http://newyorkjazzproject.com by Lionelle Hamanaka

The JAZZ CULTURE

The Mingus Orchestra, a 10 piece group; Don Edwards, drummer, strikes a positive note, with Boris Kozlov, bass and Freddy Bryant, guitar behind him

Brois Kozlov, Bass/arranger, left, and Frank Lacey, Trombone/vocals right; far Right, Michael Rabinowitz in a "have Bassoon will travel," pose. The Jazz Culture, VI:44

REVIEW THE MINGUS ORCHESTRA by L. Hamanaka

Caught the Mingus Orchestra at the Jazz Standard, 116 East 27 Street between Park and Lexington Avenues on Monday, February 18, a ten piece group with Boris Kozlov, bass, Don Edwards, drums, Freddy Bryant, guitar, Tatum Greenblatt, trumpet, Alex Foster, Alto saxophone, Frank Lacey, trombone and vocals, Scott Robinson, tenor saxophone, Bass Clarinet, Douglas Yates, Bassoon, Michael Rabinowitz, John Clark, French Horn. The first piece was “No Private Income Blues,” a festive swinging number, at about 140=quarter note, with a brilliant arrangement by Boris Kozlov. The bridge was percussive long tones that pushed the beat ahead. Two soloists, Tatum Greenblatt, played arcing bright lines, then played accenting the beat in a groovy cool style with hard accents and a series of quarter note triplets, leading to 16th note runs. The horn section was revved up like a finely tuned car and was given full support by the peppy drummer (Mr. Edwards has a positive, optimistic sound) who played very tight with Mr. Kozlov. Scott Robinson had a cool quality to his solo, quoting “Every Little Breeze Seems to Whisper Louise” reflecting influences of Lester Young and Stan Getz, pealing down the scale into long tones, then leaping up into the top of his range, with the steady heartbeat of bass below, and Mr. Robinson then put some bluesy Sue Mingus with friends inflection in his 2

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lines. The trombone, Mr. Lacey had a deep fat toned sound, percussive yet well articulated phrasing, and seemed to be influenced by Curtis Fuller. Mr. Lacey has a beautiful sound throughout his registers, accenting the off beats the band hit the upbeats in ascending two note riffs. The texture of the voicings were beautifully intertwined without losing any swing. The band then went into a melodic interlude to a smashing finale, the birds eye ending well conducted by Alex Foster.

Cont. p. 4

The Jazz Culture Newsletter Salutes African American Heritage Month

JOHN COLTRANE The JAZZ CENTER of NY TRIBUTE to

At ZEB’s

223 West 28 Street, 2nd flr. (Bet. 7 &8 Aves.)

Above Greenwich Village Plumbing Produced by Megan Haungs & Toes Tiranoff February 10, 2013 at 7:00 P.M./Donation $18 Reservations: 516‐922‐2010

The Sugar Hill Quartet: Patience Higgins, Marcus Persiani, Alex

Hernandez, Dave Gibson, Singers Carol Randazzo, Maki Matotsu, Kumiko Yamakado,Spoken Word, Angeline Butler, Tap Dancers

Megan Haungs, Toes Tiranoff, Michaela Lerman, Kazu Kumaga

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Then all horns entered together, breaking into a rollicking swing at about 144=quarter note. There was a intriguing alto sax solo by Mr. Foster, over the swaying body of horns, which cut off and then Mr. Foster was accompanied by the rhythm section. A fluid, aggressive section followed, like a determined driver in a flood of noonday traffic. Don Edwards, a drummer with a unique sound, played cascading triplet figures leading to a sudden halt; then reverting back to a ballad with the trumpet who played a beautiful melody that ascended slowly, then slowly rising in counterpoint with the tenor saxophone, matching the upward movement of the bassoon, and plaintive voice of the French Horn. The next song was “Eclipse” which according to Mr. Kozlov, Charles Mingus wrote with lyrics and mailed the song to Billie Holiday, who never responded. However, Mr. Kozlov announced Mr. Lacey would sing the song that night, which he did after a lengthy guitar introduction, during which Freddy Bryant passed through a number of tempo changes, showing the influence of flamenco and classical music, arpeggiating slightly, trilling, then going to a bossa nova section. The band entered with a moody, ethereal lush section with pretty counterpoint of bassoon and bass clarinet…The song’s lyrics included words like,”where the moon meets the sun…destiny has made a choice,” sung with eloquence by Mr. Lacey, slightly reminiscent of Mel Torme, only prettier and less foggy. Michael Rabinowitz then played a bassoon solo, showing his virtuosity, fine intonation, control of tone quality, passion, and probably years of working on improvisation though having few opportunities to do so, being a classical musician; his phrasing slightly behind the beat only in certain passages. He was so exhausted after his solo he seemed to almost collapse in his chair. It was hard to hear the guitar solo as he played with nylon strings, until he started double timing, which sort of raised the pulse of the audience. The Trumpet and Trombone played long tones in a melodic interlude to create a dreamy effect, as if the band were floating on a cloud, with the song ending on several long tones, in conjunction with Mr. Lacey repeating one word of 4

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the lyric several times. Then came “Todo Modo,” a commissioned film score played in its entirety, a major piece of long form music combining jazz and modern classical sections with parts where there were horn solos. By ‘major’ this writer means important, landmark composition certainly the equal of compositions by other important modern composers such as Ellington, Copeland, Stravinski. Actually a number of compositions by jazz composers and arrangers that fall into both the jazz and classical categories, because they are great jazz pieces that have the eternal qualities of classical music. “Todo Modo” has a trumpet introduction, the line going to a high note, that descends into a squeal, with a drum background for color. Trumpet and trombone then combined with the alto conducting. Then all horns enter, painting long tones with bass clarinet solo segueing into a tenor sax solo, where Mr. Robinson painted many wavy lines at ballad tempo. The bass played arco, the guitar entered in Alex Foster, Alto sax, John the Clark, behind on L, and cont.p.7

Freddy Bryant, R

HOW TO-DO A JAZZ FESTIVAL “Lady Got Chops”

Kim Clarke, a well known New York bassist, was gigging at a club in Brooklyn, The Jazz Spot, owned by an African American mother and daughter, Lillithe Meyers and Tiecha Merritt in 2003. She said to them, “Hey, why not do something for Women’s The Jazz Culture, VI:44

Month?” “Rachel Z was my first artist,” said Kim recently. “Anyone can apply by going to the website. A few years ago we got lucky and met a woman who was booking Zinc. So Zinc gives us three to five gigs during March. Then there’s a woman in Peekskill, New York.” Ms. Clarke has worked in the Kit McClure Big Band, so she knew a lot of female musicians. Since the beginning at The Jazz Spot, Kim Clarke, Producer, Bassist there have been 43 different Making a Difference venues (including museums, wine tasting venues, concert halls and libraries) that promoted Lady Got Chops, focusing primarily on female instrumentalists. As recognition for Kim Clarke’s contribution, she received the Golden Shakere Award. Ms. Clarke comes from a musical and jazz loving family-her grandfather was a bassist. Ms. Clarke studied with Barry Harris; and Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Lisle Atkinson, is a product of the Jazzmobile program and all the great musician-teachers there, and was house bassist at the Jazz Cultural Theatre. It was thus that the “Lady Got Chops” Festival came into the world, by hook, crook or enthusiasm. “Lady Got Chops” is an artist produced celebration of women’s creativity in the world of Jazz and other performing and visual arts. Ms. Clarke does this as a contribution to the scene, not taking any fee for doing the organizing work. Although Ms. Clarke has applied for a 501 c(3), it has not come through yet, so presently she works through Women In Jazz. Jazz will have a future as long as inspired devoted 6

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musicians like Kim Clarke care enough to go the extra mile. One manifestation of this caring spirit was in 2010 when Lady Got Chops contributed to Doctors Without Borders for Haitian Relief. The Lady Got Chops Festival honors great female musicians of the past as well as honoring the great men and women who influenced them. Lady Got Chops is a grass roots venture that for over ten years has existed within the budget of the host venues, and has involved hundreds of women artists of all ethnicities. To contribute, just go to womeninjazz-nyc.org/willcontribute.html. To see the artists involved, go to: Ladygotchops.com, or, http://thejazz.8m.com/fest.html upper register, the bassoon, French Cont. from p. 5 Horn intertwined the French Horn played from lower to upper register, squealing in the middle register. This was followed by an exuberant swing section, first a two note motif, then six note motif, to a five note figure, leading to a cliff that the horn section falls over, all with a European flavor. Just as “Parisian Thoroughfare” captures the flavor of Paris, this piece sounded continental. A fluent solo maintaining the character of the piece followed by Mr. Greenblatt. Mr. Robinson showed maturity pausing with short riffs and triplets, showing rhythmic variety and space enough to move the beat ahead before going to 16 note runs and a double time section. He seemed to have a whinnying sound as he executed chromatic falls from the top of his range. The piece ended with a short slow interlude by the bass clarinet, to enthusiastic applause of Mingus fans. “’Todo Modo’ was one of his [Charles Mingus’] favorite compositions,” said Sue Mingus after the show. “Todo Modo” was composed for an Italian movie that Mingus never saw, it is about 20 minutes long, with swing sections interspersed between sections at ballad tempo. The Jazz Culture, VI:44

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VALERY PONOMAREV!!

BOOK REVIEW: "The Flip Side of Sound" by Valery Ponomarev

Valery Ponomarev’s book, “The Flip Side of Sound,” is a must read for any jazz lover who wants to understand how deeply the thousands of international jazz musicians are committed to the music, and how much they have gone through to become part of the jazz world. Jazz is a world music that provides a great deal of income, joy and status to jazz musicians. This includes Art Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers, that Mr. Ponomarev was a member of. The communities that have sprung up around the world because of the music, keep the music alive. It is an intricate, honest and passionate description of Mr. Ponomarev’s encounter with jazz primarily through records and some visiting musicians, his growing involvement with jazz that led him to leave his mother, his country and all security behind him to escape as a “musical” refugee in a circuitous route to the United States. The book “The Flip Side of Sound” captures the charm and character of the Russian people, and the attraction that the most individual and “free” music in the world has for people from other cultures. As the work of a first generation immigrant, “On the Flip Side of Sound” gives new insight to theme of memoires about the American dream. Published by: www.authorhouse.com 8

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JAZZ HERITAGE

LOU DONALDSON'S WORDS OF WISDOM

Lou Donaldson, alto saxophone, at ational Endowment for the Arts photoshoot at Lincoln Center By Lou Donaldson to L. Hamanaka

Lou Donaldson, a superb artist who also took responsibility for setting up tours, recorded a number of jazz hits, helped scores of musicians succeed, and brought joy to millions of people here and abroad, is a great role model for all emerging artists. He recently shared some words of wisdom. Lou Donaldson was born in Badin, North Carolina into a middle class family, his father a minister and his mother Lucy Wallace a concert pianist and music director at her school. Mr. Donaldson never wanted to take piano lessons from his mother because, â&#x20AC;&#x153;She used to hit people with the switch [who made The Jazz Culture, VI:44

mistakes]. She told me I had more talent than my other sisters and brothers. So she got me a clarinet and that started me on clarinet.” “I went to North Carolina A&T and I got into the band. I was not taking a music degree. When I got into the service I got into the Navy Band and I used to go to Chicago…and after I heard Charlie Parker that changed my whole direction.” “Actually what happened to me is that I became a travelling musician. You have to get out of NY to actually know what Joe Public is thinking about music. As long as you stay in NY you have an elitest approach to music, but when you go cross country… I had to play in a lot of ghetto clubs and they want to hear what they like. Like … [out there on the road] you don’t have to worry about jazz critics. I formulated a style to be compatible in the places I played. By doing so, I created a style. It’s a style that’s a cross between bebop and swing. What it does, it satisfies say, people that like to be entertained more than people in New York. “I worked at hard bop and bebop for years, so I had a good background, and I just added a little more compatible stuff for the general public. So I still am employed as much as I want, and I have a following in towns where most jazz musicians can’t play.” JC: A lot of musicians complain about not working, but you took responsibility for finding work. It must have been hard. LD: “It was tough, but we were lucky, we lived when all those clubs were available. On the road if we had two weeks off, we would call the clubs and towns, and we could fill up the opening. “You don’t have anything like that today. No ghetto clubs at all. All the clubs are gone, or they play hip hop… JC: Mr. Donaldson set up tours throughout regions in the US. Today he works locally at the Village Vanguard and Birdland, and 10

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Mona and Jimmy Heath in audience

performs at festivals, and special occasions, pacing himself and choosing his dates like the other great musicians of the world. JC: But the public schools stopped music in the 70’s. So all the public school kids have nowhere to learn to play or learn about jazz. LD: “Something is not right in the US because when you go overseas, the younger people (there) are much more informed about the music than in the US. The young people seem much more informed about jazz and jazz musicians than in the US.” JC: You were married to the same lady, Maker, for 56 years, and you had two daughters, one doctor in African American Success Foundation in Ft. Lauderdale. LD: “My whole family there is supportive there. My granddaughter is supportive, they put on their website what I do and stuff…and it helps me a lot.” “She [Maker] was … in my home town, I knew her before we The Jazz Culture, VI:44

got married, so it was a pretty good relationship, and she didn’t play music but she knew all about it. She was there all the time because she took care of my business and was very supportive of what I was doing, so I was lucky to have her around all the time.” JC: Alfred Lion of the Blue Note Records asked you when he was playing at Minton’s to make a record with Milt Hinton. How did you feel about that? LD: “Of course I was very excited because he came up to Minton’s to listen to me play and he asked me did I want to make a record, so I said, “Of course.” Then he asked me would you like to play like Charlie Parker. I said, ‘I’ll do the best I can.’” JC: A leader in the true sense of the word Lou Donaldson “made” more musicians than almost any other musician through his generosity. LD: “At the time I was doing it, I didn’t really, really know what I was doing, but I recommended over 50 musicians. Some of them for my dates, and I recommended for other dates. “A lot of them had to fit into the scheme [of what] I was trying to play and make records. I was very lucky. What happened in the mid 60’s Blue Note Records was sold to Transamerica Corp. and had a lot of money--it was a big corporation. They had 10 or 12 record companies and they had A&R men, and they would come around wanting you to cover “songs” to get in a competitive market with commercial records. They wanted jazz to be competitive with commercial vein. Like “Who’s Makin’ Love,” “Billie Joe,” “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” so we were lucky. They were jazz hits. Jazz at that time didn’t sell that many records. We made a lot of records that sold [tens of thousands]. I was the most recorded person at Blue Note Records. JC: When asked about his records: LD: “Blues Walk” was mentioned as a favorite…”Alligator Boogaloo”…that was a big record for me financially. And I had 12

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Reverend Lind listens to Lou Donaldson; ditto, tenor saxophonist Eugene Ghee

George Benson and Lonnie Smith and Idris Muhammed and they were great musicians.” JC: “The Masquerade Is Over,” was another hit, and “Whiskey Drinking Woman.” Some of the musicians Lou Donaldson played and recorded with were: Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, Grant Green, John Patton, Donald Byrd, Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan, Al Harewood, George Tucker, Herman Foster, Tommy Turrentine, Jamil Nasser, Curtis Fuller. One group he had for a long time was: Herman Foster on piano, Peck Morrison bass, Ray Barretto, Dave Bailey on drums. Some of the clubs on Lou Donaldson’s touring circuit were: In Rochester, Birdie’s & Crawford Grill; the Sacred Mushroom in Ohio, Jilly’s in Dayton, Babe Baker & Modern Jazz Room, The Idle Hour in Kentucky, The Riviera, The Gaslight Club, Georgie’s, the Blue Note, the Blue Room in Kansas City, Bill Reeves Steakhouse, Twilight Club, the Lark Club in Texas, Magruders, the Flamingo, the It Club and the Zebra Lounge in LA, Mister Major’s, The KC Lounge in Denver, the Jazz Showcase in Chicago, Vernon’s in New Orleans; Judge’s Chambers in E. St. Louis, Bakers’ Lounge in Detroit, the Blue note on Ridge Avenue The Jazz Culture, VI:44

in Pennsylvania, Club Harlem and a few other places. JC: What about working with the Jazz Messengers? LD: “Playing with Clifford Brown was an experience I’ll never forget. I would have done it for free. It was just happy playing beside him to hear him play. Art Blakey was like…I didn’t hang with Art. He was great when he was playing, he was a great drummer and he was always upbeat. His sound was upbeat and he always had energy. Horace and I used to practice together at a little studio on 116th Street and we knew each other real well. It was a company date on Blue Note, but they made Art the leader, probably because he owed them more money than anyone else. It was a great date because all the musicians liked each other and they were compatible, which makes for a great record.” LD: “Of course being a veteran, I was in the Navy, a young guy just 18--it taught you discipline, how to organize your thoughts and actions, to make everything progressive. So you didn’t have any dead weight. Most of the musicians [I met when I came to NY] were my heroes, [but] they had problems with drugs and stuff. I did 100% opposite of what they did, because that’s a no win situation. You learn discipline [in the service] the way [things] are supposed to be done, and it’s a good pattern for your life afterwards if you really put yourself into it. Darrow was a pretty good school, and right next to it was Heart Net Studios, it was also a GI school. I [had already] learned theory and harmony in the service and at A&T. JC: How do you feel about the fact that jazz is an art form primarily created by African American musicians, and its meaning in the world. LD: “This is the only art form that comes from the US, the only art form the US has produced. I knew all about it because my father was a minister, and as a kid I used to hear the old Negro 14

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spirituals, so I had a great background.” JC: So what you’re doing is a continuation, of that background. LD: “That’s what it is. [And in my records] We have smooth rhythm, you never see no erratic rhythm. You got to have swing rhythm. “It don’t mean a thing if it ain’t got that swing.” …You got a groove, you get into and that’s it, which is wonderful for me.”

Bassist Kim Clarke, out for inspiration, listens to Lou Donaldson

JC: You have such a recognizable sound. One note, and you know it’s you. Did you work at that or did it just come naturally? LD: “Whenever you play music you want to have an ID, an identity, so that when people hear you play. I worked it hard to get my individual sound and that’s what I use.

JC: Lou Donaldson had four organ bands, including: Dr. Lonnie Smith, Mel Lasky, trumpet, Idris Muhammad, drums; Earl Spencer, Charles Earland, Baby Gardner and Billie Willette, one with Jimmy Ponder. [to LD] I notice you use the organ instead of the piano. LD: “Now I use the organ because I had several records that were popular with the organ sound. I initially started using the organ because when I started travel cross country, a lot of clubs didn’t have a piano and you couldn’t rent a piano. If you rented a piano you couldn’t make any money. [It was like $1,000 a week]. The jobs we played wasn’t paying that much. So we got us an organ. So we’d set the organ up, take the organ behind a car and put it in a trailer…[Then] After Jimmy Smith showed up everybody started to love the organ sound.” JC: I notice when you are playing, it seems like everyone could The Jazz Culture, VI:44

dance to it. LD: “No, years ago all of the big bands played jazz for dancing. That’s where I got the idea from, and that’s how I play. We try to get the people to planting their feet swinging and that does it.” JC: Are there any young players who inspire you? LD: “I see a few around but not as many as I would like to. Most of the young players today seem to be over educated. They’re a little too technical and mechanical and not enough soulful to maintain the standards that you have to do to be a jazz musician. “We try to be soulful and melodic. That’s the problem….they forget that if you play “Bye Bye Blackbird” as long as you play it it’s supposed to sound like [it] but if you get too involved with chord changes, technique, sounds like they’re practicing, I don’t hear the song anymore. And you’ve got to avoid that when you try to be a jazz player. That’s the way I try to play…The way the great jazz musicians played. Which is very hard to do, unless you understand the song, and I memorize the words and when I’m playing [I think about the words], I try to make the saxophone talk to the audience, say: “This is ‘Body and Soul’ and this is what I’m playing.” “Most of the people sound like they are playing concert, a concerto or something and they forget about swing and rhythm which they’ve got to have to retain the jazz beat and jazz music.. Overblowing a song, playing too much, is just as bad as not playing enough. [There’s a] Happy medium they have to find and I found it for myself and that’s it. JC: Receiving the NEA Award, did that mean anything special? LD: “Well it’s a recognition that you have contributed something…If I had received 15-20 years it might have meant much more to me, when my wife was alive and stuff like that. You got to put in the time and effort to [become a great musician] and she knew that, but now, it doesn’t excite me that much. The only 16

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thing that keeps me going is playing. Music is good for all sorts of stuff. You got some ailment, it will ease the pain.” Mr. Donaldson got an Honorary Doctorate from North Carolina A+T University, and an NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2013. Mr. Donaldson said, “I appreciate the response I have seen over the years from people that have listened to and bought my records. I still do, and that makes me very happy, it didn’t make me rich, but I’m comfortable.” See: Lou Donaldson.com

ROMA JAZZ WORKSHOP Featuring Barry Harris, March 11-15

Contact: lucianofabris@hotmail.com 33933831 39 annapantuso@hotmail.com 3396748724

Call Anna Email Luciano

Barry Harris Workshops Every Tuesday at 6, Pianists, 8, Vocalists, 10:30, Improvisation at 250 West 65 Street, between Amsterdam and 11th Avenues all welcome. See Barry Harris.com

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JAZZ HERITAGE

RON McCLURE PART II

Ron McClure at a gig

....arrangement of “No Show” down to to 5:11 for the recording. I was accustomed playing jazz where a tune can go on for much longer.“ Ron McClure has 28 cds under his own name of mainly original music. 15 of them for Steeplechase Records in Kalmbenborg, Denmark, produced by Nils Winther, who he met In 1988 on recording session with guitarist, David Stryker. He had been turned down by Fantasy Records, but Nils said: “Give me a call” when I told him I wanted to record my own music. My first Cd was “McJolt.” Nils has enabled me to do document my music and the people I’ve played with for the past 22 years. In 1997, I did “Pink Cloud” on Naxos Jazz, which is no longer in existence. I also recorded CDs “Descendants” and “Inspiration” for Ken 18

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Music, a Japanese label, and “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” for EPC, a French label. JC: Do you like being record producer? RM: “I love the process of putting music together. I’ve record most of my Cds in New York City. I have two sextet records, but the others are smaller groups, from quartets, quintets, trios and two duo recordings. I’m told that the average jazz record sells 2,0002,500 over a period of ten years. Unfortunately, Cd’s don’t sell so well anymore. iTunes and YouTube have taken over the market. “I met Paul Chambers when he at the end of his illustrious career. He was so depressed and sick. He was 34 years old when he died. He was one of my greatest influences. I played opposite him for six weeks at the Consulate Hotel in the mid 1960s with the Mike Longo trio. Paul played with the Ross Tompkins trio, who was the bandleader on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson. There were gigs like that then. There’s nothing like it now.” JC: Do you want to talk about your own past habits? RM: I quit everything on September 28, 1993. It was time, and I finally came to my senses, and got some help. It was the best decision I’ve ever made. I drank from the age of 18. Did a lot of beer and pot. It starts small, but it escalates. Part of it was peer pressure. Two guys I’d played with in Maynard’s band, for instance, later in died from overdoses. You’re working in bars and you want to be accepted by your peers. It was fun for a while, but I’m lucky I stopped when I did. I talk about it openly because I couldn’t care less about being “Anonymous”. I like help other people through my personal experiences. In 1964, before I really did a lot of drinking or drugging, my friend, Maynard Ferguson, warned me: “You better be careful, because you like to get high”. Most everybody in and around the music world was doing something. I was lucky. My daughter said, ‘I always knew I had a father but didn’t really know him, but now I do”... That was very moving to me personally. My therapist insisted I go to AA, which The Jazz Culture, VI:44

taught me how to live my life on day at a time. They should teach the principles of AA to kids in High School.” JC: When did you start to solo? RM: “I started to solo right away, because I had been improvising melodies on the accordion. Paul Chambers and Mingus were my first influences on the bass. Paul Chambers was the number one bass player. … That was Ron McClure in coffee shop on west when you listened, side transcribed solos and lines We talked about music and compared notes. It helps your improve your ear. People buy solos in books now, but that isn’t like doing your own transcriptions. Your musical personality comes from your personal work and experience, mostly from discovering things on your own and trying to figure out what you were hearing. It’s a lifelong process. Some jazz students expect a teacher to give it to them because they’ve paid for it, but it doesn’t work like that. “ About amplification: “Some people turn a sound system on and as long as there’s no feedback, think it’s okay. When I subbed for Dennis Erwin with Mel Lewis, he taught me: “The louder you play the louder everyone else has to play.” About recording: The jazz scene is much smaller [now]. The record companies want to know how many units you will sell. If you don’t sell product, you’re gone.” On Luck: It’s all about timing. There I was, only playing bass for ten years, and listening to Paul Chambers, and I got lucky enough to be taking his place at the age of 24.” 20

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JC: Do you feel jazz is America’s greatest contribution to world culture? RM: “Yes. Jazz is probably our only cultural contribution to the world. It is only a four letter word, but people it’s influence can be felt all around the world. Today, young musicians have access to everything and anything. Being able to swing used to be an American thing, but now people anywhere can swing, because they’ve grown up hearing it. It’s not about what race you are, it’s what you’ve heard that gets you the right feel.” JC: What do you do to keep fit? RM: “I go to the gym at the YMCA where I have a personal fitness trainer, as well as doing the Jenny Craig diet. Together, it helped me lose 30 pounds. I’ve always played sports, and for the past 35 years I’ve played tennis. In the winter I try to play once a week, but in the summer I play a lot in the NYC parks.” JC: What do you think of the future of jazz? Do you think swing is important? RM: (nods) “It’s the hardest thing. “Rhythm is the most important thing in life.” JC Why? RM: “It’s the hardest thing for people to do. The time feel—that’s why. It’s more syncopated, accents on the offbeat. Rhythm, the feel, the placement. It’s like learning a French Accent. You have to live it.” JC: Do you feel you’ve made a contribution? RM: “To some people. My student at NYU just quoted an article by Tom Kennedy, a fine younger bass player, who said he was influenced by my playing. I’ve tried to make a contribution to music through my work, but the effect it’s had remains to be seen. I think I’m a good player and writer but acceptance is a bitch on wheels. I’ve been teaching for 40 years. I try to teach them how to The Jazz Culture, VI:44

Ron McClure Trio in garden concert on the upper west side

figure out stuff on their own. I think American education in general doesn’t focus enough on teaching kids how to learn.”

Ron McClure played with Charles Lloyd till 1969 along with Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette. He worked with Wynton Kelly taking Paul Chambers’ place with Jimmy Cobb and Wes Montgomery; with Carla Bley, George Russell, Julian Priester and Herbie Mann. He also worked with George Coleman and Miles Davis, where he met Joe Henderson, whom he subsequently toured with. An outspoken person and leading musician who has carved out his own voice as a bassist, composer, arranger and teacher, Ron McClure currently lives in NYC with his two cats, Ulala and Nana, teaches at NYU, and records for Steeplechase Records. Mr. McClure is a good role model for students on how to use hard work, discipline and devotion to evolve in this most individual of art forms. According to him, it was mostly being at the right place 22

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at the right time, but you also have to deliver, even if you are at the right place at the right time. He has performed all over the world, and even plays solo piano at a McDonald’s in Manhattan a couple afternoons a week. Ron McClure did a tour in October 2012 with Quest, led byDave Liebman, with Richie Beirach & Billy Hart. Overv Thanksgiving he went to Toronto, Canada to perform at The Rex Jazz Club, The Jazz Room in Waterloo, and Ron McClure at Concert displays arco taught 3 jazz workshops at technique Humber University, Mohawk University and The University of Toronto with Toronto drummer/educator: Ted Warren, who teaches at Humber. The other players were Brian Dickinson (piano) & Ted Quinlan (guitar). When asked about the future, Ron McClure says, “I’m always looking for what hasn’t been done. What it is and where it might go. I like to play quality music with quality players.” See Ron McClure.com; also, Steeplechase.com

ERRATA In the Justice for Jazz article, Chip Jackson was the bassist who played wtih Hank Jones, Jimmy Owens, Slide Hampton and Tony Jefferson played drums. Local 802 wants musicians curious about Vesting to call the union at 21 2-2454802. Also, in the Trane Tribute, in Megan Haungs' last name, we left out the LAST "S" in the final paragraphs.

The Jazz Culture, VI:44

Mr. Kozlov then mentioned the joy of working for the last week with the Mingus Dynasty, which has regular big band instrumentation, and the dozens of high school bands from across the country that competed to play Mingus compositions. After which they played “Jelly Roll” featuring Frank Lacey, who did a rollicking version with a free section at the end, a rolling melody that sounded like a drinking song (shades of Bach?). Mr. Lacey achieved lots of space with a round lovely tone, lots of long tones in contrasting registers, jumping here and there, but held together by a good sense of aural balance, very syncopated with the drummer in his head. The bass clarinet player did a varied solo, with lots of round figures, triplets, 16th note runs and a sort of luxurious impression with his rich cultured sound. The French Horn player Mr. Clark, used some blue notes and extended long tones, with Mr. Edwards sending some sporting bass drum effects his way, and created some new textures with the guitar trio. Then all the horns joined in a free collective improvisation like they used to do in New Orleans, with a brawling quality, and the drummer playing a Basie ending. Mingus from p. 7

“Slop” was last in the set, starting in 6/8, ending in funk. It began with bass-drum talk, the bass player's tone full of character, the drums crashing, to a horn section interlude where musicians clapped the clave against the bassoon solo, playing fast while the horns intoned some blue ideas. Then a funk beat, fast and furious express downhill racers, a motif with a triplet accenting the last note, with a funky guitar playing blue notes and horn players soloing one after the other, creating waves of timbres, personalities and accents. Over this the club announcer introduced all the band members. Charles Mingus was an artist unafraid of the present tense, depicting through his music the civil rights struggle of the 60’s, and like Nina Simone, losing none of his artistic oeuvre because of it. If jazz is real, Mingus could get down with the best. The Mingus Orchestra is a living legacy, the product of the Jazz Workshop musicians, and a powerful, honest artist who could have only been made in America. See: mmm.com 24

The Jazz Culture, VI:44