Doug Ramsey's Blog, page 2

Other Places: Shearing In Perspective—And A Coup

In today's Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout writes about George Shearing's popularity. He finds it admirable. A sample observation:

Mr. Shearing's willingness to work both sides of the street vexed jazz critics, who are not an especially tolerant lot, and by the '60s he had been written off as a popularizer. In fact, though, he was something completely different, a dead-serious artist who enjoyed playing well-crafted music that was accessible to a popular audience.

To read the whole thing, go here.

As Teachout said this morning in a message, Marc Myers of JazzWax accomplished a coup when he tracked down Marjorie Hyams, the vibes player in the original Shearing quintet. She is 90 and has a great memory. To read Marc's interview with Ms. Hyams, go here.

You will find a Rifftides reflection on Shearing two exhibits down.

Other Places: Shearing In Perspective

In today's Wall Street Journal, Terry Teachout writes about George Shearing's popularity. He finds it admirable. A sample observation:

Mr. Shearing's willingness to work both sides of the street vexed jazz critics, who are not an especially tolerant lot, and by the '60s he had been written off as a popularizer. In fact, though, he was something completely different, a dead-serious artist who enjoyed playing well-crafted music that was accessible to a popular audience.

To read the whole thing, go here.

You will find a Rifftides reflection on Shearing two exhibits down.

Winter Moon

This is what dominates the sky tonight. The photograph snapped by an inadequate camera merely suggests its chilly magnificence.

Hoagy Carmichael captured the mood the winter moon generates. This is from his 1956 album with the Pacific Jazzmen. Art Pepper has the first chorus on alto saxophone, with muted trumpet by Don Fagerquist. Jimmy Rowles is the pianist.

George Shearing, 1919-2011

George Shearing died early today at the age of 91. With his quintet, Shearing used a locked-hands technique at the piano, blending with vibes and piano to develop a style that resonated with listeners and became one of the most recognizable sounds in an era when jazz was still at the core of popular music. He was already a success because of his hit version of "September in the Rain" when the record of his 1952 composition "Lullaby of Birdland" solidified his popularity. The song also provided Shearing a reliable annuity; dozens of instrumentalists and singers incorporated it into their repertoires and recorded it.

Shearing, born blind, had become widely known in his native England when he moved to the United States in 1947. He was an early admirer of Bud Powell and adapted quickly to the new strain of music that came to be known as bebop. He was a fleet and inventive improviser whose brilliance was sometimes taken for granted because of his band's popular success.

Fellow musicians recognized his gift. Shearing's contemporary Dave Brubeck, told the Associated Press today, "I consider him one of the greatest musical minds I've ever been around. In the '50s, George paved the way for me and the (Modern Jazz Quartet), and even today jazz players, especially pianists, are indebted to him."

To read all of the AP's Shearing obituary, click here.

Here is Shearing in the early 1950s with his composition "Conception," which became a jazz standard. The quintet has Don Elliott, vibes; Chuck Wayne, guitar; Denzil Best, drums; and John Levy, bass.

George Shearing, RIP.

Shearing On How He Did It

I just came across this video clip of George Shearing answering fellow pianist Billy Taylor's questions about how he developed the Shearing style. The clip has no date, but Taylor's leisure suit says the 1970s. The interested onlooker is Marian McPartland.

Other Places: Bill Holman Lauded

On his Jazz Profiles website, Steve Cerra begins a tribute to Bill Holman with this passage:

In Japan, a select few of those who maintain the country's artistic traditions or make a unique contribution to them are accorded the respect of the nation by being designated as a Living National Treasure [a considerable amount of schimolies also come with the title each year].

When it comes to composing and arranging for Jazz big bands, no one is more deserving of such consideration than Willis "Bill" Holman.

However, because this country does not have such an award, the editorial staff at JazzProfiles has decided to step up on behalf of grateful Jazz fans everywhere and to bestow upon Bill the distinction of being a Living International Treasure.

The Jazz Profiles post includes a brilliant piece of perception about Holman by André Previn and an embarrassingly large selection of prose from notes I've written for Holman albums. To read the tribute and see Steve's photo montage accompanying one of Holman's recordings, go here.

For even more on Holman, see this Rifftides archive post.

Esperanza Spalding Smashes Grammy Precedent

The young bassist, composer and vocalist Esperanza Spalding last night shattered decades of pop and rock dominance of the Grammys to become the first jazz musician [image error]ever to be named best new artist. She edged out the teen idol Justin Bieber and three other pop performers. Spalding's Chamber Music Society CD broke through several categories in 2010 and became a best seller for her label, Telarc. For a Rifftides review of the album, go here. Spalding made an impression in the jazz community for music with her own groups and with Joe Lovano's band Us Five.

Less than three months after his death, James Moody's 4B won in the best jazz instrumental category. Other jazz winners are Dee Dee Bridgewater for Eleanora Fagan, her tribute to Billie Holiday; Herbie Hancock for best improvised jazz solo; the Mingus Big Band and—in the overall Grammy category of best instrumental composition—Billy Childs for "The Path Among the Trees" from his album Autumn In Moving Pictures: Chamber Music Vol. 2.

For a complete list of the winners in all 109 Grammy categories, go here.

Moody In Norway: An Update, Illustrated

James Moody toured in most parts of the world and made friends wherever he went. Following his death in December, the Norwegian pianist Per Husby sent the story of his encounter with Moody a couple of decades ago and the touching question Moody asked him the day after their concert. The pictures and captions below will mean more if you first read Mr. Husby's story. It contains a link to a vocal performance by Moody that includes yodeling. Click here. Then come back to this page.

Here is Per Husby's photographic update of that story.

The color shot is taken at Frognerseteren restaurant outside of Oslo in 1994 - just after we had finished the lunch where Moody had asked me the "do I sound old?" question.

The black and white photo was taken at the jazz festival in Molde in 1979 on the gig that produced the yodel track I posted on the net.

Here, with her permission, is Linda Moody's note to Mr. Husby.

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My sons and I have thoroughly enjoyed the clip of Moody. When we were first married Moody yodeled all the time and I had forgotten how good he was at that. Thank you so much. I think your letter has gone all over the Internet. 3 different people have sent it to me. By the way I am not half Norwegian. My Mother was born in Stavanger and my Father was born near Trondheim. We had a huge family reunion in Sandness in 1988.

Other Matters: First Ride Of 2011

Unlike many areas of the northern hemisphere, the Pacific Northwest has had a mild winter so far. Still, it has hardly been prime cycling weather. It was unseasonably warm today—above 60º C—so my Italian friend Vigorelli Bianchi and I hit the road. Downside: the roads and streets were scattered with gravel laid for non-skid protection when there was ice and snow. That made cornering hazardous in spots. Downside #2: there was a powerful southwest wind. On the outbound journey some of the headwind gusts had us going so slow that gravity nearly overcame forward motion. Vigorelli never complained, but my legs did.

Upside: on the homebound leg going northeast, we flew like—well—the wind. We were passing cars. It was exhilarating to be back in the saddle again.

Allen Smith RIP

From San Francisco comes word that trumpeter Allen Smith died last week at the age of 85. Smith's musical career got underway at the same time as those of his San Francisco State College classmates Paul Desmond and Cal Tjader. He worked with both in various[image error] bands and with other Bay Area jazz mainstays, including guitarist Eddie Duran. Although Smith's work as a musician never stopped, he fit it around his schedule as an educator who earned a masters degree and became a school principal. Smith played trumpet with Benny Goodman and Gil Evans and recorded with Evans, Tjader, Flip Phillips and Hubert Laws among others. He made as a leader in 1998, when he was 72. From The San Francisco Chronicle:

Mr. Smith was a mainstay at the fabled Fillmore after-hours club, Jimbo's Bop City. Along with venerable jazz bassist Vernon Alley, drummer Earl Watkins and others, Mr. Smith helped end segregation in San Francisco nightclubs in the late '40s. He was one of the primary players at the short-lived Blanco's Cotton Club on O'Farrell Street, the city's first desegregated club in the elegant 1907 theater now called the Great American Music Hall.

"Opening a club with all-black entertaining and help, where anybody could come? That was quite radical at the time," Mr. Smith recalled in 1998.

To read the entire obituary, go here.