Today's JAZZ playlist

Big Band for a few hours :)
I'm just being lazy today and digging having other people picking the tunes...

WRTI2.png


Sunday Blue Eric
 

I have an interesting story behind this song. This is the alternate take of the song "Bow Jest" that was recorded on an Illinois Jacquet album entitiled "The Illinois Jacquet Allstars" in June of 1980.

Which takes me to June of 1980...

I was supposed to meet my buddy Tommy and his wife Sandy who lived in New Jersey for a night out on the town. My friend Tommy did so much to introduce me to good jazz. Anyway, for some reason, I found myself out at my Dad's house way out on the end of Long Island the day I was supposed to meet them. I called them and said that I wasn't going to make the long drive, and cancelled.

Well, it starts heading toward evening, and I'm out there in this big house all by myself. No one's around. Nothing going on. I say to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?'' So, I hopped in the car and drove into the city - a good couple hour drive, thinking I would surprise Tommy and Sandy.

Now the place we were supposed to start out at was The Village Vanguard, as Illinois Jacquet was playing there with Richard Wyands on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, George "Dude" Brown on drums (by way of Washington D.C.) and Slam Stewart on bass. I got there a little before the first set was about to start, and thought I'd wait at the door for my friends. And - I had my tape recorder with me, maybe in some kind of bag,, which I unzipped when the band started playing.

At any rate, THIS is the tune Illinois started playing the first tune, first set.

And...oh...man...

I can't even tell you. The solo he took...there...are... no...words. I thank God up above, I was there to record it. While the solo on the recording you hear here is absolutely great, as is the one also on the released version of the song, there is NOTHING...that compares with how he played on this tune that night. That one solo reshaped my concept of jazz and improvising. Of music. It just has to be heard. In fact, it was probably the greatest night I heard Illinois. I remember him playing "Body and Soul" later that set, and I'm thinking to myself, "MAN! I'm getting this on tape! Unbelievable!!"

Well, I waited and waited for my friends, who never showed, who as I later found out, decided not to come in that night in that I had cancelled earlier. After the first set, I walked up the stairs, to listen to a little of my tape. And I find out that the damn batteries RAN OUT midway through THIS tune where Illinois took the amazing solo. But THANK GOD, I got the whole solo. I got Gray Sargent's solo, and Richard Wyands' solo also, but the batteries started to run out during Slam Stewart's. A little later Gray Sargent came up the stairs , and he and I started talking. I can't remember now if I had talked to him on another gig or not, but this night I remember him telling me stories Illinois Jacquet had told him of things like Charlie Parker playing with Billie Holiday and things like that.

Anyway, I told him what had happened with my tape recorder, and I had noticed that he was always taping the sets himself up on the stage. I asked him the name of the tune that I loved, and he told me it didn't have a name, and was referred to as "Tune in A-Flat." It later came to be known as "Bow Jest" of course. I asked Gray if he could send me a copy of the set that they had just played. He took my address, and...he never sent me a copy unfortunately. If I ever see him again, I'm going to say to him, "Hey! Where's my tape?" LOL

I put up the alternate take of this tune, because I really love Barry Harris' solo on it. Illinois plays so great on it too.

One day, I will transfer a copy of my tape onto a CD, and make you guys all a copy. All I can say, is thank God I decided to come into NYC that night.
 
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jgannon said:

I have an interesting story behind this song. This is the alternate take of the song "Bow Jest" that was recorded on an Illinois Jacquet album entitiled "The Illinois Jacquet Allstars" in June of 1980.

Which takes me to June of 1980...

I was supposed to meet my buddy Tommy and his wife Sandy who lived in New Jersey for a night out on the town. My friend Tommy did so much to introduce me to good jazz. Anyway, for some reason, I found myself out at my Dad's house way out on the end of Long Island the day I was supposed to meet them. I called them and said that I wasn't going to make the long drive, and cancelled.

Well, it starts heading toward evening, and I'm out there in this big house all by myself. No one's around. Nothing going on. I say to myself, "What the hell am I doing here?'' So, I hopped in the car and drove into the city - a good couple hour drive, thinking I would surprise Tommy and Sandy.

Now the place we were supposed to start out at was The Village Vanguard, as Illinois Jacquet was playing there with Richard Wyands on piano, Gray Sargent on guitar, George "Dude" Brown on drums (by way of Washington D.C.) and Slam Stewart on bass. I got there a little before the first set was about to start, and thought I'd wait at the door for my friends. And - I had my tape recorder with me, maybe in some kind of bag,, which I unzipped when the band started playing.

At any rate, THIS is the tune Illinois started playing the first tune, first set.

And...oh...man...

I can't even tell you. The solo he took...there...are... no...words. I thank God up above, I was there to record it. While the solo on the recording you hear here is absolutely great, as is the one also on the released version of the song, there is NOTHING...that compares with how he played on this tune that night. That one solo reshaped my concept of jazz and improvising. Of music. It just has to be heard. In fact, it was probably the greatest night I heard Illinois. I remember him playing "Body and Soul" later that set, and I'm thinking to myself, "MAN! I'm getting this on tape! Unbelievable!!"

Well, I waited and waited for my friends, who never showed, who as I later found out, decided not to come in that night in that I had cancelled earlier. After the first set, I walked up the stairs, to listen to a little of my tape. And I find out that the damn batteries RAN OUT midway through THIS tune where Illinois took the amazing solo. But THANK GOD, I got the whole solo. I got Gray Sargent's solo, and Richard Wyands' solo also, but the batteries started to run out during Slam Stewart's. A little later Gray Sargent came up the stairs , and he and I started talking. I can't remember now if I had talked to him on another gig or not, but this night I remember him telling me stories Illinois Jacquet had told him of things like Charlie Parker playing with Billie Holiday and things like that.

Anyway, I told him what had happened with my tape recorder, and I had noticed that he was always taping the sets himself up on the stage. I asked him the name of the tune that I loved, and he told me it didn't have a name, and was referred to as "Tune in A-Flat." It later came to be known as "Bow Jest" of course. I asked Gray if he could send me a copy of the set that they had just played. He took my address, and...he never sent me a copy unfortunately. If I ever see him again, I'm going to say to him, "Hey! Where's my tape?" LOL

I put up the alternate take of this tune, because I really love Barry Harris' solo on it. Illinois plays so great on it too.

One day, I will transfer a copy of my tape onto a CD, and make you guys all a copy. All I can say, is thank God I decided to come into NYC that night.
Click to expand...

Such a great story, and I admire your "The glass is always Half full" attitude. I lived 15+ years in Brooklyn and miss my adopted home town a lot.

Eric
 
E.Auer said:
Such a great story, and I admire your "The glass is always Half full" attitude. I lived 15+ years in Brooklyn and miss my adopted home town a lot.

Eric
Click to expand...

Hey thanks, Eric. I guess I try to take that attitude, but I'm not sure I do all the time, Lol. 15 years in Brooklyn is nothing to sneeze at. You know your way around town then, for sure.
 
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