Farewell to the Jazz Preacher
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gram JAZZ PROMOTING AND NURTURING JAZZ IN CHICAGO OCTOBER 2020 WWW.JAZZINCHICAGO.ORG FAREWELL TO THE JAZZ PREACHER BY LLOYD SACHS Chicago's jazz community is so tight, the loss of any of its members is keenly felt. But such was the special largesse of Ira Sullivan – in musical, interpersonal and spiritual terms – news of his recent death had an especially strong impact on the artistic associates, students, fans and critics he left behind. Though Sullivan had lived for decades in Florida, where he lifted the jazz scene with his bandstand presence and inspired generations of students as an instructor at the University of Miami Frost School of Music, he never stopped being present in the hearts and souls of Chicago's finest. Few artists have worn the Windy City jazz tradition with greater meaning or class than Sullivan did with his matter of fact brilliance, personal approach to classic bebop and utter redefining of versatility. He was probably best known as a saxophonist – he played tenor, soprano, alto and baritone – but he was also a great trumpeter and stalwart on the flute. Whatever instrument he picked up he played with resounding personal depth. In paying tribute to Sullivan, musician after musician recounted the glories of hanging out with him as well as playing with him – of learning things from him that they had no idea they didn't know. For one of those players, the late saxophone hero Lin Halliday, that included learning how to get his horn psychically fixed. At the Green Mill one night, as a member of trumpeter Brad Goode's band, Halliday was Ira Sullivan (1931-2020) photo by Lauren Deutsch having trouble with the keys on his tenor. "He couldn't get any notes out, and went into a bit of a panic," Goode recalled in his Facebook tribute to Sullivan (with whom he played often). "I took a set break, and Ira asked Lin to give him the horn. "Lin and I followed Ira into the basement of the club, where Ira held the horn up close to a bare lightbulb hanging from the ceiling. He then handed the horn back to Lin, who played a few notes and became unusually excited, maybe even ecstatic. For the rest of his life, Lin Halliday swore that Ira Sullivan had psychically healed his saxophone in the cellar of the Green Mill, simply by holding it up to the light." Maybe he actually did. Sullivan, a devout Christian who also drew from Judaism and Eastern Mysticism, "saw no separation between Church and Gig," as Goode memorably put it. He quoted scripture as often as he quoted his idol Charlie Parker. He ended his sets with "Amazingrace" – and a sermon. He was known to spend time with the needy and playing benefit concerts on their behalf. He credited religion with getting him past substance abuse. As for recordings, Sullivan didn't often record under his own name. Among the best of his "solo" albums was continued on page 2 JAZZ IN CHICAGO OCTOBER 2020 2 continued from page 1 Blue Stroll, featuring an all-Chicago, all-universe band including Johnny Griffin, Jodie Christian, Wilbur Campbell and Victor Sproles. But he achieved a level of commercial success on record in co-leading a band with fellow bebop maven Red Rodney. He was in prime form on Stories and Negotiations by Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things, which honored the legacy of him and contemporaries of his. And he joyfully reunited with pianist and crony Stu Katz on Family Affair, recorded at Sullivan's home away from home, the Jazz Showcase. But no recording could fully capture the Ira-ness of Ira. You really did have to be there. Happily, as witness a posthumous YouTube tribute to Sullivan featuring dozens of his fellow players and former students in Miami, an endless stream of lucky individuals were there, in his presence, storing up indelible memories and impressions to pass onto others for decades to come. n TIA FULLER CELEBRATES THE COMPREHENSIVE “HISTORY OF WOMEN IN JAZZ” BY COREY HALL Enter your mind and imagine this: You are in the trenches with saxophonist Tia Fuller. She is warming up for “History of Women in Jazz: From the Early 1900s to Beyonce.” This presentation is included in the “Straight Ahead Jazz Exchange,” a five-day virtual conference held July 20-24 and hosted by the Jazz Institute of Chicago (JIC). As Diane Chandler-Marshall, JIC’s education program director and “emcee” brings her to the stage, you peek over Fuller’s shoulder and see whole notes about the “Empress of the Blues,” the woman who taught “Prez,” and “My Sisters in the Music.” After being introduced, Fuller catches you looking, calls for a time-signature change from present tense to past, and addresses her audience: “The more I read about women who served as building blocks of this music, I was empowered,” said Fuller, whose 2018 album, Diamond Cut, featuring the lead track, “In the Trenches,” earned a Grammy nomination. “It also (impacted the) political and economic climate throughout America… and helped shape women’s positioning in music.” Black people’s communication during slavery, Fuller stated, relied on rhythm, call and response, improvisation, and passion, which formed the foundation for jazz. The Africans that were kidnapped, brought to North America, and then made slaves, developed the “Grapevine Telegraph” to communicate in secret. “A ‘House Negro’ would sing a song, and at the end of a phrase would be a message,” Fuller explained. “Another slave would hear the message and repeat it. As a result of that continuation of communication, (they) came together for a ceremony.” From this historical base/bass, Fuller journeyed to the 1920s Harlem Renaissance and highlighted the Mother, the Empress, and a recording pioneer of the Blues: Ma Rainey, Bessie Smith, and Mamie Smith. Fuller described Rainey as an innovative vocalist, poet, and lyricist who mentored Bessie. Ironically, she added, mentee surpassed continued on page 3 JAZZ IN CHICAGO OCTOBER 2020 3 continued from page 2 mentor in acclaim, noting also that their chemistry was captured in the film, Bessie. Fuller then played excerpts from Ma Rainey’s “Prove It On Me” and Bessie’s “The Downhearted Blues,” before discussing Mamie Smith. “She was the first Black female to make a vocal recording, ‘Crazy Blues,’” said Fuller, before adding that Mamie and Bessie were not related. “She was also directly responsible for birthing the recording industry. She opened up artistic and economic avenues for lots of Black women.” Fuller’s journey then embraced Lil Hardin, who played piano in Joe King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band in 1922. Two years later, she married bandmate Louis Armstrong and encouraged him to form his own ensemble. Armstrong’s first solo recordings with the Hot Five, and, later, the Hot Seven were guided by Hardin’s singing, playing, and compositions, especially “Struttin’ with Some Barbecue.” The couple separated in 1931 and were divorced seven years later. “ ‘When I realized I was holding the ladder he was climbing,’” Fuller quoted Hardin as saying, “ ‘it was time to go.’” Fuller’s course progression then addressed alto saxophonist Irma Young, whose family featured a cornet-playing father, an alto saxophone- and banjo- playing mother, one son that played drums, and another, Lester, who blew tenor saxophone. This family played professionally, the presenter noted, but Irma preferred singing and dancing, so she put her horn away. “But she sounded just like Lester Young on alto,” Fuller said, “and she would sit in at the clubs and play chorus after chorus, and she had fantastic ideas. She was noted to have taught ‘Prez’ the basics.” Before playing “My Sisters in the Music,” Fuller’s history lesson would wingspan from the 1930s to today, highlighting trumpeter Ernestine Davis, trombonist/ arranger Melba Liston, and pianists Mary Lou Williams, Joanne Brackeen, and Hazel Scott, among many others. When discussing Ms. Scott, Fuller played “Black & White are Beautiful,” a vintage video where she plays two grand pianos simultaneously, sublimely. Fuller’s “Family Time” featured pianists Geri Allen – “She was just a beautiful spirit,” – Shamie Fuller- Royston, her actual sister, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen, bassist Esperanza Spalding, and drummer Terri Lyne Carrington. “Talk about a force in music!” Fuller exclaimed about TLC, who produced Diamond Cut. “Her first performance was at age 10 with Clark Terry, and she received a full scholarship to the Berklee College of Music.” Fuller ended her set by playing a video featuring Beyonce – whose all-female ensemble she toured with – scatting on a song composed in the same key as “Ornithology.” Fuller brought this fact to the boss’ attention, suggested she listen to Ella’s scats on “How High the Moon,” and then marveled at how Beyonce, the very next day, delivered a first-time, pitch-perfect scat. For an encore, Fuller responded to an attendee’s question about challenges female musicians encounter. While many biases – even from other women – still exist, she said, there is positive change happening through Berklee’s Institute of Jazz and Gender Justice, founded by Carrington, and today’s youth. “The next generation of children…is becoming more vocal,” she said. “My students at Berklee are being more proactive, and the young men are more conscience about what they’re doing in their surroundings.” n JAZZ IN CHICAGO OCTOBER 2020 4 * PLEASE NOTE: Not all venues have their schedules set by our deadlines VIRTUAL EVENTS CALENDAR or present jazz exclusively. Call ahead or check their websites. CONSTELLATION 3111 North Western Ave/ All performances start ar 8:30PM)/ Livestream concerts by donation www.constellation-chicago.com