By Donald True Van Deusen
Sax stars were and are shining over Philadelphia skies.
Frank Morgan, something of a jazz legend (and a prodigy of superstar sax man
Charlie Parker) brought his magic alto sax to work wonders Oct. 5 at
Chris' Jazz Cafe, 1421 Sansom Street, Philadelphia (215.568.3131). Sets are
from 9 p.m. to 1 a.m. with a $15 cover.
Bootsie Barnes, Philadelphia's own tenor sax titan, demonstrates his
promethean prowess that night with his smoking sextet at Ortlieb's Jazz Haus,
847 N. Third St., Philadelphia (215.922.1035). Sets covered the same basic time
period for just a $5 cover. Also, Oct. 11 for the same hours, another
home-grown tenor sax icon, Larry McKenna, will be at Chris' Jazz Haus for
just
an $8 cover.
Morgan, now 68, is story book material. Parker took an interest in him as a
child when his father, a guitarist who worked with him brought Morgan to see
him in 1940. He eventually worked with many of the other jazz greats of the
bop and post bop period such as Wardell Grey and Conte Condoli. At just 21
he recorded with Kenny Clarke and Teddy Charles. He later worked as a major
player in the Central Avenue L.A. jazz scene. Through the years he also
worked with such jazz sidemen as McCoy Tyner, Cedar Walton, Ray Brown and Louis
Hayes.
Like too many of the young hipsters of the bop era he got caught up in the
trap of heroin addiction and eventually ended up spending some 30 years in
California prisons including a stretch in the notorious San Quentin. In the
late 80s, following years of incarceration and inevitable obscurity, he came
back with his first recording called "Easy Living." He made some 20
recordings since then on Contemporary, Verve and Antilles labels and Wynton Marsalis,
echoed the feelings of many when he said, "There is no one around who is
better on the alto saxophone. What comes out of his horn is soulful, full of
fire and timeless."
Backing Morgan on his Philly gig was a pitch perfect Philadelphia home-town
rhythm section: Sid Simmons, piano; Lee Smith, bass and a substitute man on
drums.
They just don't come any better than that.
Morgan was charmingly on the set before the rest of the band, trying out
his horn, smiling at the crowd and waving to friends such as Tony Williams,
another alto sax star who was playing at nearbye Ritz Carlton to a packed
house. He had rushed over to catch Morgan in action. Apart from his personal
charm, Morgan played a horn that brought back memories of Charlie Parker at
the Royal Roost and Birdland in the 1950s.
Down at Ortlieb's, Bootsie was joined by one of the finest trumpeters in
town or out of it-- John Swana ably supported by Farid Barron on piano and
Bim Strasberg on bass. Wednesday night, Bootsie will be working with his trio for
another smoking session with Lucas Brown on organ and Dan Monaghan on drums.
Next Friday, Oct. 11, McKenna will be back at Chris' Cafe demonstrating once
again how to play both tasteful and torrid tenor sax jazz. He we will be
backed by the very fine guitar work of Pete Smyser and dependable drums of
Jim Schade. Smyser and McKenna have worked and recorded together previously and
like gin and tonic, are a delightful combination.
