JazzWax

Diana Panton: Cheerful Session

This summer, Canadian jazz vocalist Diana Panton has graciously invited us to enjoy a series of 30-minute live in-studio concerts. Each video in the series has a theme. The first features songs from her albums A Cheerful Little Earful (released in 2019) and I Believe in Little Things (released in 2016). [Photo above of Diana Panton by Jose Crespo]

The concerts provide intimate access to Diana singing, backed by the ever-tasteful Don Thompson on piano and Reg Schwager on guitar.The first of these sessions, held at Inception Studios in Toronto, was streamed on Sunday, and Diana's voice is precious and in beautiful form.

The songs are Happy Talk (Oscar Hammerstein II and Richard Rodgers), "A" You’re Adorable (Buddy Kaye, Sidney Lippman and Fred Wise), Halfway Down the Stairs (Harold Fraser-Simson and A.A. Milne), Everybody Sleeps (Joe Raposo and Daniel Wilcox), The Rainbow Connection (Paul Williams, Kenneth Ascher and Lee Norris), Sing (Joe Raposo) and Music and Me (Don Fenceton, Jerry Marcellino, Mel Larson and Michael Cannon). [Photo above of Don Thompson by François Aubry © 2021]

Diana's next live-streaming concert will take place on Saturday, July 31, at 7 p.m. (ET). A listening link will be posted that day at Diana's Facebook page. After the session, the video will be up on YouTube for a period of time. If after watching and listening to Diana you're moved to donate to help offset her next album recording and production expenses, you can do so at PayPal (paypal.me/dianapanton). Or contact her through Facebook if you prefer another form of payment. [Photo above of Reg Schwager by François Aubry © 2021]

For more on Diana, go here. Her nine albums can be found here.

Here's Diana, Don and Reg in the studio for her first Cheerful Session...

Documentary: Don Byas Returns

In 1970, tenor saxophonist Don Byas returned from Europe to perform at New York's Village Vanguard. He had been living abroad since 1946. A Dutch documentary called Homecoming was made of Byas's one-time return visit. In the documentary, the artist who Byas refers to as his close friend is pianist Jaki Byard. The band he plays with is the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra. Previous clips of this film on YouTube were excerpts or were blurry. Byas died in 1972. [Photo above of Don Byas]

At YouTube, Milan Simich recently posted the full video but added the following:

The last four minutes of this documentary were distorted so I cut them off. I was at the Vanguard for Byas's return. I was sitting on the side between Don and Jo Jones on drums. After the first tune, Jo said something to Don, Don turned around and said something to Jo and and a big argument ensued. I thought Don was going to walk out, but the show went on. Jo Jones had a bad temper in his old age.

A special thanks to Matt LGroulx for sending along a link and to Milan Simich, for posting.

Here's Homecoming...

Harvie S Trio: Going for It

One of the finest and most rewarding live albums of the year is Going for It (Savant), by the Harvie S Trio. The album was recorded in 1985 on July 8, 9 and 10 at the 1369 Jazz Club, at 1369 Cambridge St. at Inman Square in Cambridge, Mass. Bassist Harvie S, who by then had played with all the living greats and today plays with singer Sheila Jordan, was joined by guitarist Mike Stern, who by then had spent years perfecting his swinging, ringing metallic sound in a series of top fusion bands. The trio was rounded out by the towering drummer Alan Dawson, who taught Tony Williams and many others at the Berklee College of Music. Dawson began recording in '53, with Lionel Hampton and then worked with Gigi Gryce, Quincy Jones, Booker Ervin, Bill Evans Sonny Rollins and many others. He died in 1996. [Photo above of Harvie S by Nick Carter, courtesy of Harvie S]

The musical conversation taking place among these three is astonishing. Harvie notes that on that Monday, Tuesday and Wednesday in July 1985 when the group appeared at the club, the space was packed with excited fans and inspired musicians. After the gig ended, Harvie says, the run became part of local jazz lore. Decades later, Harvie returned to the area to play at a Cambridge club near where the 1369 was located. Since 1993, the location has been occupied by the 1369 Coffee House.

On a break, Harvie caught up with David Lee, a longtime fan. When their reminiscing turned to the 1369 gig in '85, Harvie sighed. It was a pity, he said, no one had recorded the electrifying music everyone was still talked about. Lee then stunned Harvie, telling him that he had done so with a high-quality cassette recorder and two mics for each set. “I almost fell down when he told me that,” Harvie said. [Photo above of Mike Stern courtesy of Discogs.com]

Now the music is finally out after sitting on a shelf for the past 36 years. The tracks are On Green Dolphin Street, Softly as in a Morning Sunrise, Horace Silver's Peace, Like Someone in Love, John Coltrane's Moment's Notice, Chick Corea's Windows and Mike Stern's Bruze. On each song, the trio works together with familiarity and ease. Harvie's upright bass is warm and swings the guitar and drums. Stern's guitar is exceptional. It has an steely edge with straight-ahead jazz at its core. The two of them together not only produce beautiful music but their sounds create engaging textures. The sparks shooting off of Stern's guitar are fielded smoothly by Harvie's bass. Moment's Notice will leave you breathless. [Photo above of the 1369 Coffee House, former home of the 1369 Jazz Club]

And then there's Dawson (above) on drums. A gorgeous player who deftly brings his snare to life, mixing rhythms without ever overshadowing. As for Lee, I have no idea what cassette recorder he used on those nights, but the quality of the sound is astonishing, with perfect recording levels and mixes. Don't miss this album.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Harvie S Trio's Going for It (Savant) here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Moment's Notice...

And here are Harvie and Mike chatting about the gig and the tapes...