By Ludwig vanTrikt
AAJ: What made you self produce on your own Jen Bay
label starting in 1996 with the Eternal Triangle?
ME: Actually, my first record date was produced in 1986
on my own Half Note records label. Don Shula from the San
Ado record label gave me about 40 contacts of journalists'
and radio stations that I could send my recording to. He
told me, "send it out to these people, at least you get some
air play." Unfortunately, at the time I had no idea how
important was the follow-up with a phone call to ask if it
received the product, if they liked it and if they were going to
write or play it on the radio. That release was called "The
Mark Elf Trio Volume One" featuring Leroy Williams and Al
Harewood on drums and Paul Brown on bass. I recorded
that date in 1986 but didn't finish it until 1987 because my
father was ill and I had to help my mother during that time.
That recording I released in late 1987, early 1988. In the
spring of 1988 I went overseas with Dizzy Gillespie to do a
concert tour and it was there that I met Hank Jones. Ben
Riley was the drummer and a number of years earlier I got
the opportunity to work with him with the great tenor
saxophonist, Billy Mitchell. After returning home from this
fabulour engagement I was truly inspired by the cats on the
gig. How could one not be after working with Dizzy
Gillespie, Hank Jones, Ben Riley, Curtis Fuller, Kenny
Barron and Larry Ridley. I decided right then upon my return
to do another recording. I asked a close friend, Ara
Oztemel, if he would be executive producer and fund the
recording. He agreed and in the winter of 1966 I recorded
"The Eternal Triangle" with Jimmy Heath, Ben Riley, Ray
Drummond and Hank Jones. I then shopped the recording
to five or six different companies, including Columbia,
Fantasy, Concord, Talark and none were interested.
Looking back now at the effort I'd put into canvassing the
companys, I probably didn't try hard enough to sell the
master. This record sat in the can until 1986. My fortune
changed in 1991 or 1992 when I went down to Santiago,
Chile with Arnie Lawrence, a fine alto saxophone player. I
did some concerts with him and was asked back a year
later by the great South American jazz musicians that I had
played with during my engagement with Arnie Lawrence.
The second time I went down there I was asked by the
Alerce record label to record a trio record, which I did. This
trio recording was my first record date with a small
independent company. Unfortunately, this company had no
distribution in the United States. When they came to me to
ask me how they should sell it I knew I had a problem. In
1995 I got permission from the Alerce record label to
reproduce the CD here in the United States. The CD had
Spanish liner notes, no UPC code and the front cover, that
was my promotion picture.
With a thousand records sitting in my closet I knew I would
have to do something to get them into the stores. I knew I
needed to start a record company, which I tried to do in
1986 and 1987, but had failed because distributors would
not take on an artist owned label with one master. I knew I
had The Eternal Triangle sitting in the can and was hoping
that the recording would help me get a distributor on the
west coast. I remember that first call very well because the
Secretary answered the phone and asked me what I
wanted. I told her I wanted to get distribution on the west
coast and that I would like to speak to the buyer. She
asked me to hold and when she came back she said he
was too busy to talk. At that point I said please tell him I
have a recording with Hank Jones, Ben Riley and Jimmy
Heath. Robin Cohen, the president of the company and the
buyer picked up the phone and said, "you have a recording
with Hank Jones!" I replied yes, but first I want this Alerce
release, my South American record released first. He
asked me when I would release The Eternal Triangle and I
replied, six months after the South American release. He
agreed and I had my first distributor. The South American
release, "The Mark Elf Trio" went to number seven on the
Gavin jazz charts, which at that time monitored radio play
and The Eternal Triangle went to number four.
AAJ: Why did you start your own company?
ME: I started the company for several reasons. I wanted
to have full ocntrol over my recordings, which included
artistic content, promotion and distribution. The latter being
the stumbling block for most artist owned labels. I also got
tired of approaching companies to ask for a record deal. I
thought to myself, I can't let the decision makers of record
companies decide whether or not I'm going to have a
career. I also thought to myself, why can't these decision
makers hear in my playing what Bill Mitchell, Lou
Donaldson, Clark Terry, Jimmy Heath and many others that
I've worked with over the years hear? As I look back at this
situation today it seems that there was more to it than that.
Being in the right place at the right time and even luck might
have had something to do with it. Whatever the reason, it
worked out for me just fine.
Promotion is the key once you have a good product to sell
and have distribution. Most record companies cannot afford
to spend money on promotion and the truth is after doing
this myself for the last six years I can understand why.
There is no monetary return. I understand the market share
for jazz is about 1.8% to 2%. With all the companies
competing for those few crumbs in the corner it doesn't
surprise me why sales are the way they are. Fortunately for
me, as much as I like to sell records, I look at record sales
as a bonus for my work. This company is a vehicle for my
writing and playing.
AAJ: Your records have risen to #1 six consecutive times
on the Gavin jazz chart.
ME: Yes, that's because I work very hard at promotion
and the fact that my recordings work well on radio. I've also
been fortunate with the press. Jazz Times, Jazziz
Magazine, Down Beat, Cadence, Jazz Improv, Coda, The
Jazz report and others have reviewed my recordings and
written articles on my music and record company.
AAJ: Wynton Marsalis has said that the head, solo, head
approach to jazz is passe'. What do you think?
ME: I didn't know that Wynton said that. Some of the
recordings that I have heard by him are in that format, so I
wonder why he made that remark. What was good then is
good now; there are thousands of recordings using that
format. The conception of playing a melody, playing a solo,
then taking the melody out is as solid now as it was 75+
years ago.
I use it because that is the way I've heard jazz all my life.
Charlie Parker recorded that way, but as I remember,
Charlie Parker also recorded "Bird Gets the Worm", which is
incredible and there is no melody, it's just a solo on rhythm
changes. I believe that was recorded in the late 40's,
although I'm not sure, I would have to research it, but "Bird"
did it then so that concept is not new. There are lots of
ways and lots of approaches to playing this music. No one
individual, no matter what their stature, ought to say what's
passe' or make judgements on others. The truth of the
matter is it's the quality of the music that will give it its
longevity.
AAJ: Most of your recordings are interpretations of
standards. What do you find of interest in the standard
repertoire?
ME: Actually, most of my recordings are 50/50 and
maybe lean more towards original compositions. However,
I've been playing standards for the last 35 years and I love
them. The melodies and harmonies are rich, there is a
wealth of opportunity to make good creative music out of
standards. A creative person will find a new slant on a song
and do something with it that no one else has done before.
The other aspect of recording standards is that many jazz
listeners enjoy hearing melodies they know and it's a great
way to introduce yourself to these people. I remember in
my teens and early 20's picking out records because of
standards that I knew or wanted to learn. If a listener enjoys
what you do on a standard song he or she knows, then
there is a good chance of your original compositions being
enjoyed.
AAJ: Is playing a guitar in the Organ Trio context a school
unto itself? What was it like being a white cat on the black
circuit performing with Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Lou
Donaldson, etc.?
ME: There are certain things that you'd do in an organ
context, a certain groove there, a feeling. I performed with a
lot of organists during the 70's. The beautiful thing about
playing with a Hammond organ is the sound of the guitar
and the organ together. When I worked with Lou Donaldson
and Dr. Lonnie Smith, I really enjoyed myself! As far as
being white on the chitlin circuit, it was different every time.
Sometimes I caught the draft from the audience. Other
times they accepted me and enjoyed the group. When I
worked with Jack McDuff we played gigs that were in the
heart of the ghetto. Again, sometimes they accepted you
and sometimes not. At that time I wasn't that concerned
about it because I was digging the music. I do remember,
for the most part, when I got off the bandstand people were
warm and friendly to me. As I look at it now, I think people
respected you because of the music. I think there's a rich
musical tradition with a Hammond Organ that I think is
important to experience if you're a guitar player.
AAJ: When you're touring you tend to pick up local rhythm
sections, isn't that risky?
ME: Yes it's risky, but for the most part there are good
musicians in the cities that I work. It's inevitable when I go
to smaller towns I sometimes have a problem but I try to
make the best of whatever situation I'm in. Most of the time
I get a very competent rhythm section and can present my
own music on a very high level.
AAJ: How did you develop an interest in the guitar, and who
did you first formally study with?
ME: I remember taking lessons when I was 11 years old
and I really can't remember why it was the guitar. I know
when I heard the guitar on the radio it caught my ear. I
guess you could sat that's what did it. You also have to
remember that in the late 50's, early 60's, the guitar was a
hot instrument. I would have to say Chuck Wayne was my
first formal guitar teacher.
AAJ: Your past teachers were Barry Galbraith and Chuck
Wayne. What did you get from these cats?
ME: From Chuck Wayne, I learned a lot of cord inversions
and the consecutive technique. He was very insistent that
you did everything his way. I stayed with Chuck for about
six months. Barry Galbraith would approach the music in a
more practical way. He gave me transcriptions by Jimmy
Rainy, Tal Farlo, Charlie Christian, Lester Young, and
others. He also taught me how to read, which helped me
learn the finger board. He was a great guy and a warm
hearted individual.
AAJ: What was it like playing with Dizzy Gillespie?
ME: Playing with Dizzy was the musical highlight of my
career. I started listening to Bird and Dizzy playing "Salt
Peanuts." Listening to them left an indelible impression on
me. Hearing them made me want to learn his music more
than anything else in the world. Like most musicians,
hearing them for the first time, I was in awe. When I was on
the bandstand with Dizzy, it was like being hooked up with
the innovators of the music. He was one of the cats, it's
indescribable, and I'll never forget it.
AAJ: Do any of the modern players on the ax influence
you? Pat Metheny, Jim Hall, James Blood Ulmer or Bill
Frisell?
ME: I would say of those you mentioned, it would be Jim
Hall. He is a brilliant musician, a musician's musician. He
deserves all the recognition and more.
AAJ: Has any of the new technology on guitars or
computers had an effect on your playing or composing?
ME: Yes, I use Finale music writing software on my
computer and it affords me the luxury of hearing what I write
and arrange immediately after I've written it. I also own a
Midi guitar and a Kurzweil sound module. The technology
today is a great use to me and it helps me a great deal and
saves me time when it comes time to write out parts. I
think; though, that it's important not to rely on it as a
creative means, but to use it as a way of saving time and
expediating the writing of my music.
