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What’s going on Sorry Staters? I hope all is good in your world. Mustn’t grumble on my end.
This week, like last, I have been chipping away at this big jazz collection we bought recently. Some of it has already hit the bins and indeed been purchased, but there is plenty more. The nice thing about this collection is that the records are all mostly in great shape and are more accessible reissues instead of being super pricey originals. Don’t get me wrong, we love buying collections of first press heavy hitters as much as the next record store, but sometimes it means great music only ends up in the hands of the few with thick enough wallets. It’s nice getting later pressings of classics and those great twofers that combined cool and often unreleased recordings into a budget priced package. Although some of those generic brown sleeved Blue Note doubles are getting up in value now as folks realize how good the material is even if the cover art is somewhat wanting. Another aspect of this jazz collection is that, similar to another collection we bought, it contains lots of ECM label records from the 70s and 80s and a good amount of other fusion-type records. I used to steer a very wide birth from fusion and anything that looked too complicated and chin scratchy. As a young lad, I wasn’t ready for that end of the jazz spectrum. My entry into the jazz world came via soul, blues and r & b. I liked what became known as Mod Jazz. Late 1950s through the 1960s was the era where I concentrated my initial journeys into jazz. Considering myself more a Vince Noir than a Howard Moon, 70s jazz fusion was akin to prog rock and other “older and boring” music. You wouldn’t have caught me dead waiting around for a bass solo. Now, however, as an older dude, I am of course finding a lot of this sort of music much more appealing, dare I say even damn good.
So, for this week’s pick I would like to select one of the fusion records that was in this collection. It’s fusion although with a twist.
Steve Marcus: Tomorrow Never Knows. Vortex. 1968
This album is an early example of Jazz Rock fusion and might be an easier gateway into jazz for many who are more familiar with guitar sounds and volume and for those that appreciate psychedelic music. Released on the Atlantic Records subsidiary label Vortex, which only lasted for a couple of years between 1968 and 1970, it is the debut album as leader for sax player Steve Marcus. Vortex was set up as a more experimental branch of Atlantic, and I seem to remember reading that Herbie Mann was the A&R head or something. It makes sense, as most of the artists that released a record on the label had at some point been or were still working as a sideman for Herbie Mann and his band. Hence, you have debuts from Chick Corea, Sonny Sharrock and Keith Jarrett to name three.
I first became introduced to this record in the early 00s whilst in New York. At this point I was gobbling up as much music as I could and was already collecting Herbie Mann records, so when I saw his name as producer on the back of the jacket I was already sold. Material-wise, it’s covers of two great Beatles tunes, the title track and Rain, a version of The Byrds’ Eight Miles High, Donovan’s Mellow Yellow and a song each by Graham Gouldman and Gary Burton. The latter name being another artist that was making a name for himself combining jazz and rock together. Burton plays the vibes, an instrument I love, and I always investigate any of his records or sessions he sits in on. My Gary Burton pick would be his Good Vibes album that contains the monster cut Vibrafinger. In fact, that whole first side is killer. We were playing a copy we have here at the store and John Scott caught the opening to the song Las Vegas Tango and recognized it from a hip-hop sample. The drummer on the session was Bernard Purdie, so you can best believe the beats are on point and the guitarist was Eric Gale who absolutely shreds on the tune Boston Marathon. Snag a copy next time you see one. In the meantime, here’s a link.
Back to TNK. From first listen I was blown away by how good this album is and some twenty years later it still entertains and thrills. John Scott and I gave the copy we have here a spin yesterday, and it sounded great. I remember once waking up the festival goers at Shakori Hills a few years back by playing the album in full one morning. I am part of the Vinyl Lounge collective of DJs that spin records during the festival. I apparently hit a chord that one morning as several people wandered up to the booth that day and asked who it was that had been playing as they had been digging it. I was glad to have started their day so well.
On release, the record was greeted with praise from some quarters and hailed as an avant-garde triumph, whilst other critics dismissed it as lightweight and a sell-out. I don’t get the latter. Sure, the songs are rock and pop in origin, but the interpretation is anything but lightweight, in my opinion. 1968 wasn’t exactly early as far as out-there sounds were concerned and Miles Davis would soon to be bringing rock influences into jazz when he dropped Bitches Brew. Maybe if Steve Marcus wasn’t a white kid from the Bronx the album might have been viewed differently and taken more seriously by the jazz purists. But that’s conjecture and a whole other discussion.
Uncredited on the album sleeve, the musicians on the record all show up and put in a shift. Most notably, guitarist Larry Coryell, who brings the psychedelic rock vibes to the party. Bass and drums are filled by Chris Hills and Bob Moses, respectively. I’m also a big fan of Larry Coryell. His early albums on Vanguard from the late 60s through mid 70s are all worthy of checking out and are mostly cheap and easy to find. Something else which I love. Common records that out-punch their weight.
Steve Marcus cut another two albums for Vortex over the next two years after Tomorrow Never Knows: Count’s Rock Band and The Lord’s Prayer. Like their predecessor, both albums feature extended jazz workouts of rock songs. This time the tunes come from Dylan, The Rolling Stones, Simon & Garfunkel, The Troggs and The Beatles again. I like both of these records too, but they are not quite as good from beginning to end as the TNK. The high points are good, though, and worth the price of admission. The good thing is right now the price of entry isn’t too steep and you could probably scoop up all three of these records for less than $50, which in a world where new release albums by lame pop stars regularly retail for more than that, isn’t too bad. Here’s a link for you to check the record out. Enjoy.
Finally, before I sign off, as I have been in a jazz mood this week, I thought it would be a good idea to finally watch the concert film Jazz On A Summer’s Day, which was filmed at the 1958 Newport Jazz Festival in Rhode Island and features a whole host of jazz, blues and gospel legends. I have seen clips from the film over the years, but had not sat and watched it from start to finish. It’s a beautifully put together film. No narration, just the stage announcer from time to time. In between performance footage, the film has great shots of the audience and musicians watching and listening. In addition, the film captures footage of the 1958 America’s Cup yacht races along with artsy shots of the water and life around Newport. There’s a great scene showing Chico Hamilton and his band practicing in their rented room in what looked like a sweat box. They’re all shirtless and sweat dripping off their faces, but deadly serious about getting the performance right. Later in the film, we see them on stage and witness the efforts of the rehearsal pay off.
Performance highlights are many. Mahalia Jackson particularly knocks them dead, but for me, I adored the performance by Anita O’Day. Talk about class and beauty personified. Her stage presence is undeniable, and her performance is playful and groovy, with great interaction with the band and audience. A true star. Look here.
Okay, that’s my lot for this week. Have a great weekend, enjoy your music, and come in and say hello if you are in town. Cheers – Dom