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It’s a misty night in 1969 in Boston, I'm standing outside the Jazz Workshop on Boylston Street waiting to go see Thelonious Monk. A silver Rolls-Royce parks right in front of the club, behind the wheel is a beautiful brunette, a chinchilla stole draped over her shoulder and a cigarette holder between her teeth. Before she turns the Rolls off she takes a long hit from a silver flask, she exits the car and down the steps into the famed " Jazz Workshop". The Jazz Baroness has arrived!
As a teenager, I read liner notes on records, and articles in Down Beat about this famed woman of jazz and there she was before my eyes. As I remember back to that week of hearing Monk every night for a week! ( Charlie Rouse put me on the guest list, that's another blog unto itself. He's one of my hero's as you might have known.)
The tabloids first splashed her name across the headlines after Charlie Parker died in her hotel suite—a scandal that sadly cast a dark shadow over parts her life. Press be dammed,she became a legend as the major force as a woman she was. Not only a woman that was immensely beautiful, but strong emotionally, mentally brilliant beyond words, and a complete positive force for those she cared about! What a brilliant one of a kind woman! Wow!! Nearly a score of jazz compositions have been written in her honor, including two of the most beloved classics of the genre: Horace Silver’s “Nica’s Dream” and Monk’s “Pannonica.” Any jazz student or musician worth their salt, should know those tunes, without a lead sheet, by the way. Also some other amazing tunes written for her ; " Nicas' Tempo"" by Gigi Gryce, Sonny Clark- " Nica", Kenny Dorham " Tonica", Freddy Redd " Nica Steps Out", Kenny Drew " Blues For Nica". One of her abstract paintings was even used as the cover art for Bud Powell’s 1961 album " A Portrait Of Thelonious" - That Bud Powell recording might be one of the greatest Monk tributes I ever heard.
As an avid fan of 1950s jazz, I had read about "the Jazz Baronness," Pannonica de Koenigswarter, an heir to the Rothschild fortune, in numerous articles and books about the people who populated the New York jazz scene in those days. When I read about the publication of "Nica's Dream," the first book-length biography devoted this patron of modern jazz, I downloaded the book to my Kindle and looked forward to a great read. Having finished it yesterday, I have to say I am so inspired by this book. I am going to buy the hard copy too. This is a must read! There are some genuinely interesting episodes and adventures as well as touching anecdotes that demonstrate her genuine affection and esteem for the many great musicians she befriended. But it is that very episodic quality, which continues throughout the book, that ultimately makes it an interesting read rather than a great one.
In this book, " Nica's Dream" author David Kastin has spent the last few years immersed in the world of "Nica" - as those who knew her well referred to the jazz baroness. His biography is beautifully written, endlessly fascinating.It is Nica's connections to the jazz world - to sax legend Parker, to the fabled keyboardist and composer Monk, to Art Blakey, to Bud Powell, to a veritable Who's Who of bebop and modern jazz players - that drew Kastin to his subject.
March 12, 1955, after several days of convalescence the baroness (with periodic visits from the hotel physician), Parker collapsed and died. "Bird" was 34. The tabloids went wild: "Bop King Dies in Heiress' Flat!"
At the moment she first heard a recording of Monk's "'Round Midnight" - on a 1951 visit to New York from Mexico City, where her husband, Baron Jules de Koenigswater, served as France's ambassador - Nica's life changed. "I couldn't believe my ears," she said almost 35 years later, recounting how she asked her friend, pianist Teddy Wilson, to play the record over and over and over again. "'Round Midnight' affected me like nothing else I ever heard."
Nica left her husband in Mexico and moved to New York with the oldest of their five children, a teenage daughter, Janka. They took lavish digs at the Stanhope Hotel. Nica began frequenting the jazz clubs, became friends with the promoters, the owners, the musicians. Before long, the "Jazz Baroness" - chic and sophisticated, free-thinking and free-drinking - was hosting jam sessions in her suites, sneaking the hungry, often broke, artists up the hotel's service elevator. Soon after Parker's death, Nica was asked to leave. She found a similarly luxe living situation in a hotel on the opposite side of Central Park.
The baroness' "moveable feast" of a jazz salon resulted in more than 400 hours of annotated and archived recordings: Sonny Rollins, John Coltrane, Charles Mingus, Sun Ra, Lionel Hampton, Donald Byrd, Horace Silver (whose song, "Nica's Dream," Kastin took for his book's title) - they all played for Nica. It's an epic and extraordinary aural document. The "Pannonica Collection" remains in the hands of her heirs, and has, until now, been unavailable.
"Nica's Dream" would make for a great movie - although there's so much here that a miniseries might be more accommodating. But it certainly makes for a great book. Kastin has served his subject well, offering a rich and tumbling portrait of a force to be reckoned with - no dilettante or groupie or interloper, but a woman who was inspired by, and in turn inspired, many of the reigning figures of the jazz universe.
I think any author would have had difficulty with the organizational problems inherent in telling 'Nica's story. There are only so many ways you can tell the reader that she was a Rothschild, that she drove a Bentley at breakneck speeds with a cigarette holder clenched between her teeth helping musicians get to gigs or get out of trouble, and was a decent and caring human being. In this case, it is enough to make for an interesting and sometimes engaging read. a great biography.Beyond her long cigarette holder, leopard skin coat and infamous Bentley. These objects by which she was identified were not symbols of her glamour but of her mystique, speaking not of who she was, but of the world she left behind. She made jazz a better place and she stood for something without putting a spotlight on herself !
~ You owe it to yourself to read " Nica's Dream" by David Kastin
Till next week- Tim Price
PS ;
In the 1950s, 60s, and 70s, Pannonica de Koenigswarter, known as Nica, was a constant and benevolent presence on the thriving New York jazz scene. Known as the Jazz Baroness (she was born into the wealthy Rothschild family and later married a French aristocrat) she befriended such giants as Thelonious Monk, Charlie Parker, Barry Harris, Art Blakey, Miles Davis, Bud Powell, and many more. She inspired over twenty jazz compositions, bailed musicians out of jail, and even acted as a booking agent.
I literally could not put this book down. It is fascinating, well-written, and immensely entertaining. It may be the best jazz "biography" I've read.
She also collected wishes. Over the course of a decade, Koenigswarter asked three hundred musicians what their three wishes in life were, jotting them all down in a notebook. At the same time she took hundreds of candid photographs, saving them all. In Three Wishes, Koenigswarter’s forays into the psyches and lives of these legendary jazz artists are made available in America for the first time. GET THIS BOOK TO DEAR BLOG READER!
Three Wishes: An Intimate Look at Jazz Greats by- Pannonica de Koenigswarter
.Pannonica over course of a decade, collected wishes from some 300 musicians; alongside vibrant, smoky Polaroids, these wishes--though plenty go to money, health and more wishes--provide a brief glimpse into each subjects' dreams: Julian "Cannonball" Adderley wishes for a jazz artists' subsidy organization; Dinah Washington wishes for triplet girls; and Charles Mingus wishes for "enough to pay my bills, but that's absolutely all." Not everyone wishes deep: Bill Hardman wishes for "a crazy old lady". Many wished for money.
Sonny Clark wanted “all the Steinways”, Oscar Peterson wished he could “play the piano the way I want to”, while Miles Davis simply answered, “to be white”.
The person to elicit these extraordinary and intimate responses was Baroness Pannonica Rothschild de Koenigswarter, or Nica as she was known. Friend, landlady, muse and manager to some of the greatest jazz musicians of the twentieth century, Nica remains somewhat of a mythical figure.
Her name ghosts through the jazz canon.She dedicated her life to giving musicians a voice and helping to end both the fingerprinting of nightclub musicians and the controversial ‘New York Cabaret Card’ system, an obligatory performance permit, which could be revoked on the smallest infractions. And yet, hers was also a name once tainted by association with rumour and scandal.
I encountered Nica once in Philadelphia, outside of the long gone " Grendels Lair" club on South St in 1975. I was outside talking to Wilbur Ware after a set, that he did with Barry Harris. The club turned over and everyone had to leave. Ware was also a Monk musician, and as I was talking to him he was speaking to Nica. She was amazingly cool and friendly, for sure she was the driver for the Barry Harris band from NYC. So we are passing Nica's flask around, talking. They head back in and she said, come on follow me. She just goes past the door guy, gets me a seat at the bar right aside of the band. A better seat than I had before! She buys me a scotch, and heads back to the corner to talk to Barry and Charles McPhearson. As I passed her on the way out, I said to her thank you so much. I wanted her to know how much I appreciated it, and she smiled and said " Your very welcome". What a wonderful asset to this world she was, and what she did for music. This world needs more people like Baroness Pannonica Rothschild
Rahsaanapolis awaits you!
Today on the Rico Blog is the day we remember the great instrumentalist
Rashaan Roland Kirk, who was born on August 7th ( yesterday) 1935.
He was one of the most important musicians in jazz, now then and always. Check his history here :
As a assignment for ALL those interested, please go buy -
Rip, Rig & Panic
How can you miss with this band! Roland Kirk - Tenor Saxophone, Stritch, Manzello, Flute, Siren, Oboe, Castanets
Jaki Byard - Piano
Richard Davis - Bass
Elvin Jones - Drums
You can even get a 2-for CD here; At CD Universe. Downloads too!
This said, it would require a truck equipped with extra heavy-duty suspension to deliver the box set providing a comprehensive tour of Rahsaanapolis. Kirk was a man of profound contradictions, relentless experimentation, and an unquenchable appetite for music. He has been largely overlooked by jazz historians (to say nothing of the public!) and unfairly tagged as a novelty act because of his propensity for playing multiple horns simultaneously and actually making his own reed instruments out of bits and pieces of other reed instruments. But also listen to his gentle side- he was capable of playing music so fragile and beautiful check out " I Talk With The Spirits".
Who else could take you from Sidney Bechet, Don Byas, and Fats Waller and have the trip make sense? Kirk played everything he touched, and he played with unparalleled intensity. His flute playing was amazing, but his tenor sax work was simply off the map. Kirk belongs in the pantheon with Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Eric Dolphy, and John Coltrane - indeed, he's already there, it's just that the mainstream hasn't noticed yet. I'm not aware of any Rahsaan Roland Kirk CD that isn't worth the price of admission, but for veterans and first time visitors to Rahsaanapolis alike, this CD is a must have. Rico Blog readers get it now!
Are their musicians like this anymore? The experience is uncommonly artistic and uncompromising but never strains the ear or mind. As a free-range whole, Kirk was a poet's poet, clearly and constantly musical, with the mark of unsurpassed integrity.Give it up to Rahsaan.
Needless to say...it was the best version of that tune I ever heard. HA!!
IN 1970.....I lived in a apartment building in Boston, a now famous building a lot of us lived in called " Holmes Hall" on Hemenway st in Boston down the street from Berklee. Jam sessions day and night, all kinds of sounds daily and great musicians there.Ray knew Kirk very well and took us down on a Sunday to hang. In the midst of the hang, someone ordered a pizza. The guy shows with the pizza and dropped the change as Roland Kirk paid him. AT THAT POINT....Kirk .reaches down , and picks up the change and hands it to the guy. I had to know how he did that, I asked him. He was still going by the name Roland then, he looks at me and sais " EARS BABY". I am very lucky. He was the musician that influenced me to search out stritch and saxello and expand my woodwind mind set at an early age as well. Thank you sir for that sonic message!
Remembering a late great master innovator, bright moments indeed.
~ Tim Price
Roland Kirk - Rip, Rig & Panic
Roland Kirk - Alfie
Buddy Guy, Jack Bruce, Roland Kirk, Jimmy Hope & Ron Burton Supershow Live
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Tony Martin introduced “All the Things You Are” in Jerome Kern’s last Broadway musical, Very Warm for May, which opened November 17, 1939, and closed after only 59 performances. As a result of bad and spitefulreviews, the Alvin Theater was kind of empty on the second night. But from this emerged what many regard as Kern’s finest composition.
No mater who you play with, study or listen to, this tune is a jazz standard. If you can't play this, you can't play jazz. It's that simple.
If Bach had written a melody like this, chances are it would have been a “cantus firmus” in the bass with counterpoint.
Dave Brubeck - All The Things You Are - 1972http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=g_sREYEBeNg&feature=related
Joe Pass - All the Things You Are
Charlie Parker - All the things you are
Pat Metheny Group - All The Things You Are (live '80)
Jerry Bergonzi - All the things you are
Coleman Hawkins - All the Things You Are
All The Things You Are - Dexter Gordon Quintet
TILL NEXT WEEK, Keep a light in the window and a chilled cucumber vodka martini ready for me- Tim Price
~ In today's world as a creative musician, teacher, recording artist and student you got to learn to hang in there. Music is a beautiful thing, something very important to life and all within. But just like anything else, nobody gives you something for nothing.You have to understand that luck is where your lifelong preparation will join the opportunity. It's not easy either- don't expect because you can play " Giant Steps" or know the inner world of the " Creston Sonata" or have played every bar in the Jersey Shore that you deserve anything.
Before anything, you must love what you do. As Charles Bukowski said," You gotta have the guts." Do what you do and do it to the absolute best of your ability. Bukowski also said, " It’s no good quitting, there is always the smallest bit of light in the darkest of hells." This life can be a roller coaster. Sometimes you will make money,maybe great money. Often very little money and will struggle to get by. A strong work ethic is needed, as well as a strength of will. You also will have to be prepared when opportunity appears. Again- HARD WORK.The ethos behind lateral action is creativity coupled with productivity as the route for success, which also means creatively looking at our productivity. Perhaps sitting and squeezing out every drop of inspiration by sheer force isn’t the best way to get results.Like any productive creative process it’s all about balance and finding a way.
Nobody is entitled anything, remember that, it's HARD WORK to make a living as a musician. You must embrace the music with the pursuit of excellence.You earn it every cent you make. You'll get there by experience, and we ALL pay dues. These are things only time and a two thousand stupid gigs will teach you , or teaching a few days of fourth grade students for a few years. Don't complain-learn from every situation you find yourself in. We're only human- accept criticism without taking it personally. If you have an open mind, you'll learn and grow. You will never know all there is to know,always will be something new to learn.
Know this is a beautiful thing music, but it's also a business.Hang in there-it's no good quitting and your not entitled, but you have a vision in mind. Don't cheat yourself out of something you love.
Till next week-Tim Price
OUR IMAGINATIONS TAKE US TO.....
~ Check the words on the wall drawing from PS 11 in New York City. That was a beautiful start to a Saturday in NYC of mine teaching and playing jazz. IMAGINATIONS! Your imagination allows you to not only see mental images in your mind – You can also imagine physical sensations, feelings and emotions. According to the Dictionary.com: > Imagination – “The faculty of imagining, or of forming mental images or concepts of what is not actually present to the senses.”
“Forming mental images” – now that’s something most of us can relate to. We form mental images in our heads all of the time – How to decorate our home; What our vacation will be like; What we plan on doing over the week-end etc.
OK- Now as musicians, students and educators...Everyone has an imagination.
So why doesn't everyone use it for their own benefit? Imagination in jazz improvising is vital to the personal sound you should be looking to develop. By developing a strong imagination you will be strengthening your creativity. It's what I term with my students and fellow musicians as- IMAGINE THE SOUND! It's that easy, and that fun. Those students in PS 11 know- and know the deal of using your imagination. Your imagination is the search engine of your thoughts - It is where creativity begins.
Saturday night in New York City- we had a great gig. The3ed tune of the first set I called "Yesterdays" by Jerome Kern. On my my favorite tunes. After my solo, I heard a familiar voice next to me. BOB MOVER!! He wanted to play "Yesterdays " with me.
Bob comes up- we immediately get into a counterpoint between the two of us. Inspiration and deep mutual respect. I know Bobby sense 1970!) take hold and it is on! Bob wanted to sit in on a few tunes, the vibe on the bandstand/music was right there for him.He asked " Tim is it ok if I blow some more?"...I said play as much as you want Bobby. HE HUNG ALL NIGHT AND PLAYED TILL 3:00 WITH US. Kim Garey, Ryan Anselmi and Kerong Chok all had a great inspiration time on Saturday. Check the photos below this blog please.
This is where it all begins. You have to play, you have to involve the music with your thougfhts and dreams. And- IMAGINATION! Bob and I used to play in Boston, at a pianists pad named Rick Aronson. Long days urned into nights that never ended- Bob hipped me to guys like Nicky Hill the great Chicago tenor sax legend as well as our conversations were always so memorable. A treasured soul and life long brother in jazz.
The instant energy/inspiration and simpatico...I tell Ryan Anselmi and my people a lot about. It can't be taught in a book- the bandstand is the only place for it to be done. We played 4sets and it was beautiful. Drummer and musician of highest standards Kim Garey is pictured behind Bob in 2ed picture.
FYI- Bob played with Chet Baker, Mingus, Walter Bishop Jr and recorded with Lee konitz among others. You get my drift I hope :)
TO ME- this is what is most important.
I've known Bob Mover from 1970 on....this is a great thing when you can play and share on the bandstand. It's what what I strive for...and sometghing that CAN NOT be taught in a classroom or book. It's a shared life long experience. THANKS BOB MOVER...he is a beautiful human being/life long friend.
Thanks to Bob Mover and " Soulful Tenor Madness" and those students of PS11. Keep your dreams alive my friends.
~ TIM PRICE
THE STUDENTS OF PS11...KNOW THE REAL DEAL!
 BOB MOVER SITTING IN WITH " SOULFUL TENOR MADNESS" ON SATURDAY IN NYC ;
SELECTING A TEACHER
Initially you probably will need a teacher to steer you in the right direction; to give you some sense of the quality of your sound and performance; some feedback to help orient you in the right direction. Let us not forget- Analysis of classical piano scores or playing with classical CD'S is another source of ideas. You might see the way Shostakovitch creates his harmonic fabrics.... Or whatever is interesting to you. By continuing to work with focus on the same things from day to day, by following the thread of your explorations, you will find that your level of proficiency has risen and expanded to include all the sources you have examined. At this point you have LONG TERM GAIN. Just as playing every night results in the development of style, practicing every day results in the acquisition of technique, musical knowledge and intelligence, improved tone, and stamina. A general panacea. Just the quest to continuously find something to practice will increase your creativity. It always amazes me when someone says "I don't have anything to practice" or "I don't know what to practice". There are so many variations of scales, melodies, and melodic patterns, not to mention 12 keys. So many sounds to make, articulations, songs to learn, music to listen to and analyze, technical problems to sort out. The only limitation is your focus, consistency and inventiveness. At this point it would be good to point out that there are certain proficiency which are generally expected of an accomplished musician.To one degree or another, a musician is understood to have the following skills: Good intonation and ability to blend with other instruments, 2-3 octave range(saxophone), technique in all keys, accurate articulation and rhythm, some reading ability (this varies greatly), knowledge of harmony and familiarity with the keyboard, the ability to improvise over different types of thematic material, a beautiful melodic tone, A teacher can instigate this and inspire you to go beyond your own visions. The teacher will mirror your playing , pointing out and hopefully giving you the means to continue working on your own. A good teacher will also demonstrate when necessary to provide inspiration. Watch out, however, for instructors who keep a student in a state of dependency. Perpetual students who don't achieve the ability to work and progress on their own are the unfortunate result of poor teaching and possibly the desire for a long term source on income on the part of the instructor. Kind of like a psychiatrist keeping you feeling crazy so you have to keep coming. This why development of a DAILY PRACTICE is the first and most important goal of study. The ability to maintain this practice is the most important indicator of you development as a musician, so select a teacher who will help you work toward this goal. Your teacher should be strict but gentle, capable of great support and enthusiasm for your work. Any suggestions, comments and input- please drop a few words on these thoughts.
Till next week- stay cool calm and collected- Tim Price
The Mysticism of Sound and Music/ What A Wonderful World....Tim Price Blog For Rico Reeds.
This book is a compilation of the teachings of Hazrat Inayat Khan. Born in India, Khan was a firm believer that life responds to sound as vibration. All else flows from this. The book contains chapters on topics such as: the music of the spheres, color and sound, music in Indian culture, music of the dervishes, dance and music, music and psychology, the healing powers of music, memory, will, reason, intuition and dreams, the Ego, inspiration, and the value of repetition. FWIW- Khan did not write these selections as a book; instead, they were collected and organized from various lectures and articles that he prepared dating from about 1913 to 1926. The editors have managed to create a cohesive text from very disparate sources. Some ideas are presented repeatedly, but unlike so many similar compilations of articles by other authors, the presentation of Khan's ideas in this book are consistent each time they are mentioned. I picked up this book because align with many other books musicians talked about be it Hindemith's theory of harmony or The Horn by John Clellon Holmes..this book by Khan seemed fascinating. When I first read it a few decades ago, I loved the content but some went by me.
There is a picture on the cover of Khan playing the vina. Reading this book has given me a much greater understanding of and appreciation for how music is central to Indian practices and beliefs. Which many esoteric musician authors draw from,the book is full of little surprises, it is an insightful study into the spiritual meaning of music.
It is wonderful book that should be read by any musician and/or student of music.
HAPPY 4TH OF JULY TO ALL YOU READING THIS BLOG- ENJOY THIS GREAT WEATHER.
Till next week-
I quote the great LOUIS ARMSTRONG –“What a Wonderful World”. ~ Tim Price
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