Anthropology

ANTHROPOLOGY claim. Certainly this rare collaboration with The bonds between the pioneer figures of War Americans save their money and help the Navarro, Tristano and Eager turned out to be modern jazz were immensely strong. In the Treasury. Listeners were requested to write in, valuable. Bird and Lennie travelled different musical climate of the 1940s, and later, stating which of the jazz styles they preferred. roads but they held each other in high esteem Gillespie, Parker, Monk, Powell, Miles and and were able to collaborate successfully. Navarro were rebels who had absorbed their If the whole thing sounds dreadfully contrived — fill of big bands, confining arrangements and yet another variation on the poll syndrome The date opens with 52nd Street Theme and all the other conventions of the Swing Era. which equates "popular" with "best" — at least announcer Bruce Elliot introducing Fats, Bird, They were creating something new. To some it had an extremely durable by-product — the LaPorta, Eager, Tristano, Bauer, Potter and it was "Chinese music" and "nonsense" and music. The two broadcasts from September Rich in that order. Then Ulanov calls Donna they rejected it outright. Few musicians could 1947 produced nine titles by the modernists Lee, exclusively a feature for Bird who had really play in the Bebop style to start with, and who, on those occasions, comprised Gillespie, recorded this original for Savoy six months earlier. those who could naturally formed almost a Parker, John LaPorta, Lennie Tristano, Billy Eager and LaPorta do not play and Navarro is closed circle. Bauer, Ray Brown and Max Roach. These heard only in ensemble. Parker is in impressive selections, together with additional and form, moulding a typically swirling line onthese There were disagreements of a personal nature interesting Bird material, are available on astringent changes, reputedly written for a lady — hardly surprising in view of the intense and Lullaby in Rhythm (Spotlite 107).. Now we bass player. individualistic characters of the men involved — have the "victory sequel". —Anthropology. The pen and ink drawing on the front cover but they seldom stood in the way of the music. is entitled Prehistoric boogie. The artist, local For this November 8, 1947, airshot the nucleus Everything I Have Is Yours finds Sarah Vaughan Although Fats Navarro might attempt to use Harlow man Pete Green did not draw it of Barry Ulanov's All Star Modern Jazz imaginatively accompanied by the rhythm his trumpet to crush Bud Powell's hands in a specifically for this album but as one of a Musicians was retained. Bird, LaPorta, Tristano section. Sarah had cut this side for Musicraft in moment of anger and frustration, they were still series of drawings shortly to appear in an and Bauer were again on hand. Fats Navarro 1946 and it had been rather successful. Her wild able to communicate and interact when it was exhibition in London. My problems for an replaced Gillespie, Tommy Potter and Buddy note-bending indicates how carefully she had time to play. And while there was undoubtedly appropriate photograph to use as a sleeve design Rich came in for Brown and Roach, Allen listened to Bird and Diz when they were all more than a grain of rivalry in the relationship were immediately solved one night when Pete Eager's tenor was an added starter in the front members of the Hines and Eckstine Bands. between Diz and Bird, they were soulbrothers produced the picture to show me. line and the peerless modern singer Sarah to the end. Vaughan was featured on one title. Fats Flats puts the spotlight on Fats Navarro. Before and during the war little was heard of Fans of the trumpeter will recognise this Anyway, friction keeps the world going and all Jazz in this country but Pete who went to sea variation on What Is This Thing Called Love? the Beboppers had enough of it to contend with This distinctive and distinguished array of bop in those days first experienced Jazz in New as Barry's Bop, made by Fats for Savoy and a from external sources without paying much and "cool" musicians with a swing drummer York whilst listening to Eddie Condon at Nick's dedication to Ulanov. Origins aside, this is one attention to arguments among themselves. played a highly stimulating set. The personnel in Greenwich Village. After the war while he of Navarro's finest solos, a model of musical Goodman, the Dorsey Brothers and other jazz is most unusual. It went under the banner of was at art school, he found a lively interest in architecture with every note placed in precision establishment figures held up modern jazz to Barry Ulanov and His All Star Metronome the music amongst the students and has been fashion. Fats was the nearest thing to a perfect ridicule, probably as a defence mechanism. Jazzmen and four of the participants — Parker, listening to British Jazz from the days when trumpet soloist who could, apparently, execute They felt, perhaps, threatened by these Navarro, Tristano and Bauer — recorded together Humphrey Lyttleton and Wally Fawkes played exactly what he thought. He is joined for the sounds which they could not comprehend. A yet again in January 1949 as part of the in George Webb's Dixieland Band at the Red Metronome All Stars. Eager and Navarro, of last eight bars by Bird as they move into the Barn. schism opened in the jazz world, hotly fanned by the music Press and fostered by the course, were no strangers having worked theme of Hot House. partisan followers of both the Dixieland/New together in Tadd Dameron's Band. They were His listening these days varies between Bird, Orleans (mouldy figs) fans and the smaller also on the famous Saturday Night Swing Tea For Two is LaPorta's showcase but he does Coltrane and Ornette Coleman on one hand and pro-Bop wing. In all the argument a lot of Session of April 1947 which featured Buddy little to impress. With the exceptions of Tony Nucleus, John Surman and Mike Westbrook Rich too). Scott and Stan Hasselgard, modern clarinet from the British Jazz Scene on the other. He great "mainstream" figures were forgotten, but that's another story. players did sound pretty cold. Somehow the plays records incessantly and feels that whilst At any rate, whatever adjustments had to be instrument seemed unsuited to the music, his conscious mind is largely occupied with the Amidst all this absurd bickering, modern made — and one can imagine that Tristano although of course it was ideal for expressing music his subconscious or that part of his mind musicians were apt to record vicious parodies was less than comfortable with Rich behind earlier jazz forms. LaPorta's lines, complex which draws from the archives of his memory him — they did not result in a stylistic impasse. though they may be, seem to lead nowhere and influence his drawing. of Trad jazz (like Chubby Jackson's "Moldy Fig Stomp" for example) to which there was One might ponder at the inclusion of the rather the emotional content is nil. Main focus for no musical reply because the older men were bloodless clarinet of LaPorta in this heavy listening here is once again the rhythm company and the amount of prominence he is unable to blow in the new vein at all so had to section. Don't Blame Me is an off beat reading accorded but it does not really matter resort to verbal insult. of the standard by Tristano, Bauer and Potter. because the rest are so good. Lennie and Billy are of the same mind as their In retrospect the entire episode appears melodic patterns intertwine majestically. It is no Of course, Charlie Parker was one of the few childish and distasteful and today nobody surprise that Lennie had Buddy Rich lay out on prominent musicians of the day who would thinks twice about Dizzy making an album this one. never be drawn into the petty squabbles about with Bobby l lackett or any other pairings Bop and Moldy Figgery. There are those who which would have been unthinkable in the Groovin' High has Allen Eager blowing potent saw his generous reactions to a Leonard atmosphere that prevailed a quarter of a choruses on the Whispering changes. It must century ago. Feather blindfold test as a cop-out, but the fact have been an unnerving experience for the was that to his ears there was only good music young tenorman, standing right next to and bad music; style was a matter of personal By 1947, Bop was looming much larger and 99 Bird, who with Diz had created the classic taste. As for his reluctance to put down other per cent of young musicians were adopting it original. And Bird does not get a solo! Still musicians, this could be interpreted as a as their mode of expression. In late summer of Eager does very nicely and sounds the epitome that year, critics Barry Ulanov and Rudi Blesh charitable attitude rather than any cussed of confidence. Dig those big fat chords that hit upon the idea of having a battle of styles — evasion. Having been slated and scorned Lennie and Billy put in at the close of the Moldy Figs vs. Moderns. The two men selected himself, he knew only too well the feeling of melody statement. Bauer also sounds groovy in all star bands of their choice and each group being misunderstood and misrepresented. It his brief solo. Spotlite 108 played in turn on a radio show called - Bands has been said that he could play with anybody For ", a programme geared to make post- and the recorded evidence bears out that Incidentally look out for the remainder of the best performances do, steadily and inexorably Koko is yet another masterful version of Bird's Dameron/Roost material on Spotlite.

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