Creative Audio the 1930'S, Hodges Largely Abandoned 4003
Total Page：16
File Type：pdf, Size：1020Kb
THE RECORDING A Jazz Woman CENTER INC. and a Jazz lmmoRtal Classes in recording engineering and production By Nat Hentoff Design and repair of is to the Kansas City the instrument although his alto sax- professional audio It largely due Women's Jazz Festival (three years ophone solos retained the soaring equipment old in 1980) that there has been an in- grace of the smaller horn. creasing focus on female horn play- A choice collection of Hodges' per- Consultation in all ers. With certain exceptions, formances is newly available on areas of studio design women's place in jazz has largely Storyville, a Danish label now and construction been at the piano or as a singer. distributed in the United States by Otherwise, there has been a strong, the Moss Music Group (Vox, etc.) Connecticut's largest though seldom explicitly stated, Seven sides are 1962 performances and most sophisticated macho tradition in jazz. Women, it by the Ellington orchestra and four recording studio was widely held by men, just don't are 1964 tracks by a Hodges -led small have the strength of "soul" to be combo with trombonist Lawrence Brown, tenor saxophonist Paul Con- Contact Ilene Braunstein taken seriously on the jazz horns. (203) 853-3433 This myth will eventually disinte- salves, altoist Russell Procope, and grate as more and more women in- trumpeter Cat Anderson. (The latter exposure. For session includes such sempiternal 25 Van Zant strumentalists get instance, soprano saxophonist Jane Hodges classics as "Good Queen E. Norwalk, CT Ira Bloom is already well-respected Bess" and "Jeep's Blues. ") 06855 by such major leaguers as George When Hodges died in 1970, Ell Coleman and Rashied Ali, with whom ington was desolated, not only because of the personal loss but CIRCLE 63 ON READER SERVICE CARD she has worked. She has also been part of the Women's Jazz Festival. because Hodges' serene sen- Now, in her first album as leader, We suousness, easeful blues -laced power, Are /Outline (Outline Records, 200 and loping swing were central to the West 16th St., #3E, New York, New band. As you can bear in these York 10011), she should finally begin numbers, Hodges was a compelling to get the national jazz attention she romanticist without sentimentality; so unmistakeably merits. and no one before or since has told Creative For one thing, Jane Ira Bloom has such deeply, richly evocative stories Audio thoroughly mastered the often resis- on the alto saxophone. To use a Nashville's Progressive tant soprano, an instrument on which favorite term of Duke's, Hodges was Professional Audio Dealer there have been few virtuosi in jazz truly "beyond category." history. Her sound is strong, clear, Engineering on the two dates cap- Fs and actually sings. Moreover, she is tured the natural, enliveningly an unusually resourceful, cohesive variegated sounds of both the full or- If you are seriously interested in uniting musical expression with melodist creating what sound like chestra and the Hodges' chamber progressive studio technology, (as group. These musicians had so much you owe it to yourself to give us "spontaneous compositions" she a call in Nashville. puts it). Rhythmically secure, she is inherent presence that no tinkering resiliently complemented here by with the dials to "enhance" them was bassist Kent McLagan. The reper- at all necessary. tory includes Bloom originals, and one song apiece by Miles Davis, Billy Strayhorn, and McLagan. JANE IRA BLOOM: We Are/Outline. The sound is as clean and vivid as [Jane Ira Bloom, producer; Dean Jane Ira Bloom's playing. Like her, Roumanis, engineer]. Outline it's honest. OTL -137. One musician who commanded the soprano saxophone early in his career JOHNNY HODGES/DUKE ELLING- (having been greatly influenced by TON: Duke Ellington and Johnny Sidney Bechet who, in turn, much ad- Hodges. [No information on pro- mired him) was Johnny Hodges. In ducer or engineer]. Storyville SLP Creative Audio the 1930's, Hodges largely abandoned 4003. 112 SPACE PARK DRIVE NASHVILLE, TN. 37211 [615) 331 -3247 CIRCLE 117 ON READER SERVICE CARD 112 MODERN RECORDING .