In July 1959, New York's Living Theatre premiered a play by Jack Gelber about the hopelessness and despair of heroin addicts. Performed by the theatre company at its space on the corner of Sixth Avenue and 14th Street, the radical and raw play included jazz musicians playing the roles of junkies caught up in the cycle of addiction. Original music by Freddie Redd was performed on stage by Redd, alto saxophonist Jackie McLean, bassist Michael Mattos and drummer Larry Ritchie. All four musicians also performed in the play as actors.
The gripping production won several awards, and there was a revised cast in 1961 with other artists playing Redd's music. Then came a touring cast in 1961 and '62 with new music by Cecil Payne and Kenny Drew as well as a Los Angeles production starring Dexter Gordon, who wrote original music. Several of Gordon's Connection compositions can be found on his Blue Note album, Dexter Calling. Still more productions took to the stages around the world.
In February 1960, Blue Note brought Redd, McLean, Mattos and Ritchie into the studio and recorded songs performed in the play. The album, The Music From the Connection, was released later that year and it remains a must own. One of Redd's most powerful and soaring originals was Music Forever. The Living Theatre, which was founded in 1947, is still with us today (go here). [Photo of Freddie Redd above from YouTube]
Here's the electrifying Music Forever from The Music From the Connection...
At a side note, in 1961, director Shirley Clarke (above) made a feature film of the play that included the original cast of jazz musicians and their performances. It seems dated and at times silly by today's standards given what we're exposed to online and on TV. But this was 1959 and '60, when the world was a lot different. Compare it with The Man With a Golden Arm (1955).
Here's the trailer for Clarke's film...
If you want to watch or buy the film, go here.
