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Just Because: Hampton Hawes With Scott LaFaro
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Rifftides by Doug Ramsey
Before Scott LaFaro joined the Bill Evans Trio in late 1959, the young bassist’s second west coast stint included work with Chet Baker, Barney Kessel, Victor Feldman, Cal Tjader, Stan Getz and Hampton Hawes, among others. In California, LaFaro’s tone, time and adventurous ideas put him—along with Gary Peacock and Charlie Haden—in the vanguard of a new generation of bassists who took the instrument a step beyond functional time-keeping and harmonic guidance. With Evans, he would contribute to the development ...
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Richie Powell in 1954
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Pianist Bud Powell not only helped invent bebop in the mid-1940s with Dexter Gordon, J.J. Johnson and Charlie Parker but he also established a new, spidery playing style that was widely imitated on both coasts right up until Bill Evans' cooler introspection in the late 1950s. In the first 10 years of his small-group career, from 1946 to 1956, Powell overshadowed his younger brother, Richie Powell, who was seven years his junior. Pianist Richie Powell is best known as the ...
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StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Remembering "The Kid from Red Bank"
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Longtime StLJN readers know that it doesn't take much prompting to get yr. humble editor to start posting Count Basie videos, and this week, we're using Jazz St. Louis' upcoming “Basie's Birthday Bash" as an excuse for getting down with the Count. Scheduled for Friday, August 21 and Saturday, August 22 at Jazz at the Bistro, the event will commemorate the 111th anniversary of Basie's birth in Red Bank, NJ with the Jazz St. Louis Big Band performing his music. ...
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Elliot Lawrence on the Road
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
What was it like to be on the road in a big band in 1950? It's difficult to say, since we only have the recollections of musicians who were there, and who knows how accurate those memories are. In the case of Elliot Lawrence, two members of his band then—Bob Karch and Howie Mann—took color home movies. As you'll see in the following eight clips, the country was still young then. TV hadn't penetrated most markets, radio dominated and bands ...
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Tiny Kahn and Elliot Lawrence
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Composer-arranger Johnny Mandel told me a few years ago that Tiny Kahn was among his favorite arrangers. As Johnny put it, no one could craft a flag-waver like Kahn, with huge build, drive and swing. Johnny and Kahn go back to 1944, when both were in Henry Jerome's band. Both also arranged for Woody Herman and Elliot Lawrence in the early 1950s. Kahn also was a fabulous drummer (sticks and brushes) and cymbal stylist, as evidenced by his work behind ...
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StLJN Saturday Video Showcase: Six from Trombone Shorty
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St. Louis Jazz Notes by Dean Minderman
Today, we check in on the New Orleans multi-instrumentalist and singer Troy Andrews, better known as Trombone Shorty, who's returning to St. Louis next weekend to play on Saturday, August 8 at Ballpark Village. Shorty and his band Orleans Avenue have been playing here once a year or so since 2008, turning up most recently last September as one of the headliners for LouFest in Forest Park. If you're not familiar with his back story, you can glean the essentials ...
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Hal McKusick: You're Everywhere
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JazzWax by Marc Myers
Soon after I started this blog in 2007, I interviewed saxophonist Hal McKusick at length. Hal appeared on dozens of my favorite albums and his heart-touching tone was unmistakable. In the years that followed our initial conversation, we spoke every few weeks by phone. Hal was always generous with answers to my questions and hugely encouraging. He also provided me with a great education, steering me to incredible recordings and insights into the players. Even in 2007, Hal immediately understood ...
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