JazzWax

Doc: Oscar Peterson, 'Keeping the Groove Alive'

Yesterday I came across a nifty hour-long documentary on Canadian jazz pianist Oscar Peterson. Narrated by actor Christopher Plummer, Keeping the Groove Alive (2003) was directed by Ron Allen, written by Michael Laewen and produced by the Canadian Broadcasting Corporation. Fix yourself a cup of tea and enjoy. Here's Keeping the Groove Alive...

Brian Auger: 'Complete Oblivion Express'

In the progressive jazz world of the early 1970s, artists were influenced by one of two primary camps—the fusion abstraction of Miles Davis's electric groups of the late 1960s or the eclectic jazz-rock bands such as the Free Spirits; Chicago; Blood, Sweat and Tears; Steely Dan and Soft Machine. [Photo above of Brian Auger, front, and the Oblivion Express]

Artists who came out of the Miles Davis wing included Larry Coryell and the Eleventh House, Tony Williams Lifetime, John McLaughlin and Mahavishnu, Herbie Hancock's groups and Chick Corea's Return to Forever.

Among the artists who came out of the jazz-rock wing were the Brecker Brothers, Tom Scott and the L.A. Express, Weather Report, David Sanborn, Deodato, Grover Washington Jr. and Brian Auger's Oblivion Express.

The last name on the list may not be well known to you. Auger has been largely overlooked, probably because he didn't have high-charting hit albums or singles in the U.S. and he never became a household name like the leaders of other progressive jazz bands. Listening to a newly released box, Brian Auger's Oblivion Express: Complete Oblivion (Soul Bank Music), the band remains an exciting cross-pollination of music genres.

The new box features the band's six studio albums remastered from the original studio master tapes for vinyl and CD by Bill Smith at United Archiving in Los Angeles. The albums are Oblivion Express (1970), A Better Land (1971), Second Wind (1972), Closer to It! (1973), Straight Ahead (1974) and Reinforcements (1975).

What I love most about these albums is how they are a mix of multiple genres and that each of the six records sounds completely different than the rest. For example, A Better Land has a jazzy Joni Mitchell feel with Crosby, Stills and Nash vocal harmony. The others have their own silhouette and framework. Auger's form of jazz rock was less psychedelic and mystical than the fusionists and was more rooted in pop and R&B. In other words, it's easier to grasp and digest these albums.

Born in London in 1939, Brian became a keyboardist who worked with many of the leading rock and blues artists passing through England in the 1960s. As a session musician in 1965, Auger played on the Yardbirds' hit record For Your Love and formed the Steampacket that year with musicians who included Long John Baldry and Rod Stewart. In 1966, after Baldry and Stewart left, Auger formed Trinity. [Photo above of Brian Auger, front left, and Julie Driscoll, front right, with Trinity]

When Trinity folded, Auger launched the Oblivion Express in 1970. On the first three albums, his band included powerful drummers Robbie McIntosh and Steve Ferrone and guitarist Jim Mullen, all of whom would go on to play in the Average White Band.

Auger's vision for each of the six albums is captivating. Oblivion Express has a rock jam-band sound; Second Wind has a much funkier kick; Closer to It! has a world music influence and includes a solid cover of Marvin Gaye's Inner City Blues; Straight Ahead has a jazzy funk feel, with a cover of Bumpin' on Sunset; and Reinforcements has a Latin jazz-funk sound akin to Deodato, particularly Something Out of Nothing.

Listening to all six albums straight through is quite a ride through a broad landscape of textured styles and electronic instrumentation. The remastering is spectacular and panoramic, and the jazz elements are first rate.

A great holiday gift for yourself or a friend who digs this singular period of jazz experimentation and discovery, before disco dominated the charts here and abroad.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Brian Auger's Oblivion Express: Complete Oblivion (Soul Bank Music) on CDs here and on vinyl here.

JazzWax clips: Here's The Light from Auger's Oblivion Express album...

Here's Women of the Seasons from A Better Land...

Here's Don't Look Away from Second Wind...

Here's Inner City Blues from Closer to It!...

Here's Bumpin' on Sunset from Straight Ahead...

Here's Something Out of Nothing from Reinforcements...

And here's the same song from the new box, so you can hear the remastering...

Something Out of Nothing

Bob, Chuck and Beegie

Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed actor-comedian Bob Odenkirk for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Bob recently starred in the TV series Better Call Saul and Breaking Bad and in the feature film Nobody, a 2021 action thriller he co-produced. Bob talked about growing up with a father who constantly worried his kids over his own anxieties over family finances, creating enormous fear and insecurity. [Photo above of Bob Odenkirk, courtesy of AMC]

In Nobody, Bob plays a a mild-mannered family man who must revert to his former occupation—a professional assassin—after he and his family become targets of a violent crime boss. Here's Bob in a highly choreographed and violent scene as a group of thugs board a city bus looking for trouble...

What I Watched. This weekend, I continue my new feature that should make your streaming choices a little easier. In past months, I heard from so many of you asking what I recommend given how many TV series and movies I consume in advance of my WSJ "House Call" interviews. So rather than email back titles, I've decided to post a running list each week for one and all:

Watched in the past week...

Somewhere in Queens (2022)—A drama-comedy that stars Ray Romano (Everyone Loves Raymond), who also wrote the screenplay and directed. The coming-of-age film centers on an introverted high school teen who's a little off and whose father (Romano) is a little off. Basketball and a first love seem like a way out for both the teen and his father, but nothing is as it seems. (Hulu).

Spy(les) (2009)—Also known as Espion(s), this French action-thriller centers on an airport baggage handler who is pressured into helping the French and British secret service catch a man implicated in a bombing. While the film isn't perfect (the script wobbles in places), all of the faces are new and the locations are in Paris and London. (Prime)

God's Country (2022)—Thandiwe Newton stars as a black college professor in remote, white Montana. A former New Orleans police officer, she turns to her training as locals intimidate and then threaten her. The film has an unusual stillness and amazing cinematography by Andrew Wheeler. (Hulu)

MI-5 (2015)—A British spy film that stars Peter Firth, an MI-5 agent who investigates the bridge-jumping disappearance of an older spymaster who is blamed for letting a terrorist escape in London. Non-stop action and actors who are likely new to you. The film is also known as Spooks: The Greater Good. (Max)

Guy Ritchie's the Covenant (2023)—A U.S. Army sergeant develops a close relationship with his interpreter in Afghanistan, a friendship that becomes critical to the rest of the film's plotlines. Stunning drone cinematography by Ed Wild. (Prime)

Kill Chain (2019)—A low-budget neo-noir directed by Ken Sanzel, the film stars Nicolas Cage as the manager of a shabby hotel and a former assassin who encounters a hit team in his lobby and sets in motion a series of events to deal with the threat. (Max)

Backlist...

Five Came Back (2017)—This documentary miniseries looks at five Hollywood directors who joined the service during World War II to film different aspects of the conflict. None of them came back the same as when they left. (Netflix)

Reptile (2023)—A crime thriller film about a detective who must track down a murderer in Maine. (Netflix)

Fisk (2021)—Hysterical Australian TV series starring Kitty Flanagan, who also created and co-wrote the fast-paced comedy that bears some similarity to The Office and Call My Agent. (Netflix)

Man on Fire (2004)—High-stakes revenge film starring Denzel Washington. (Max)

Nobody (2021)—Family man who returns to his former life after working as an assassin becomes the target of a crime boss. Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) in a superb dramatic role. (Prime)

Eiffel (2021)—A French biodrama on Gustave Eiffel as he builds his Eiffel Tower in Paris and the romance he resumes from years earlier. The tower details are accurate but the romance was fictionalized to spice up the story, a brilliant move. As you'll see, it all works. (Prime)

Justified (2010-2015)—This seven-season series traces the work of Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). High-energy drama and top-notch writing. (Hulu)

The Diplomat (2023)—A political thriller series starring Keri Russell, who is worth watching in anything and everything. (Netflix)

The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3 (2014-2018)—Revenge film series starring Denzel Washington and directed by Antoine Fuqua. (Prime)

Armageddon Time (2022)—Unusual film about an odd kid and how he makes his way through adolescence. Stars Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Banks Repeta. (Prime)

Outlander—TV series that mixes history and time travel. (Netflix)

Poldark—TV series that looks at the post-American Revolution life of a British soldier after he returns home to England after the British lose the war and a continent. (Prime)

Washington's Spies—TV series about those who spied for America during the Revolutionary War. (Prime)

The Americans—Acclaimed series on Soviet spies living in the U.S. as Americans and the lengths to which they go to compromise and turn neighbors and key officials. (Prime)

Enola Holmes 1 and 2—Two drama-comedies that look at the life of Sherlock Holmes's fictional sister. Brilliantly shot. (Netflix)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—Highly unusual Western that features six vignettes set on the American frontier. Directed by the Coen brothers. (Netflix)

Goliath—Fascinating series about a West Coast attorney who bends the rules. Stars Billy Bob Thornton. (Prime)

Gabor Szabo. Following my post on guitarist Gabor Szabo, I heard from pianist Roger Kellaway:

Hi Marc. Gabor and I were with Lena Horne around 1962 or '63 in Burlingame, Ca., at a theater in the round. Albert Stinson was on bass and Chico Hamilton was on drums. Ray Ellis arranged and conducted the orchestra. The fun part was that the orchestra was stationary, but the stage moved slowly in circles allowing the entire audience to see the quartet. So, keeping time between the stage quartet and the orchestra was ever-changing. How bizarre! Always hoping you stay safe and healthy.

Pepper Adams. Following my Backgrounder post this week on Pepper Adams Quintet (1957), I heard from drummer Bruce Klauber [photo above of Pepper Adams]:

Hi Marc. I've always loved that album by Pepper. Two Pepper stories:

The first: When I was barely 18, in 1972, I managed to get a job for my jazz trio in the Center City district of Philadelphia. There was virtually no jazz in Center City at that time, so the three of us were it. We started attracting jazz fans who had nowhere else to go, and some pretty nifty sitters-in, including two Philadelphia Orchestra players who had good jazz chops.

One night, the two orchestra players brought in two guests who happened to be in town: Pepper Adams and Jerry Dodgion. Both played with our trio most of the night. On a break, Pepper took me aside in a private back room. He said I had technique to spare and very good time, but that it was due time I got my head out of the swing era and started listening to cats like Paul Motian, Tony Williams, etc.

Not only did I do that, but I also went back to studying. Some years later, we played opposite the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis small group, which included Pepper. He listened to us carefully and later told me how pleased he was with my progress. You can't imagine how that felt.

The second: One of the dear friends and fans of our trio was David Kay--now long passed. He was the son of singer Carol Stevens, subject of a fine JazzWax interview in 2014. Carol, back then, was romantically involved with Norman Mailer, who decided to throw himself a 50th birthday party at New York's Four Seasons restaurant. He actually charged admission to get in!

David, through his mother, got me and our trio's pianist an invite. Lo and behold, when we arrived, we came upon a band comprised of, among others, David Amram, Charles Mingus and Pepper. He remembered the "two Philadelphia whippersnappers"—me and Andy Kahn, a childhood friend. On a break, he asked Mingus to "take care of us."

One of the features of Mailer's party was that the guests could help themselves to the Four Seasons' great food, but guests had to go into the kitchen to get it. On the band's break, Mingus walked us into the kitchen, saying he was going to treat us to "the best apple pie in the world." He found the pies, and there we were, eating apple pie and drinking cold milk with Mingus.

Chuck Israels, in June, was awarded the Brandeis Alumni Association's Alumni Achievement Award, its highest honor. The award recognizes "those who have made a significant impact in their field and in society while embodying Brandeisian values." Photo above, from left, is Frederick Alt, the Director of Cellular and Molecular Medicine at Boston Children’s Hospital; Chuck Israels; Cheryl Pegus, a cardiologist and managing director of Morgan Health Ventures; and Curtis Tearte, chairman and co-founder of the Tearte Family Foundation and a retired IBM executive.

Chuck's memoir, Bass Notes (Backbeat Books), which includes his time in the Bill Evans Trio after bassist Scott LaFaro's death in 1961, will be published on December 15.

Ronnie Cuber memorial. If you were unable to attend the New York memorial for the late baritone saxophonist Ronnie Cuber on October 16 at St. Peters, the church has posted a video of the entire 1 1/2-hour event, including music performances. Kudos to Roberta Arnold, who organized and hosted the tribute to Ronnie. My two-part interview with Ronnie on Maynard Ferguson starts here. Watch the memorial here...

Jennifer Wharton's Bonegasm—Grit & Grace (Sunnyside). The last time I posted about Jennifer was in 2021, when I interviewed her (here). Her new album features four trombonists—Jennifer on bass trombone and vocals, and John Fedchock, Nate Mayland and Alan Ferber on trombones. They are backed by Michael Eckroth (p), Evan Gregor (b), Don Peretz (d) and Samuel Torres (perc). Three of the songs are originals by Jennifer and the rest are little-known songs by a range of composers. It's easy to hear how much these players love their instruments, especially when playing in harmony. You'll find the album on streaming platforms and here.

Here's Menina Sozinha...

FM Radio Archive. Last week I heard from Kim Paris of the FM Radio Archive, which features access to free, live concerts broadcast over the air waves. Here are the broadcasts Kim flagged for JazzWax readers based on my recent posts:

Bill Evans—has two broadcast recordings on FM Radio Archive; the first is from Switzerland in 1975, and the second is with Tony Bennett in 1976. Go here.

Gerry Mulligan—has two recordings: a 1987 performance with Marian McPartland on NPR's Piano Jazz, and an NPR Jazz Profiles episode from 2008, hosted by Nancy Wilson. Go here.

John Scofield—appears on two. The first is with Miles Davis and Chick Corea at Jazz Summit Austria in 1984, and the second is with Phil Lesh & Friends at Vinyl in Atlanta in 2006. Go here.

Dave Grusin—is featured with his NY-LA Dream Band at the Budokan in Tokyo in 1982. Go here.

Stan Getz—performs with his quintet at the 1980 Chicago Jazz Festival and at Cafe Montmartre in Copehagen in 1987. Go here.

Art Tatum—is featured in a recently posted 2007 NPR Jazz Profiles episode, hosted by Nancy Wilson. Go here.

Gabor Szabo—performed at the Hilton Budapest in January 1978, on an MTV-Hungary broadcast. Go here.

Clifford Brown radio. New York's WKCR-FM will present its annual "Clifford Brown Birthday Broadcast" on Monday (October 30), playing the music of the legendary trumpeter for 24 hours, starting Sunday at 11:59 p.m. (ET) to midnight on Monday. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.

And finally, here's a 45-minute Sinatra collection from Beegie Adair, one of the best contemporary lounge pianists who died in 2022 [photo above of Beegie Adair at home in Nashville, Tenn., in 1977, by Bill Welch/The Tennessean]...

And here's Beegie in action playing Autumn Leaves...

Backgrounder: 'Pepper Adams Quintet,' 1957

Stu Williamson was a gorgeous trumpeter and valve trombonist. His smooth tone and ease with which he played and soloed landed him in the Hollywood studios in the 1950s. Born in Brattleboro, Vt., Williamson moved to Los Angeles in 1949. Sadly, he struggled with drug addiction for much of his career. The younger brother of West Coast pianist Claude Williamson, Stu Williamson died in 1991 at age 58.

Williamson played on just one album with baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. Recorded on July 10, 1957 for the Mode label, Pepper Adams Quintet featured Pepper Adams (bs), Stu Williamson (tp, except on My One and Only Love), Carl Perkins (p), Leroy Vinnegar (b) and Mel Lewis (d).

The songs were Unforgettable; Baubles, Bangles and Beads; Adams's Freddie Froo; My One and Only Love and Adams's Muezzin'.

I love this album for the contrasts between the muscular Adams and the feathery Williamson dancing brightly on notes during solos.

Here's the complete Pepper Adams Quintet without ad interruptions...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
• Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
• Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
• Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
• Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
• Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
• Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
• Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
• Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
• Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
• Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
• Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
• Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
• Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
• Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
• Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
• Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
• Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
• Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
• Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
• Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
• Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
• Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
• Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
• Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
• Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
• Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
• Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
• Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
• Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
• Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
• Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
• Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
• Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
• Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
• Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
• The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
• Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
• The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
• Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
• Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
• Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
• Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
• James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
• Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
• Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
• Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
• Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
• Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
• John Graas: French Horn Jazz, go here.
• Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Johnny Griffin: Tough Tenor Favorites, go here.
• Bill Perkins: Bossa Nova With Strings Attached, go here.
• Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery, go here.

History of the Lounge Pianist

The lounge pianist has a long history, almost as long as the jazz musician and ragtime player—perhaps longer. I haven't made a deep study of the genre, but my guess is that the job dates back to the late 1800s and was born in a plush hotel lobby adjacent to a major train station. Popular songs of the day or light classical pieces were played in a relaxing, uplifting style, either to ease the stress of a pending rail trip or to unwind guests checking in or gathering in the lobby prior to dinner.

Hotels in Europe likely started the trend even earlier. Wealthy Americans traveling abroad likely picked up on the hospitality trend and suggested that favorite hotels in the U.S. do the same. Unlike jazz players decades later, who came out of the speakeasy experience of the 1920s, lounge players initially served one basic purpose, to make hotel guests fall in love with where they were staying.

The piano charmed guests into thinking they were home or at least someplace homey while the flare of the player was unconsciously engaging. In other words, you listened to the music without paying much attention while talking with others and enjoyed the experience of being there.

Hotel lounges that employed pop pianists in the 1940s used the music as something of a lure to seduce guests into dining in the hotel's restaurant or as a mood-setter before seeing a headline artist at the in-hotel club or rooftop ballroom—a musical appetizer, if you will. Ultimately, lounge music was meant to coax those who stopped by for a drink to linger longer and order more drinks.

The heyday of the lounge pianist came in the 1950s, when resorts began to dot the country, particularly in vacation destinations like Atlantic City, Miami, Las Vegas and Lake Tahoe. There, lounge pianists had become a little jazzier in the post-war years, giving the hotel a contemporary, lively feel.

In gambling locations, the lounge pianist provided background music for bettors on a break. Unlike at clubs, the pianist wasn't the focus but simply there to create a sophisticated and romantic atmosphere and background for table talk.

In the 1950s, as the popularity of Las Vegas grew, clubs in major cities began to book top lounge pianists as an alternative to jazz players, whose music wasn't fully understood or even appreciated by mainstream audiences.

If a lounge pianist could sing and banter smartly with the audience between songs, this was considered added value, especially if the songs were catchy and original. Unlike cabaret piano, which was raucous and often tied to Broadway material, lounge floated between jazz and cabaret—not too wild but not too cloying. The key word with lounge was intimate.

Let's have a listen to eight clips of pianists who started out as lounge players or simply liked to play in the relaxed, chord-centric lounge style: 

Here's Matt Dennis on the Rosemary Clooney Show in1957...

Here's Joe Bushkin in 1950 playing his song, Oh, Look at Me Now...

Here's Ellis Larkins playing Perfume and Rain in 1954...

Here's Barbara Carroll in 1956 playing What a Wonderful World...

Here's Bobby Troup in 1956 singing and playing his song It Happened Once Before backed by Nelson Riddle on the Rosemary Clooney Show...

Here's Troup singing and playing Midnight Sun in 1955...

Here's Carmen Cavallaro playing Manhattan in 1956...

And here's Eddy Duchin, the father of 1950s lounge, in the 1940s playing The Way You Look Tonight...

Sara Cassey: Phantom Songwriter

Composer and lyricist Sara Cassey (1929-1966) is virtually unknown today. She played piano but wasn't a performing jazz pianist or a singer. In fact, she never recorded an album, despite having worked for Riverside Records. Born in Detroit, she moved to New York in the mid-1950s. [Above, the only known photo of Sara Cassey, year unknown]

Her songs or, more aptly, tunes, were recorded by Hank Jones, Billy Taylor, Junior Mance, Johnny Griffin, Charlie Persip, Elvin Jones, Stan Kenton, Harry James and many others. As Bill Kirchner noted in an email, pianist Hank Jones was her biggest champion—recording several of her compositions multiple times.

Cassey lived in New York at 114 West 87th Street, in apartment 1B (above, doorway at left). Pepper Adams sublet her place in 1962. The baritone saxophonist described himself as "officially homeless" between 1961 and 1964. Gary Carner, author of Pepper Adams: Saxophone Trailblazer, quoted Adams on the subject in his book: "I had an answering service as a mailing address and was living where I could live. It was very much a hand-to-mouth existence."

Cassey's proximity to greats who recorded for producer Orrin Keepnews at Riverside allowed her to share her compositions with them starting in the late 1950s. The musicians, in turn, happy with what they heard and recorded, told colleagues about the talented young songwriter. In 1963, Cassey became a personal manager for Melba Liston and Ernie Wilkins, according to Downbeat magazine. [Photo above of Ernie Wilkins]

The reason for her death at age 37 in 1966 is unclear, since no publication in my research seems to have written an obit about her passing. Bill Kirchner tells me the cause was suicide, apparently over a failed relationship.

Let's listen to a dozen interpretations of Sara Cassey's glorious songs:

Here's Cassey's Very Near Blue recorded by flugelhornist Clark Terry with pianist Thelonious Monk on Riverside in May 1958. They were backed by Sam Jones (b) and Philly Joe Jones (d)...

Here's Cassey's Shadowland, with Hank Jones (p), Thad Jones (cnt), Frank Wess (fl), Frank Foster (ts), Art Davis (b) and Elvin Jones (d) on Elvin Jones's Elvin! album, recorded in December 1961, arranger by Frank Foster...

Here's Cassey's stunningly beautiful Ballad for Monsieur, recorded by tenor saxophonist Johnny Griffin on his Kerry Dancers and Other Swinging Folk for Riverside in January 1962. The quartet: Johnny Griffin (ts), Barry Harris (p), Ron Carter (b) and Ben Riley (d)...

From the same 1962 album, here's Cassey's 25 1/2 Daze...

Here's Harry James in April 1958, from New James, playing Cassey's Warm Blue Stream, a song that could easily be used as an opening theme for a detective film set in Los Angeles of the 1950s...

Here's cornetist Nat Adderley on Cassey's Warm Blue Stream, from his Riverside album Branching Out, backed by Johnny Griffin (ts), Gene Harris (p), Andy Simpkins (b) and Bill Dowdy (d), recorded in September 1958. The trio behind Griffin was known then as the Three Sounds...

Here's vocalist Jean Turner on Cassey's Warm Blue Stream (lyrics by Dorothy Wayne), backed by the Stan Kenton Orchestra arranged by Lennie Niehaus, recorded in April 1962...

Here's Cassey's Shadowland, with Wallace Roney (tp), Robin Eubanks (tb), Craig Handy (sop,ts), Joe Locke (vib), Geri Allen (p), Lonnie Plaxico (b), and Gene Jackson (d) in December 1997...

Here are guitarists Herb Ellis and Remo Palmieri playing Cassey's Wind Flower on the album of the same name in October 1977. They were backed by George Duvivier (b) and Ron Traxler (d)...

Here's Cassey's Wind Flower recorded by pianist Hank Jones with Ron Carter (b) and Tony Williams (d), live at the Village Vanguard, in February 1977...

Here's Cassey's The Seasons by the Junior Mance Trio, featuring Junior Mance (p), Jimmy Rowser (b) and Paul Gusman (d), on his Big Chief! album, recorded for Riverside's Jazzland label in August 1961...

And here's drummer Terri Lyne Carrington and the WDR Big Band recording Cassey's Wind Flower at the WDR Studios Bocklemünd in Cologne, Germany, on March 2023...

Documentary: Gabor Szabo, 'Rising' (1977)

Gabor Szabo was one of jazz fusion's earliest progenitors and a fascinating, eclectic player. The Hungarian guitarist, who emigrated to the U.S. in 1956, had a singular way of folding together Romani, Indian and rock music in the jazz idiom and seeking out sounds in world music. Szabo also embraced pop with a new level of sophistication. [Photo above of Gabor Szabo]

Gabor Szabo died in 1982 at age 45. I last posted about him here and here.

In 1977, Larry Bock filmed a documentary film on Szabo for his master's project at USC. A big thanks to Chris Cowles for sending it along. Here it is...

Ron Blake: 'Mistaken Identity'

I'm picky about saxophonists. There are plenty of contemporary good ones but great ones tell a story on their horn with seductive determination, confidence and conviction. And when it comes to recording albums, taste is everything, especially regarding song choices. [Photo above of Ron Blake by Thorsten Roth]

Ron Blake is a saxophonist who checks off all these boxes. His new album, Mistaken Identity (7Ten33 Productions), is superb and one of the most gratifying albums of the year. Too many artists take on the tone or phrasing of their mentors and heroes. Not Ron. What you hear is all his own and it's liquid bliss.

Born in the Santurce neighborhood of San Juan, Puerto Rico, in 1965, Ron grew up in St. Thomas in the Virgin Islands and began studying guitar at age 8. He switched to the saxophone at 10 and, at 14, he left home to attend the National Music Camp in Interlochen, Mich., for three consecutive summers. He remained there to enroll at the Interlochen Arts Academy, where he completed his junior and senior years of high school.

Then it was off to Northwestern, where he studied with Frederick Hemke, a virtuoso classical saxophonist. After graduation, Ron taught at the University of South Florida before moving to New York. He spent five years in trumpeter Roy Hargrove's quintet and seven years with trumpeter Art Farmer's group.

Ron formed his own quartet in 1997, which included pianist Shedrick Mitchell, bassist Reuben Rogers, and drummer Greg Hutchinson. He has made more than 40 recordings as a leader and with his contemporaries as well as with legendary artists Benny Golson, Jimmy Smith, Dianne Reeves, Shirley Horn, Abbey Lincoln, Betty Carter, Art Taylor and Art Farmer.

On stage, he has performed with jazz greats Stanley Turrentine, Bobby Hutcherson, Roy Haynes and Ray Brown. Since 2007, he has been on the faculty at New York's Juilliard School of Music.

On Mistaken Identity, Ron plays tenor and baritone saxophone. He isn't concerned with speed and hard blowing. What you hear is a wonderful tone, artful technique and enormous sensitivity. He's joined by guitarist Bobby Broom (who sounds better than ever), bassists Nat Reeves and Reuben Rogers (on different tracks), and Kobie Watkins on drums. [Photo above of Bobby Broom, courtesy of Facebook]

The tracks are Duke Pearson's Is That So?, Sonny Rollins's Allison, Johnny Griffin's When We Were One, Bobby Broom's No Hype Blues, his own Beyond Yesterday's Tomorrows and Grace Ann, Benny Golson's Stablemates, Reuben Rogers's To Be and percussionist Victor Provost's Mistaken Identity.

This album is for jazz fans who have zero patience for electronic gimmicks, tired songbook standards or cliches. It's pure beauty executed at a high level with soul, intellect and the players' full focus on engaging the jazz listener, who Ron and his band assume are smart and sophisticated. If that's you, you'll welcome this one with open arms. [Photo above of Ron Blake, courtesy of Spotify]

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Ron Blake's Mistaken Identity (7Ten33 Productions) on streaming platforms and here.

JazzWax note: Kudos to the clever album designer. The cover reminded me of Jackie McLean's Jacknife and Art Blakey's Indestructible:

JazzWax tracks: Here's a promo for the album...

Here's Is That So?...

Here's Grace Ann, with Ron on baritone saxophone...

And here's When We Were One...

Shaun, Ernie and Grant

Last week in The Wall Street Journal, I interviewed Shaun White for my "House Call" column in the Mansion section (go here). Shaun is a former Olympic snowboarder who won three gold medals in the halfpipe competition. Growing up, Shaun was fearless when it came to heights and speed, which I think is attributable to his two heart operations as an infant. I'm convinced that during that trauma, he developed a drive to survive and, in childhood, needed to show he could be like everyone else and excel. [Photo above of Shaun White by Andrew Arthur, courtesy of Andrew Arthur]

Here's the trailer to Shaun's current docuseries, The Last Run (Max)...

Also in the WSJ, my essay on Elton John's Goodbye Yellow Brick Road 50 years after it was first released and its pop-rock impact on listeners and musicians (go here).

Here's Elton John and Cher singing Bennie and the Jets on The Cher Show in 1975...

What to Watch. This week I'm starting a new regular feature called "What to Watch." In advance of my Wall Street Journal conversations with celebrities about their childhood, I watch a lot of movies and TV series each week, either in advance of upcoming interviews or to keep up with artists who interest me most. As with my Backgrounder series, I'll keep a running list each week so you can keep up with what I enjoyed and you might, too:

Past week

Five Came Back (2017)—This documentary miniseries looks at five Hollywood directors who joined the service during World War II to film different aspects of the conflict. None of them came back the same as when they left. (Netflix)

Reptile (2023)—A crime thriller film about a detective who must track down a murderer in Maine. (Netflix)

Fisk (2021)—Hysterical Australian TV series starring Kitty Flanagan, who also created and co-wrote the fast-paced comedy that bears some similarity to The Office and Call My Agent. (Netflix)

Man on Fire (2004)—High-stakes revenge film starring Denzel Washington. (Max)

Nobody (2021)—Family man who returns to his former life after working as an assassin becomes the target of a crime boss. Bob Odenkirk (Better Call Saul) in a superb dramatic role. (Prime)

Eiffel (2021)—A French biodrama on Gustave Eiffel as he builds his Eiffel Tower in Paris and the romance he resumes from years earlier. The tower details are accurate but the romance was fictionalized to spice up the story, a brilliant move. As you'll see, it all works. (Prime)

Past year

Justified (2010-2015)—This seven-season series traces the work of Deputy U.S. Marshal Raylan Givens (Timothy Olyphant). High-energy drama and top-notch writing. (Hulu)

The Diplomat (2023)—A political thriller series starring Keri Russell, who is worth watching in anything and everything. (Netflix)

The Equalizer 1, 2 and 3 (2014-2018)—Revenge films starring Denzel Washington and directed by Antoine Fuqua. (Prime)

Armageddon Time (2022)—Unusual film about an odd kid and how he makes his way through adolescence. Stars Anthony Hopkins, Anne Hathaway and Banks Repeta. (Prime)

Past favorites

Outlander—TV series that mixes history and time travel. (Netflix)

Poldark—TV series that looks at the post-American Revolution life of a British soldier after he returns home to England after the British lose the war and a continent. (Prime)

Washington's Spies—TV series about those who spied for America during the Revolutionary War. (Prime)

The Americans—Acclaimed series on Soviet spies living in the U.S. as Americans and the lengths to which they go to compromise and turn neighbors and key officials. (Prime)

Enola Holmes 1 and 2—Two drama-comedies that look at the life of Sherlock Holmes's fictional sister. Brilliantly shot. (Netflix)

The Ballad of Buster Scruggs—Highly unusual Western that features six vignettes set on the American frontier. Directed by the Coen brothers. (Netflix)

Goliath—Fascinating series about a West Coast attorney who bends the rules. Stars Billy Bob Thornton. (Prime)

Bill Evans. Music that is impossible to ignore as soon as you hear it includes the Bill Evans Trio at the Village Vanguard in 1961, featuring Evans on piano, Scott LaFaro on bass and Paul Motian on drums. Here are 14 tracks:

Burt Young (1940-2023), a trained film and stage actor who played major roles in top-grossing films (Rocky, Chinatown) with a natural realism and always came across as a crew member who had wandered onto the set, died on October 8. He was 83. Director Raymond De Felitta is finishing up a documentary on Young that I've seen several times. It is superb. [Photo still above of Burt Young, right, and Jack Nicholson from Chinatown (1974)]

Here's the trailer...

Gerry Mulligan. Steve Cerra, founder of the blog Jazz Profiles, has just published A Gerry Mulligan Reader: Writings on a Jazz Original. The book artfully brings together a large and varied selection of pieces written about the baritone saxophonist, composer and arranger. Pieces are culled from books, album liner notes and Steve's own posts. Fascinating examinations by writers throughout Mulligan's long and influential career. Go here.

Raymond Chandler. Last week, Raymond De Felitta posted at his blog on a terrific YouTube documentary about crime-fiction writer Raymond Chandler. Go here...

Dave Thompson. Here's Dave in his studio working through an  introduction to My Romance...

On tour! Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent. This duo recorded two wonderful albums—Songbook and Quiet Is the Star—featuring Georgia on vocals and Alan on piano. What makes these albums extraordinary is that all of the songs were composed by Alan with lyrics by Georgia. It turns out that the pair are astonishing songwriters. For more, go to my earlier posts here and here. [Photo above of Georgia Mancio and Alan Broadbent by Tatiana Gorilovsky]

Now, for the upcoming tour. If you plan on being in England in November, you can catch them live. Reuniting for the first time in person since 2019, they will be joined by long-time collaborators bassist and producer Andrew Cleyndert and drummer Dave Ohm.

In England, they will play the Watermill Jazz Club in Dorking (November 14); the Concorde Club in Southampton (November 15); and The Bear in Luton (November 16). They will wrap up the tour by performing at London's The Pheasantry on the final weekend of the EFG London Jazz Festival (November 17,18 and19).

Ernie Henry radio. This Sunday (October 22), WKCR-FM radio host Sid Gribetz will present a special five-hour show celebrating the career of the alto saxophonist from 2 to 7 p.m. (ET) on the station's Jazz Profiles show. Listen from anywhere in the world by going here.

Acid trip. I've come across many odd YouTube videos over the years, but this one takes the cake. It features Cher, Tina Turner and Kate Smith (yes, that Kate Smith, of God Bless America fame) singing a Beatles medley on The Cher Show in 1975. Go here...

And finally, here's Grant Green playing It Ain't Necessarily So...

Backgrounder: Wes Montgomery - 'Incredible Guitar'

The Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery is one of jazz's finest guitar albums. Recorded for Riverside in January 1960 and released that April, the album came out just one month after Montgomery's first album for the label, A Dynamic New Sound.

It's highly unusual for any producer to release two albums by a new artist on top of each other. That's because one of them is sure to win over record buyers while the other founders, what's known in business as "cannibalizing sales." It's unclear why Riverside's Orrin Keepnews did this. The only plausible reason is that Orrin ultimately wasn't happy with the first album, especially since it didn't attract much immediate critical acclaim. [Photo above of Orrin Keepnews]

Orrin also knew that The Incredible Jazz Guitar was much more cohesive and would land a much harder punch with critics and record buyers. So he cut his losses and treated the first as a loss leader, since the second one seemed more like a sure thing. And it was.

Before critics could dismiss Montgomery based on his first uneven record, they found the second one on their desks and raved. The album featured Montgomery on guitar, Tommy Flanagan on piano, Percy Heath on bass and Albert Heath on drums. This quartet was much tighter than the organ trio on the first album, and Montgomery's playing was much bolder and assertive, with Flanagan filling the space behind him beautifully. [Photo above of Tommy Flanagan]

From start to finish, The Incredible Jazz Guitar is a tour de force. It includes four original compositions by Montgomery that would become jazz standards—D-Natural Blues, Four on Six, West Coast Blues and Mr. Walker.

The other tracks were well known and were treated to Montgomery's swinging groove and iron-clad, string-plucking thumb: Sonny Rollins's Airegin, Polka Dots and Moonbeams, Dave Brubeck's In Your Own Sweet Way and Gone With the Wind, which builds to a crescendo of gorgeous chords that continues to raise hairs today. [Photo above of Wes Montgomery]

Here's the complete Incredible Jazz Guitar of Wes Montgomery without ad interruptions...

Other ad-free Backgrounders in my series:

• Zoot Sims Plays Bossa Nova, go here.
• Lee Morgan: Lee-Way, go here.
• Bossa Nova for Swinging Lovers, go here.
• Leon Spencer: Louisiana Slim, go here.
• Bossa Nova Modern Quartet: Bossa Nova Jazz Samba, go here.
• Bill Evans & Luiz Eça: Piano Four Hands, go here.
• Ray Brown Trio: Don't Get Sassy, go here.
• Os Tatuis: Os Tatuis, go here.
• Waltel Branco: Mancini Tambem É Samba, go here.
• Jack Wilson Plays Brazilian Mancini, go here.
• Conjunto Copacabana Bossa: Bossa, go here.
• Ella Fitzgerald: Ella Swings Lightly, go here.
• Charles Earland: Charles Earland, go here.
• Kenny Burrell: Crash! w/ Jack McDuff, go here.
• Jack McDuff: The Heatin' System, go here.
• Horace Silver: Horace-Scope, go here.
• Antonio Carlos Jobim: Wave, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: Sonny Stitt Plays, go here.
• Sonny Stitt with Bennie Green: My Main Man, go here.
• Johnny Hodges and Earl Hines: Stride Right, go here.
• Lionel Hampton: Bossa Nova Jazz, go here.
• Johnny Hodges & Ben Webster: Cellar Session, go here.
• Bill Evans: Solo Sessions Vol. 1, go here.
• Frank Wess: Trombones & Flute, go here.
• Presenting the Buddy DeFranco & Tommy Gumina Quartet, go here.
• Ernest Ranglin: Wranglin', go here.
• Dave Pell Octet: Plays Rodgers & Hart, go here.
• Milt Buckner: Block Chords Parade, go here.
• Roberto Menescal: A Nova Bossa, go here.
• Count Basie: Have a Nice Day, go here.
• Freddie Green: Mr. Rhythm, go here.
• Leny Andrade: Leny Andrade, go here.
• Johnny Alf: Ele é Johnny Alf, go here.
• Dodo Marmarosa: Dodo's Back, go here.
• Freddie Redd: The Music From the Connection, go here.
• Nicola Stilo & Toninho Horta: Duets, go here.
• Urbie Green: Persuasive Trombone, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Something Else, go here.
• Wayne Shorter: JuJu, go here.
• Hampton Hawes: All Night Session!, go here.
• Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, go here.
• Chet Baker: Pretty/Groovy, go here.
• Sonny Stitt: The Sensual Sound of Sonny Stitt, go here.
• Gil Mellé: New Faces, New Sounds, go here.
• Herbie Mann and Charlie Rouse: Just Wailin', go here.
• Bobby Hackett: Memorable & Mellow, go here.
• Tina Brooks: Back to the Tracks, go here.
• Sonny Rollins Plays for Bird, go here.
• Red Garland: A Garland of Red, go here.
• Grant Green: Gooden's Corner, go here.
• Eumir Deodato Plays Marcos Valle, go here.
• Horace Parlan; Movin' & Groovin', go here.
• Russ Garcia: Four Horns and a Lush Life, go here.
• Vic Lewis: Plays Bossa Nova at Home and Away, go here.
• Buddy Collette's Swinging Shepherds, go here.
• Dizzy Gillespie: Gillespiana, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Communication, go here.
• Nelson Riddle: Changing Colors, go here.
• Elmo Hope: Complete Trios, 1953-1966, go here.
• Buddy Collette: Man of Many Parts, go here.
• The Herbie Mann-Sam Most Quintet, go here.
• Shorty Rogers: Cool and Crazy, go here.
• The Return of Art Pepper, go here.
• Benny Golson and the Philadelphians, go here.
• Moacir Santos: Coisas, go here.
• Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis: Lock, the Fox, go here.
• Tony Bennett: The Movie Song Album, go here.
• Thad Jones/Mel Lewis: Consummation, go here.
• James Moody: Return From Overbrook, go here.
• Barry Galbraith: Guitar and the Wind, go here.
• Count Basie: With Quincy Jones and Neal Hefti, go here.
• Johnny Richards: Walk Softly, Run Wild!, go here.
• Dave Pike: Bossa Nova Carnival, go here.
• Clare Fischer: Só Danço Samba, go here.
• Reggie Johnson: First Edition, go here.
• John Graas: French Horn Jazz, go here.
• Eddie Lockjaw Davis & Johnny Griffin: Tough Tenor Favorites, go here.
• Bill Perkins: Bossa Nova With Strings Attached, go here.