sign in sign up
<<
Home , Alvino Rey, Bill Finegan, Bill Harris (musician), Bob Florence, Chris Anderson (pianist), Chuck Israels

20. Resurgence in the 1980s and '90s

nterest in in at a low ebb during the 1970s. There was very little live jazz being I perfonned here by either national or local musicians, and very little recorded jazz being played on area radio stations. Jazz flutist, saxophonist and textbook author Mark Gridley remembered, "It was so bad that I would have to drive to Pittsburgh, Cincinnati or just to hear or ." In 1971, Gridley, who was studying and teaching at Case Western Reserve University, organized a series of monthly jazz concerts featuring such local musicians as Bill Dobbins, Lamar Gaines and Val Kent. It was almost the only live jazz in town at the time. A Northeast Jazz Society concert on Cleveland's Public Square But, by the end of the 1970s and early in the 1980s, four things happened to help trigger a resurgence ofjazz The late Allison Kaslow, a founder of the New in Greater Cleveland: Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival, was the Jazz • The Jazz Society was formed in Society's first executive director in 1986 and ' 87. John March of 1978, Richmond served as the full-time, paid NOJS executive • The Tri-C JazzFest was launched in April of director from 1989 until 1999. Dr. Carlos Ramos 1980, became the executive director in 2002. • The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra was fonned in May After presenting a number of well-attended jazz of 1984, concerts and education and social events, the jazz • Public Radio Station WCPN began programming society marked its tenth anniversary in 1988 with a gala jazz in September of 1984. dinner dance at the University Club and a concert at the The combination of these four developments in a Ohio Theatre featuring Ernestine Anderson, Terence fairly brief period ushered in a new era of jazz Blanchard and Donald Harrison. appreciation in Greater Cleveland. Also in the late 1980s, President Evan Morse and Treasurer Les Knowlton spearheaded a drive to secure Northeast Ohio Jazz Society major funding from the Cleveland Foundation and the The Northeast Ohio Jazz George Gund Foundation to hire a full-time executive Society, a volunteer group director and to open a jazz society office in the Heights of jazz fans, was Rockefeller Building at Mayfield and Lee in Cleveland incorporated as a not-for­ Heights. profit organization March 22, 1978 and began promoting The Northeast Ohio Jazz Society presented dozens of a wider appreciation of jazz through a variety of live concerts each year, frequently with national artists, concerts and projects. and offered a series of jazz education programs The founder and first president of the society was including a unique full week ofjazz education programs Willard Jenkins who later became the executive director at various area schools beginning in 1991. Jim Szabo, ofthe National Jazz Service Organization in and a free lance writer for several national jazz publications.

NOJS Presidents

1978 -1984- Willard Jenkins (writer) 1984 - 1986- Judy Strauss (pianist) 1986 - Robert Derwae (writer) 1986 -1987- Larry Simpson (educator) 1987- 1991 - Evan Morse (veterinarian) 1991 - Frank Giaimo (attorney) 1991 - 1995- George Case (graduate student) 1995 -1996 - Jim Gibans (architect) NOJS 1996 - 2000 - Larry Skinner Ken Peplowski and students 2000 - 2001 Jim Wadsworth Uazz promoter) 2001- Lawrence Glover (drummer) at a Northeast Ohio Jazz Society workshop 194 Cleveland Jazz History one of the original members, launched the NOJS The modest festival JazzLine in 1983 to provide telephone listings of jazz struggled for the first few events in the area. The listings were extended to e-mail years, but gradually grew in the 1990s. The Jazz Society presented monthly jazz in general popularity. By education seminars called "Jazz Klatches;" monthly 1984, the festival was "Pub Nights," spotlighting area musicians and clubs that extended to ten days · offered live jazz; published a monthly newsletter (which including its first standing­ I edited for ten years); and initially presented my weekly room-only crowd for a Cleveland Jazz History radio broadcasts on WCPN. concert by saxophonist The JazzFest logo Membership in the Jazz Society grew to about 900. . The Tri-C in the 1980s During the summer of 1991, the NOJS was notified JazzFest was becoming a it had been selected as one of only 16 organizations in major annual community event in Cleveland. the u.S. to share a $3.4 million jazz grant from the Lila 1984 was also the first year that a well-known jazz Wallace-Readers' Digest Fund. With money from the musician served as the JazzFest artist-in-residence. The foundation the Jazz Society launched a series of major first was guitarist Mundell Lowe. He was followed by projects. It commissioned saxophonist David Murray to trumpeter . "We think of Clark as the father compose a new work, "The Picasso Suite," which was of our educational programs," said Homing. "He spent presented in conjunction with the Cleveland Museum of ten days here in 1985. We went from school to school Art's exhibition of Pablo Picasso paintings. The world throughout Cuyahoga County, visiting dozens of school premiere of "The Picasso Suite" occurred March 11, bands. He was so energetic, but he collapsed after the ten 1992, at the art museum's Gartner Auditorium. That days. We ran him ragged." Jazz icon Terry continued to concert led to a continuing series called Jazz on the serve as the honorary chairman ofJ azzF est. Other artists­ Circle, presented in cooperation with the Cleveland in-residences have included , Ellis Marsalis, Museum of Art, the Musical Arts Association and the , Rufus Reid, James Williams, Marcus Tri-C JazzFest. Belgrave, Bobby Watson and Joe Lovano. Early in its history, shortly after presenting its first During the 1980s the International Association of few concerts, the Northeast Ohio Jazz Society helped Jazz Educators called the Tri-C JazzFest "the nation's launch a new jazz festival at Cuyahoga Community premier educational jazz festival." College. The long list of concert performers over the years included: , Milt Hinton, , The Tri-C JazzFest Betty Carter, George Shearing, , Ray "It was a dream," said Brown, , Joe Williams, , Dr. Thomas Homing of the Modem Jazz Quartet, Carmen McRae, Oscar Cuyahoga Community Peterson, the Orchestra and . College, "but I thought it Homing recalled, "It was wonderful getting Ella to could work." come here. She was not well at the time, but sang like Musician and educator Ella of earlier years. It wasn't very long after that she Reginald Buckner, who was passed on. I think that was her last big jazz concert." an artist-in-residence at Tri­ In the mid-1980s, when Cleveland and other cities C in 1979, suggested the across the country were attempting to attract a planned school try to present a jazz rock 'n roll hall of fame, Homing and the Tri-C JazzFest festival. Homing asked played a key role in Cleveland's bid. With little or no leaders ofthe Northeast Jazz fanfare, they put together a proposal for an educational Society to help organize the component for the museum, a National Center for first two-day event in the American Music. Richard Celeste, who was the governor spring of 1980. The Tri-C JazzFest of Ohio at the time, said the Tri-C proposal was the featured artists included Dr. Thomas Horning decisive element in attracting the rock hall to Cleveland. drummer Buddy Rich, pianist McCoy Tyner, and pianist As the 20th century ended, Cuyahoga Community and bandleader Earl "Fatha" Hines. College was planning to build a $20 million center on A key figure in jazz history, Hines was the man who Woodland Avenue to serve as "a home for jazz, rhythm set the stage for the important educational element of and , rock 'n roll, country, blues and JazzFest. Homing said, "Earl came over and met with music." our students and worked with them. It was a sign of In 1999, the Tri-C JazzFest attracted international what was to come for us." attention by spearheading the world's most extensive Resurgence in the 1980s and '90s 195 celebration ofthe 1OOth anniversary ofthe birth ofDuke The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra Ellington, a year-long series of concerts, lectures and educational events. JazzFest's major concerts brought important artists to Cleveland, but, more importantly, helped fmance the festival's primary focus - education. Thousands of young musicians got the opportunity to work with the best jazz musicians in the world. One ofthose young musicians was pianist LaFayette Carthon who was a student at the Cleveland School of the Arts. Carthon remembered, "It started when Clark CJO Terry was the artist-in-residence, then Billy Taylor, The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra in concert at Wynton Marsalis and Ellis Marsalis." Homing said, Cuyahoga Community College "It's great when a young artist can be inspired by the Big band jazz, which had a long and rich tradition in people who have come here." Cleveland, had all but died here by 1983 when Gary Scott Another of the young musicians was Dominick and several other musicians got together to play some big Farinacci, a Solon High School student who was named band charts just for fun. Scott said, "Some of the better to the Grammy Awards High School Jazz Band for two professional musicians in town created a rehearsal band years and who was invited by Wynton Marsalis, whom called the North Coast Jazz Orchestra. We rehearsed at he met at JazzFest, to solo on national television with Lithuanian Hall in Collinwood and played a few concerts the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra in New York in here and there. Then in 19.84, a player friend of. December of 2000. Homing said, "That's one of the mine and I decided to go ahead and start a concert band. things I'm most proud of, that our students in our jazz We presented our first concert May 20, 1984 and since studies program are playing on a national level." that time we have been the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra." Looking back, Homing said, "In terms of cultural In 1987, Roland Paolucci ofthe University ofAkron events, JazzFest has evolved into one of the major was hired as music director of the Cleveland Jazz events ofthe city of Cleveland and we're very pleased Orchestra. "Ifthe tradition ofthe big bands is going to that it has." Horning was once shown a videotape of be maintained," said Paolucci, "we' re going to dip back children playing in Africa. One ofthe African kids was to the days ofthe late '20s and early '30s with territory wearing a Tri-C JazzFest T-shirt. There is no doubt that bands. I think the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra is just that the annual jazz festival has put Cleveland's little now, a territory band." Cuyahoga Community College on the cultural map. The CJO played a subscription series of two Somebody once said, "The JazzFest is to Tri-C as performances of at least six concerts each year plus a football is to Notre Dame." Homing said, "I like that number of special performances and a number of free analogy because I went to Notre Dame too." outdoor summer concerts in various communities The child in Africa probably knew nothing about throughout Northeast Ohio. Notre Dame football. Unlike the big bands of the '30s and ' 40s, which depended on distinctive sounds and styles for success, the CJO was playing big band jazz from a Tri-C JazzFest Artists-in-Residence variety of periods and in a variety of styles. "We're a 1984 Mundell Lowe repertory big band," said Paolucci. "We try to play 1985 Clark Terry repertoire, not just exclusively ours, but the music of 1986 Dr. Billy Taylor 1987 Ellis Marsalis people like whose band is no longer in 1988 Gary Burton existence." 1989 Rufus Reid 1990 James Williams The Cleveland Jazz Orchestra played concerts 1991 Marcus Belgrave saluting the bands of , Count Basie, 1992 Bobby Watson 1993 and others and featured such guest 1994 and Marvin Stamm soloists as Lew Soloff, Paquito D'Rivera, Ken 1995 Joe Lovano 1996 Benny Golson and Steve Coleman Peplowski, Louie Bellson, , 1997 JoAnne Brackeen and Cyrus Chestnut and Jiggs Whigham, Terry Gibbs, Tommy Flanagan, Joe 1998 Rufus Reid 1999 James Newton Lovano, Milt Hinton, Clark Terry and Arturo Sandoval. 2000 Cecil Bridgewater Guest conductors have included such composers and 2001 Christian McBride 2002 John and arrangers as , Sammy Nestico, , Bob Florence, Clare Fischer, Gerald Wilson, Frank 196 Cleveland Jazz History

Foster and Maria Schneider. eight children. Members of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra also In 1983, he got together with some other Cleveland organized a big band for teenagers called OJOY, the Ohio musicians to play some old big band charts. "We Jazz Orchestra for Youth. Directed by CJO trombonist rehearsed at Case Western Reserve and later at the Paul Ferguson, OJOY later became the Settlement Jazz Lithuanian Hall on East 185th Street. At first, we called Orchestra and was operated in cooperation with the it 'the North Coast Jazz Orchestra.' It gradually evolved Cleveland Music School Settlement. into the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. In the 1990s, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra was Forced to give up being a full-time musician almost attracting good crowds to its series ofbig band concerts. 40 years earlier to support his growing family, Buddy The biggest crowd was for a concert with former Glenn Sullivan successfully combined a business career with Miller saxophonist and singer . jazz and made significant contributions to Cleveland's jazz resurgence. Buddy Sullivan A featured saxophonist with the Jack Schantz Cleveland Jazz Orchestra during its Jack Schantz, who had first decade looked like a respected toured for three years with accountant and sounded like a the veteran ofthe big band era. Buddy Orchestra led by Buddy Sullivan was both. Morrow, became a featured Born and raised on a farm in soloist with the Minnesota, Sullivan said he Cleveland Jazz Orchestra learned to play the sax at home. in 1988 and was named "The cows," he said, "listened to music director in 1993. He . me over the fence." assembled a core group of Buddy Sullivan In 1941, after high school, musicians, many of whom Sullivan was good enough to play had also played with the Jack Schantz with several territory bands. He recalled, "It was a lark Morrow band. They for a young kid. But looking back on it, I wonder how included lead trumpeter Lou Pisani, lead trombonist we all survived because it was a terrible existence. I was Paul Ferguson, lead saxophonist Kent Engelhardt, plus paid $5 a night." saxophonists John Klayman and Rich Shanklin. Eventually Sullivan joined a band from Hollywood Shortly after becoming the music director ofthe CJO, led by Al Graham. "We played at hotels in the Schantz said the band includes "the absolute cream of Midwest," said Sullivan, "and that's where I met my the crop ofCleveland musicians. We have world-class wife. She was a singer on the band." They were players in the lead chairs." He called Ferguson "a married six months later. ridiculous player who plays principal After playing in an AirForce band during World War trombone in the Canton Symphony and then, at the drop n, Sullivan in 1946 joined the big band of Cleveland ofa hat, plays burning jazz solos." native Alvino Rey. "We played one-nighters through Schantz said he believed the role ofthe CJO is to both the Midwest and he wanted me to go to the West Coast "recreate some ofthe more llnportant artists and music of with the band, but the pay was $75 a week and I couldn't this genre and to try to develop something new and figure out any way to support a wife and kids. I decided unique from Cleveland. And the only way you can do to go to school and study accounting." that in a big band," he said, "is by the writing. It's the Sullivan became a certified public accountant in the writers and the soloists who give a band its personality." late 1940s but continued playingjazz with a leadingjazz Unlike many other big bands, the Cleveland Jazz group in Toledo. "We played with numerous good Orchestra has had several excellent composers and players," remembered Sullivan, "people like Shorty arrangers contributing regularly to the book. They Rogers,' Frank Rossolino, Art Pepper, Lee Konitz and include Ferguson, Shanklin and bassist Dave Morgan. . I remember one time, the whole Woody Schantz admitted that it is not always easy trying to Herman band descended on us. , Zoot Sims, balance the roles of a repertory band and a creative , Bill Harris and sat in with contemporary band. "It's really a hard thing to do," he us and Mel Torme, who was singing with the Herman said, to get the right mix of what people want to hear, show, sat in on drums." what people are willing to pay money for, and what is Sullivan moved to Cleveland in 1968 to take an satisfying artistically for us. The hard mix for me is to accounting job. Buddy and his wife, Florence, raised fmd programming that is going to be interesting and Resurgence in the 1980s and '90s 197

commercial at the same time because, after all, we're making a product and we want people to come and see us." In the spring of 1992 the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra released a recording, a cassette entitled Cleveland Jazz Orchestra - Greatest Hits - Live! It was a compilation of recordings from Ernie Krivda various performances during its 1990-91 concert season Ernie Krivda and his Fat Tuesday Big Band and included such classics as Duke Ellington's "Merry almost immediately playing regular gigs and recording. Go Round" and Jelly Roll Morton's "Black Bottom Krivda made it clear from the beginning that it would Stomp," as well as originals by CJO members, including not be a nostalgia big band. His Fat Tuesday Big Band Ferguson's "Blue Highways" and Chas Baker's "The played charts by , Bill Holman, Bob Wayback Machine." Florence, and one-time Clevelander There was a flurry of recordings by the Cleveland Chuck Israels. Jazz Orchestra in 1998 and 1999. A videotape ofa May Krivda gathered such musicians as guitarist Lee 1998 CJO concert with the Four Freshmen was Bush, trumpeter Steve Eno,s, tro.mbonist~ Garney HiGks distributed world wide by the Four Freshmen Society. and Chris Anderson, and saxophonists Dave Sterner and A live recording of a ·1998 CJO concert with former Bernie Pelsmajer to form the nucleus ofthe Fat Tuesday Count Basie arranger Sammy N estico was packaged into band and released two compact discs, Perdido (1998) a compact disc entitled Swingin' Together. And in June and The Band That Swings (1999). of 1999, the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra recorded in a The Jazz Heritage Orchestra, formed in 1998 under studio for the fIrst time, producing a compact disc the sponsorship ofthe Cleveland State University Black entitled Traditions, a salute to Cleveland's colorful big Studies Program, also began making signifIcant . band history. The CD included a 28-page booklet I contributions to big bandjazz in Cleveland. Directed by wrote tracing Cleveland's many big band traditions. Dennis Reynolds, who had been the lead trumpeter of In the summer of 1999, as part of the Everything the directed by and Ellington celebration in Greater Cleveland, the the Clark Terry Big Band, the Jazz Heritage Orchestra Cleveland Jazz Orchestra performed a joint concert of included a number of outstanding performers. Among Duke Ellington music with the at them were trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, former Duke Blossom Music Center. Ellington saxophonist Vince York and bassist Marian In 2001, the CJO recorded another CD, Night and Hayden, as well as a group of young Cleyeland Day, with its frequent singer Barbara Knight. Included musicians. were of standards by CJO members. Dr. Howard Mims, the director of Black Studies at In 2002, AI Couch, who had played trumpet with the CSU and the driving force behind the Jazz Heritage Cleveland Orchestra for 30 years, joined the trumpet Orchestra, said the major missions of the band were to section of the CJO. preserve and perpetuate the musical heritage ofthe great African Americanjazz masters and to take big bandjazz Other Cleveland big bands to young African American students with clinics and Appropriately, as the 20th Century ended, Cleveland workshops. was one of very few cities with several working big The band's fIrst performance was September 18, 1998 bands. In addition to the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, two during an Arts Midwest conference in Cleveland. As part other professional bigjazz bands were playing regUlarly. ofthe Tri-C JazzFest's Everything Ellington celebration Saxophonist Ernie Krivda, who had developed a in 1999, the Jazz Heritage Orchestra performed the sacred national reputation as a small group soloist and music ofDuke Ellington at the Allen Theatre. recording artist while working from his base in Another big band playing frequently in Cleveland Cleveland, said, ''No matter what I've pursued was led by trumpeter Rudy Scaffidi, who had graduated artistically throughout my life in music, big bands have from Collinwood High School and played with a series always engendered strong feelings in me." In the 1990s, ofstudio orchestras in New York and such big bands as he formed his own Fat Tuesday Big Band which began , Bob Crosby, , Buddy 198 Cleveland Jazz History

Morrow and Billy Butterfield. In the 1980s, Scaffidi Stephens. When Colombi left the station in 1987, he began leading the Orchestra. From his base was replaced by former John Carroll University radio in Cleveland, Scaffidi continued leading the May band stationjazz host Dan Polletta. It was Polletta who began to 2000. running my Cleveland Jazz History radio features on his Other big bands performing regularly in Cleveland program in September of 1988. included the Dan Zola Orchestra, Night Coach, the During that month, WCPN' s jazz programming Townsmen and the Hermit Club Big Band. increased to 80 hours a week. But six years later, in 1994, shortly before hiring Bobby Jackson as music director, the station began cutting back on daytime jazz and airing more NPR network talk shows. By the end of the 1990s, there was no weekday jazz programming on WCPN before 9 p.m. Polletta, however, continued to broadcast excellent jazz from 9 p.m. to I a.m. and an . overnight jazz program was added.

The Hermit .Club Big Band Jazz advocate Chris Colombi There was a loud gasp of Formed in the late , the Hermit Club Band shock at the Cuyahoga consisted of former professional musicians who had Community College Metro become successful businessmen and young, aspiring Auditorium during a concert by players. Some ofthe band members over the years had the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra toured with Buddy Morrow, Tommy Dorsey, Ray November 1, 1991 when Gary Anthony, Tex Beneke, Johnny Long and others. Scott announced from the stage Younger players went from the Hermit Club Big Band that Chris Colombi had died few to other bands. They included Chuck Finley who later hours earlier. He died ofcancer played with Buddy Rich, Gary Brown who went with at the age of 49. Stan Kenton, Rick Keifer who played with the Kurt Chris Colombi Colombi was Cleveland' s Edelhagen band in Europe, and Jiggs Whigham who most visible and enthusiastic played with Kenton. supporter ofjazz for more than a quarter of a century. The Hermit Club Band, led for years by vibraphonist He was ajazz host on a series ofradio stations including Bud Wattles, a veteran ofthe Woody Herman Orchestra, WCUY (in the 1960s), WCLV and WCPN. He wrote a seldom performed publicly. Its regular concerts were for weekly jazz column for The Plain Dealer from 1969 to members ofthe performing arts club located in a colorful 1987, served as the Cleveland correspondent for Tudor building offChester Avenue behind the Playhouse DownBeat magazine for 18 years, taught jazz courses at Square complex. Pianist, arranger and businessman Dick Cleveland State University for 17 years, and served on Lezius said, "This band gives me an opportunity to do the advisory board of the Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. something I can't get anywhere else. This band swings!" Colombi frequently lectured on jazz and narrated a series of multi-media jazz presentations for Cuyahoga WCPN Community College. Cleveland had not had a jazz radio station for years Before he died, Colombi said he wanted a memorial, when WCPN signed on the air in September of 1984. not a funeral. He said he wanted a jazz concert. In a There was only a smattering ofjazz programs on several letter to his wife Barbara, he wrote, "Celebrate that this stations. old f - - - passed this way and hopefully made things The new public radio station immediately began happy. I want a party that you and Jess (their daughter) programming jazz shows during much of its broadcast can remember." day and carrying national jazz programs from its That party was held Sunday evening, July 26, 1992, networks, including Marian McPartland' s Jazz, at Cain Park in Cleveland Heights. Chris specified the on weekends. The original schedule included 57 hours artists he wanted to perform: saxophonist Howie Smith, ofjazz per week. trumpeter Kenny Davis, pianist Neal Creque, flutist Leading the original push for jazz programming on Mark Gridley and the full Cleveland Jazz Orchestra. He WCPN was longtime jazz writer and broadcaster Chris also said he wanted television anchorman Leon Bibb and Colombi who was the station' s original nighttime jazz me to participate. It was a joyous evening, celebrating host. The other original jazz DJs at WCPN were Mike a man who had done so much to bring jazz back to life Love, who came to Cleveland from Detroit, and Jennifer in Cleveland. Resurgence in the 1980s and '90s 199

College jazz bands Tashiko Akiyoshi The resurgence of bands. jazz was also reflected From Montreux, in a growing number of the Akron Jazz excellent college bands Ensemble traveled in Northeast Ohio. south into France, to One ofthe best, year Nice on the French after year, was the Riviera to play at the Youngstown State Nice version of the University Jazz . Ensemble directed by Dizzy Gillespie was Tony Leonardi, an also there and so was alumnus of the Woody Lee Konitz who Herman, Stan Kenton, recognized one of the Howie Smith Buddy Rich and Chuck Bill Holman charts the Mangione bands. The Akron band was playing, an he had played jazz program at with Holman in the 1950s. "It caught his attention," Roland Paolucci Youngstown State, recalled Paolucci, "and he came by and stuck through started in 1970, produced such performers as pianist the whole performance. He came up to me and said, Harold Danko, Glenn Wilson and Dennis Reynolds. 'Gee, Ijust wanted to tell you how much 1 enjoyed your Leonardi died at the age of 62 July 11, 2001. band.' 1 sa.id, 'Lee, 1 appreciate this, but please step The University of Akron Jazz Ensemble was led by over here and tell the guys because they're the ones who Roland Paolucci who had started at the university in 1975 would really, really appreciate it. '" after teaching piano at his parents' music store and after Other members ofthat University ofAkron band that working as director of the Akron Jazz Workshop Big toured Europe in the summer of 1980 included trumpeter Band. Paolucci remembered the University of Akron Jack Schantz and drummer Mark Gonder, both ofwhom band had been an unofficial group organized simply later toured with the Dorsey and Miller bands. because the students wanted it. The director at the time In later years, the Akron band included trombonist took a year's leave ofabsence and suggested that Paolucci Paul Ferguson, pianist Chip Stephens, trumpeter Doug run the jazz band in his absence. "He took me aside," Huey, drummer Joe Brigandi, bassist Gary Aprile, and said Paolucci, "and said, 'I hope you do a good job trumpeter Dan McCarthy. because I don't have much expertise in this. When I Saxophonist Howie Smith became the coordinator of come back, I'd like to recommend they keep you on." jazz studies at Cleveland State University in 1979. In That's what happened. Paolucci continued leading 1985 Smith was the first jazz musician to win the the University ofAkron Jazz Ensemble for 25 years until Cleveland Arts Prize for Music. He won Ohio Arts his retirement in 2000. Council artist fellowships in 1986, 1988 and 1990 and By 1978, he was organizing festivals at the university performed concerts and conducted jazz workshops several years before the Tri-C JazzFest began in throughout the , in Canada, South America, Cleveland. Each year, he would bring in name Europe and Australia. musicians to work with his jazz students. Among them Smith always enjoyed doing something different. were , , Eddie Daniels, Tom During one of his Concert in Progress presentations in Harrell, and Bill Dobbins. 1986, he offered what he called "a duet." In the summer of 1980, the University ofAkron Jazz The "duet" quickly grew. The startled audience Ensemble made a trip to Europe to perform at several eventually saw and heard a chorus of60 saxophonists on jazz festivals including the prestigious Montreux Jazz stage serenading together! Festival. Trombonist and arranger Paul Ferguson, who toured "We flew to Geneva," said Paolucci, "and then we with the Miller and Dorsey bands and was the principal bussed to Montreux where we had two official trombonist with the Canton Symphony Orchestra and the performances. At the Montreux Casino, Paolucci's band Cleveland Jazz Orchestra, led the Case Western Reserve had a recording made of its live performance. University Jazz Ensemble. Members of the saxophone section at the time Lakeland Community College developed an excellent included John Orsini, who later became a staff musician jazz program and an orchestra led by Kent State at Disney World, and Mark Lopeman, who later toured University and Akron graduate Dan McCarthy. with the Tommy Dorsey, , Buddy Rich and The Kent State jazz program, headed by trombonist 200 Cleveland Jazz History

Chas Baker, produced trumpeter Reggie Pittman who Leo Coach's unusual gigs later toured with . One of Cleveland's leading jazz artists during the The Oberlin College Jazz Ensemble, founded in 1973 resurgence of the 1980s was pianist, leader, composer by saxophonist Wendell Logan, toured Brazil in 1985. and recording artist Leo Coach. Many jazz fans who Such performers and educators as Donald Byrd, J.J. heard Coach and his Contemporary Music Coalition Johnson and served as artists-in-residence playing in a variety of Cleveland clubs and on records at Oberlin. did not realize that Coach was also involved in some of the strangest jazz gigs of all time. In the summer of Summer jazz festivals at Blossom 1991, when the Soviet bloc was beginning to come apart Beginning in 1984, with the renewed interest injazz, at the seams, Coach, his drummer, Alan Nemeth, and his Blossom Music Center, the summer home of the bass player, Rick Kodramaz, planned a six-concert Cleveland Orchestra, began staging annual summer jazz overseas tour, beginning with a performance at a festivals. The center brought some ofthe biggest names prestigious arts festival. in jazz to the Greater Cleveland area. "We were in Slovenia during their independence," said There were some problems, including continuing Coach. "The old former Soviet bloc was still pretty much sponsorship. The first year, it was called "the Kool intact and Slovenia was really one ofthe frrst break-away Jazz Festival." Then, in 1985, "the NC Jazz Festival," countries. And we got stuck in the middle ofa civil war." and in 1986 ''the Blossom Jazz Festival." In 1987 and They arrived the same day that Slovenia declared its 1988, it was "the Ohio Bell Jazz Festival." independence from Yugoslavia. They performed in Each year, the what quickly became an independence festival, with Musical Arts more than 100,000 people crowding the streets. Association, in an effort The next day, Communist tanks rumbled into the city to expand public appeal and Yugoslav attack helicopters streaked overhead. The for the jazz festival, three touring jazz musicians from Cleveland found began booking more themselves in the middle of a war. and more artists who "There were, all of a sudden, a lot of soldiers and were not considered armored vehicles on the street," said Coach. "The city part ofmainstream jazz. is ringed by mountains and to get from one side oftown In 1988, Lionel to the other, there are tunnels. An anti-tank gun was Hampton walked out positioned right at the mouth ofthe tunnel and there was when he objected maybe an 18 or 19 year old kid sitting there with his feet strongly to being on the up on the gun and his fmger on the trigger. I caught his same bill with groups Miles Davis who played eye. The kid looked back as ifto say, 'What the hell am like the Fabulous two years at the Blossom I doing here?'" festivals Thunderbirds. That With a civil war underway and the jazz festival called ended the summer jazz off, Coach and his group fled. They managed to get the festivals at Blossom. last train out of Slovenia and headed toward the safety Since then, Blossom has booked a few jazz acts from of the Austrian border. They were unwilling time to time, but the festival never reappeared. eyewitnesses to the beginning of the historic fall ofthe Communist bloc. They returned the next two years and played a series Summer Jazz Festivals at Blossom ofconcerts in newly-independent states . .1984 - Sarah Vaughan, Akiyoshi-Tabackin Big Band, Heath Brothers, Lionel Hampton Hank Geer's tragic accident 1985 - Miles Davis, Lee Ritenour, Spyro Gyra, Ray The dean of Cleveland jazz performers during the Charles 1986 - Spyro Gyra, David Sanborn, , Tony 1980s was Hank Geer, the saxophonist who for years Williams, , Ella Fitzgerald, Gerry had traveled and played with the bands ofRay Anthony, Mulligan, Tommy Dorsey and others. He performed with 1987 - Oscar Peterson, Branford Marsalis, , the Crusaders, Stevie Ray Vaughn, symphony orchestras, ran his own popular jazz the Timeless All-Stars, James Moody, Miles nightclub, and, beginning in 1980, led the jazz group at Davis, Freddie Hubbard, Woody Shaw 1988 - Carmen McRae, , Mel Torme, Sammy's restaurant in the Cleveland Flats. Perhaps as , , Sarah Vaughan, Lionel much as anything, it was the playing of Geer and his Hampton, the Fabulous Thunderbirds, Los group that gave Sammy's its special appeal as a Lobos. restaurant. Among Cleveland jazz musicians, Geer Resurgence in the 1980s and '90s 201 personified the professional, the man who played jazz After a series of operations, Hank had to use a well almost every night for more than half a century. special brace to train his fmgers to do what a In July of 1991, Geer was taking a break between saxophonist's fingers have to do. Demonstrating, he sets on a little porch outside Sammy's. A drunk in a car said, "I put this stupid thing on here, put these straps came barreling down the street, careening into the around it and it pulls my fingers apart. 1 have to leave it parking lot, and crashing into the deck. Geer was there for about 40 minutes." thrown over the rail, down a steep hill onto railroad Withoutthe special device, Geer's fmgers refused to tracks below. do what fmgers normally do. "It' s like a rubber band," He suffered multiple broken ribs, a fractured pelvis, said Geer. "You take that thing off, and boom, they go and a horribly mangled left arm and hand. He was back like that. " rushed to Metro General Hospital where he told a During his therapy, Geer said it was a little easier to doctor, "Man, 1 need this hand to play. Ifyou can't fix play the saxophone than the piano. "With the sax, I it right, please fmd me the cat who can!" couple my hand around the hom. It's already coupled. Geer had a whole platoon of doctors and therapists. I can't get it out, so it's just a matter of bending it Some of them were frustrated musicians themselves and around. But I do have a tough time with the high notes appreciated the special musical talents oftheir patient, the because you gotta get that action in here. I couldn't importance of his playing, and how necessary his hand even reach that cluster down here on the lower notes was in playing the saxophone. They did everything with this. I couldn't move my little finger." possible for Hank through a series ofoperations. But Geer worked hard at regaining the use ofhis left He said, "I had three doctors when 1 was in Metro hand and his doctors gave him the 'green light to begin Hospital. This hand surgeon said, 'This is what we gotta playing again. The doctor said, "If you can sit in, do it do.' He said they had to take that bone out because it was as much as you can." out ofline and it was becoming what they called 'sugar­ It was a long, difficult battle. "It's just a matter of combed' at the end, like a honey comb, and it was losing practice and therapy," said Geer. "I'm working out and its density. The doctor said, 'We gotta cut that out.' gettin' my chops back. Just working at it every day." "I said, 'How are you gonna do that?' Philosophical about the accident, Geer said, "I didn't "He said, 'We gotta cut it out and make it like a "V" have any choice. I could have been killed. I had good in there.' people working with me and giving me encouragement. "I said, 'Where're you gonna get the other bone?' Most people say, 'Man, you' re the hardest working guy "And he said, 'We'll take it out of your hip.' we've ever seen!'" "I said, 'Man, I gotta butcher on 185th Street. Can't Geer's courage and perseverance won him more I bring in one of those bones?' respect than even his extraordinary playing. "He laughed and said, 'We have to graft it in there. After finally making his comeback and playing again You'll have a plate in there.' at Sammy's, Geer again suffered major medical "That's why (demonstrating) this is raised like this. problems. He died in late 2000 at the age of 78. There's a metal plate in there now. It's all healed up, His determined rebound from near death seemed to but there is still stiffness in there. When I play personify the resurgence ofjazz in Northeast Ohio in the keyboard, man, I cramp up in here." 1980s and '90s.