JazzWax List: Pardon My Bop

If you're familiar with the music of the Doors, then you know that Jim Morrison was a fairly competent lyricist, in a drug-haze sort of way. His Warren Beatty looks made him highly charismatic, and his deep, masculine voice and bedroom eyes had a particularly hypnotic effect on women.

On March 1, 1969, a stoned Morrison, angry at his Miami audience for reacting negatively to his sloppy performance, made the mistake of either threatening to expose himself or actually doing so. A reviewer wrote the next day that the Doors' lead singer seemed to have simulated masturbation on stage. An investigation was conducted and an arrest warrant was issued for Morrison for lewd and lascivious behavior.

In 1970, Morrison was convicted in Miami, fined and sentenced to six months in jail. But he never served time. He died of a drug overdose in Paris in 1971. This week, Charlie Crist, the outgoing governor of Florida, said he would seek a pardon for Morrison.

The Doors were never my bag. A bit long-winded and droney for my taste. But I'm not opposed to the pardon. Heck, even by 1970s stage standards, Morrison's expression, whatever he actually was doing, is almost quaint by comparison to today's acts.

But let's be fair. Why limit these pardons to rock stars? Let's also pardon the many jazz artists who were arrested, convicted and handed overly stiff prison sentences in the '40s and '50s for possessing drugs. Their spirits and careers were badly damaged, and jazz missed out on large chunks of their potential output.

Here's my vote for 10 jazz musicians who should be pardoned by federal and state authorities along with Jim Morrison...

• Gene Krupa
• Lester Young
• Billie Holiday
• Bud Powell
• Gerry Mulligan
• Miles Davis
• Thelonious Monk
• Jimmy Heath
• Dexter Gordon
• Art Pepper

Feel free to add the names of other pardon-worthy jazz artists in the Comments section of this post.

Comments

[Joel Lewis]

Christ's move seemed a bit out of left field -- especially that Morrisson was deeeply estranged from his parents at his death & he had no children or a widow (Pamela "Morrison" his gf, died not long after him).

However, not much is made that the Door as a band had sigficiant jazz roots-- all the instrumentalists had strong jazz backgrounds. Guitarist Robbie Kreiger (who wrote the jazzy Light My Fire" actually died an instrumental album for Blue Note in the late 70s which was a Lite Jazz Effort. Organist ay Manzarek's organ style is straight from the school of Jimmy Smith & Co & his first solo album, The Golden Scarab, features Tony Williams on drums. Drummer John Denesmore played both jazz and classsical percussion as a young man & since the Doors breakup has played percussion with various contemporary dance ensembles. Intrestingly & much to the surviving Door's displeasure, he has refused the Door's muisc to be used in tv commercials, despite many lucaive offers.

[Wid Odo]

Frank Morgan deservedly so! Imagine him playing with Ornette Coleman or Cecil Taylor...

[Ed Leimbacher]

Others worthy of pardon: Anita O'Day, James Moody (particularly apt given his health)... and what of Chet Baker? Bill Evans? Hampton Hawes? Must one get straight to be eligible?

Meanwhile, Marc, as you have brought up rock festivals and Doors of Perception and such, I offer a blog post for anyone who ever dreamed of interviewing Jim Morrison. I did. The story appears at http://mrebks.blogspot.com/2007/05/taken-for-ride-by-jim-morrison.html

[Jazz Lunatique]

Jimmy Heath

And I can think of a bunch of New Orleans musicians who should be pardoned:

James Black
James Booker
Charles Neville

Didn't Hampton Hawes get pardoned?

[David]

The list could go on forever, but Hawes had the rare distinction of actually obtaining a pardon while he was still alive, and even before his term was completed!
I would like to see Obama issue a blanket pardon for everyone serving time for a victimless crime. Unfortunately, the prison industry is too big a part of the economy, and too politically connected.
This is also a major roadblock to immigration reform; but that's another story.

[Richard Salvucci]

Gene Krupa. Anita O'Day said she never believed it although she accused Gene of hitting on her! Strictly a Scotch man, she said. I sat in Gene's dressing room in 1965 with a relative who was a buddy of his, and the drill was Cutty Sark and water. Anita's observation rang true when I read it.

[Ehsan Khoshbakht]

Gene Ammons should be in list, too. They treated him like a criminal.

[Ed Leimbacher]

I nominate that great bunch of guys, Stan Getz, at least one of whom must merit forgiveness... But what strong and determined men like Sonny Rollins and Miles Davis could accomplish by self-discipline and going cold turkey just wasn't in the cards for others. And where does Charlie Parket fit in, locked up for strange behaviour rather than drugs? He was the poster child for narcotics use, or so say many...

[Ed Leimbacher]

Shucks, another careless typo. I guess Bird had to "Parket" before he could be all the Parker he could be.

[John Litweiler]

Baby Face Willette should top the pardons list - he died in prison, a tragedy that should shame the state of Illinois forever. Gene Ammons and Wilbur Campbell were at the same prison in approx. the same years, also for breaking drug laws that never should have been laws in the first place. Pardons are hardly enough. How can the legally stolen years of these artists' lives be replaced?

And of course Hank Mobley and Jackie McLean.