November 2001

Open Ears
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By Laurence Donohue-Greene

What do Charles Mingus, William Parker, and Christian McBride all have in common, other than the fact that they are obviously jazz bassists? Before the first two weeks of October, Ray Brown might certainly not have been the first name off my lips. However, from October 2nd through the 14th, father figure bassist Brown proved his pervasive influence amongst straight-ahead and free jazz musicians and fans, alike. His arco playing was exquisite (certainly a central aspect to each Mingus’ and William Parker’s arsenal), not to mention his absolute solid technique and finger strength (attributes of all three aforementioned Brown influenced bassists). The thought of a Ray Brown solo date even came to mind, a milestone only few bassists have accomplished let alone ever dreamed of. Amongst those who have produced memorable recordings of solo bass, there are Ron Carter, John Lindberg, Jon Voigt, Malachi Favors, Rob Wasserman, and, yes, even William Parker (Testimony)--not to mention the ECM solo bass records of Dave Holland, Eberhard Weber, Gary Peacock, and Barre Phillips. Through his unaccompanied solo moments, which sadly were few and far between, one wished that Brown indeed would go into the recording studio with his upright and no one and nothing else. The closest he seems to have come are the piano/bass duets with Jimmy Rowles, and the ‘72 duet recording of Brown with Duke Ellington (This One’s For Blanton), only a year and a half before the Duke died.

Speaking of passings, it seems since Milt “The Judge” Hinton’s death that Brown has inherited official elder statesman status in regards to bass players in particular, a distinction which he certainly had before Hinton died but seemingly more evidently since. With a patented bass walk, which he has been closely associated with for many, many decades now—Brown’s playing is as sturdy as a rock and is as strong as it’s ever been. His seven decades worth of experience makes his influence as a player and educator of jazz music incomparable and literally a living treasure, as many of his fellow comrades from that generation are (and have been) unfortunately dropping like flies (pardon the expression).

During Brown’s residency, he paid homage to one such musical soul mate and fellow music treasure, another Milt--the late Milt “Bags” Jackson. The setting was the Blue Note in New York and the residency was labeled “To Bags With Love”, with special guests including Jamaican-born pianist and fellow “Bags” band-mate Monty Alexander, trumpeter Nicholas Payton, and vocalist Dee Dee Bridgewater, as well as tenor saxophonists Joe Lovano and Ron Blake. Marking the second anniversary of the great vibraphonist’s passing at the age of 76 mid-way through the Blue Note engagement, the occasion also coincidentally intersected with Brown’s 75th birthday on the second to last of his nights at the Greenwich Village club.

The relationship between the bassist and vibist goes back to the mid-‘40s, spanning over the last six decades, before Jackson’s death in ‘99. Both were members of Dizzy Gillespie’s Orchestra that included a rhythm section which served as the precursor to the time-tested co-led aggregation of John Lewis and Milt Jackson, the MJQ (a.k.a. the Modern Jazz Quartet). Before longtime MJQ drummer Connie Kay, there was Kenny Clarke and, likewise, before Percy Heath, there was Ray Brown—in actuality, the original MJQ bassist. These two weeks worth of performances landed just around the Golden Anniversary of when Brown originally recorded with this early edition of the MJQ. So, the event at the Blue Note was by no means a mere salute to a giant of the music, but rather a personal dedication from Brown to his longtime friend, fellow musician, and band-mate as well as musical genius, Milt Jackson.

For the last eight years, Brown has recorded for Telarc as the leader of some very unique recordings. His successful Some of My Best Friends Are… series of records for the label individually include special guests from pianists, saxophone players, and trumpeters, to vocalists. Actually, many of the musicians who made cameos during Brown’s two-week stand at the Blue Note also had made special appearances on these Telarc recording sessions. Amongst them, Joe Lovano, Nicholas Payton, and Dee Dee Bridgewater all made the special live engagements at the Blue Note with Brown’s latest rhythm section of Larry Fuller (piano) and George Fludas (drums). Both Fuller and Fludas can be found on Brown’s latest recording, Super Bass, Vol.2 (Telarc), the follow-up to his ’97 Super Bass(which, in retrospect, should have been the first in his series of Some of My Best Friends Are…and, in this case, Some Of My Best Friends Are Bass Players, featuring John Clayton and Christian McBride.) Maybe next in line should be Some Of My Best Friends Are Me, Myself, and I--an ideal title for that previously mentioned long overdue unaccompanied session!

In any case, both Fuller and Fludas had large shoes to fill. Brown’s previous rhythm section tandems have included pianists Gene Harris, Geoff Keezer, and Benny Green, as well as drummers Jeff Hamilton and Gregory Hutchinson, amongst others. Fuller, right away, proved he was up to the test, revealing an Oscar Peterson-like dexterity in his playing, assumably a pre-requisite of Brown’s with any of his accompanying pianists due to his utmost respect for his former boss, not to mention his continued incorporation of the Tatum-esque approach within his own piano trios. The touch of Bill Evans was also evident as the evening’s second set began with a rendition of “Stella By Starlight”, and Fuller’s lively feature of the unique arrangement given to the standard, “I Should Care”, also reflected the late great master’s imprint. On the latter, Fludas, switching from brushes to sticks, became more of an active participant in the music as an actual contributing voice versus mere accompanist. For one of the rare instances during the course of the evening, Fludas actually altered the course of the music in directions which made him more a focal point of the music versus the simple follower role he played within his music surroundings created by fellow trio members, Brown and Fuller.

Brown eventually invited saxophonists, Joe Lovano and Ron Blake, to the stage. Unfortunately, though, someone had forgotten to turn on Lovano’s mic, or so it seemed. Being of the subtler school of tenor playing where breath is as paramount as actual notes, quite a bit was unfortunately lost from Lovano’s playing, especially throughout the saxophone portions of the set. After each saxist soloed, they traded fours at an astonishing rate as Lovano was neither stopped nor delayed in matching the intensity coming from Blake, amplified or not. With Blake out though, Lovano had a greater chance to shine and be heard, as he was simply accompanied by Brown’s trio in a beautiful rendition of the ballad, “I Can’t Get Started”, proving once again that Lovano and ballads go hand in hand like cream and sugar. In J.A.T.P. fashion, Lovano then stepped back as Blake moved forward for his feature selection, “Body and Soul”, during which he offered up a perfect coda sentiment of “Mona Lisa” tagged onto his last breath of final notes.

Both Lovano and Blake were also featured to extent on Charlie Parker’s “Klactoveesedstene”, a tune originally recorded during Bird’s legendary ’47 Dial sessions. Even without a properly functioning microphone, Lovano’s tone and sound were undeniable. Blake, who had the best listening spot in the house, at times could only look on in admiration down into Lovano’s bell with a wide smirk in response to the lines Lovano magically created.

After the two tenors were then given a break, Ray Brown introduced the temporary piano chair change of Larry Fuller with Monty Alexander, a fellow member of Milt Jackson’s band with Brown starting back in the early-‘60s in Los Angeles. The rhythm section consequently was taken up a notch, though not necessarily for better or worse, as Alexander produced a more choppy and rhythmic drive than did Fuller. From an ornate ballady solo opening, Alexander tapped his foot and interspersed such themes from “When The Saints Go Marching In”, “Glory, Glory, Hallelujah”, and “His Truth Is Marching On”.

Alexander’s composition, “Compassion” (which he actually played with Milt Jackson back in the mid-‘70s), spotlighted a reflective piano solo opening as Brown, for the first time during the course of the evening, became more of an accompanist himself versus leader. Slipping his hands inside the piano, Alexander comped Brown who began to beautifully bow while Fludas added colors via the tom toms. The tenors returned for one final bout, closing the set with Milt Jackson’s “Reunion Blue”, as Alexander remained at the keys.

After the three nights with Lovano and three subsequent nights with trumpeter Payton, Brown invited the stunning Dee Dee Bridgewater to accompany him on his final six evenings at the Blue Note. Bridgewater, a vocalist who has all the ingredients to be jazz’s greatest vocalist of the last 25 years and the next 25 years to come, originally began creating a stir back in the early-‘70s. Though she sang at that time with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, as well as with Stanley Clarke, Norman Connors, Carlos Garnett, and Frank Foster--Bridgewater has actually only recently gotten her due within the last five to ten years (during which time she has been under exclusive contract to Verve Records). Unfortunately not too many must have heard her 16-minute somersaulting duet extravaganza, from 1973, with bassist Reggie Workman on “Love In The Middle Of The Air” (found on Heiner Stadler’s Retrospection). Then and there is when and where Dee Dee’s unique talent should have been immediately recognized. Being that she was not given the proper attention she rightfully deserved by listeners and critics here in the States, Bridgewater moved to France where she has since resided living the lifestyle of a local vocal treasure for Parisians and Europeans. Now, however, during her more regular visits Stateside, she is appropriately given the attention she has rightfully earned over the last 25 years, with Americans better-late-than-never realizing their previous obliviousness to the greatness of Ms. Dee Dee Bridgewater.

Preceding Bridgewater’s grand entrance onto the stage, however, Brown’s trio flexed through “Two RBs” (a tune he originally recorded with fellow R.B., Ray Bryant, and has since recorded for his ‘95 release, Seven Steps to Heaven), and an updated “You Are My Sunshine” with Fludas disclosing his McCoy Tyner chops through several harp-like runs on the piano. The trio also worked out a successful rendition of “A Night In Tunisia” with Brown shining unaccompanied for the opening. Though on the surface Brown certainly sounded immediately accessible, listeners may have actually noticed the depth of sounds Brown actually generated. A correlation could definitely have been made to a more experimental style of bass playing perhaps more closely associated with such Downtowners as Mark Helias, Mario Pavone, and even Chris Wood (of Medeski, Martin, & Wood). It certainly isn’t unfathomable to speculate that Brown, through his more than 700 recordings as a sideman and 40 plus recordings as a leader or co-leader, most likely has influenced countless other so-called Downtown bass players, amongst others of course.

The Ellington-like understated style of piano playing, through sections of “You Are My Sunshine”, was given a tip of the hat by Fuller. Fludas, bare handed, treated his snare and drums like bongos. Though he briefly picked up the sticks, the “Caravan” treatment given to Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night In Tunisia” proved that the root of Fludas’ playing as a drummer just may have begun, and perhaps should continue, as a hand percussionist. A drummer for the greater portion of the evening, Fludas “played” more with his hands than with sticks, if you know what I mean. The bass and percussion duet during the ending of the Dizzy tune positioned Fludas directly in the spotlight, as he proved not only his capability but also his superiority as a hand percussion player versus straight-ahead competence as a mediocre drummer. The trio also re-worked Dizzy’s “Con Alma”, one of the trumpeter’s most beautiful and enduring melodies.

And then entered Dee Dee. She false-started her way through her opening tune, as Ray Brown slyly introduced Duke Ellington’s “Do Nothin’ Til You Hear From Me” with the melody of “Christopher Colombus” (it’s stolen version being the better known Benny Goodman “Sing, Sing, Sing” with Gene Krupa). More than adequately making up for the mix-up, Dee Dee, through her distinct raspy voice and horn-like delivery, brought the level of sheer intensity up so many notches within that initial minute that the second half of this second set was like an altogether different set, if not different night of music, altogether. It’s a wonder Bridgewater wasn’t in the mix to start things off! After all, Bridgewater and Brown have been associated with one another at least in the recording studio (Ray Brown’s Some Of My Best Friends Are Singers, Dee Dee Bridgewater’s Dear Ella, and Brown’s Christmas Songs), so familiarity was certainly not an issue.

Scatting on and off mic, Dee Dee worked each member of Brown’s trio, including Brown himself. Exhibiting her Billie Holiday roots, Bridgewater utilized the opening vocal/bass duet rendition of one of many tunes associated with the great Lady Day, “More Than You Know”, to showcase her unique vibrato. Now, if we can’t get a solo bass recording from Brown, how about a duet session with just these two? Dee Dee would also later reveal some more of her other apparent influences in Ruth Brown and Etta James with a raw and energetic rendering of the standard, “Don’t Get Around Much Anymore”.

The bossa nova vocal/percussion duet of Jobim’s “Wave” between Dee Dee and the stick-less yet hand-ful Fludas served musically fulfilling, as did Dee Dee’s version of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee” with the not too oft heard lyric introduction. Dee Dee quickly substantiated that she is one of the true great scatters not only of our day but of all jazz-time, which is where Ella’s lasting impact has obviously had an influence on the 51-year old. The horn-resembling vocal solos of Dee Dee’s made the trio seem more like a saxophone-led quartet than the vocal accompanying trio they, in actuality, were. Like many of the great tenor saxophonists from yesteryear, she interspersed such runs that would make Sonny Rollins (and would have made Dexter Gordon and Coleman Hawkins) proud.

Through the course of the vocal portion of the evening, Ray Brown and Dee Dee Bridgewater proved they are each originals in peak form and that the separation created to divide one form of music from another is superfluous, whether self-created, record label-generated, and/or audience motivated. Regardless of what type of music one performs, Brown’s and Bridgewater’s respective influence could potentially cross all vague borders and categories, and consequently effect listeners and musicians alike, if they so pleased. Each, however, needs to convince their respective record labels that experimentation shouldn’t be considered taboo, and so to take a chance with these well established artists. There are plenty of folks out there who are dying to hear something new, something out of the ordinary that pushes the envelope so to speak. So, let’s work on that milestone solo bass concept, Mr. Brown. And, Ms.Bridgewater, you were definitely up to something with your “Love In The Middle Of The Air”, not too dissimilar than the ground that Patty Waters was breaking through back in the ‘60s (unlike you, though, she actually dropped out of music altogether for three decades). How about revisiting that vibe now that people have caught up to your hipness? You were way ahead of your time, and the time is now.

By the way, hats off to the management at the Blue Note Jazz Club here in New York. The club opened their doors with a special offer of pairs of complimentary tickets to all police, fire, and emergency rescue personnel throughout October, ending on the 31st with guitarist Jimmy Bruno and saxophonist Eric Alexander, and beginning with the Ray Brown Milt Jackson tribute.

In the next month at the Blue Note Club, look out for Blue Note (the label that is) recording artist, pianist Jason Moran with special guest, saxophonist Gary Thomas (11/5); Rahsaan Roland Kirk alum, Hilton Ruiz (11/12); the Dewey Redman Quartet (11/19); Roy Haynes’ Charlie Parker Tribute Band (11/20-11/25); and, not to be missed, Elvin Jones’ Jazz Machine with Pharoah Sanders (11/27-12/2).

In the meantime, keep your ears open to the music!