The generally impressive, BBC radio documentary celebrating what would have been Gene Krupa’s 100th birthday was, I’m told, supposed to be a four-part series. However, in that the last part ended somewhere around 1946, the powers-that-be, I am told, believed that an episode five, covering Gene’s small group work from 1951 until 1973, was in order. Unfortunately for stateside fans, though the first four parts were and are pretty easily accessed on the net, but for some unknown reason, episode five is just not available.

But Krupa fan, drummer and good colleague, Richard Pite, has responded to my request to get a copy of this elusive program, which I hope to be able to share with JazzLegends.com visitors. I’ve just listened to it, and I have to say that I strongly, strongly disagree with some of the statements made on the show.

I am pleased and honored to have been a part of this project, and it turns out that the majority of my verbal contributions were utilized on Episode Five. Host and drummer Stewart Copeland, who did a generally fine job throughout, seems to have taken issue with my comments about the importance of Gene’s drumming in the small group setting, and the value of the small groups themselves. Whether this was his opinion or the opinion of the script writers remains a question, but Copeland’s talk about Gene’s small group work not being easily obtainable, and that his drumming could be heard to better advantage in a big band setting, are just misguided. This comes from a guy who admits that he never saw Gene in person, and who certainly knows nothing about the dozens of CDs and DVDs on JazzLegends.com that feature Gene in a small group. It’s also pretty clear that he never viewed the “Gene Krupa Jazz Legend” or “Gene Krupa Swing Swing Swing” DVDs, or he would have known better. I know for certain that the producers and writers of these programs are pretty regular visitors to the JazzLegends.com site, so these comments must have come from Copeland himself. It makes you wonder why–other than for his “name” value–he hosted the darn program at all.

As I said on the program,  Gene spent the years 1951 until 1973, some 22 years, as the leader of a succession of marvelous small groups. This, in fact, was actually more time than his tenure as a big band drummer with Goodman and his own combinations. Sadly, his small group years are generally ignored, at least by so-called “critics.” Fans, fortunately, love the stuff, which is only one reason that we’ve literally gone to the ends of the earth to find previously undiscovered small group material.  Not “easily obtainable?”  I think not.

Writer Gary Giddins, one of the great authors and musicologists in jazz history, also says some things that, to me, hit a wrong note. He says that Gene’s small group years “lacked direction,” and also tells how saddened he was at Gene’s appearance at the Randall’s Island jazz festival in New York city (probably around 1965) where he claimed Gene had to get up, bend over and hit the light switch that turned the power on to the two spot lights that illuminated that ace drummer man during his solo. First of all, this event was reviewed in the press and no mention was made of such a thing. Secondly, anyone who knows anything about Gene Krupa and the spotlights knows that he used a foot switch to turn the power on to the lights.

And what of this nonsense about “direction?” In terms of the 1950s and 1960s, did Oscar Peterson’s Trios have direction?: Did Dizzy’s jiving on “Swing Low Sweet Cadillac” have direction? Did Roy Eldridge’s or Coleman Hawkins’ small groups have direction? How about Benny Goodman’s or Teddy Wilson’s or Lionel Hampton’s. The direction of 1930s and 1940s swing era stars was, quite simply, to keep working. And Gene did it with class, with top sidemen and playing top-flight jazz all the while. The script writers also seem to have taken some kind of an issue with the fact that Gene featured and backed the harmonica of Eddie Shu from time to time. Perhaps Eddie and Gene were ahead of their time, anticipating the great popularity and critical success of Toots Thieleman’s harmonica playing with and without Quincy Jones.

Eddie Shu is the only Krupa small group member mentioned, and to omit names like Charlie Ventura, John Bunch, Ronnie Ball, Carmen Leggio, Dave Frishberg and many others, just doesn’t make much sense. Gene played for 22 years, on and off, with these guys.

Other sections of Episode Five work well. The Krupa/Rich association is nicely detailed, though it could have been mentioned that they recorded three albums with each other, and the Krupa/Goodman final reunions were treated nicely, as were Gene’s last days.

Comments from the players, which included Peter Criss, Ed Shaughnessy and Loren Schoenberg, were pretty on the mark. That’s how it usually is, isn’t it?

Again, we will try to do everything possible to make Episode Five, whatever your verdict, available. — Bruce Klauber
.

As a professional musician since childhood, I’ve been intimately acquainted with fast food restaurants, past and present, for years. In many cities and towns, the burger chain was often the only place open after the gig, and/or the one locale where the band could grab a quick and cheap sandwich on a 20-minute break.

I’m certain that our JazzLegends.com visitors would agree that in many locales, it’s still that way.

A partial list of these musicians’ havens through the seasons would include Hot Shoppes, Jr., Burger King, Burger Chef, Roy Rogers, Steak and Shake, Gino’s, Jack-in-the-Box, McDonald’s, Wendy’s, Arby’ s, White Castle, White Tower, Taco Bell, Hardees, Bob’s Big Boy, Steer Inn, and Carl’s, Jr. I’m certain there were others.

I ate at all of them, and I still like to stop in a new venue or sample an old standby’s latest concoction. So I couldn’t ignore the hype surrounding Arby’s new RoastBurger. After all, with catchlines like “Like Burgers? You’ll Love This,” and “Burgers Done Better,” how could I resist? And just maybe I’d discover an alternative to Five Guys’ ground beef heaven.

Although Arby’s specialty is roast beef, it should know something about hamburgers, as the parent company, Triarc Company, Inc., also owns Wendy’s. The Wendy’s/Arby’s Group, as it’s called, is the third largest quick-serving restaurant company–those in the biz don’t use the words “fast food”–in the industry, with about 10,000 restaurants in their system. 3,750 of them are Arby’s, which opened its first restaurant in 1964. The Wendy’s/Arby’s motto? “Serving fresh ideas daily.” One cannot, however, eat an idea.

As for Arby’s roast beef itself, it is, to put it gently, an acquired taste. It is not delicatessen meat as we know it, rather, a very thinly sliced, someone gelatinous-textured product that doesn’t have much taste of its own. Some years back, in response to rumors about just what the roast beef actually was, an Arby’s quality assurance manager named Jim Lowder confirmed that “Arby’s roast beef “consists entirely of beef.” The Arby’s web site gives more details. “Ingredients list/Roast Beef: Trimmed Boneless Beef Chunks (Minimum 70%) Combined With Chopped Beef For a Maximum of 12% Fat. Contains up to 9.0% of a Self-Basting Solution of Water, Salt, Sodium Phosphate.”

Still, given that Arby’s has some expertise in the world of meat, the presumption would be that it would make one heck of a hamburger. The photos of the sandwich at the drive-through look great, the various choices–All-American, Bacon/Blue Cheese and Bacon and Cheddar–sound appetizing, and that business about “Like Burgers? You’ll Love This” is definitely a great come-on.

The truth is, Arby’s RoastBurger, which went on sale February 17, is not a hamburger. It is a standard, Arby’s roast beef sandwich with what are supposed to be burger-like toppings. In short, it is an overpriced (over $6.00 for a regular sandwich and a small drink) and falsely advertised product that the company should be ashamed of. Unless you’ve seen their newly-launched television commercial or visited the Arby’s web site, customers would have no idea that a RoastBurger was not a burger.

Arby’s is calling this product–a roast beef sandwich with toppings–“a new face in fast food.” It seems that in a recent Kelton Research survey, 55 percent of burger fans complain about meat’s greasiness, and 40 percent moan about dryness. With the arrival of the Roastburger, “fast food fans finally have a refreshing departure from the standard burger,” according to the powers that be in R & D.

“Roastburgers offer a tasty new way for burger lovers to satisfy their cravings while avoiding burger boredom,” according to Steve Davis, Arby’s Chief Marketing Officer. “At Arby’s, we’re always looking for new ways to offer our customers something different and better in fast food.”

Arby’s Public Relations Director Kathy Siefert also takes the party line. “We wouldn’t let you down with a fried, greasy burger,” Siefert said in response to my complaints. “Roastburgers are made with our classic oven roasted, thinly sliced roast beef that Arby’s has been synonymous with for more than 44 years. While Arby’s Roastburgers feature ‘burger inspired’ flavors, our television commercials clearly show roast beef sandwiches that offer an alternative to the boring, greasy standard hamburger.”

“Burger inspired?” How about a real hamburger?

Arby’s clearly needs to do something. Their fourth quarter revenues were down 8.5. percent, mainly due to competition from other fast food restaurants that offered deep discounts. “Arby’s is having problems attracting people with its current menu portfolio,” says BloggingStocks.com. “The value menu at Wendy’s, on the other hand, seems to be a strategy that is working. Customers are coming in, ready to get a deal on those delicious, although not-so-healthy, square-shaped burgers. So, if the company wants to improve its situation, it’s going to have to get serious about fixing Arby’s.”

The RoastBurger is not the solution. Musicians beware! — Bruce Klauber: March 4, 2009

One of the most beautiful things about Naples, Florida, is its individual and collective attitude, if a city can have such a thing. Apt descriptions of this Naples state of mind would likely include phrases like “laid back,” everything “on an even keel,” etc. In short, everything and everybody in Naples is just darned nice.

From time to time, however, there is a need for a change of energy, a shot of adrenalin, a surge of excitement and, shall we say, a modification of attitude. Joy Adams and I experienced all this quite recently, and it came from an unlikely source, if only because we didn’t know we needed this energy shot until we got where we were going. The place was Palm Beach, Florida, a locale we’ve not visited for ten years. Friends from the north were visiting Palm Beach, and we decided to meet them for lunch, and then drive back to Naples. Our lunch visit lasted almost three days.

Because Palm Beach exists virtually as its own universe–Joy characterizes it as “a different country”–it also has its own energy. The wealth, the fashion, the beauty, the grace, the gentility, and yes, the excitement of it all combined, at least in our case, to inspire and lift the spirit. Like every city of every size, Palm Beach has changed somewhat in terms of gearing itself a bit more to the younger contingent. But Worth Avenue is still Worth Avenue (and more beautiful than we recall), the pristinely restored and majestic Breakers is still The Breakers, Ta-boo’ restaurant remains one of the culinary and social epicenters of the island, and Ta-boo’ co-owner Franklyn deMarco is still the host of hosts.

For us, one of the major contributors to the Palm Beach charm factor, was The Bradley Park Hotel, and we happened on this jewel of a property quite by accident. When we decided on an overnight stay, we first checked The Palm Beach Hotel, where our friends were installed, for a vacancy. They were filled, but when asked to recommend a place in “the neighborhood,” the suggestion was Bradley Park.

This hotel, quite simply, is a certifiable gem that personifies the grace and charm of old Palm Beach. And they had a vacancy.

Now 85 years old and meticulously restored, the hotel accurately describes itself as a charming, intimate and historic boutique property that offers “traditional values in hospitality, blended with an original expression of the past and present.” The 32 guest rooms and suites are beautifully appointed, many with features like full kitchens, European linens, bathrobes, DVD players, surround sound and much more. There is a wonderful, gourmet grocery, C’est Si Bon, on the premises (Joy now swears by their coffee) and a to-die-for Asian fusion restaurant, Coco’s, on the premises. The hotel’s Royal Palm and Bradley Suites on the penthouse level, have to be seen to be believed. All of us who saw the unbelievable penthouse deck clearly and quickly envisioned throwing a spectacular private party there, with entertainment, of course, by the Joy Adams/Bruce Klauber Orchestra.

Deservedly, the facility has been designated as an historical landmark by the Palm Beach Historical Society. Its Mediterranean Revival architecture is indicative of the gracious, tropical lifestyle of Palm Beach. Adding to the beautiful picture is a central courtyard, café tables and a trickling fountain. Arched entryways and expansive suites opening to landscaped balconies complete the experience. Yes, it is luxurious, but without stuffiness or pretense of any kind.

Charm and gentility factors notwithstanding, service is what makes a hotel — of any size and in any locale — work. The staff of The Bradley Park Hotel sincerely cares about its guests, and I got the sense, early on, that they would do anything within their power to make a guest happy. While moving into our room, I encountered one of the managers in the elevator, with his hands literally filled with pots and pans.”What’s up, Peter?” I asked. (It does not take long for everyone to know everyone’s name here.) “Well,” a lady on your floor wants to cook spaghetti in her room tonight, so I just gathered up everything she might need.”

Service, indeed. Coincidently, that lady also drove over from Naples that afternoon, and had come to Palm Beach to participate in a croquet tournament.

After a full day of more shopping and more beauty, we had no choice but to ask if there were a vacancy for another night. Fortunately, there was, and if we didn’t have a commitment back in Naples Friday evening, we might still be there.

The Palm Beach energy jolt remains within, especially because we’re now aware there’s a warm, welcoming and charming place for us there, in the form of The Bradley Park Hotel, when we return. If there’s a vacancy, that is.

General Manager Melissa Payson deserves a good deal of credit for overseeing operations at the hotel, which includes supervision of the restoration. I fervently believe that any staff takes on the attitude of management, which certainly explains why everyone involved at The Bradley Park Hotel is so wonderful.

Incidently, if only because this is JazzLegends.com, I would be personally and professionally remiss if I didn’t tell of the rather active jazz scene in Palm Beach. For information on clubs, schedules and festivals, log on to the web site of The Jazz Arts Music Society of Palm Beach at: www.JamSociety.org.

The Bradley Park Hotel is located 280 Sunset Avenue, Palm Beach, FL, 33480. Telephone: 800-822-4116 or 561-832-7050. Visit on the web at www.BradleyParkHotel.com.

Jazzlegends.com is proud to announce the release of a Louie Bellson tribute DVD, which spans the years 1947 to 1989. This is comprised of raw footage from 1947 (with Hampton, Goodman, Barnet, etc.), 1951 (with Ellington), a 1957 drum solo, a 1957 drum battle (with Hampton and Don Lamond!), a 1975 drum battle with Buddy Rich, a 1969 drum solo from a JATP in Europe concert, and extended footage of a 1989 concert in Bern, Germany that featured Buddy DeFranco, Don Menza, Conti Condoli and more. Also included — with time code–is the Bellson tribute video, narrated by Ed Bradley, originally produced in 1998 to celebrate the Zildjian Lifetime Achievement Award given to Louie in that year. A fitting tribute to The Maestro.

Louie Bellson, master drummer, composer, arranger, educator and the last of the certifiable swing era percussion stars, passed away on Februrary 14 at the age of 84.

As a player and as a human being, there will never, ever be another like him. Whether at a clinic, a master class, recording session, or after a performance, he took the time to answer every question, sign every autograph, and fulfill every request. He spoke ill of no one.

His playing was just like he was. Beyond category, eras or labels. Stylistically, his was an “all-purpose” way of playing that fit with everything. Though grounded in swing, and indeed, his first major job was with Benny Goodman, this was an artist who played with everyone from Louis Armstrong and Harry James to Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie. Technically, most percussion experts agree that he was the only one who could come close to equalling Buddy Rich’s speed and dexterity. And via his ground-breaking use of two bass drums, he took Buddy’s technique a step beyond.

But whatever he played, and no matter what the setting, he never let his technique get in the way of taste. He played for the situation, and in his long and varied career, “the situation” included a lot of session work, backing the likes of Sammy Davis, Jr. and Tony Bennett, subbing for “The Tonight Show” orchestra, or acting as musical director for his first wife, entertainer Pearl Bailey.

Born Luigi Paulino Alfredo Francesco Antonio Balassoni on July 6, 1924, in Rock Falls, Illinois, Bellson’s interest in drums began at the age of three. As a teen, he came up with the idea of using another bass drum as a part of the drum kit and in fact, his design for it won him an ‘A’ in high school art class (the problem was getting a drum company to build a kit to his specs, until the Gretsch Drum Company stepped forward several years later). In 1941, he won the national Gene Krupa Drum Contest sponsored by Slingerland drums, beating out more than 40,000 other drummers.

His first major job was with the big band of Ted FioRito, then Benny Goodman grabbed him in 1942. During the 1940s, he spent most of his time in the bands of Goodman and Tommy Dorsey, with several timeouts to lead his own small
groups.

In the early 1950s, Louie Bellson made history.

In 1951, Duke Ellington was running into problems. Three of his biggest stars–drummer Sonny Greer, alto saxophonist Johnny Hodges and trombonist Lawrence Brown left Duke to work in a small group led by Hodges. The savvy Ellington raided the Harry James band that year–the caper was known as “the great James robbery”–and enticed altoist Willie Smith, valve trombonist Juan Tizol and drummer Bellson to join the Ellington band. The drummer is generally credited as reviving Duke’s band and inspiring it to swing like it never did before. And, Duke encouraged Bellson’s composing and arranging talents, performing and recording what became two, Duke Ellington hits, “Skin Deep” and “The Hawk Talks.”

A year later, he made national headlines when he married entertainer Pearl Bailey. In 1952, tolerance for interracial marriage was not at a particularly high level, in this country, and those early years, spent in the public spotlight, were not easy for them. Still, the union flourished and lasted until Bailey’s death in 1990.

Over the years, he returned to the Ellington fold from time to time on an as-needed basis, often for Duke’s special Sacred Concerts. Likewise, he frequently deputized in the bands of Count Basie, Harry James, Woody Herman and countless others.

In the 1970s and 1980s, he became more involved in leading — and composing and arranging for–his own orchestras, and in the jazz education movement. He’s written over a dozen drum instruction books and participated in a number of videos. SInce the 1970s, he’s been the recipient of numerous awards, among the first being named a “Duke Ellington Fellow” by Yale University in 1977.

He continued playing, composing and recording until just a few months ago, with his final CD a collaboration with trumpeter Clark Terry.

Hudson Music and yours truly were involved in a number of performance-oriented and instructional projects with Louie Bellson through the years. He added wonderful commentary on the “Gene Krupa: Jazz Legend” project, and he narrated the monumental, “Legends of Jazz Drumming” videos. And along with Roy Haynes, Elvin Jones and Max Roach, he was the subject of the 1998 Zildjian Lifetime Achievement Awards video. Whatever the project, he was, without exception, knowledgeable, thoughtful, enthusiastic, tireless, encouraging, funny, and always swinging. In one session of filming. Bellson commented on almost 100 drummers in jazz history, including a number of contemporary players. He knew what they all contributed, and spoke of how they all were and are important. Like Gene Krupa, Bellson was a perpetual student, always listening and always learning. Personally? He personified the world “gentleman.” Whenever we saw each other, he always told me how important my work was and how much of a contribution I continued making.

Louie Bellson is survived by his wife, Francine, who helped guide her husband’s career since their marriage in 1991. “Francine has been a blessing to me,” Bellson said some years back. “I’m a man who got two blessings–with Pearl 38 years and I thought that was the end but–here comes Francine. She’s been so great. When Pearl passed away, the first two years I was OK during the day, but at nighttime when I wasn’t performing, I was lonesome. All of sudden Francine came, and I thought I was hallucinating. But she brought me back to reality again.”

Rest in peace, Maestro. And keep swingin’.

Dr. Bruce H. Klauber

This is a review of Wynton Marsalis and The Jazz at the Lincoln Center Orchestra. They appeared in concert at The Naples (FL) Philharmonic Center for the Arts on Sunday, January 25, 2009. I urge you to see them if they come anywhere close to your neck of the woods.

You would have thought you were listening to Duke Ellington in person.

The Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, lead by Grammy and Pulitzer Prize-winning trumpeter Wynton Marsalis, rivals any big band–past or present–in terms of musicianship, inventiveness and precision. The program presented at the sold-out house at the Phil on Sunday evening was a varied one, stylistically and chronologically, but the spirit of The Duke was definitely in the air.

This group, and big bands in general, occupy a singular place in the jazz industry as of 2009. Indeed, the late trumpeter Maynard Ferguson was the last “name” leader of a regularly touring jazz big band. His death in 2006 marked the end of a time when big bands criss-crossed the country as much as 50 weeks out of the year, appearing in clubs, festivals, whatever ballrooms still existed, concerts, and in high schools and colleges. Though Ferguson may have been the “last of the road Mohicans,” big bands are still very much with us. Some have regular residencies in nightclubs and some are put together for special occasions. A select few, like Marsalis’ outfit are affiliated with cultural arts institutions, in this case, Lincoln Center. That sponsorship gives them a lucrative and secure home base, funds to commission original orchestrations, and enables them to tour a few months of the year.

The mission of the 12-year-old group, like the ideals of its leader, is a lofty one. It is dedicated to promoting the appreciation and understanding of jazz through performance, education and preservation.. By the concert’s end, there was no doubt that their mission, on every level, was successfully fulfilled. The performance was stellar, the audience learned plenty from it, and the orchestra demonstrated a reverence for jazz history.

The outspoken leader, who has often been criticized for his opinions on what jazz is and what jazz is not — and who the “real” jazz players were and are — has long been dedicated to making audiences aware of legendary artists like Charlie Parker, Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington. He is tireless in his devotion to the music and the promotion of it, with the result being that he has brought the jazz tradition into the lives of thousands of people who may not have known about it, appreciated it or listened to it otherwise. Whether one agrees with his opinions or not, Marsalis has done more for the cause of jazz than anyone in the last 25 years. Just as one example, his participation in Ken Burns’ documentary on jazz for PBS helped bring the history of American’s only original art form into millions of homes.

But what makes Marsalis and the orchestra so impressive is that, despite their respect for jazz history, they do not dwell totally in the past.

The leader’s dedication to making jazz more accessible to a wide audience was evidenced by the compositions performed in the first half of the program. The theme? Nursery rhymes arranged for a jazz orchestra. Even the most ardent non-jazz fan had to recognize a song like “Rubber Ducky.”

But what a “Rubber Ducky” it was. As arranged by trombonist Vincent Gardner, this “Ducky” morphed into a slow, Latin-oriented cadence, replete with Ellington-like trumpet growls, and a nice, straight-ahead solo by Marsalis.

The venerable “This Old Man,” orchestrated in waltz time by reedman Walter Blandings, again showed the Ellington influence, highlighted by the reed section briefly doubling on clarinet, and a great tenor saxophone solo by Ted Nash.

“It’s Not Easy Being Green,” the gentle, Kermit the Frog anthem, was arranged by Ali Jackson, Jr. Surprisingly, Jackson is the band’s very musical drummer, and it’s refreshing to know that the song he chose to arrange was something sensitive, as opposed to a flag-waving drum feature. This was the first tune that didn’t sound like an Ellington arrangement. In fact, it was more Count Basie-oriented. Jackson, was a driving yet sensitive percussionist throughout the evening. His chart of “Being Green” nicely displayed his sensitive side.

Bassist Carlos Enriquez’ chart of “Brahams Lullaby” was another inventive opus that ended up in the loping, clave’, Latin rhythm, with a wonderful baritone saxophone solo by Paul Nedzela. Nedzela, who earned a Masters Degree from Julliard last year and has played with everyone from Frank Sinatra, Jr., to Benny Golson, has a huge and beautiful tone on the big horn. Like Ellington’s Harry Carney, who played baritone with The Duke for almost 47 years, Nedzela is really the player who gives this band its bottom and holds it together.

The band took a stylistic detour on Mr. Rogers’ “I Like to Take My Time,” arranged by saxophonist Sherman Irby. This was a conventional, west coast jazzlike swinger that could have been charted by Shorty Rogers.

Marsalis, who never, ever hogged the solo limelight, was featured on the last tune before intermission. He played a number of blazing choruses, with just rhythm section backing, on an unnamed tune that was based on the chord changes of the old swing stalwart, “Cherokee.” The trumpeter, who is equally at home playing classical music, writing opera, or recording with Willie Nelson, demonstrated here that he can and does swing with the best of them.

The second half of the program was devoted to the Lincoln Center’s re-creations and interpretations of some of the classic, but often neglected, orchestrations in jazz history. Marsalis prefaced this half of the program by saying, “Our country has not recognized the value of swing.” Be that as it may, The Phil audience surely did after the band’s performance of arranger Jimmy Mundy’s “Fiesta in Brass.” This 1930s era chart, written by a man who wrote for bands like Gene Krupa and Benny Goodman, sounded as fresh as today in the hands of the Lincoln Center Orchestra as it must have in the 1930s. Victor Goines tenor saxophone solo, much in the style of Ellington’s Paul Gonsalves, really swung this one.

Benny Carter, the legendary arranger and multi-instrumentalist who died at the age of 96 in 2003–and who was the last jazz musician to receive a Kennedy Center honor–arranged a version of “All of Me” in 1940. Carter was an expert at writing for reed sections, and almost 70 years after this was written, it is still nearly impossible to play. It holds up beautifully and is testament to Carter’s ageless talents. Pianist Dan Nimmer’s homage to Errol Garner and Vincent Gardner’s trombone solo were standouts.

Billy Strayhorn, Duke Ellington’s long-time arranger and alter-ego, made an arrangement of George Gershwin’s “Rhapsody in Blue” that utilized the rare talents of the Ellington band to their fullest This could have been Ellington playing at The Phil, as all the soloists sounded like the legends in Dukes’ band. Walter Blanding recalled Ellington saxophonists Ben Webster and Paul Gonsalves, alto saxophonist Sherman Irby echoed Johnny Hodges, and Sean Jones’ trumpet mimicked Cootie Williams. Duke would have been proud.

There’s nothing like a conventional blues to help rock any house, and saxophonist Ted Nash’s orchestration of “Blues in the Night,” written by Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer, was right on house-rocking target. Nash’s influence as an arranger comes from beyond the swing era. He has evidently listened to writers like Thad Jones and Bob Brookmeyer, who are more concerned with voicings than sheer swing. The soloists, however, particularly a long and rocking one by saxophonist Victor Goines, really got The Phil audience going.

The closer was another Ellington tune, the relatively obscure “Braggin’ in Brass,” written in 1938, but “still hard to play,” said Marsalis. This fast, two-beat swinger featured muted trumpets and muted trombones in passages that were seemingly technically impossible to play correctly. Marsalis effortlessly soloed, in a few stop-time choruses above all the sections, and played with a sense of ease that made listeners feel there was nothing he couldn’t play.

Wynton Marsalis has few equals as a trumpeter and as a bandleader. Each and every one of his introductions served as mini-lectures on jazz history, and I’d bet more than one Phil audience member will be going out to buy an Ellington, Benny Carter–or Wynton Marsalis–CD tomorrow. The motto of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra is ” bringing people together through swing.”

It did.

GORDON ‘WHITEY’ MITCHELL DIES AT 76

I am deeply saddened to report the death of Gordon “Whitey” Mitchell, who died of cancer on January 18th. JazzLegends.com visitors are more than familiar with Whitey’s work with The Gene Krupa Jazz Quartet. That particular edition of Gene’s group, which lasted through much of 1955, included Gene, Whitey, Bobby Scott and Eddie Shu. It was one of Krupa’s finest small units and fortunately, their concert sets at Jazz at the Philharmonic are well-preserved on CD.

Whitey performed with a bunch of other greats through the years, including Andre Previn, Mat Matthews, Gene Quill, Herbie Mann, Tony Scott and J.J. Johnson. He recorded one session as a leader in 1956, and two years later, recorded with his brother, bassist Red Mitchell, and trumpeter Blue Mitchell on something aptly called “The Mitchells. He left music in 1965 to work full time as a comedy writer.

As the story goes, several letters he wrote to Down Beat magazine came to the attention of no less than Lenny Bruce, who encouraged him to go into comedy writing. Starting in the mid-1960s, he began writing for some of the legendary programs in television history, such as “Get Smart,” “The Jeffersons,” “All in the Family,” “Mork and Mindy,” “Good Times,” and “The Mary Tyler Moore Show.” If you ever wondered why several of those shows seemed to be so hip, “Get Smart” in particular, now you know.

He moved to Palm Desert in the mid-1990s and began playing bass again. He was even better and more swinging than he was in 1955.

Some seasons back, I got a call from Whitey, who heard that I had some rare audio of the Krupa Quartet. We began talking on the telephone frequently, and I found him to be one of the most intelligent and literate folks I ever met. At the same time, I was thinking about going out to Palm Springs to do some archival video interviews with a bunch of industry people who relocated out there, including Marie Rich and Frankie Randall. Whitey spoke of how nice the jazz scene was in Palm Springs and Palm Desert, and that he had a great gig at a club there, which, if memory serves, was owned by a one-time Playboy Bunny. He said, “When you come out, get in touch and you’ll sit in.”

“Sit-in,” to me, were and are the magic words. My long-time personal and professional colleague (and jazz singing great) Joy Adams and I decided to get out there as soon as possible. Whitey and his wife, Marilyn, were charming. We spent a good deal of time in their lovely home, and also a good deal of time in the jazz club where he was playing with a certifiably swinging group.

One night at the club, it seemed that the creme de la creme of Palm Desert celebrity were seated at the table along with The Mitchells and us, including the legendary agent, Norby Walters and the equally legendary singer, Jack Jones.

I remember specifically that Jones didn’t crack a smile all night. Until, that is, Joy Adams sang. He told me later on in the evening, knowing that I wrote and co-produced the videos on Buddy Rich, that he never really got over Buddy’s death and was never the same afterward.

To be asked to guest at the drums with Whitey Mitchell, a giant of a player , was a singular honor, especially because he had played with Krupa and always said how much he loved Gene’s playing. He later told me how much he liked my playing and that there would always be work for Joy and me if we ever decided to move out to the desert.

After that, we lost touch. A month or two ago, someone told me he had written his autobiography, and I thought that would be an appropriate time to look him up again. I didn’t, and I’m sorry about it.

I’ll miss him. And so will jazz.

A MEMORABLE NIGHT FOR JAZZ

Since I’ve been writing these columns, I have frequently touted Naples, FL, as having one of the healthiest jazz scenes in the country.  The evening of Wednesday, January 14, was in indicative of this.  It was truly a night to remember for Naples jazz lovers.  And there are a lot of Naples jazz lovers. I’m posting my review of the concert in this space, as it would have been a night to remember for all fans of jazz.

STU SHELTON AND FRIENDS

Jazz aficionados packed the Unity of Naples Church  Wednesday in a memorable and swinging concert presented by noted area pianist, Stu Shelton.  Though most of these artists who performed-and there were ten of them in all-perform locally, there is  no doubt that their playing is as good or better than any “national”  artist on the jazz scene.  Gauging by the level of response from the sold-out house, the audience agreed.

Shelton presented a varied and satisfying program of swing, bop, and touches of modernism. The players on hand were presented in various groupings to spotlight their unique talents.  The only constant throughout was Shelton, who played for everyone.

The first three numbers-Milt Jackson’s”Bluesology,” Rame De Pal’s “I Remember April” and Lester Young’s swinger “Lester Leaps In”-featured drummer Patricia Dean, vibraharpist “Sir John” Jeffrey and bassist Dan Heck. “Sir John” was the certifiable highlight of this set.  His energy and sense of swing on the vibes often evoked Lionel Hampton and Terry Gibbs, but he remains, after years on the scene here, his own man. 

“Alone Together,” written by Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz; and Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s “My Shining Hour” featured an impeccable trio of Dean,  Dan Heck on guitar this time, and the maestro.  Heck, out of the Wes Montgomery school. was incredible, with impeccable technique and wonderful ideas.  

Cole Porter’s “Everytime We Say Goodbye,”  Bernice Petkere’s “Close Your Eyes” and Ellington’s venerable “Take the A Train,” were performed by the duo of Dean, singing and playing drums simultaneously, and Shelton. Dean is a real talent.  One of the few female jazz drummers around, and she’s a solid and tasteful player.  As a vocalist, she’s charming and sometimes recalls the young Nancy Wilson.

Another popular Naples vocalist, Rebecca Richardson, joined the group, with guitarist Heck returning, for a medley of “Nana” and “Daydream,” followed by the old Fats Waller stalwart, “Honeysuckle Rose. Richardson has a pure and beautiful tone that’s a joy to hear, and it was put to effective use in the hypnotic medley of Manuel De Salla’s “Nana” and Duke Ellington’s “Day Dream. 

After an intermission, singer Carla Valenti, Shelton and drummer John Lamb performed Billie Holiday’s fondly remembered “God Bless the Child,” done as an up-tempo swinger; Shirley Horn’s touching “Here’s to Life” and Ellington’s “I’m Beginning to See the Light.”  Valenti’s commanding stage presence and obvious professionalism has won her a strong and devoted following in Naples for some years. She was and is clearly an audience favorite.

Stu Shelton introduced trumpeter Bob Zottola by saying how much Zottola has done and how hard he has worked to open up and expand the jazz scene in Naples.  Indeed, Zottola’s Expandable Jazz Band, with Shelton, saxophonist Jerry Zawicki, drummer John Lamb and Shelton, often works seven nights per week to consistently crowded and enthusiastic  houses.  This group’s repertoire comprises swing, bop and compositions from the “Great American Songbook.”  The three songs they played-Lennie Niehaus’ “Bunko,” Illinois Jacquet’s “Robbin’s Nest” and Clifford Brown’s “Tiny Capers”-were three great examples of tight, clean and swinging mainstream jazz.  Zottola’s range and ability to invent, night after night after night, is extraordinary.  Saxophonist Zawicki plays in a lovely Al Cohn/Zoot Sims style, devoid of exhibitionism, not heard too much these days.  He is taste personified.  Likewise drummer John Lamb, who always surprises with his refreshing drum breaks and attention to what the soloists-and the band-are playing.

Tenor and alto saxophonist Lou Califano was the next guest, and joined the group for three, certifiable jazz numbers, Joe Henderson’s Latin-flavored “Recordame,” Benny Golson’s “Blues March” and Clifford Brown’s “Daahoud.”  Stylistically, Califano comes out of the more modern, Sonny Rollins school of saxophone playing, highlighted by an amazing technique.  “Blues March” really stood out on this set, with all involved simply rocking the house.  Even Jerry Zawicki was moved to honk a few times. 

Zottola, Shelton, Patricia Dean (back on drums) and Dan Heck (back on bass) performed a touching “I Thought About You,” mostly as a feature for trumpeter Zottola, before the grand finale.

The entire cast came on stage for the final tune, Dizzy Gillespie’s “A Night in Tunisia,” a fitting end to one of the most memorable nights in Naples music history.

Stu Shelton, who also serves as the Unity Church’s musical director, deserves a great deal of credit for every aspect of this concert, which was actually more like a mini-festival. He paced it beautifully and proved to be quite the genial master of ceremonies.  It all worked. Naples as a world-class city for jazz?  You’d better believe it.

Once again, I extend my sincerest thanks to each and every one of you for your good wishes in line with my medical condition. Things are improving and healing well, though there will be additional treatments and surgeries down the line. The immediate concern, not just for me but for all of us in the states, is the insane prices being charged for essential prescription medicines. By and large, medical insurance only covers a fraction of this, so I would ask you again to take advantage of our JazzLegends $15 sale–now extended through Labor Day–and order as much as you can. Though we always work on the honor system here, because we offer free shipping worldwide, we do ask that you order a minimum of two items to defray these costs.

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There is often a price to pay in some form when trying to keep up with what is considered state-of-the-art these days. Specifically, I am speaking of our brand new, stellar, high-tech web site, and the great community that is coming out of it. I have received nothing but glowing comments on the site, but the price to pay I speak of has to do with a frustrating glitch or two that we’re working on. Several of you have thankfully contacted me directly after attempting, unsuccessfully, to contact me by way of the JazzLegends.com web form. A few of you seemed to think that I dropped off the face of the earth, as I did not receive emails noting that you were attempting to contact me about shipping dates, questions about product, etc. The contact form on the web, quite simply, stopped working. We have now put in place a foolproof–we hope–contact email icon that will put you in touch with me directly and personally. Have a problem, an issue, a request, a question? Email me at DrumAlive@aol.com It’s that simple, and you have my apologies for the tech breakdown.

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In addition to the unbelievable Krupa discoveries that have come to us by way of great friends and colleagues like Bob Bierman and Dean Platt, we will continue to endeavor to offer items by other players and drummers that will, without doubt, be of interest to each and every JazzLegends supporter. Examples? The best print of “Las Vegas Nights” featuring Tommy Dorsey and the crew, The Steve Goodman Trio’s singular jazz version of Broadway’s “Phantom of the Opera” (featuring a guy named Klauber at the traps), and now the film “Second Chorus,” starring the 1940 version of the Artie Shaw big band. There aren’t many examples of the Shaw band on film, so this is well worth having. Rumors still abound about the drummer on the soundtrack of “Second Chorus.” Nick Fatool, in all his glory, is seen onscreen, but if you listen closely, the drummer who preceded Fatool in the Shaw band may actually be playing on the soundtrack.

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Joy Adams and I want to thank the large and enthusiastic crew who joined us for our short stay at Dino’s Restaurant in Naples, FL. Dino proved to be a fine host and the venue was a fun and intimate one. Our group, consisting of pianist Jean Packard, bassist Frank Begonia and trumpeter Bill Papineau was superb. We also want to thank the many supporters in attendance, including guest players Gus Maywald on saxophone the great voice of Rosemarie Smedile. Others special guest stars in the room that night included vocalist Jebry, guitarist Dan Smedile, pianist Mel Rosen, drummer John Lamb and others too numerous to mention. Upon our anticipated return to Naples in September, given that health issues hold up, we will hopefully take on another engagement or two. This has been a busy off-season for Jebry, one of our great vocalists. And musically, to our ears, she’s never been better. By the way, our thanks to Jeb and Bobby (“World’s Greatest Drummer”) for letting Joy and I “borrow” their band for a night.

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We’ve given a good deal of space over the past several years to the wonderful line-up of talent appearing at The Naples Philharmonic Center for the Arts. The 2008-2009 season has just been announced, and jazz-wise, the slate is as impressive as ever. Attractions include Wynton Marsalis with the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra, Dianne Shurr, George Benson’s tribute to Nat Cole, smooth jazzers David Sanborn and Dave Koz, genre’ benders Turtle Island Quartet, Ernestine Anderson and Phil perennial Dick Hyman with Eddie Metz, Jr., Howard Alden, Alan Vache, Randy Sandke and more. There is one, very interesting surprise at The Phil this season. Whatever your personal take is on singer/pianist Michael Feinstein, he certainly has brought the legacy of American popular song to a wider public. So give him credit where credit is due. He did record for Maynard Ferguson, after all. Feinstein’s show at The Phil this season is a salute to Hollywood and MGM musicals, and there are two special guests set to be featured. One is 1950s, B-movie actress and cosmetics mogul Arlene Dahl, and I have no idea what she’ll do on the stage. The other guest is a singer Frank Sinatra once said had “the best pipes in the business.” He was referring to the one and only Vic Damone who has supposedly been retired since 2001. Check out Vic’s website for the actual story. I don’t know who–or what convinced this great artist to come out of retirement, but watch this space for updates and more information.

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Our Buddy Rich collection of original VHS videos from the 1970s–on the Carson, Cavett and Merv Griffin programs–is still up for bid. Contact me about this, or for any other reason, at DrumAlive@aol.com

Keep swingin’
Bruce Klauber
July, 2008

Drummers, by and large, are apolitical animals. That's because they're usually just animals. This is why I've steered clear of saying anything political, outside of a recent column I wrote for the Naples Daily News on the late, perennial Presidential candidate, Harold Stassen.

But the present situation in the United States, specifically the out-of-sight prices of gas, is impossible for anyone–drummers, saxophonists, pianists, brass players and even string players–to ignore. Gigs for jazz players, or any players, have always been tough enough to get. Now? It just can't get any worse.

The powers that be in The White House, and whomever else is responsible for this embarrassing and deplorable state of affairs, appear to have ignored the fact that five dollar a gallon gas prices–and five dollars is where prices soon will be–effect everything and everybody. No one and no business is exempt.

Let's make matters simple: Venues that use live music are in more trouble than usual. Food and beverage prices are high because of the high cost of fuel needed to transport and manufacture food and beverages and everything contained in food and beverages, from sugar and corn to packaging. High prices in restaurants, and the high cost of travel to places that use live music, mean fewer customers. This means cutbacks, and we all know that live music is often the first to go. The scenario is an obvious one, but it's really bad right now. I'd be interested in knowing how many JazzLegends.com visitors have lost gigs or have been cutback in recent months.

While spending fifty bucks to fill the tank of my 1995 Olds, I've often thought of exactly who is responsible for these ridiculous gas prices. Is it one guy who calls the gas stations and says, “Okay. Raise the price two cents today.” Who is this guy and why can't anyone find him? And, pray tell, just what would happen if the decision were made–tomorrow–to lower the price of gasoline at the pump, everywhere in the country, to two dollars a gallon? Would the world end? Would there be revolution in the streets? Would people go hungry? Would we all die? Two bucks a gallon. Just what would happen in the United States beyond making a bunch of people very happy?

The problem now of course is finding the guy who makes the calls and convincing him to drop prices by two bucks. I'm telling you. It's a guy. And Bush knows who he is. Bush calls this guy first and tells him how much to raise prices.

If there is ever going to be a resolution to this problem, we must find out who and/or what is to blame. Currently, we're not even close.

The President's latest gambit is to blame a Democratic Congress for soaring oil prices. Incidentally, others named in the “who's to blame” sweepstakes have included the Arabs, the Saudi's and the oil companies. Eight years ago, when gas prices increased a penny or two, one consumer coalition blamed Al Gore.

High gas prices are central to Gore's political philosophy, and he has deliberately tried to raise them during his entire career in Washington, said Consumer for a Sound Economy's Director of Environmental Policy, Patrick Burns, in 2000. Whether it's casting the deciding vote to raise gas taxes, preventing domestic production of oil, or slapping costly regulations on consumers and producers the responsibility for the current crisis rests squarely on Gore's shoulders.

Right. It was all Al's fault. Hey, maybe he's the guy on the phone. But he showed them all. He won the Oscar. Just like Sinatra.

This is interesting. Not only will no individual, no organization or no country take responsibility for the gas price situation, but the most brilliant minds in the universe don't even know where to look for the responsible party or parties.

This recalls a personal incident of a few years back. I had received a check in the mail for services provided to a national company, and they inadvertently listed both my name and my then-company name as the payees. The company name was never registered, nor was their a business banking account created with that name. It was just something I used back then to call my company.

I took the check to my local bank branch to deposit it. I guess because it was somewhat sizeable, the teller inspected the document closely and asked who the company was. I explained that the company was really me and that it was just a name I used to describe my business. The teller then voiced true concern about whether or not the check would ultimately be accepted for deposit.

I went to the branch supervisor, showed her the check and asked her who makes the decision about whether or not a check is accepted for deposit? The answer was that the paying bank–the name of the bank on the check–decides if the payees, the endorser, etc., appear to be correct and in sync. If so, the paying bank pays and everything goes through properly. Then again, the branch manager said, banks don't look at each and every check for this, so my check might go through or it might not go through.

“How would I find out in advance whether it would go through or not?” I asked the manager. “Call the paying bank,” was the reply.

It took nearly five hours of telephone work the next business day, but I finally got into the main office of Mellon Bank and the division of that office that handles these things.

My question to that office was simple: Who decides whether a check will be accepted for deposit if, as in this case, there is more than one payee and endorser listed. Is there a person–a guy–who decides this, and if so, could I please speak to them?

The answer as to who makes decisions like this? There was no guy. There was no department. There was no individual. There was no office. It wasn't really an automated process, either. Computers, though, may be involved. Bottom line? No one knew, or no one would take responsibility for knowing. From what I heard, the check could have been made out to Stan Getz and it would have gone through.

Maybe, just maybe, the guy who makes the decisions on checks is the guy calling the gas stations. Let's check Gore's phone records. Then let's book him on a “728.” And what's a “728?” I don't know. But I know a guy who knows.

I'll bet that Bush, Cheney, Congress, Iran, Iraq, the oil companies, the Saudi's, and all those who have been accused of ruining much of our country didn't know that their shenanigans would hurt America's only original art from. Jazz.

Now things have gone too far. In one opinion, mine, the administration that has been serving in Washington for the last eight years has destroyed virtually every area of our society. Jazz is one of the few things we have left. Let's see that we save it.

Meanwhile, in a cover story in Rolling Stone magazine, Senator Barack Obama, presumptive Democratic presidential candidate, said that his iPod includes music by Miles Davis, Charlie Parker and John Coltrane.

Right now, probable Republican presidential candidate John McCain, whose daughter as long worked for Capital and EMI Records, has only said publicly that he enjoys the work of 1980s rock group ABBA.

Great.