Taking Care of Business

the jazz product from the com- RECORD WORLD'S panies are so inept and ill in- formed, that the record stores must generally inform the so- aiZE WINNING called representatives what the product is. Fortunately, in most JAZZ SECTION of the stores there are the avid believers among the sales per- record /r1 sonnel. They stay on top of the worm o jazz scene and initiate pro- grams on their own to help move the product. Taking Care of Business Is it possible that the heads of the companies with substan- by De! Shields tial jazz product can be so blind or disinterested? It hardly A review of our mail during tive and sexy in a wholesome seems possible in a business 1. THE ELECTRIFYING the past few weeks has revealed [pardon my conservatism] way. that is so competitive, but this EDDIE HARRIS

a number of announcements of There were no cheap gyrations seems to be the trend. The rem- Atlantic 1495 SD 1495 various groups being intro- or deliberate attempts to play edy most jazz companies supply duced at assorted clubs in New up sex. They are a class group is to ignore the product. Per- 2. DOWN HERE ON THE York. Most of the invitations and whether they solo or har- haps, like civil rights, if they GROUND are in bright two or three monize, they reveal remark- don't get involved, maybe the Wes Montgomery-A&M LP 3006 colors with the program in the ably superb voices. The night problem will go away. latest and most fanciful print we caught the group they 3. A DAY IN THE LIFE

announcing that "XYZ" group, played to a capacity house and Wes Montgomery-A&M LP SP 2001 the newest happening, will be exited to a standing ovation Biscayne Tribute presented and that cocktails from an appreciative audience. "Little" Mack Simmons has 4. NEFERTITI will be served. The elaboration The Fifth Dimension is not released a Biscayne record en- Miles Davis-Columbro 9594 and planning of most of these a jazz group, but as we listened titled "A Tribute to Dr. Martin affairs and the expenses en- we felt very strongly that these Luther King Jr. (Stop Looting 5. THE BEST OF tailed generally runs into the kids would do well in the jazz and Rioting)" produced by the WES MONTGOMERY high hundreds idiom, but perish the thought Peace Crusaders. Verve V V6 8741 and sometimes to kill a good thing. We think thousands of that Liberty Records, the man- Soul Picnic 6. MR. SHING-A-LING dollars. agement of the group and all Lou Donaldson- At these af- concerned did an excellent job Blue Note BST -84271 fairs the spir- in promoting the act during its flow like their stay in New York. Now 7. JIMMY SMITH'S water. There if this same kind of promotion GREATEST HITS is much hug- were only applied to most of Blue Note BST 89901 ging, kissing the jazz artists, wouldn't it be Del Shields and back-slap- a lovely day? 8. THE GLORY OF LOVE ping and the Herbie Mann-A&M 2003: SP -3003 number of sample copies of the Jazz Promotion Still Undiscovered group's latest records that is 9. PORTRAIT OF RAY distributed would stock a small Jazz promotion still seems to Ray Charles-ABC S 625 record shop for months. No ex- be alien and a yet to be dis- pense seems to be spared at covered function. It doesn't 10. GROOVIN' WITH THE these affairs for the newest seem to be a part of the record SOULFUL STRINGS thing happening in the world companies philosophy. Oh yes, Cadet LP LPS 796 of "Psychodologyacidnothin' " here and there there is a smat- so-called protest music. As the tering of small, incidental pro- 11. UP POPS RAMSEY LEWIS saying goes ... many of these grams. There is, however, very Cadet LP LPS 799 groups are called and recorded, little concentrated effort to but few remain beyond the make jazz promotion an inte- 12. STICK UP term of the initial contract. gral part of the sales promo- Bobby Hutcherson-Blue Note BST 84244 But if you keep trying and tion program. Before the critics believe, you are generally re- begin screaming that we are 13. LIGHT HOUSE '68 warded and such an event hap- off to the races to be cancelled Jazz Crusaders- pened to us when we visited like "Dancers Image," check Pacific Jazz ST 20131 the Royal Box of the Ameri- the record stores. cana Hotel last week to see the We have reported that qui- 14. BACCHANAL Gabor Szabo-Skye 5K-3 Fifth Dimension. It has been etly . . . or perhaps not so sometime since we have wit- quietly . . . our staff has been nessed a new group with the conducting a survey among the 15. RESPECT polish, sophistication and flare stores we contact each week in Jimmy Smith-Verve V/V6 8705 of the "Up, Up And Away" the New York area seeking 16. UP IN ERROLL'S kids. their statement on promotions. Soul City's the Fifth Dimension ROOM are shown above at their reception Erroll Garner-MGM E/SE 4520 They were exciting. They Here are some random an- following their recent opening at sing well. Each member "No "No of the swers: promotion." New York's Americana Hotel. At 11. BLACK JACK group is an excellent soloist. counter cards." "No co-ops." top, group poses with Record Donald Byrd-Blue Note BST 84259 They entertain. They command "No blow ups." "'No in person World's Ted Williams, World Pa- the cific -Soul promotion stage. They communicate store promotions with artists." City national 18. THE SORCERER with the audience in "No "No man Ben Scotti, label's New York - a beauti- direction." sugges- Gabor Szabo-Impulse A/AS 9143 ful, warm and happy manner. tions." "No slicks." "No point of New Jersey Promo Manager Perry Cooper; Liberty VP Lee Mendell, This is so odd in this day of sales material." And last but 19. UNDERGROUND "put down everything." They not least, "very little contact Earl Wilson; Jack Sterling, WHN, Pete Myers, WNEW, Bob Skaff, Thelonious Monk-Columbia CS -9632 were costumed 'with imagina- with the company." Liberty VP, Dan Daniels, WMCA, tion and taste. The girl mem- And, sadly, those who are in- Billy Taylor, WLIB-FM, and Scott 20. THE PROMISE OF A FUTURE bers of the troup are attrac- volved with the promotion of Muni, WNEW-FM. Hugh Masekela-Uni 73028

36 RECORD WORLD-June 1, 1968