by Scott Yanow

            Many significant jazz artists passed away in 2024. Although their music lives on in recordings and often on footage available on You Tube, and although jazz itself is quite healthy (particularly on an artistic level), we will miss these greats who could easily fill up a big band. So let’s take a moment to remember some of them (my apologies to those I’ve missed) and go out of our way to hear the music that they left for us:

Trumpeters – Jim Rotondi, Herb Robertson

Trombonists – Bill Allred, George Bohanon

Alto-Saxophonists – Lou Donaldson, Kim Richmond, David Sanborn

Tenor-Saxophonist – Benny Golson

Baritonist – Claire Daly

Clarinetists – Claus Jacobi, Phil Nimmons

Pianists – Martial Solal, Llew Mathews, Sergio Mendes

Organist – Papa John DeFrancesco

Guitarists – Russell Malone, Calvin Keys, John Pisano

Bassists – Palle Danielsson, Tony Banda

Drummers – Roy Haynes, Artt Frank, Albert “Tootie” Heath, Ray Mosca

Tabla Master – Zakir Hussain

Singers – Sandra Booker, Barbara Dane, Patty Waters

Arrangers – Quincy Jones, Bill Holman

Jazz Journalists – Dan Morgenstern, A. James Liska

Record Producer – Michael Cuscuna

Founder of the Los Angeles Jazz Scene – Myrna Daniels

    Ever since she debuted on records with 1980’s Two-Handed Stride, Judy Carmichael has been one of jazz’s top stride pianists. She has appeared all over the world and hosted her notable Jazz Inspired radio series for years. And since around 2005, she has taken occasional vocals that augment her brilliant piano playing.

            Although originally from Southern California, her recent appearance at Catalina Jazz Club was a rare chance to see her perform locally. Joined by guitarist Larry Koonse, Judy Carmichael was heard throughout the night in prime form. Half of the songs were taken as instrumentals and these included “I Got Rhythm,” “Boisdale Blues,” “Jive At Five,” Fats Waller’s “Handful Of Keys,” “Love Is Just Around The Corner,” “Lady Be Good,” and “Honeysuckle Rose.” The pianist’s left hand was quite powerful and she clearly never needs a bassist to keep her music swinging or to state the chords. Koonse modified his more modern style a bit and fit in well with her, playing heated solos of his own and accompanying her with classic rhythm guitar playing.

            The vocal numbers included “’Deed I Do” (a quick chorus before some heated playing), “L-O-V-E,” “I Go For That,” and the slow blues “Loan Me Your Husband.” She also sang her originals “No One Can Love You But You,” the humorous tango “Take Me Back To Machu Picchu,” and “Talk To Me” with the latter finding her standing away from the piano and just accompanied by Koonse.

            Judy Carmichael’s lively personality (often telling witty stories between the songs) perfectly complemented her joyful playing and Koonse’s contributions. It made for an enjoyable evening.

AMBER WEEKES

            An attractive singer with a soft voice and a subtle style that at times recalls Shirley Horn and early Nancy Wilson, Amber Weekes performed a Christmas jazz show at Catalina Jazz Club. She has often sung in Southern California and has released such albums as “’Round Midnight Re-Imagined, Pure Imagination, the EP My Romance – A Special Valentine, and her Christmas album The Gathering.

            At Catalina’s she shared the stage with pianist Karen Hammack, bassist Jeff Littleton, drummer Fritz Wise, and Jimmy Emmerzian on tenor and flute. After an instrumental version of “Santa Claus Is Coming To Town” which gave her sidemen an opportunity to stretch out, Amber Weekes began her set with a happy “Winter Wonderland” and a heartfelt version of “Pure Imagination.” Her wide-ranging show included a song from “Yentl” (“The Way He Makes Me Feel”), “I Saw Mommy Kissing Santa Claus,” a warm rendition of “I’ll Be Home For Christmas” which was given a light Latin rhythm, “The Christmas Song,” and “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve” along with a few other numbers.

            Ms. Weekes’ voice is consistently appealing, she swings lightly, and she varied tempos and moods quite well. The solos of Emmerzian and Hammack were rewarding as was the accompaniment of Littleton and Wise, making for a cheerful night that celebrated the holiday season.

MILES DAVIS IN FRANCE

            As Vol. 8 in their Miles Davis Bootleg Series, Columbia/Legacy has released a six-CD set. Included are four discs of his July 26-28, 1963 concerts at the Antibes Jazz Festival with the final two CDs being his Oct. 1, 1964 performances from the Paris Jazz Festival. Not all of the valuable music was previously unreleased. Four songs from July 26 and two from July 28 were put out by the bootleg JMY label years ago, most of the July 27 set was part of the Columbia album Miles Davis In Europe, and the first half of the Oct. 1, 1964 concert was released by the obscure Heart Note label. However this new release has unedited performances, the sound quality is greatly improved, and it is gratifying to have the complete sets.

            The second great Miles Davis Quintet first appeared on half of the studio album, Seven Steps To Heaven from April and May 1963. The band with tenor-saxophonist George Coleman, pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and the teenaged drummer Tony Williams was documented during a concert in St. Louis on May 29 and two songs (released by the Italian label Suisa) from their Paris concert of July 25, 1963. Otherwise, their Antibes performances on this box set are their earliest recordings.

            While the July 27 concert yielded Miles Davis In Europe, the recording executives of the era should have chosen to originally release the July 26 set. Davis is in blazing form throughout the date, taking explosive solos on “So What,” “All Blues,” and “Walkin’” that make one quickly forget that he was the definitive cool jazz trumpeter of the 1950s. Davis hits high notes that one would never expect from him and he plays with quite a bit of passion and fury. The tempos of many of the songs that he played during the era were much faster than on the original studio recordings, as if he wanted to get the melodies out of the way quickly. An exception was “Stella By Starlight” which the trumpeter plays at a very slow tempo, putting a lot of feeling into his improvisation. Coleman, an advanced hard bop soloist, also takes plenty of adventurous solos of his own. At this point in time, the young rhythm section was still feeling its way in Davis’ music and they are more laidback than they would become although they play quite well. The July 27 and mostly previously unreleased July 28 sets are also rewarding with Coleman often taking honors and Davis sounding a bit calmer while still stretching himself.

            The George Coleman version of the Miles Davis Quintet would reach its peak during their Feb. 12, 1964 New York concert, performances that resulted in the two albums Four And More (which had the uptempo tunes) and My Funny Valentine (comprised of ballads). By then the rhythm section, particularly Tony Williams, was much more forceful and challenging behind the solos of Davis and Coleman.

            George Coleman departed from the group in the spring and, after Sam Rivers filled in during a tour of Japan, Wayne Shorter became the band’s tenor-saxophonist. His playing and particularly his writing eventually moved the Miles Davis Quintet into uncharted territory both in their improvisations and their repertoire. They can be seen playing a few numbers on film clips from the Steve Allen Show in Sept. 1964 and a radio broadcast from a Sept. 25 concert was previously released as Miles In Berlin.

            Next chronologically is the music that comprises the final two discs of this box. The group was still playing the same repertoire as earlier (including “Autumn Leaves,” “So What,” “Stella By Starlight,” and “Walkin’,” but the music was evolving. The rhythm section is more assertive, the trumpeter sounds inspired by the challenges they presented to him, and Wayne Shorter’s solos are quite original and unpredictable, sounding unlike anyone else.

            In three months the Miles Davis Quintet would be recording new music (some of it by Shorter) on their first studio album E.S.P. The highly recommended Miles In Paris (which is available from www.amazon.com) fills in a couple of significant steps in their evolution and contains more than its share of exciting music.

EARLY ANDRE PREVIN

            Andre Previn (1929-2019) was a true wonder who excelled in three different areas. He was a classical composer, conductor and pianist. Previn was involved in the music of 50 Hollywood films, winning four Academy Awards and working for MGM when he was just 15. And as a jazz pianist, he got off to a brilliant start in the late 1940s, was most active in the 1950s and occasionally played jazz in later years.

            Early Years 1945-53 is a three-CD set that features Previn as a jazz pianist from the ages of 15 to 24. Listeners only familiar with Previn’s playing on Shelly Manne’s very popular My Fair Lady album of 1956 or of his later projects will be somewhat amazed by his playing on this compilation from the Acrobat label. A prodigy, Previn as a teenager transcribed some of Art Tatum’s piano solos (no easy task when one considers that he had to do it off of 78s) and he certainly mastered some of Tatum’s near-impossible phrases.

            Not counting alternate takes, Previn recorded 74 selections as a leader during 1945-53 and 66 are on this threefer. He is heard at the head of trios and quartets (a few numbers from 1950 add a string section) with an occasional unaccompanied solo. These include sets of the music of Duke Ellington & Billy Strayhorn, Harry Warren, George Gershwin, and Fats Waller along with other high quality standards. Other than some spots for guitarists Dave Barbour (who is outstanding on the opening session), Irving Ashby, Al Viola and Bob Bain, the spotlight is on the pianist throughout.

            The sessions from 1945-50, which comprise all of the first two discs and a few numbers on the third, find Previn as a virtuosic swing stylist who often played rapid lines that would have impressed Art Tatum. His youthful energy is matched by his mature ideas, inspired not just by Tatum but Teddy Wilson and Mel Powell. His playing is often rather remarkable on these comparatively little-known sessions and will be a major discovery to many of his fans.

             By the time the chronology reaches 1953 (he did not record during 1951-52), Previn was more bop-oriented and recognizable as the swinging pianist on the Shelly Manne album and his own West Coast jazz recordings of the mid-to-late 1950s while still showing flashes of his youthful style.

            Andre Previn’s Early Years 1945-53 (available from www.amazon.com and www.mvdb2b.com) is an essential acquisition for anyone interested in the musical genius’ career, and for those who love Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. Previn was on their level.

THE MUSICAL LIFE AND LEGACY OF JAMIL NASSER

            George Joyner (1932-2010) was a very talented bassist who, after converting to Islam, changed his name to Jamil Nasser. More than just a performer, he fought in his quiet way for civil rights, served as the vice president of the Jazz Foundation of America, worked as an educator, organized concerts, and helped jazz and its musicians in many ways behind the scenes. In 2003 he convinced his son, trumpeter Muneer Naseer, to write his memoirs. The bassist wanted to set the record straight about the jazz history that he had lived through and the people that he knew. He wanted his story told, warts and all. Over a 14 year period, Muneer Nasser conducted 50 interviews with his father’s associates, did a great deal of research, and helped his father write his story.

            The result is Upright Bass – The Musical Life and Legacy Of Jamil Nasser (available from Vertical Visions Media and www.muneernassermusic.com and www.jamilsnasser.com.). The book smoothly weaves together Jamil Nasser’s stories, the memories of others, reviews, articles, brief biographies, and Muneer’s own summaries and comments.

            There are many fresh and untold stories revealed in this book. One learns about the often neglected jazz legacy of Memphis, the tragically brief life of the brilliant pianist Oscar Dennard, and Jamil Nasser’s experiences working with B.B. King, Phineas Newborn, the New York Jazz Quartet during their sometimes scary overseas trips, Randy Weston, Ahmad Jamal, Monty Alexander, Red Garland, and Al Haig. Many other jazz greats make memorable appearances (including Jo Jones, Lester Young, Dizzy Gillespie, George Coleman, and Lou Donaldson0 and one learns the truth about the plague of drug addiction which Nasser avoided, the jazz life in the 1950s and ‘60s, racism, and prejudice against Muslim jazz musicians. There are also plenty of humorous and heartwarming stories, and one comes away admiring Jamil Nasser apart from his top-notch musicianship. He always stood up for the music, resisting commercialism not being afraid to fight against injustice.

            I have often said that most jazz artists should write their memoirs so their stories, anecdotes, and humanity would be preserved for the future. Muneer Nasser deserves congratulations for making it possible for today’s readers to experience the fascinating story of Jamil Nasser.

Every jazz musician needs a well-written press biography, every CD (and even downloads) deserves informative liner notes, and important events benefit from press releases. I write all of these and more at reasonable rates. Please contact me at 661-678-3542 or at scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com for further information about my services. My latest book, Jazz Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist (My Jazz Memoirs) is available at www.amazon.com

I have a new book that is available from amazon.com. Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist. It is subtitled My Jazz Memoirs and is my 12th book and first in a few years. I discuss in an often-humorous fashion my early days and discovery of jazz, my period as the jazz editor of Record Review, the story behind my involvement with the All Music Guide, and I reminisce about some of my adventures as an amateur musician. Included are vintage interviews with Freddie Hubbard, Chick Corea, and Maynard Ferguson, encounters with Clint Eastwood, summaries of the Monterey and Playboy Jazz Festivals (including a full-length review of the 1985 Playboy Festival), memories of other events (such as the IAJE Conventions), and brief snapshots of many memorable club and concert performances. There is also background information about my other books, evaluations of the jazz critics who inspired me early on, and my thoughts on jazz criticism which includes advice to up-and-coming jazz journalists. Rounding out the book is a chapter on how the jazz writing business has changed over the past 50 years, and appendixes that include the jazz greats of the past, 86 jazz giants of today, 21 young performers to look for in the future, jazz books and DVDs that everyone should own, and a dozen enjoyable Hollywood jazz films.
Life Through The Eyes Of A Jazz Journalist, a paperback book, sells for $26 through Amazon.com Signed copies (which will take 2-3 weeks) are also available for $30 (which includes free postage) by sending the money via Pay Pal to scottyanowjazz@yahoo.com and by sending your mailing address to that E-mail.Edit