East Broadway, in fact Sonny Rollins used to hang down there.

My brother Earl stayed there. Sonny Rollins named one of his albums, “East Broadway Rundown.”

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JC: Did you do any special exercises?

KZ: I did pushups, and got into yoga-there are breathing exercises. Not coming up in my formative years.

My brother, Harold McKinney, his daughter, Gayelynn is playing drums professionally now in Detroit. In 2009 she played at the Detroit Jazz Festival.

I had a chance to play with Frank Foster at Rachel Robinson’s place a festival she used to have every year, but it got rained out. I played with Slide [Hampton], his first trombone group at the Village Vanguard. He’s a great trombone player and great arranger too. When I played with Slide with his octet I played euphonium at Small’s. I did some recording with Slide; “Salvation” was one.

Artie Shaw, the clarinetist set up one of the record dates-he liked the euphonium sound.

JC: You played with James Moody, and Illinois Jacquet in the 60’s.

KZ: I played trombone and euphonium with the Jazztet with Art Farmer, Benny Golson. “Along Came Betty,” “Killer Joe,” that type of thing, “Bohemia After Dark.” I played trombone with James Moody about a year in 61…also did some recordings with James Moody.

JC: What were you doing in SF? KZ: I worked at the Jazz Workshop in Frisco in 1960 and 1961 we went back out there. That’s where we did a recording with James Moody, a year later, and Howard McGhee was in the band.

Later, Howard McGhee got a big band together. There were about 15 pieces. I arranged the tune “Four” for the group too. Clifford Jordan played in his big band. I kind of liked Frisco. We played at LA first. When I went out there (to LA) with Joe Henderson in ’73 I hung out with a friend, Otis (“Candy”) Finch. He played with Dizzy. He played drums and made some records with Stanley Turrentine and Shirley Scott.

JC: How did you meet Joe Henderson?

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KZ: He took Yusef Lateef’s place at the Blue Bird. He came from Ohio. I met him again in NY. In 1971 he asked me to play with his sextet. We made some gigs in Frisco, Montreal, Toronto and I ended up doing a big band gig with him and Freddie Hubbard.

JC: When did you work with Jacquet?

KZ: 1984 through 1987 in his big band. I had done a gig in Detroit with him. He came to Detroit and did a couple of gigs there, he was using me on the gig, a septet.

JC: In the 1970’s you worked with Archie Shepp, Carlos Garnett, Harold Vick, Frank Foster, Charles Tolliver, Dollar Brand, McCoy Tyner and Joe Henderson How did you feel about playing with these guys.

KZ: I consider myself a bebop player. I was very happy to be chosen by them. I played other gigs too, at the Apollo band, a house band, small group, 3 or 4 horns and a rhythm section.

Played for James Brown and all the rhythm and blues people.

These gigs helped out a whole lot helping me stay in the city.

Helped me do creative gigs where you could express yourself.

Played with Aretha Franklin, her group. This was in the 60’s and part of the 70’s. I made a record date with Harold Vick on Strata East and maybe a couple of gigs.Carlos Garnett had a “Universal Black Force” in which he had a couple of horns, mainly me and him-he played tenor sax. He was with Miles later on. I played with Bill Lee and recorded a couple of dates with “The Brass Company” had 4-5 trumpets, I was playing euphonium, no piano.

Another group with no piano. Billy Higgins was playing drums, Bill Lee was playing bass. I played with Archie Shepp at Slug’s and trombone and euphonium on the “Attica Blues” record. Frank Foster—I made a record with him with the bigger group, he called “Loud minority.” Charles Tolliver-The first and only time I went to Africa, in 1988, I went with him. He had about a ten piece group, played in Goree Island off the coast of Senegal, Dakar.

That’s where they had the slave quarters, journey of no return.

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Dollar Brand- I went to Europe in 1974. He took about ten pieces over to play in Italy, Austria and Germany at festivals. The first gig was in Tumbigin. McCoy Tyner-- I made a record date with [him], “Sound of the New World” in a large group, recorded in New York.

JC: You’ve had a diverse career.

KZ: I played with Wade Barnes group. We played at Small’s, after hours, different gigs in Brooklyn,[e.g.]the Library. I recorded with him too. I worked with Clark Terry’s big band. I played with Dizzy Gillespie, mostly his big band, at Buddy Rich’s place in the east 50’s. When I first came to New York, I played with Lionel Hampton’s band too. Pepper Adams got me on that gig. In 1963, I played with Mongo Santamaria’s first New York group. Pat Patrick got me on that gig. Grant Green-I did a couple of record dates with him, Selden Powell got me on the gig—I used to do some dances with Selden Powell.

JC: When you did “Ready for Freddie” with Freddy Hubbard, how did that come about?

KZ: He heard me somewhere. Trying to think where. I know we both lived in Brooklyn. He had come off the road with Moody in ’61, somewhere around there. I wasn’t that happy with my solo but that was an enjoyable date with him and Shorter. I liked his style, it’s up to date and… in the realm of basic bebop. I also worked and recorded with Sun Ra…when he first came to New York I was in the loft. That was about 61 or something.

JC: Also, you did the 1985 Charlie Parker Memorial Town Hall concert. Do you think you’re a musical poet?

KZ: I would hope so. I think so.

JC: what are you trying to do when you play?

KZ: Express a spiritual feeling to the people that’s melodic and rhythmically sophisticated, so to speak.

JC: Do you think of jazz as an alternative language?

KZ: It’s really a language, a spiritual language through the creativity of the author.

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JC: What do you think music does for people?

KZ: It should bring about a relaxed and spiritual state, a harmonic mental state of mind.

Kiani Zawadi’s career is in Leonard Feather’s Jazz Encyclopedia, Detroit Before Motown and Who’s Who in Black Music. In 2014 MOMA calendar has a photo showing mostly the euphonium, the representation of Kiani Zawadi photographed by Buford Smith. See: Kiani Zawadi on Google.

CHARLES McPHERSON

Charles McPherson Quintet recently at the Jazz Standard Charles McPherson- Alto saxophone,

born Joplin, MO, (1939) raised in Detroit. Classmates with Lonnie Hillyer at Northwestern H.S. Mr. McPherson and Mr. Hillyer had semiprivate lessons with Barry Harris. He also learned to play piano.

Recorded on Candid, Prestige, Arabesque, Xanadu, Vartan, Vega, Mainstream, Venus, Cellar Live, Chazz Jazz, Strata East, Mr. The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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McPherson has about 25 recordings as a leader.

Toured with Lionel Hampton, Billy Eckstine, Nat Adderley, Jay McShann but primarily as a leader, sometimes working with local pick up bands. Charles McPherson worked with Toshiko Akiyoshi, Charles Mingus, Barry Harris, Kenny Drew, Art Farmer, Lonnie Hillyer, Charles Tolliver, Clint Eastwood, George Coleman, Tom Harrell, Elvin Jones, Pepper Adams, Donald Byrd, Roy Haynes, Steve Kuhn, Buster Williams, Billy Higgins, Larry Vukevich. He also played part of soundtrack for “Bird” the movie.

Charles McPherson (CM):

I was born in Joplin, Missouri and came to Detroit in 1948. [My mother] had sisters there. I stayed in Detroit till 1959 or ’60, when I came to New York and started working with Mingus. I liked saxophone, I started playing when I was 13. I always liked it, but we couldn’t afford one, and I was small, but by the time I was 13 I was playing in the junior high school band.

JC: Who was your teacher?

CM: His name was Banta. He was the band instructor, you know. I had a few private lessons from a well known studio, Larry Teal’s Studios. I studied there for a few months. I met Barry at 15, he lived right around the corner, we lived five minutes from each other. This was Detroit’s West Side. Also, the Bluebird was right down the street from my house and Barry’s house. Barry was the house pianist at that time, the early 50’s.

JC: What was the musical atmosphere?

CM: I don’t know if it [jazz] was the main music, but it was an important music. There were a sizeable number of people that liked jazz, more in those days than now, and it was a fertile time. There were a lot of clubs in town in that period. A lot for musicians, for traveling musicians, The Bluebird was more local club scene for local musicians. The traveling musicians knew that was the hot spot in town, the hippest local place, so they would all end up 76

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there. Detroit even in those days had a reputation for music. In those days, some of those players were still living there or either just leaving, so Detroit had a flow of people coming out of there for the international and New York audience. The house band was Pepper Adams, Elvin Jones and Barry Harris. Everybody knew Detroit was pretty exciting town. There were a few international clubs, where people like Bird would play. New York musicians would go to certain clubs.

I guess the reason would be Detroit, what made it… was a combination of a few things. One of the things you have to take into account was the fact that it was a group, a blue collar town.

The automobile factories were booming--that was attracting automobile workers from all over the country. GM, Dodge, all American cars, before Japanese and German companies came.

Detroit was a boom town. It was possible for a working class family to make a living, the money was good. Because it was so plentiful that that class could bring about a middle class, and upper middle class. The working class was strong and especially from the south, migration ofAfrican Americans and everybody else.

This was a Midwestern town attracting people. .. people from all over. Music, jazz music--that’s a part of why something like that could happen in cities, it’s healthy economically, that could possibly be healthy as well, everybody was doing well. It’s ripe, not that far from NY, you got the musical influences from NY, farther down you have Kansas City, near Chicago. So that’s the kind of climate; and then you do have quite a few talented people who are living there involved in it. That’s the framework, I guess. It’s a boom town, bustling, the hub of all activity.

You can see how music could be part of that, and it would survive Brian Lynch and Charles okay because people have McPherson

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money.

This is before television. People, when they wanted to socialize, they would come outside of [their] houses to be with people; therefore all the clubs had live bands. Even if they weren’t big, they could have dance music. It served all the levels: Young players could serve an apprenticeship because there would be places to play. There were a lot of musicians around. You had the opportunity for growth of the different levels, the town could afford places to play, [musicians could] become the top players in town and then go to New York. The local scene supported that.

There were a lot of clubs. It was attractive to other musicians.

People from other places would come to Detroit; music was happening and you could get a job. Musicians from other places would come to Detroit, because of that it produced a certain level of musicianship and people could learn from each other. The other thing too that was interesting was that Detroit of that time, you had the African Americans and white players. In those days, black and white musicians associated with each other, they were involved in newer, bebop or modern jazz—when that hit, musicians were excited about this music, so black and white, we didn’t make any … This generation was very much interested in that new music that was coming up… it produced friendships and alliances across racial and gender lines-there were very good women musicians. It was so exciting, that whomever wanted to play this music, there was a brother and sisterhood of these musicians. In Detroit of that time, functionally, the people who were into jazz were a different type of people and that made it interesting too. I feel very blessed that coming from Joplin, I ended up in a place like Detroit. It was a great place to start playing.

JC: Who inspired you?

CM: Barry of course was my main mentor and teacher in Detroit. I would say Barry for sure, and everybody gave younger players advice. If we could not play, they would say, you need to work on this. You need to get that together. Barry heard Lonnie 78

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and myself. Barry’s house was sort of like an open door. Musicians would always be over Barry’s house in the daytime, playing and hanging out. Barry was always teaching or showing people things.

That included Lonnie and myself. We lived in that neighborhood.

We would be over there almost every day.

JC: What about Frank Foster?

CM: Frank was in Detroit, [I’d] see him in clubs. Frank left Detroit earlier than Barry or Tommy Flanagan. He was so much older, maybe 12 or 15 years older. I was 14 or 15 years old. Yusef was playing with Barry often.

JC: Who did you listen to?

CM: We listened to Charlie Parker, Dizzy and Miles, Bud Powell. My generation were young bebop wanna be’s. Stan Kenton, everybody. Stan Getz. We were into the so called modern jazz, certainly that would be bebop and all the current people of mid-50’s.

JC: Did you ever get to hear these people in person?

CM: Of course the masters would be Bird Dizzy and Monk, the older guard, the innovators of that music. I heard Bird once –he had a tremendous affect. I was about 15, at the Madison Ballroom.

It was a very very, how do you say this, it was just…spectacular. I was so impressed by him, everything about him. A few things, “Embraceable You,” blues—he was playing things people could dance to, not fast tempos…he was aware of that. He played some ballads, some medium tempo things. He wasn’t drunk, he wasn’t high. Clean technique. Everything you think he is, and in person it was unreal. I stood there. A lot of people did that. Some people were dancing. His demeanor, besides his playing which was wonderful…the magnetism of his personality was thick, you could cut it with a knife, a regalness that was just part of his aura. Just the way he walked, talked, his gestures, how he looked at people when he talked to them.

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JC: Did he know how great he [Bird] was?

CM: Part of the aura, was that I don’t know if he…it was serious self confidence, you can’t say that wasn’t there, but also the part that made him interesting, just looking at him, was he didn’t care about whether anyone else… that wasn’t what motivated him. It’s almost like a guy who is the King, really... Not an arrogant thing where he’s acting like it. He just is. That’s the difference between a guy who’s arrogant, nothing he was trying to put across. It just was, and it’s nothing he had to try for. Nothing he bestowed upon himself, everybody knew that. He’s not really thinking of that at all. That part of the charm about him was, it’s like a really good looking person, beautiful woman or man.

Everybody knows, but they don’t know it necessarily. Some people--really handsome for instance, you can tell they don’t care nothing about the fact that they might be. They don’t really give a damn about it, kinda. He was kind of like that. Also, I’ll tell you what was interesting. When he was there, there was a house band.

He was playing with the rhythm section. Another saxophone player, it was his band. I could tell he was very much jealous and threatened. When Charlie Parker played, he would be off in the corner scowling. People were there to see Bird, not him. And I could tell, Bird was totally unaware. It didn’t make any difference what people were thinking. When this guy soloed, Bird was smiling. His attitude was, ‘I’m for you, I hope you play really good, because I can have a good time.’ He was the King because he was, not because he thought that he was, he’s not threatened.

He’s for you to be good. He’s getting off on whatever. So that was part of his charm.

His ego was not like everybody else’s ego. It was different, that was part of what made him what he was. Like a real genius.

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meaning of the word. The look in his face, coming out of his eyes-- extreme intelligence. You could tell when he looked at you, he knew so much about everything. His level of understanding was so massive. This guy was definitely different, like he’s in touch with something most people are not. He almost looked like he wished he wasn’t. I could see that even as a 15 year old kid.

This guy has magnetism—I didn’t even know that word at the time. Because everybody else, I’ve never seen anybody else have that kind of effect on people. I’ve been around all of them. The only other one I saw that thing was Duke Ellington. He kind of had that too. Bird was interesting, and I talked to him a lot. He was always courteous, never swore, and everything he said was poetry. Everything. I would ask him a question. Sometimes he would just give an answer, but a lot of what he said was a poem.

It was—he had like an anecdotal (?) reply. Some kind of artistic…like a poet. If you said something about time, he would quote a poem. He’s not really-- he took me seriously enough to let me approach him and talk to him. He knows I’m a kid, and there’s another kind of way he’s talking to me like almost, he’s almost not taking me seriously, as an equal. I’m a kid, so why would he? Then, he never addressed me (directly). I asked him about his father. His said his father was a dancer and he did a little soft shoe (on the side). He was very elusive, as if a direct plain answer was not worth his coming up with some words. I don’t know if he would have been that way with someone 40 years old talking to him. He controlled the whole environment, the whole room, without trying to. That was interesting. I remember looking at him. He looked like a person that was in a room by himself. That was weird. I remember thinking that this guy is in a room, this big huge room, looking at him, and he looks like he’s in a room by himself. In other words, there’s nothing he’s doing—walking—he would look the same if he was in a living room. The way he’s looking or acting—and you could cut that with a knife. The most unpretentious... Most people the minute you step outside of your house, you’re in a club, you act a certain way. This guy looked like he didn’t. This was just him.

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I’m not looking differently, I don’t care who’s looking at me. The kind of confidence that comes…but not arrogant, it was very different. A guy who was so comfortable in his own skin, he didn’t have to be egotistical, he was mannerful. [it was like] Watching a magician, sleight of hand guy, he kind of rolled. In those days people used to roll cigarettes. He had the tobacco in one hand and rolled it in 2 moves and then he had it lit. His movements were like a magician from point A to point B. The least amount of energy. Everything was like that, what he did. His timing was so, he was controlling the timing of everything, including him. I’ve only seen that when it’s written in a script and everybody is coordinating in a certain way, but I’ve never seen it in real life.

He’s coordinating the whole room. I don’t know what to name it.

JC: What was your first gig?

CM: We played…dances, proms… around town. The first gig might have been a place called the West End. Yusef used to work there he went to New York, I took the band over as a leader in a club situation, (in) 1958. Lonnie (or) I would be the guest weekend horn player. We worked around town at different places.

I went to New York when I was around 21.

JC: It’s an important reason why Detroit became what it was, it was good at everything, and interesting place, it was a mix, a place where things were happening. Listening to you play now, you seem to be able to pick and choose from all styles and influences from bebop on. Your own originals are highly unique with your own tonal palette.

CM: I have to go now.

Interview 2: JC: What are some of the festivals and clubs you’ve recently worked at.

CM: Playboy Festival in LA, 82

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San Francisco Jazz Festival, Chicago Jazz Festival, Detroit Jazz Festival, the Toronto Jazz Festival, Yoshi’s; there’s a little club called Dizzy’s in San Diego, but I make a living going to other places.

JC: And what percentage of your work is education?

CM: I would say, 10% is educational. In London, Holland, at the Amsterdam Conservatory, all over Europe, and certainly in the States—the Stanford Jazz, and the UCSD (San Diego) Jazz Camp.

[This year] I’m …traveling, I have engagements in Denver at a club Dazzle, and clinics at high school level, I’m going to Toronto in February and I go to London in February, playing at the Pizza Express. I’m doing the ballet, I’m writing music for …the San Diego Ballet. The name of the segment is called Sweet Synergy Suite, composed for dance, including “Marionette,” “Nightfall” [which he performed in New York] and three or four more. Usually when I write, it’s music to be improvised on, so I’ve never thought of people moving and dancing…Dancers are instruments; the challenge is being aware of that. The challenge is more to be very informative to the dancers, who aren’t improvising-they’re doing set things. How to present the musical information that allows the musicians to improvise to some degree, but still supply enough musical organization for dancers who are not improvising, the same things in the same place every time. So the information I give them has to allude to that, and to be consistently aware of that.

JC: Didn’t you have a commission for the JALC? CM: I performed with a dancer where we were just onstage at Lincoln Center. I was playing written parts and this person was dancing, [who was] a member of the New York City Ballet, the ballet company where Peter Martins is Choreographer. He was the guy who choreographed this dancer’s moves. I played behind him, in a show that Wynton did on “Dance and Jazz.” Savion Glover was involved-he was the tap guy. Wynton’s big band played behind that guy. I played for the ballet dancer, so [that] was the theme that The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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particular evening.

JC: Could you describe your composing style?

CM: If you’re writing about Wayne Shorter’s composing, would you try to find a word for it?

JC: Well I can think about your style: Modern American 21st century jazz that incorporates the melodic lyricism of standards and the harmonic evolution of jazz, with the validity of classical music.

CM: Basically when I write a song, it’s my take on using music … expressing myself. I’m here doing that. I’m informed by everything I’ve ever heard on Planet Earth. Summation of everything that you are as a human being, and when you get ready to express yourself [that’s] my form of jazz writing. When people say classical music and use it to describe other than European…when Europeans think of music, all of it isn’t classical, [it’s] Irish airs, gypsy music, it’s not all Bach, Beethoven, Brahms.

If you think ofAmerican music, you’ve got country western, gospel, a form of folk music. If we were to use a word like classical not meaning European, meaning that it’s a music that the people who are doing it from deep study, not like somebody singing while they’re cutting the grass. It’s the PhD [level] in terms of work and involvement…that makes it classic.

[A] Jazz musician, a top of the line writer, improviser, these are obviously people who delved deeper into the phenomenon of music, these people have found out, like getting a PhD in something. Yeah, there are people like Monk, on a par with how much they’ve delved into the phenomena of music. Part of [jazz] music is who’s expressing it. It’s a form that has its beginning in this country and is treated a certain way.

JC: When you say treated do you mean performed?

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CM: An integral part of why you can…is who is performing, the treatment of tone, rhythm, harmony. All the notes are the same. D is the same in jazz music as in classical music. F, I don’t care if some Chinese guy is playing F—it’s there. The only difference is coloring, sonic, emotionality, this is what makes this.. “Oh, this is this kind, this is this kind.” Certain nuances are identifiable. And Jazz has an identity, and what gives it identity is treatment of tone, rhythm, harmony, melody.

[Making an analogy] The way you tell one author from another…they’re all using the English language, but Hemingway is different from Oscar Wilde. So what makes him different? The treatment of what they write and how they write about it. Music is the same. And that’s what gives Hemingway …or Oscar Wilde….

It’s what makes jazz jazz. You can improvise on Japanese music…on anything. It’s not just improvisation that makes jazz, jazz. But it’s also treatment of tonality and rhythm. All these things. Syncopation. bending of the note, I can hear the blues here. There are certain ingredients that make it what it is. It is a history from 1904 all the way up [through] Charlie Parker, that makes it part of that.

If I had to come up with a pat phrase, set of verbiages, definitely informed by bebop. Just my take on synthesizing everything I’ve heard. You come with your own thing, that you actually parlay into something. With classical music you’re taking.

It’s the same as writing. Your language is English, verbal and my language is scales and chords. The idea is all you’re doing is taking a motif, organizing into a longer form. Taking one theme, come to the general core of what you’re meaning to say and the rest is organization around the central core, that you extrapolate and explore, and then you have the piece. It’s the same with everything, there’s this seed, so a lot of what it is is the The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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organization, arrangement, since we’re the infrastructure, the add ons, the recapitulations, how to take a theme and exploit it, make a different angle, but it all is the one thing. The seed would be the story or motif, the genius is how do you take that and all of the infrastructure that makes the story what it is. Anybody can see, “What if” [makes up a story—what’s going to happen] All the little stuff that makes up what it is. You can have an 8 bar phrase, how do you build a whole building?…That is almost as [necessary] as the idea itself. One without the other is almost meaningless. It’s a package deal. The arranging, how the seed idea is framed, is as important as the core motif. The minute you say that you’re talking about arrangement, structure, infrastructure of the seed idea is encased in. That becomes the busy work. You can have the most genius thought, but to take it so that people can really hear you…that is what organization and arrangement is. Creation --to bring it from the world of mind to the outside, where other people can hear it, digest it, to bring it outside your own head. All the busy work do that. That becomes a certain art in itself.

I can sit down and hear a symphony, pretend that I’m listening to it being played. How do I actually bring what I’m hearing…here? [That’s the meaning of that phrase] “Genius is 98% work?” Genius is already there. Monk said, --someone was asking him about originality? Somebody told me, Monk said to them, ‘Everybody’s a genius. You are a genius just because you look like yourself.’ I remember hearing that and thinking, ‘Oh that’s just Monk trying to be weird and cute.’ But I started thinking about the gravity of what that means. Boy, he’s exactly right. He nailed it. He meant, your individuality is already there, just because you are you. That means all of nature and everything else we don’t know about Nature has come together down through time, with all the molecules and genes from a million years ago, and come up with Charles, Barry, Monk. Here you are, a product of thousands of years of all that coming together. ‘That’s been bestowed on you… the fact that you don’t do anything about it, that’s on you.

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What a brilliant way to say it in 4 or 5 words. Difference is he knows it and works it. That’s all it is, just work. Music, whatever, it’s the work. In terms of jazz, there’s certain things that go down and make it. In terms of writing, I am still learning how to tap my inner self to get that which is within how to get it out without pulling teeth, where it just flows. I have to be inspired to write and where it kinds of writes itself. When I have to sit down, I can’t do that. And there might be some people who can. But it’s hard to do it like that. One has to learn how to trigger these inner triggers for oneself. How to get in touch with the right thing. “Okay, now I’m going to write.” I need to know that myself. I can write, but you can believe, some came easy. What comes easy is best, to me. It’s either somebody else doing it or you’re letting it happen. Whatever my best is, is when it flows. That’s the real meaning of knowing how to write. How to tap the organic trigger that brings about stuff.

Or being able to fake it so that the world thinks that it is. That idea comes from a flow, a person sitting down and saying “Now, I will write.” From a real natural unforced way. And that way is using the best. So if a person can always be in that state of mind, that’s great. That’s still a mystery to me.

JC: You have distilled, melody, the knowledge, the rhythmic creativity, your own soul and experience, and created songs that have a distinct style and way of looking at, not just the world, but at the universe, whatever that is.

CM: A lot of people [who] can’t hear it themselves, can hear that. If there’s any truth to it, they’re able to hear it because they also know it when they hear it. Basically besides music notes and tones and all that stuff, I am informed by my own thinking on the whole aspect of being. At the expense of sounding corny and 60ish and stuff, my whole thing even to a fault, [is] I am thinking of music in terms of God, the whole cosmological soup that we’re in and how music fits in, consciousness fits in, being fits in. I should be thinking of how to make money, [but instead I spend my time thinking about] why are we here, who are we, what are we The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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supposed to do, is there right or wrong, does it make sense. When I get ready to write a tune or anything, [that is the] it’s white noise in the back of my mind, [that] it comes out. It’s what I’m preoccupied with, and maybe that can be heard by …someone.. other than [the] physical notes being played. Hearing the ethereal, the mind stuff that can also be [there], not about trying for that.

[It’s] Part of the noise in my head all the time. Anything I do in terms of art is reflective of the questions I have and what I’m about.

Have you heard this? Somebody said, “All of matter is frozen music.”

JC: No. CM: And it’s true because everything is vibrating. “A” is “A” because it vibrates a certain amount of cycles per second. “D” is faster or slower per second and that gives it its identity. If you take a glass and thump it, it’s in a certain key. That’s what he meant, all that is molecules vibrating, so everything has a key. Everything is doing that. And the solidity is none-nothing is solid, everything is shimmering or bouncing around, slower or faster molecular movement. These electrons that are flying.. everything is bouncing or moving. Swirling at different rates of speed. If you could measure that, it would be different notes and tones. When I’m thinking of music, it’s more than playing these notes for somebody at a bar.

When I’m performing, I try to have an evening where all of emotionality is presented. [In] An evening of a performance, if I could have my way, I would want my evening to be like a novel, the dark, the light, happy, sad, everything that humans feel, and hopefully uplifting in some kind of way. I want my evening to be that way ..dark and sad, something pensive or mystery, something flat out happy… all of it. And when they leave the room they experience the whole emotional [gamut]…satisfied. That the last thing they’re left with is feeling uplifted. That’s what I want to do when I play music. Everybody might not think that way about it.

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BARRY HARRIS Barry Harris –A pianist, composer, arranger, educator. b. Detroit December 15, 1929.

Started playing at 4-lessons from mother, who played piano at church. Mr. Harris’s family lived in the back of a church. He had classical lessons with Ms. Gladys Dillard also the teacher ofTommy Flanagan. In high school Mr. Harris played bass.

The Yearbook of Downbeat, 1958 “Most of the musicians that came out of Detroit come through one person--Barry Harris”

Barry Harris at the Village Vanguard

JC: When did you first hear jazz? On the radio?

Barry Harris (BH): There was jazz in the schools. I had a music teacher in elementary school. I took up clarinet in intermediate school, about 13. We had the big band in the intermediate school that played like, the “9:20 Special.” I played in that band. I liked to dance. Nobody taught me to dance. All of us danced.

Just about everybody had a piano at home. Wasn’t no television. I learned a piece of church music, was the first piece I played. My mother, Mrs. Harris, played for the church. I lived in back of the church and I went to church every Sunday. [Where we lived] was part of the building where the church was, a Baptist.

I lived in [the city of] Detroit. I knew Tommy, we took classical piano from the same teacher, a Mrs. Dillard. He went to Northern HS and I went to Northeastern HS. We were in a recital together. A preacher taught us all piano, Neptune Holloway. Earl McKinney, [somewhere there’s a picture of] little kids at a recital place and we all took from him. I played the “Revolutionary Etude.” At the age of four I played the piano and I knew what I The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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wanted to do.

JC: How did you learn to solo?

BH: I knew when I went to the Westside, some of the players [like] Willie Metcalf, Clarence Beasley, pianists, could solo better than me, so when I came back, I got the blind girl Bess Makris, [who] had a machine that slowed up things and I borrowed that machine and I learned to solo from that machine. They [Willie and Clarence] were a little bit older than me. I just found out I was older than Tommy Flanagan. He always thought he was older. [I’d go to] Tommy Flanagan’s dances--him and Will Davis, another pianist--and I would look over their shoulders and steal as much as I could.

JC: Did you have to pay to get into the dances? Did your mom give you the entrance fee?

BH: I worked around a car repair shop. I was the inner tube repairman. When the inner tube blew out, I changed tires. And I worked as a soda jerk in a drugstore. I lived right across the street from it.

JC: Were there juke boxes in the drugstores?

BH: [Yes but] I had no money to waste on no juke box. No. JC: How did you learn songs?

BH: I never was a good (sight) reader. I can learn a piece good, but it takes me time. I never heard of that in my life. Write out your own personal voicings. That don’t mean a thing. Look at the sheet music. I learned with my ear, sheet music, a lot of things, watching people. You all think of voice leading. You got to grow into something before you use your own voicings. They don’t know how to play “I Got Rhythm.” You voice it a million ways because there’s a million ways to play “I Got Rhythm.” You play whatever your hand falls on. Every time I ever played, I played stuff I never played before, and it works because I know the basic right stuff. This is not a prefabricated thing where you do 90

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Barry Harris with friends at the Vanguard, Ira Jackson, Beret von Koenigswarten

the same things all the time. Music is free and beautiful. I don’t have to sit at the piano to write music, I could write it on the bus or sitting in the park because I know about music.

JC: Did you ever get together with a bass player, say, to

memorize tunes?

BH: I had a trio. I must have been pretty young. Grey McKinney was my bass and John Evans was my guitar player, and my wife [Christine Brown] and her sister and some other ladies they had a trio. We had a lot of things going on. I wrote trio things for the singers. We just learned how to play together, learned about music.

I was in the Northeast HS orchestra. I played bass fiddle. We played classical music. We had little dances in the school, a bunch of us that were jazz musicians. Betty Carter used to come to the dances outside the school. Most people loved dances. She sang Sarah Vaughan songs. Sheila [Jordan] was in a group with two men [Skeeter Spight and LeRoy Mitchell]. They scatted and sang Skeeter [Spight] lyrics.

JC: Who did you think was an idol when you were a kid?

BH: We had an alto player named Cokey,(name was Kenneth something)[Kenneth Winfrey-according to Rudy Tucich] he was the greatest as far we were concerned. We were surrounded by good musicians so we learned to play good, right. We were kids and we just played jazz, that’s all.

JC: Did you play the Graystone Ballroom?

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BH: I played the Graystone Ballroom because it was a ballroom. I sat in with Bird at the Graystone Ballroom. I think it was a “C blues.”

JC: When did you first hear Bird? at birthday party BH: A long time when I was Barry Harris with clone very young. I fell in love with that music, that was my love, don’t ask me why, don’t ask me how I knew. Singing those melodies, ahh! (sings Billie’s Bounce) cause that’s the way we were. Bird’s music was legible. The first record I slowed up, Bud Powell was on it.

"Webb City." I remember that, it was Sonny Stitt, Fats Navarro, that was the first solo I learned, Bud Powell--I met him in New York. Joe Henderson took lessons, Paul Chambers to learn to play the bass, James Jamerson the bass player from Motown, Charles McPherson, Lonnie, Yusef, we used to rehearse every week, that’s when I made up the rules. Frank Foster taught us a lot, me and Pepper and bunch of us. Johnny Griffith, from Motown, Kirk Lightsey, Hugh Lawson.

I was always practicing I did not hang out like other people, I wasn’t a football, basketball, or baseball player. A lot of people came to Detroit and stayed so they could study with me.

I cannot say the rules I thought up came from Bird and Diz. I made them up so Yusef, Kiani and myself--so we could practice good. After I made up those rules, I could hear things better. I could hear Bird better. I never had perfect pitch, it’s almost as if I made up the rules thinking of Bird.

JC: You made up certain scales?

BH: I made up four scales. The Major 6 to diminished scale, minor 6 diminished, dominant 7 diminished, and dominant 7 flat 5 diminished scale.

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Classes in Rome & NY

Interview 2: BH: Most of them were trying to play like…you could ask every piano player when I came up—who’s the greatest piano player? [And they’d say] Bud Powell. Except for a few dumb ones who thought Oscar Peterson who was Canadian. How could a Canadian play better than Bud Powell, who was born and raised in Harlem? The only thing he had for real was the music and that happened to be jazz, on the order of Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. [I was listening to the] Donald Byrd, Phil Woods, Bud Powell record. That feeling-you gotta swing yourself. You’re supposed to sound good by yourself.

JC: I notice you were always in a group and wherever you go you form groups of people around you.

BH: “People just came. [It’s not]… that I said, ‘All of you all come over.’ I was a loner really. I was a scared cat, couldn’t do push ups or chin ups in the gym, a weakling cat. I went to Northeastern High School…my school became integrated when I went. But there were good white musicians there. Jazz musicians didn’t care about color. I went through insults. So [now] I call myself a winner. The only thing I could do was rush home and play piano.

JC: Cass Tech’s band was supposed to be the number one high school band in the nation at that time.

BH: [Countering with examples of other schools’ graduates] The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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Graduates of Northern High School were-Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Frank Gant, Hugh Lawson.

“Roland Hanna told me, ‘Sonny Red and I used to climb those stairs [to your house] to learn how to play changes.’ I’m a people drawer. I could have made that place-Shutters [a New York music venue that closed recently] successful. My big class [would have been] there, we [would have eaten], singers would have their little thing there. I don’t know how the Japanese found out about me [he goes to Japan twice a year]. Sicily-now they want me.

It isn’t that we played good, we played right. I came for a visit [to New York and stayed] at Sheila Jordan’s house, me and Doug Watkins. In the 1950’s I came to see Charlie Parker and he was not even in town. I wish I had come to see him when I graduated from high school. I would have been 18.

I wish I could make more people understand what jazz is about. [Certain] people are innovators-Charlie Parker, changed the music, the feel. Listen to the feeling and if you don’t feel that right on that first thing they [on a recent record he heard with Donald Byrd, Phil Woods and Bud Powell] do—‘Groovin High.” I just sat here and cried, because I could see where I have messed up. [But] I kept the class all the time-[and some] people who didn’t know nothing-[about improvisation, like] Kenny Gates [who became a leading pianist in Philadelphia].

JC: Why did you come to New York?

BH: We came to New York prepared to continue the legacy of Charlie Parker.[Emphasis Editor's] Picture Bird playing one of those dumb songs. What happened was, we did not do right.

I have young people come up to me all over the country and say, “I never thought you would make a record like Sidewinder.’ [When I heard it more recently] It sounded good [in comparison] to the ugly stuff they are doing now.

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JC: Why isn’t Detroit or other cities producing leading jazz artists like they were in that period?

BH: The reason why--if you had a school where you could to go to school and play instruments. One school in New York, right now, in the basement there are instruments rotting. Blacks have to do something [even without music in the public schools], so they do [hip hop and rap]. Why do you cut out art? Instead everybody is a thief, steals. Jazz musicians do not steal.

JC: Yet even though you were a loner, you always attracted people and were part of a group.

BH: Being part of a group will always make you better. I don’t jive around. Not one thing have I ever held back [in my class]. Whatever I feel, I tell you. I’ve seen people improve from what I say. I was around at a certain period, Bird’s and Bud’s periods, from the 40’s to the middle of … Bud died in ’66, [if they met him then] they wouldn’t know how great he was… I’ve got to go. Bye. Interesting facts about Barry Harris: He won an NEA Jazz Masters Award, and a Grammy for Lifetime Achievement. He received an Honorary Doctorate from Northwestern University. Dr. Harris has a star named after him. He recently celebrated his 60th wedding anniversary. Dr. Harris was a founder of the Jazz Cultural Theatre in NY for five years that featured many emerging and stars of jazz and also had workshops there and jam sessions. He continues his vocal, improvisation and piano workshops in New York and abroad in various countries including Canada, Italy, Japan, England, Spain, and several others.

He recorded 19 records as a leader, and a number with Dexter Gordon, Sonny Stitt, Charles McPherson, Sonny Red, and with Coleman Barry Harris & Sheila Jordan Hawkins, Carmell Jones, Earl May, Yusef Lateef, Billy Mitchell, The Jazz Culture, V.III:5

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James Moody, Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley, Thad Jones, Harold Land, Don Wilkerson, Illinois Jacquet, Benny Golson, Terry Gibbs, Al Cohn, Donald Byrd, Cannonball Adderley, Charlie Byrd, Sonny Criss, Art Farmer, Johnny Griffin. He appeared in Straight No Chaser, a documentary on his roommate of many years, Thelonious Monk. Labels: Xanadu, Prestige, Riverside, Evidence, Concord, Plus Loin, Argo, Vicissitudes (in MPS).

See: BarryHarris.com

Barry Harris & Sheila Jordan at St. Peter's All Night Soul Tribute; Sheila Jordan & daughter Traci; below, Dr. Harris NYclass

ERRATA The Jazz Culture Newsletter incorrectly identified Ray Drummond, a great bass player as Ray Bryant in the last issue.

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