JazzWax

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 on July 8, 9 and 10, 1985, at the 1369 Jazz Club, at 1369 Cambridge St. at Inman Square in Cambridge, Mass. Bassist Harvie S 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. He died in 1996. [Photo above of Harvie S., courtesy of Harvie S]

The musical conversation taking place among these three is astonishing. Harvie notes that on 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 grew quiet. It was a pity, he said, no one had recorded the electrifying music everyone was still talked about. Lee then stunned Harvey, 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 also 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 hair-raising with perfect record levels and mixes. Don't miss this one.

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

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

And here's Harvie and Mike chatting about the gig and the tapes...

Cynthia, Elliot and Dom Um

In The Wall Street Journal this week, I interviewed fashion designer Cynthia Rowley for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Growing up, Cynthia loved designing clothes. But a pair of elephant bell-bottoms she made for a middle school event was so radical, no one asked her to dance. Throughout high school and college, teachers constantly tried to suppress her creative streak, but Cynthia resisted and wound up having the last laugh. A lesson in believing in yourself, no matter what. [Photo above of Cynthia Rowley wearing one of her wetsuit designs in Montauk, N.Y., in June, courtesy of Cynthia Rowley]

Here's the elegant and irrepressible Cynthia at home...

Hamptons radio. Today (Saturday, July 24), starting at noon (ET), I'll be on Lunch on the Deck in Sag Harbor, N.Y., with hosts Jessica Ambrose and Bill Evans (above). They asked me for 20 favorite songs, so we'll be spinning discs and gabbing for two hours. You can listen in from anywhere in the world by going here and clicking "listen live." If you select "mp3 player," the show will open automatically in your iTunes.

Half-Nelson. In the wake of my post on cool jazz and the Miles Davis composition Half-Nelson, Lou Califano wrote:

Marc, WKCR-FM's "Bird Flight" host Phil Schaap tells the story of how "Half-Nelson" got its title. He said it was because bassist Nelson Boyd only got a half-chorus solo on the recording with Miles and Bird, who, by the way, played tenor on that session.

Elliot Lawrence. Last week, Matt Schudel of The Washington Post wrote a lovely and complete obit of Elliot Lawrence. Many thanks, Matt, for quoting me and citing my JazzWax interview. Go here.

Dom Um Romão. After my post on Brazilian percussionist Dom Um Romão, I received a lovely email from percussionist Frank Colón in Rio de Janeiro:

Hello, Marc! As a close friend of Dom Um Romão, I thoroughly enjoyed your article on him and his brilliant musical trajectory. Dom Um took me under his wing and pulled me and guided me through some very interesting situations and opportunities. We weren't pals like I am with Airto, but we'd visit each other and hang out whenever we got the chance. Thanks for bringing it all back.

In January 2020, Frank released Latin Lounge. Here's his amazing Latin Wonder album...

I also heard from Brazilian-American drummer Duduka De Fonseca:

Hi Marc. Bom dia. This is a great post! Dom Um was like a father to me when I arrived in New York at the end of 1975. He got me a gig with Astrud Gilberto that lasted 14 years. Dom Um helped many musicians in the city, including Dom Salvador, Claudio Roditi, Naná Vasconcelos and Cyro Baptista, among many others. He was a superb player with a big heart. He also was a black belt in Capoeira, a Brazilian martial art.

Here's Duduka Da Fonseca...

David Sacks. Following my post on Astrud Gilberto, I hard from Danilo Morandi in Switzerland:

Hi Marc. On Gilberto's 1988 clip of "The Girl from Ipanema," you can see (and almost hear) a fine American trombonist, David Sacks, who had quite a career in Brazil in the '80s. In 2017, back in Rio after 27 years away, he performed at Um Café La em Casa in a show led by guitarist Nelson Faria, with (mostly) Brazilian stars. Amazingly, on "Chega de Saudade," at 5:00 into the clip, Nelson and David point out some common mistakes made interpreting the tune.

Here's the entire show...

Chico Hamilton. If you're online on Tuesday evening, July 27, catch Uncivilized, an experimental Brooklyn collective when they take on the music on Chico Hamilton's El Chico album, recorded in 1965. Uncivilized has been a fixture at Brooklyn's Barbès club since 2013. The group features Rachel Housle (d/percussion), Ben Stapp (tuba), Nick Jozwiak (cello), Kevin Sun (ts) and Tom Csatari (g/effects). Their set will start at Barbès (376 9th St.) at 7 p.m. (ET) and will be live-streamed for free (the group urges a $20 donation). Live stream tickets can be found here.

Jazz samba radio. Sid Gribetz will host a special five-hour show on jazz samba this Sunday, July 25, from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET) on WKCR-FM in New York. To listen from anywhere in the world, go here.

Half Nelson: Cool Perfection

For those who don't quite get East Coast cool jazz or why it's special, I have two words for you: Half Nelson. The song is by Miles Davis, who created a new melody using most of the chord changes to Tadd Dameron's Lady Bird, first recorded in early 1947. Half Nelson was recorded for Savoy in August '47 by the Miles Davis All Stars, featuring Miles Davis (tp), Charlie Parker (ts), John Lewis (p), Nelson Boyd (b) and Max Roach (d). Originally a bebop tune, the song was later picked up by Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh, two exponents of the cool school. [Photo above of Charlie Parker and Miles Davis in the late 1940s by William P. Gottlieb]

The sound of cool jazz is distinguished by a light, airy sound, a more spacious geometry of notes and dry tones in contrast to bebop, which was more furious, dense and bluesy. Pianist Lennie Tristano's staccato rhythms and snapped off ideas in the late 1940s was an influence on cool but so were modern classical approaches. In the hands of leading cool players, Half Nelson was given a flat feel, allowing the song's beauty to surface without being overly rendered or juiced. Instead, the emphasis is on chord voicings by the horns, and their harmonies and counterpoint. [Photo above of Lennie Tristano by William P. Gottlieb]

Yesterday, I found a perfect example of what I'm talking about. In this video of Half Nelson, the cool jazz approach becomes apparent in the horns. Here's Warne Marsh (ts), Lee Konitz (as), Don Elliot (tp, mellophone), Billy Taylor (p), Mundell Lowe (g), Ed Safranski (b) and Ed Thigpen (d). They open with Lady Bird, with Elliot on trumpet. The second half is Half Nelson, when Elliot switches to mellphone.

Listen carefully to the modern chord voicings created by the horns. The performance was on the 1958 NBC TV show The Subject is Jazz, hosted by Gilbert Seldes with music direction by Billy Taylor. First Billy plays the song in its original bop idiom. Then the septet handles it with a cool approach. It's all in the horns. [Photo above of Lee Konitz from YouTube]

Here's Half Nelson...

A special thanks to Bill Kirchner.