Well here we are, I’m back. A short hiatus on the blog do to seven new mindset at D'Addario. And all in good time… As this summer between May and September was jam packed with jazz gigs every other day in Philadelphia. I’ve been part of an organization called Philadelphia Jazz Project. I’m a player was in that project for 7 years plus,that is done everything from jazz Christmas concerts to the Coltrane at 90 festival a few years ago across the street from the Trane house, to a series of Satellites are spinning gigs and concerts highlighting the directions in music of Sun Ra.
< Pictures at top of the blog are Webb Thomas- drums and Richard Hill bass...outstanding jazz players amazing people>
Band for Satellites #7 - The Percussion Discussion at the World Cafe Live. Sun Ra concert with Philadelphia Jazz Project with Jocko MacNelly Kimpedro Rodriguez Daniel Kaplowitz Adam Faulk Malik Henry Gregory McDonald Karen Smith Ron Howerton Raphael XavierPheralyn Dove Bethlehem Roberson Kevin Obatala & Tim Price and Sun Ra percussion legend Atakatune.
SPACE IS THE PLACE- Buy you know that
— with Jocko MacNelly, Kimpedro Rodriguez, Adam Faulk, Raphael Xavier, Bethlehem Roberson, Ricardo L. Abbott and Daniel Kaplowit
“Percussion
Discussion - Satellites Are Spinning: A Sizzling, Sonic Celebration
of Sun Ra” under the musical direction of Kimpedro Rodriguez. Produced
by Homer Jackson, Director of the Philadelphia Jazz Project. Hosted by
radio personality J. Michael Harrison from “The Bridge” WRTI-FM – 90.1
fm.
This summer I played between May and
the first two weeks of September every other day. The first section was
with Old City saxophone quartet, it featured and amazing tenor player
named Terry Lawson… Terry is world-class. Has played was Sun Ra, more
Philadelphia jazz legends then you could name. Always an asset to have
Terry on the set, his brother you might know as Cedric Lawson a fantastic
piano player who played with not only Miles Davis but Roy Haynes and
many others. The other tenor player was Elliot Levine… Another long time
friend and benchmark the avant-garde as well as many other assets
such as poetry and also along association was Cecil Taylor. Derek El
was is the alto saxophone player, another Philadelphia player who has
been on a lot of the projects with the strong sound. On this particular quartet I play baritone saxophone. The premise was a totally
improvised saxophone quartet focusing structure versus freedom. We had gigs
that was set up for us by Homer Jackson (who is one of the most focused
people I ever met my life) the gigs were in the old city section of Philly. Many of you might realize that this is the
section which is the historic district. The turn out was amazing we had a
schedule of every other day in the mornings between 11 and two and it
was fantastic.
We had a structure of tunes that we’re vehicles that Philadelphia legends wrote like Coltrane or Benny Golson , but also things that were contemporary and of course blues. The tourist aspect was fantastic-Philadelphia has always been a jazz town as well as a place people go to see history. Independence Hall and the Liberty Bell etc. we encountered people from other countries taking selfie‘s with selfie sticks while the band plays! It was quite enjoyable and successful in every way. On these particular gigs I used idea D'Addario plastic cover baritone saxophone reeds # 3 1/2. That’s my primary reed on baritone. I’ve been using those since the mid-70s when they came out . In that era I was playing baritone with a lot of organ bands and this might of been around 76 or 77 when they came in a white square box. I believe the first time I bought them in the 70s was at the saxophone shop in Evanston Illinois… Which was run them by excellent human being and stellar classical player named Robert black. As time went on these were my go to baritone reed !
The next series of summer
gigs for Philly jazz project what is a series of trios. This trios
highlighted the chord less trio aspect of jazz we’re harmony. My role model with this
has always been bands like Elvin Jones’s band with Joe Farrell. As well
as the Sonny Rollins vanguard series. The beautiful part
about these gigs was each bass player and drummer was so cooperative on
the bandstand and so personal that it gave the gigs ache incredible
forward motion soon as I did that-keep in mind these gigs we were
playing acoustically was no sound systems of course I didn’t up for the
base. So the acoustic level of my horn had to be perfect. Again beings
that I was outdoors and also some of these days it was 102° especially
around the Fourth of July-my reed of choice was a plastic cover tenor
saxophone Reed. When you need consistency and you need to focus,you might
be playing six or eight courses-something like a plastic cover is the
ultimate choice . Webb Thomas or Ben Singer were the drummers and Sandy Eldred and Richard Hill the bassists.
Webb Thomas Sandy Eldred Homer Jackson Karen Smith Tim Price
These
gigs were primarily in the same places Independence Hall, the visitor
center and old city section of Philly. As I said on the television interview in Philadelphia
after these events happened with Homer Jackson, the interesting part was
the natural acoustics of these areas. Definitely where it was brick and
there was some other buildings around us, the acoustics were amazing.
There are some other spots that you think would’ve been dead because we
were playing a little bit more to open circumstance but that was not the
case. People spend the time hung out side on the grass I took part in
the listing experience of jazz. Which is most important and vital today
and art form the audience participation of listening and paying
attention to attention of what is happening in the music is paramount. These were called- the Summer Sounds In The Historic District
free music series delivers sweet tunes at nearly a dozen locations in
Old City, Society Hill and along the Delaware River waterfront.Produced by VISIT PHILADELPHIA in partnership with Veteran Freshman, the Delaware River Waterfront Corporation, Historic Philadelphia, Inc., Wawa Welcome America and the Philadelphia Jazz Project,
these musical events will pop up at more than a dozen different
locations in Philadelphia’s Historic District — all for free, all summer
long. Street Corner Symphony's.The Old City Sax Quartet is a newly formed ensemble, which consists of master reedman, Derrick El: Alto Sax, Terry Lawson: Tenor Sax, Elliot Levin: Soprano & Tenor Sax and Tim Price: Baritone Sax. Between them there is over 150 years of musical experiences within this group.
Summer Sounds In The Historic District provides us with the opportunity to experience this special group.We played places like...AfricanAmericanMuseum BetsyRossHouse Carpenters’Hall ChristChurch FranklinSquare IVCCCafé MuseumoftheAmericanRevolution NationalConstitutionCenter SummerFest SpruceStreetHarborPark TheBourse PhillyJazz. A very fun and inspiring summer.
Summer Sounds In The Historic District provides us with the opportunity to experience this special group.We played places like...AfricanAmericanMuseum BetsyRossHouse Carpenters’Hall ChristChurch FranklinSquare IVCCCafé MuseumoftheAmericanRevolution NationalConstitutionCenter SummerFest SpruceStreetHarborPark TheBourse PhillyJazz. A very fun and inspiring summer.
The
series ended up with a Friday and Saturday on Strawberry Mansion Bridge.
Webb Thomas was my drummer and also Richard Hill- Bass the bass player. I just particular point the trio was crystallize beyond believe Webb Thomas- Drums and also Richard he’ll was a bass player. I just particular point the trio was crystallized beyond believe!! The synergy and internalization of what we were doing was beyond words.
Webb Thomas was my drummer and also Richard Hill- Bass the bass player. I just particular point the trio was crystallize beyond believe Webb Thomas- Drums and also Richard he’ll was a bass player. I just particular point the trio was crystallized beyond believe!! The synergy and internalization of what we were doing was beyond words.
In
between all this we did the Satellites Are Spinning: A Sizzling, Sonic Celebration of Sun Ra at the World Café in June featuring a series of two drummers in for
percussionists. Playing music of Sun Ra and internalization
of what we were doing I am still inspired by as a person and player. So many great players- and I mean AMAZING forces of creativity-Satellites #7 - The Percussion Discussion at the World Cafe Live will
include music director, drummer, KimPedro Rodriguez, with drummers and
percussionists Atakatune, Kevin Diehl,Sun Ra percussionist Atakatune ,Greg MacDonald, Ron Howerton, Malik Henry,
bassist Jocko McNelly, guitarist, Dan Kaplowitz, saxophonist and
electro-bassoonist Tim Price , saxophonist Matthew Clayton, as well as
guest vocalists, Bethlehem and poet Pheralyn Dove. You dig!
Playing music of Sun Ra- and addition to originals from
the band and also an original of mine called Jacson. Which I’ve played
electro bassoon on and also wrote a poem for Jacson who was the
bassoonist with the Sun Ra.
Basically a tone-poem I wrote for Sun Ra bassoon legend Jacson.Few remember the amazing playing by Jacson- or that Paul Hindemith at Yale School of Music, who encouraged him to on both oboe and bassoon! Sun Ra & Paul Hindemith that is deep. My piece was a a departure point on a tone poem and an open blues structure. Maybe my homage I wrote can do have some justice to him- he was a genius. For years I’ve been amplified my person with a pick up and either going through house PA or amp.
Basically a tone-poem I wrote for Sun Ra bassoon legend Jacson.Few remember the amazing playing by Jacson- or that Paul Hindemith at Yale School of Music, who encouraged him to on both oboe and bassoon! Sun Ra & Paul Hindemith that is deep. My piece was a a departure point on a tone poem and an open blues structure. Maybe my homage I wrote can do have some justice to him- he was a genius. For years I’ve been amplified my person with a pick up and either going through house PA or amp.
Within these other particular gigs I played with a longtime friend I’ve
known for almost 5 decades on Arnie Krakowski -Tenor madness in Julian Abele Park Philadelphia Pa. — at Friends of Julian Abele Park. . what a great band, with Nick Krolak bass- TP- Arnie Krackowsky- Zach Martin drums. Acoustic jazz, and fun.
We played extra sets and over the allotted time but hey...this was one of those nights.Fantastic meeting , hanging out with everyone playing a lot was really fun.
We played extra sets and over the allotted time but hey...this was one of those nights.Fantastic meeting , hanging out with everyone playing a lot was really fun.
Arnie came down to
play and see his son and also we had an amazing dinner afterwords with macaroni and cheese that had a mustard ingredient in
it that was off the hook . The following week I played with a force to
be reckoned with in the jazz tap dancing world Pamela Hetherington and
also piano-vocalist extraordinaire Erica Corbo. Those two gigs-wear
interesting because I would like to at some point mix these two groups
together.Erica is an incredible jazz player and composer- Pam is a force of greatness in jazz tap-wow. Pamela Hetherington created a world class concert at Friends of Julian Abele Park. Pam is the real deal.
Add that to the interplay that Arnie and I have and it would be
magnificent. As a musician you have to get an active mental image of
things and concepts you want to do, otherwise you’ll be a replicator.
You want to move with forward motion, no matter what you do, you need to bring
your element to it. These are some people who are
world class and we did it in a cool Philadelphia neighborhood!
So that about sums
it up. If you want to play jazz you need to get out and play in public
this music needs it. Don’t sit home and be content… the art form is alive and the
give-and-take experience between a player and the audience has to
be experienced. Now is the time!
I hope this blog is been helpful and glad to be back in the blogging mode. I will see you next month.
Suggested monthly reading/ listening.
See ya next month, Strive for tone...Tim Price
Suggested monthly reading/ listening.
Close Enough for Jazz
by
The Jaki Byard Quartet with Joe Farrell: The Last From Lennie's
- THIS BLOG THIS MONTH..Is Dedicated to the late great Phila jazz tenor saxophone legend Charles Cunningham. Rest in power my friend- thank you for the deep inspiration. And -
Atakatune...one of a kind Sun Ra percussionist Atakatune Leon Morgan- thank you for your creative brilliance and life long commitment- rest in power sir
- You both made a difference in my life , you will be remembered always. Respect.
