Sunday Wax Bits

Waxing & musings. A jazz friend was in town last week, and at dinner we got to talking about aging jazz legends. Included in our chat was the late Hank Jones and his small rented room, as described by The New York Times here. That led to the perils these senior artists face who lack supervision and care, and what if anything can or should be done about it.

After running through a range of scenarios, we agreed that nothing realistically can be done. Oh sure,you can urge and insist, but that won't do much good since all seniors go their own way ultimately. We also agreed that most of these musicians prefer to live in surroundings they find comfortable, familiar and routine—no matter what personal quality-of-life issues we project onto theirs. So Hank Jones playing the piano in a small room wearing headphones was completely in character with musicians who reach that age and wasn't nearly as sad, lonely or unseemly as the Times' blog comments from readers indicated.

At age 91, many of Hank's closest musician-friends had died and his wife was in an assisted-living facility. Hence, Hank's last true intimate friend was the keyboard, and his incessant practicing on the instrument wasn't about some crazed What Ever Happened to Baby Jane? scene. It was merely Hank having conversations with himself.

Personally, I found The Times article touching and a fascinating study of how all jazz legends prefer to go out—not drooling or lying on a beach but arguing and laughing with themselves on their instruments. The size of the room and the fact that Hank rented rather than owned was irrelevant. I never heard Hank complain about his life—or anything else for that matter. I don't think anyone else did, either.

Musicians and copyrights. Too often I hear from composer-musicians who aren't sure of the copyright laws or what's possible. Last week I came across this article from LegalZoom, a terrific service I've used with great success in the past. Pass the article along to the composer-musicians you know.

More Hank Jones. JazzWax reader and saxophonist Allen Lowe sent along an interesting story last week following my post on Hank Jones:

"Hank told me the following, maybe in 1976: One day pianist Al Haig came to hear Hank at a New York club where I was sitting. I think it was Beefsteak Charlies on 7th Ave. Hank was was doing a duo with bassist Richard Davis.

"After the set, we all sat down together, and Hank mentioned that in the famous clip of Marilyn Monroe singing Happy Birthday to John F. Kennedy at Madison Square Garden, Hank said he was the pianist accompanying her. He also said that afterward, he rode up up in the elevator with her and her ex-husband, Arthur Miller. She was quite drunk, and Miller was furious and a bit jealous. According to Hank, Miller slapped her."

Jazzfest. What are you doing June 5th? If you're in the New York metropolitan area, dig Jazzfest, which since 1976 has been presented by the New Jersey Jazz Society. There will be performances in New Jersey by Bucky and John Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola’s Hot Club, Cecil Brooks III, Harry Allen’s Four Others band, the George Gee Swing Orchestra, the Aaron Weinstein/Joe Cohn Duo, the Madame Pat Tandy Band, and a special solo piano appearance by the legendary Marty Napoleon. For more information, go here. [Photo of Marty Napoleon by Geri Reichgut]

Marlene VerPlanck. I ran into the lovely singer Marlene VerPlanck last week at the DIVA Jazz Orchestra gig at Dizzy's. Marlene mentioned that next Wednesday, June 2d, she'll be appearing at New York's Kitano Hotel (66 Park Avenue at 38th St.). Marlene will be accompanied by pianist Tomoko Ohno, bassist Steve LaSpina and drummer Rich DeRosa. Sets are at 8 and 10 p.m. For more information, go here.

Radio. Nancy Barell will be playing Hank Jones and Johnny Mandel along with a steady serving of Frank Sinatra on her online radio show, Jazz Spotlight on Sinatra. The show can be accessed anytime on your computer worldwide here (just click the yellow "play" button).

CD discoveries of the week. There are traces of Don Pullen in pianist Roberto Magris' approach, an artistic kinship I didn't identify until Roberto sent along his new CD, Mating Call. Pullen, of course, recorded with Charles Mingus in the early 1970s, most notably on Changes One and Changes Two.

Roberto bears a similar intensity and all-chips in attack as Pullen—without going overboard. I must say that Roberto's new album is fabulous on every level. The originals here (Optional Man, Hill of Illusions and Europlane Blues) hit you instantly with their lyrical, wave-like sensitivity. The standards are all great choices—Lament, Theme for Ernie, Mating Call and Lonely Town.

Sample the waltz-time Optional Man, Hill of Illusions and Lament and see what I mean. Roberto plays acoustic and electric piano, and is joined by Paul Carr on soprano and tenor saxes, Michael O'Neill on tenor sax, Elisa Pruett on bass and the great Idris Muhammad on drums. (See my interview with Roberto here.)

You'll find Roberto Magris' Mating Call (J-Mood) here.

Back in the 1970s, I was never a big fan of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Too much jazz-rock mysticism and too many migraine solos. But I must confess, there's something fascinating about Billy Cobham's new CD, Meeting of the Spirits: A Celebration of the Mahavishnu Orchestra. Cobham, of course, was Mahavishnu's founding drummer, and this album covers the band's expansive and experimental material backed by Germany's HR Big Band, which comes off more as a fusion orchestra than a traditional brass ensemble. Which makes this CD all the more interesting. Listening to this album presented me with the oddest sensation: nostalgia for music I never really cared for. Yet it works.

You can sample and buy Billy Cobham's Meeting of the Spirits (In + Out) here.

When I first set eyes on Jeremy Cohen's new CD The Music of Eddie South, I hesitated. South was a highly regarded jazz violinist of the 1930s who performed with Django Reinhardt and led bands that included pianist Billy Taylor and bassist Milt Hinton. My concern was that the CD was going to be a cornball execution by a fiddle-happy moldy fig. Instead, Cohen's playing is as graceful and as strong as can be, and he and his group, Violin Jazz, tease out the essence, heart and swing of South's works. Once I hit "play," I found myself listening all the way through. South's music still has that kind of grip on the ears and soul. Try sampling Rose Room. You'll be hooked, too.

You'll find Violin Jazz's The Music of Eddie South (Dorian) at iTunes or here.

Oddball album cover of the week. This CD compilation of Hank Jones' 1956 recordings with guitarists Barry Galbraith and Kenny Burrell  was issued in 2005 on Spain's Gambit label. As you can see, it may well be the single worst cover I've featured in this space. One can only assume that the designer who chose the photo had never been to New York let along the U.S. and simply assumed this "urban" scene would be fitting. Or could the photo have been staged in Spain in a garage to simulate New York's streets? Either way, this one lacks an iota of imagination or perspective, and belongs in the cover's cans.

Comments

[Denis Ouellet]

Thank you Mark for the comments on Hank's final days. I completely agree. From what I know, Hank exuded peace and tranquility. He lived his last moments like he had done all his life, in complete harmony with his heart and feelings. Everything else is irrelevant.

Denis

[Alan Kurtz]

Like your Oddball Album Cover of the Week, I lack an iota of imagination or perspective. At least, that's how I feel when confronted by JazzWax's Gotham-centric parochialism. What makes this "the single worst cover" you've featured? Perhaps you consider garbage cans demeaning to New York City or anachronistic to the era during which Hank Jones recorded this music. If so, I direct your attention to Frederic Lewis's "Man Carrying Metal Trash Cans In Harlem" (www.gettyimages.com/detail/2867743), which is captioned "A Black man carries metal trash cans outside an apartment building in a street scene from 114th Street between 7th and 8th Ave., circa 1968." It's a terrifically evocative photo.

Another such picture graces Blue Note's "The Magnificent Thad Jones," also recorded in 1956, with the subject artist standing in Times Square amidst dozens of pigeons and nearly as many billboards (the latter as much of an eyesore as garbage cans). Whether or not unsanitary pigeons and unsightly billboards outnumbered pedestrians in the heart of Manhattan during the mid-'50s, or garbage cans in Harlem were generally in poor repair, contemporaneous local color on album covers diminishes neither Jones brother. JazzWax is too touchy about protecting the image of both jazz and New York.

[Marc Edelman]

I don't know. As someone who has to decide on album (alas, CD) covers for projects, this cover strikes me as pretty darn bad. What is the cover meant to convey? For the life of me, I can't see anything positive in it. And I can't see any connection to the music, the album title or the artists. Face it, it's bad, whether the locale is NYC or anywhere else.

[Waldo Waldorf]

Spin it any way you want to, Alan Kurtz.

It's an ugly cover.

[Arthur Shure]

Two days after my Dad died in 2008, three offspring were to meet at
his door. One entered before the other two arrived. I was not there.
An argument of such ferocity broke out, with death threats leveled by
one offspring, that the police were summoned.

My Dad was 94 y/o when he died sound of mind, but with a tired body.

He told me once that there would be "troubles" with those three
offspring after he was gone. He was right.

This Hank Jones story touched me which is why I share this.

I don't even know what the moral of the story is.

[Doug Payne]

Without question, it’s a bad cover for so many reasons. Garbage cans? This should have nothing whatsoever to do with any kind of music. But it’s yet another case of another “public domain” recording getting graphic treatment from a company that does not know or care about or appreciate –or even listen to! - the music they’re putting out. And who would put a 1973 Buick on the cover of a 1956 recording? Or anything for that matter?

[Alan Kurtz]

"Garbage cans?" writes Doug Payne. "This should have nothing whatsoever to do with any kind of music." I trust you'll except the immaculate Trash Can Trio depicted at allears.net/dlr/tp/dl/entertainment/trash2.jpg. Reputedly Disneyland's jazziest attraction, they usually perform near Space Mountain, but may also be found in Fantasyland or on Main Street.

[cc lee]

"He also said that afterward, he rode up up in the elevator with her and her ex-husband, Arthur Miller. She was quite drunk, and Miller was furious and a bit jealous. According to Hank, Miller slapped her."

That's because she's having an affair with JFK!:-)

http://www.thefirstpost.co.uk/64042,people,entertainment,unique-photo-of-jfk-and-marilyn-monroe-goes-on-sale

[cc lee]

...upon further browsing through the reader comments generated from the City Room article on Hank Jones' room, it seems that there's a gross invasion of privacy from the part of the tenant & the reporters...it too doesn't paint a true impression on the living conditions of Hank Jones' later years...

below you can read some angry replies by Charlie Haden, his manager & Hank Jones' relatives:

http://cityroom.blogs.nytimes.com/2010/05/18/a-jazzmans-final-refuge/?apage=2#comments

[bach 9lt]

On the cover...got your attention, didn't it?