All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard

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All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard
Live album by Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra

Publication
(s)

2016

Label (s) Resonance Records

Format (s)

CD

Genre (s)

jazz

occupation

production

Zev Feldman , George Klabin

chronology
Opening Night
(1997) 		All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard -

All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard is a jazz album of the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra , which on 7 February and 21 March 1966 at the New York jazz club the Village Vanguard was added and in 2016 as a double CD with Resonance Records released has been.

background

"Since the end of the swing era , jazz critics have spent a great deal of ink (and pixels) on the terrifying prospects of maintaining a big band ," wrote Derek Taylor. “Finance and logistics almost speak against such an ambitious company. Jazz orchestras were a risky endeavor even at the height of their popularity. The Thad Jones / Mel Lewis orchestra arrived decades later at a time when the circumstances were proving particularly outrageous. ”

All My Yesterdays (named after a composition by Thad Jones) recordings of the band at two appearances at Village Vanguard, the 50-year-old home of the big band , which later operated as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra . Originally thought to get a record deal for the band, the tracks are largely unknown to the public. Klabin recorded the orchestra with minimal equipment but by modern standards, with only the musicians themselves helping to attach microphones as needed. Klaban's equipment included a Crown Professional two-track stereo cassette recorder, an Ampex mixer with four inputs and six microphones (Neumann U67, Bayer and AKG microphones, and an Electro-Voice 654 Dynamic, the latter used for bass ). Klaban states that he placed one microphone each for woodwinds, trombones and trumpets, the fourth for the bass, the fifth for the piano and the last for the band leader Thad Jones. C. Michael Bailey wrote of the result of these technical conditions:

“The result of this alchemical paradigm is a presence, not in the audience, but in the middle of the band, looking down (listening) (a physical impossibility given the compressed boundaries of the Village Vanguard). Nevertheless, the sound and the atmosphere are electrically charged and immediate. The sound is big enough to get you up and walk around and go through all the sections. It is musical arrangement as a subatomic metaphor ... any musical element that interacts with and against each other to create a composite product of rare substance and beauty. It is immediately apparent that something special is taking place. "

In the orchestra led by Thad Jones and Mel Lewis played a. a. saxophonists Joe Farrell , Pepper Adams and Eddie Daniels , trumpeters Jimmy Owens and Snooky Young , trombonist Bob Brookmeyer and others. The music, recorded at the famous Village Vanguard in 1966, documents both the band's first performance in February and a second gig the following month.

The edition consists of a 92-page book containing rare, previously unpublished photos, historical essays, interviews and memoirs. Contributors include executive producer George Klabin, who recorded the original tapes, producer Zev Feldman, associate producer Chris Smith (author of The View from the Back of the Band: The Life and Music of Mel Lewis ), and longtime Vanguard Jazz Orchestra arranger and pianist Jim McNeely and trombonist / educator John Mosca . All living musicians (at the time of preparation for publication) who played on these recordings contributed to the liner notes and shared their personal experiences with the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis orchestra; it includes reports from saxophonists Jerry Dodgion, Eddie Daniels and Marv "Doc" Holladay, trumpeter Jimmy Owens, trombonists Garnett Brown and Tom McIntosh, and bassist Richard Davis. The pages show photographs by Chuck Stewart , Raymond Ross , Ray Avery and Jan Persson .

Track list

  • Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays (Resonance Records - HCD-2023)
Richard Davis, 2010
Disc 1 - February 7, 1966
  1. Back Bone - 1:22 p.m.
  2. All My Yesterdays 4:22
  3. Big Dippe "- 5:51
  4. Mornin 'Reverend - 4:49
  5. The Little Pixie - 2:25 pm
  6. Big Dipper (alt. Take) - 5:44
Disc 2 - March 21, 1966
  1. Low Down - 4:38
  2. " Lover Man (Oh Where Can You Be?) " (Davis, Ramirez , Sherman) - 5:25
  3. Ah, That's Freedom - 10:08
  4. Don't Ever Leave Me - 4:28
  5. Willow Weep for Me ( Ronell ) - 6:15
  6. Mean What You Say - 5:51
  7. Once Around - 12:45
  8. Polka Dots and Moonbeams ( Van Heusen , Burke ) - 4:02
  9. Mornin 'Reverend - 5:49
  10. All My Yesterdays - 4:25
  11. Back Bone - 12:59
  • All compositions, unless otherwise stated, are by Thad Jones.

reception

Matt Collar gave the album 4½ (out of 5) stars in Allmusic, saying: All My Yesterdays is a sensational, cleverly curated edition that marks the debut of the innovative Thad Jones / Mel Lewis orchestra from 1964. Despite the limited technical requirements, “the recordings sound remarkably clear and capture the electrifying atmosphere of the band's debut. Highlighted by Jones 'bop-oriented trumpet solos and manned by Lewis' rhythm section with pianist Hank Jones , guitarist Sam Herman, and bassist Richard Davis , the orchestra was a sleek, forward-looking, but always swinging unit that helped bring large ensembles into bring the post-bop era. It didn't hurt that the band was made up of a cross-generational squad of virtuoso musicians. "

All of this can be heard clearly on these recordings, the author wrote when saxophonist Jerry Dodgion leads the band into an explosive version of Jones' swinging, gospel-influenced blues "Back Bone". “From that moment on, the band hardly gives up, Lewis leads the arrangements with his thundering, foot-pounding pulse and Jones calls out solos and improvised background phrases . The second disc, recorded on March 21, 1966, features an equally compelling performance from the band as well as a longer set list including dynamic versions of 'Low Down', 'Ah, That is Freedom', 'Mean What You Say' and more. While the Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra has an extensive oeuvre of recorded music to offer, the band captivates with All My Yesterdays from their brilliant, joyful start. "

Hank Jones (2005)

C. Michael Bailey wrote in All About Jazz : “You start the first performance of the Thad Jones composition and the 'Back Bone' arrangement and listen. The alto saxophonist Jerry Dodgion spits an unaccompanied Blues - Chorus of which is inspired by shouting and encouragement from the band. Thad Jones himself awaits the entry of the entire band with a great 'Yeah!' This is unrestrained joy when making music. ”References to Count Basie can be found in all arrangements, both in the twist and in the solos. Alto Jerome Richardson performs “Little Dipper” twice, and pianist (and Thad Jones' brother) Hank Jones “conveys the spirit of the living Count Basie. That's it, quite simply, what live music is about: inventiveness, spontaneity, improvisation and spring freshness. Hear where the whole big band came from. "

Jack Kenny said in Jazz Views that although the band did not achieve the fame of the orchestras of Count Basie or Duke Ellington , Woody Herman or Stan Kenton , they have chosen their own individual path: "The music is indeed distinctive: relaxed, swinging controlled dynamics and with great soloists. One look at the staff reveals a list of New York freelancers who have the most experience with big bands. The now fifty-year-old recording is an extraordinarily detailed and atmospheric recording that captures joy and spontaneity. Everyone seems to enjoy the music. In 'Once Around' Mel Lewis drops out and is only replaced by snapping his fingers , bassist Richard Davis continues with the rhythm and after a while the whole band returns. The dynamism, similar to Basie, means that the band can switch from a whisper to a full throaty roar within a few bars. "

"This is an extraordinary album," Kenny sums up. “Exceptional for the music, the documentation, an eighty page book and the lively reception. Above all, it is enjoyable. I've heard a few albums from this band, but nothing that captures the unique qualities of the young Klabin. This is not a band that changed the jazz world; she just did everything it tried. It is an album that is often put on the CD drive whenever you want to see talented musicians giving their best with spirits. "

Cormac Larkin praised the Rish Times : “Los Angeles-based Indy label Resonance has spotted some shiny gems since 2008 - most notably last year's offering [Live at Temple University] by John Coltrane - but All My Yesterdays may be the crown jewel . “50 years after the label founder George Klabin was with his microphones in the Village Vanguard, when Thad Jones and Mel Lewis made their debut with their legendary big band, this session is still strong, and this set is with two CDs and numerous texts and interviews a fitting tribute to a major New York institution. "For connoisseurs of the big band tradition, it's like discovering the Dead Sea Scrolls and the happy, liberated music sounds as fresh as it did 50 years ago."

Mel Lewis (1979)

Derek Taylor praised in Dusted, All My Yesterdays “offers the opportunity to hear the five centuries old institution on the eve of its existence, without missing the triumphant longevity that would continue to this day. Trumpeter and chief composer / arranger Thad Jones combines his background with Count Basie and the ability to compose for smaller ensembles to build work on pieces that match the speed and skill of modern combo jazz to a malleable big band chassis. As a drummer and co-conspirator, drummer Mel Lewis acted as the band's director and engine room, driving the players with a cracking rhythmic feel that had more to do with the subtleties and nuances of Shelly Manne than the pugilist bombast of Buddy Rich . "

“Bassist Richard Davis was the wild card from the start, classically trained and prone to brackets, improvisations outside of the tempo with strange tonal deviations. Instead of including him, Jones and Lewis embraced their innovative eccentrics, and the orchestra gained another unique quality that set it apart from its few colleagues, ”the author continued. Despite the gap of just one and a half months, the two concerts hardly overlap. Only "Mornin 'Reverend", "Back Bone" and the title track of the set are identical, and Jones' arrangements would offer the musicians a wide range of surprises. The opening performance of "Back Bone" exemplifies the band's method of having alto Jerry Dodgion blow amid the infectious vocal encouragement of his peers. “Stray brass beats and an angled bass note accompany him in full set play in front of the horns, and Lewis cymbals form a brisk tempo. The bluesy polyphony that follows is almost Mingus-like in its flowing balance between tangible orchestral strength and properly deployed energy. An expressive middle piece duo section by Brookmeyer and Brown steals the melody. ”The Village Vanguard Orchestra in its“ heard in its earliest incarnation, ”sums up Taylor, shows that“ the foundation for this persistence is well established ”.

In 2016 the album was awarded the Prix ​​de la Meilleure Réédition ou du Meilleur Inédit by the Académie du Jazz . In the National Public Radio's Jazz Critics Poll at the end of 2016 , the album took second place in the Rara Avis category , after In Paris: The ORTF Recordings by Larry Young and before Some Other Time: The Lost Session from the Black Forest by Bill Evans .

Web links

Individual evidence

  1. ↑ a b c Derek Taylor: Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays (Resonance). Dusted, March 29, 2016, accessed March 21, 2019 .
  2. ↑ a b c Review of Scott Yanow's All My Yesterdays album at Allmusic (English). Retrieved March 28, 2019.
  3. ^ A b c C. Michael Bailey: Thad Jones and Mel Lewis: All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard. All About Jazz, February 29, 2016, accessed March 21, 2019 .
  4. ↑ Discographic information at Discogs
  5. ↑ a b Jack Kenny: HAD JONES / MEL LEWIS ORCHESTRA - All My Yesterdays: The Debut 1966 Recordings at the Village Vanguard. Jazz Views, February 1, 2016, accessed March 21, 2019 .
  6. ^ Cormac Larkin: Thad Jones / Mel Lewis Orchestra - All My Yesterdays: sounds as fresh as it did 50 years ago. February 19, 2016, accessed March 27, 2019 .
  7. ^ Palmares de l'Académie du Jazz 1965–2018
  8. ^ Francis Davis: The 2016 NPR Music Jazz Critics Poll. NPR, December 21, 2016, accessed March 31, 2019 .