Jeremy Pelt, The Talented Mr. Pelt (High Note). There is more here than meets the ear accustomed to quintets that knock off Blue Note bands of the 1960s. From his record debut in 2002and notably since he established this group in 2007the trumpeter has manifested originality as soloist and composer. Five of the eight tunes are his, with writing as free of clichés as is his playing. Pelt’s sidemen are seasoned pros: saxophonist J.D. Allen, bassist Dwayne Burno pianist Danny Grissett and drummer Gerald Cleaver. On Cy Coleman’s rarely heard “In Love Again,†Pelt has a flugelhorn solo of heartbreaking beauty.
Archives for March 2011
CD: Rick Trolsen
Neslort, Mystical Scam (Lort/Threadhead). Most reviews and articles about the leader of Neslort (spell it backward) begin, “Eccentric New Orleans trombonist Rick Trolsen…†The reasons for that are apparent in this CD. Equally evident is Trolsen’s and the sextet’s musicianship, which merges street funk, bebop, electronica, rhythm and blues, New Orleans parade pzazz and—as in all good gumbos—a mystery ingredient or two. Tim Robertson’s pliant guitar licks, Kyle Cripps’ saxophones, Matt Perrine’s bass and tuba, Larry Sieberth’s keyboards and the popping vigor of Boyanna Trayanova’s drumming complement Trolsen’s blowsy trombone and his vocals, reminiscent of David Clayton-Thomas.
DVD: Stan Kenton
Stan Kenton, Artistry in Rhythm (Jazzed Media). This is the story of Kenton’s development of a big band unlike any of its contemporaries. Photographs, film, video tape, audio recordings and interviews trace the band from its early days through its many incarnations—Artistry in Rhythm, Innovations, Progressive, Contemporary Concepts, Neophonic. Rather than a script and narration, the production depends for continuity on an extended interview with L.A. Jazz Institute head Ken Poston. Poston tends to speak in the historian’s academic mix of past, present and conditional tenses, but he gives good information. The film captures Kenton’s expansive personality and much of his music that matched it. It is a vast improvement over an unrelated 2004 DVD of the same title.
New Recommendations
Book: Jimmy Heath
Jimmy Heath and Joseph McLaren, I Walked With Giants (Temple). Younger brother of bassist Percy, older brother of drummer Albert (Tootie), saxophonist, composer and arranger Jimmy Heath tells his life story with forthrightness, humor and no trace of self-delusion. A brilliant youngster who succumbed to the heroin disease that plagued beboppers, Heath paid his debt, cleaned up his act and became one of the most productive and respected musicians of his generation. Co-author McLaren intersperses tributes from Sonny Rollins, Benny Carter, James Moody and other giants who make it plain they are proud to have walked with Heath.
Frishberg, Wellstood And Sullivan, Restored
The Rifftides staff discovered, by chance, that an essential element in a two-and-a-half-year-old entry about Dick Wellstood and two other pianists had suffered the slings and arrows of outrageous YouTube fortune. The video of Wellstood playing was removed by whoever posted it. We managed to find an even better one, so here is the reconstituted piece, including video. Call it a Rifftides encore or golden oldie. This first ran on August 8, 2008.
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Dick Wellstood has been on my mind. Maybe it’s because I heard Dave Frishberg play the piano the other night at The Seasons. Frishberg was in concert singing his inimitable songs and accompanying himself, but he opened up plenty of space for piano solos. Before he became famous for performing his songs, Frishberg worked with Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Ben Webster, Jack Sheldon and Carmen McRae, among other demanding leaders. He was, and is, a versatile and idiosyncratic pianist who wraps several jazz eras into a style of his own. A couple of times on Saturday night, he pulled off stride passages that Wellstood would have appreciated.
In the mid-1940s when Wellstood was a young man working toward a career as a pianist, he was under the spell of Joe Sullivan (pictured). Sullivan (1906-1971) came from Chicago and
began recording in 1927. By 1933, he was Bing Crosby’s accompanist and established as one of the brightest of the young pianists influenced by Earl Hines, James P. Johnson and Fats Waller. He in turn influenced Wellstood, who had cards printed that read, “Perhaps you can help me to meet Joe Sullivan. My name is Dick Wellstood.” He distributed the cards in musicians’ hangouts. Finally, the cornetist Muggsy Spanier told Wellstood where Sullivan lived. According to clarinetist Kenny Davern’s account of the meeting, quoted in Edward N. Meyer’s Giant Strides: The Legacy of Dick Wellstood, the pianist knocked on Sullivan’s apartment door well after midnight.
Soon this disheveled figure in slippers and a bathrobe comes shuffling through. Joe opens the door and says, “Yeah?” Dick says, “Hi, my name is Dick Wellstood and Muggsy Spanier said to say hello.” And Joe Sullivan said, “Tell Muggsy Spanier to go f___ himself,” and slammed the door right in Dick’s face.
Nonetheless, Wellstood remained a steadfast admirer of Sullivan. Here is one reason, Sullivan’s 1933 recording of “Gin Mill Blues.”
There is little video of Wellstood performing, but this clip from a concert in Germany in 1982, five years before he died, catches him in full stride, concentration and swing.
That brought response from Dave Frishberg and Ted O’Reilly, another old pal of Wellstood, and triggered further reminiscence about my friendship with Dick. To see that item, click here.
Webb City
I’m still tucking in the frayed ends of daily life after extended duty in the trenches of extracurricular writing. Soon, there will be a new batch of Doug’s Picks as the blogging routine returns to normal, whatever that is.
I am told that the first rule of survival in the weblog game is to keep the blog fresh. So—to give you useful information and avoid turning this into a mere video disc jockey operation—here is a cross-generational performance of Bud Powell’s “Webb City.” The older generation is represented by Phil Woods, the man in the hat, the younger by Grace Kelly, the woman in the magenta dress, and her band: Jason Palmer, trumpet; Doug Johnson, piano; Evan Gregor, bass; and Jordan Perison, drums. “Webb City” became famous in bebop circles because of a brilliant 1946 recording by Fats Navarro. Powell named the tune not after the southwest Missouri town of 10,000 but for Freddie Webster, one of the heros of pre-bop trumpet. Thanks to Ira Gitler, the fount of all bebop knowledge, for that nugget. There——wasn’t that useful?
This performance took place recently at Sculler’s, a jazz emporium in Boston, Massachusetts, a large city on the east coast of the United States.
“Webb City” is not on Ms. Kelly’s new CD, Man With the Hat, but Mr. Woods is. Here’s a sign of changing times in the record business and in earning prospects for musicians: the album sells on Amazon as a digital download for $6.93, as a CD for $24.72 plus shipping. There are still lots of diehard CD lovers, but remaining one is not getting easier.