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TheJAZZ CULTURE

1The Jazz Culture, VI:45

The Vanguard Orchestra at the Village Vanguard

2 The Jazz Culture, VI:45

REVIEWThe Vanguard Jazz Orchestraby L. Hamanaka

Rhythm Section: John Riley, drums, Andy McKee, bass, Michael

Weiss, piano. Trumpets: Tanya Darby, lead, Greg Gisbert, 2nd,

Terrell Stafford, 3rd, Scott Wendholt, 4th;

Trombones: John Mosca, I, Luis Bonilla, 2nd, Jason Jackson 3rd

and JeffNelson (for Douglas Purviance), bass;

Saxophones: Billy Drewes, Alto 1 , Mark Gross, Alto 2, Ralph

Lalama, Tenor 1 , Rich Perry, Tenor 2, Frank Basile, Baritone.

Maybe there is a point to long term relationships. Caught the

Vanguard Jazz Orchestra at the Village Vanguard, that has been

there since 1966. The first composition they played that night was

“Walkin’ About” by Thad Jones in a Basie groove, from the

album, “Rhoda Scott in New York with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis

Orchestra” at about 120=quarter note. A cheerful groovy melody,

led by trombones and trumpets, the first soloist Mark Gross on

Alto saxophone, who has a wider center to his tone than most alto

players, with almost a tenor flavor to his sound, showed nice

rhythmic variations and use of triplets, and then doubled to 16th

notes in the second chorus, using some slides and slurs; in the third

chorus, he got full support by the trombone section. Mr. Gross

incorporated many elements of his instrument’s heritage and is

evolving his own style. Ralph LaLama then soloed on Tenor

saxophone, a dark rich toned player starting with a three note

motif, with hip urban punctuation, a self assured mature soloist

bellowing from his lower register up to melodic spirals, with some

honking, swinging and carving space well, with perfect

articulation, masterful rhythmic variety and ideas from a world-

class player, with a spirited and ebullient style. Michael Weiss

then played a pretty melodic solo selectively building ideas and

sometimes starting with a five note slide or scalar roll, then in the

second chorus going to chords, punctuated with tasty ideas

influenced by classical information, playing with full horn section

3

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The Jazz Culture, VI:45

backing with lots of triplets. Strong

blowing by the orchestra seemed to

lift the roof off the Vanguard with

bright melodic counterpoint. Mr.

Lalama later re-entered with a cascade

of comments segueing to long

syncopated tones with a Basie ending.

The next song was the aptly titled

“Eye of the Hurricane” by Mel Lewis

at about 200=quarter note. Like a

tempestuous force of nature, with

martial trumpet parts ending in a fall, this composition brings to

mind the hurricanes we in the United States have been

Review 1‐5, 7 23‐4How To Do A Jazz

Festival 6‐7Book Review

V. Ponomarev 13Jazz Heritage

Lou Donaldson 14Part II Ron McClure 14

[email protected]://theJazzCulture.com ©

2012

Cont. p.4

4

the unfortunate recipients of in the past decade.

The Baritone solo by Frank Basile showed a lot of energy, a

good tone conveying a sense of emergency, fortified by his youth,

telling a story of emergent danger and stress of being overpowered

by a force greater than oneself. His solo was punctuated by stab-

like thrusts of the horns, ending in long tones and a barrage of

drums, good at conveying “run for your life! ” Altogether an

exciting experience, with some four and five note motifs,

accenting the last note, that later die down. Rich Perry’s solo

seemed to contrast with the general temperature of the storm, with

a simple motif entering and light accompaniment; expressing a lost

feeling, feeling the slow tempo under the fast, a mature realization.

Mr. Perry expressed the feeling of coming back to consciousness

after having been knocked out, very relaxed for a while, then

quickening to 8th note phrases that sometimes slowed. The horns

then crescendo in a panicked mode, while the soloist went from

very low to very high notes, like chasing a roller coaster down the

tracks, in contrast to the horns. The band played with the dramatic

clarity of a symphony orchestra. Then there was a drum solo, nice

colors and use of cymbals to two note counterpoint of the trumpets

and trombones, to a conducted ending well done by Ralph Lalama.

Then a rendition of the classic, “St. Louis Blues” arranged by

Bob Brookmeyer, (who also composed a lovely, modern “Suite for

Three” for them). In his version of ‘St. Louis Blues” the Trumpets

and Trombones enter while the bass plays. Then the piano enters

with a blues line beautifully voiced, the melody takes on a new

dimension with the trombone using a plunger. The arrangement

gives a light sound to the melody, bringing out its lyricism,

evoking a rainbow of different colors. Then Mr. Wendholt started

soloing with a horn background, with a pretty tone using the blues

scale. The Trombone solo by Mr. Bonilla used lots of 16 notes

with a sputtering tone, tempo doubling to about 160=quarter note,

playing blues phrases, kind of notey, with some barks, slurs and

wah-wahs, good anticipation of the beat and some 16 note runs,


5

HOW TO-DO A JAZZ FESTIVAL“Lady Got Chops”

Kim Clarke, a well known New York bassist, was gigging at a

club in Brooklyn, The Jazz Spot, owned by an African American

mother and daughter, Lillithe Meyers and Tiecha Merritt in 2003.

She said to them, “Hey, why not do something for Women’s

Month?”


keeping a good sense of time till the last fall. Then the

arrangement goes to the lower register. Mr. Drewes’ solo was like

filigree, sketching his own universe in stop time. It was a free

section with no accompaniment, very abstract with fanciful

intensity, feeling subdivisions well, good anticipation of the beat,

with ethereal tone color, leading to a series of falls with some

bluesy notes, a dancing quality like a classical player doing

variations. The horn sections acquire full passionate middle

register sound at this point, evocative swells and falls. The horns

plunged in behind Mr. Drewes like the railroads pushed

civilization into a vast frontier. The horns staccato on half note

accents, accenting the +of 4. Mr. Wendholt has a semicool take on

this tune, leading offwith a 16th note triplet and inserting it deftly

with accents informed by swing bop and cool schools, and he

knows how to pose a question and answer it. He was backed by a

series of two note motifs leading to a fall by the horns. Michael

Weiss, pianist, cuts back to the original tempo, does a series of two

note phrases with the accent on the second beat, a pensive mood

with beautiful lines with the melody in mind—The horns re-enter

with a solemn awareness of their beauty-and an extraordinary

dynamic range, restamping a classic with the Brookmeyer Brand,

so that instead of a wornout cliché, the song becomes a fresh faced

beauty that stuns the listener. Cont. p. 7

6

“Rachel Z was my first

artist,” said Kim recently.

“Anyone can apply by going to

the website. A few years ago

we got lucky and met a woman

who was booking Zinc. So Zinc

gives us three to five gigs during

March. Then there’s a woman

in Peekskill, New York.” Ms.

Clarke has worked in the Kit

McClure Big Band, so she knew

a lot of female musicians. Since

the beginning at The Jazz Spot,

there have been 43 different

venues (including museums,

wine tasting venues, concert

halls and libraries) that

promoted Lady Got Chops,

focusing primarily on female instrumentalists. As recognition for

Kim Clarke’s contribution, she received the Golden Shakere

Award.

Ms. Clarke comes from a musical and jazz loving family-her

grandfather was a bassist. Ms. Clarke studied with Barry Harris;

and Ron Carter, Buster Williams and Lisle Atkinson, is a product

of the Jazzmobile program and all the great musician-teachers

there, and was house bassist at the Jazz Cultural Theatre.

It was thus that the “Lady Got Chops” Festival came into the

world, by hook, crook or enthusiasm. “Lady Got Chops” is an

artist produced celebration ofwomen’s creativity in the world of

Jazz and other performing and visual arts. Ms. Clarke does this as

a contribution to the scene, not taking any fee for doing the

organizing work. Although Ms. Clarke has applied for a 501 c(3),

it has not come through yet, so presently she works through

Women In Jazz. Jazz will have a future as long as inspired devoted

Kim Clarke, Producer, Bassist

Making a Difference


7

musicians like Kim Clarke care enough to go the extra mile. One

manifestation of this caring spirit was in 2010 when Lady Got

Chops contributed to Doctors Without Borders for Haitian Relief.

The Lady Got Chops Festival honors great female musicians of

the past as well as honoring the great men and women who

influenced them. Lady Got Chops is a grass roots venture that for

over ten years has existed within the budget of the host venues,

and has involved hundreds ofwomen artists of all ethnicities. To

contribute, just go to womeninjazz-nyc.org/willcontribute.html. To

see the artists involved, go to: Ladygotchops.com, or,

http://thejazz.8m.com/fest.html


Some ofthe Vanguard Cats: Jeff

�elson, Terrell Stafford,

Michael Weiss, Mark Gross,

Jason Jackson, Billy Drewes,

John Mosca, Andy McKee

8

HAPPY BIRTHDAY VALERYPONOMAREV!!

BOOK REVIEW:"The Flip Side of Sound" by Valery PonomarevValery Ponomarev’s book, “The Flip Side of Sound,” is a must

read for any jazz lover who wants to understand how deeply the

thousands of international jazz musicians are committed to the

music, and how much they have gone through to become part of

the jazz world. Jazz is a world music that provides a great deal of

income, joy and status to jazz musicians. This includes Art

Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers, that Mr. Ponomarev was a

member of. The communities that have sprung up around the

world because of the music, keep the music alive. It is an intricate,

honest and passionate description ofMr. Ponomarev’s encounter

with jazz primarily through records and some visiting musicians,

his growing involvement with jazz that led him to leave his

mother, his country and all security behind him to escape as a

“musical” refugee in a circuitous route to the United States.

The book “The Flip Side of Sound” captures the charm and

character of the Russian people, and the attraction that the most

individual and “free” music in the world has for people from other

cultures. As the work of a first generation immigrant, “On the Flip

Side of Sound” gives new insight to theme ofmemoires about the

American dream. Published by: www.authorhouse.com


9

JAZZ HERITAGE

Lou Donaldson, alto saxophone, at �ational Endowment for the Arts

photoshoot at Lincoln Center

LOU DONALDSON'S WORDS OFWISDOM

By Lou Donaldson to L. Hamanaka

Lou Donaldson, a superb artist who also took responsibility for

setting up tours, recorded a number of jazz hits, helped scores of

musicians succeed, and brought joy to millions of people here and

abroad, is a great role model for all emerging artists. He recently

shared some words ofwisdom.

Lou Donaldson was born in Badin, North Carolina into a

middle class family, his father a minister and his mother Lucy

Wallace a concert pianist and music director at her school. Mr.

Donaldson never wanted to take piano lessons from his mother

because, “She used to hit people with the switch [who made


1 0

mistakes] . She told me I had more talent than my other sisters and

brothers. So she got me a clarinet and that started me on clarinet.”

“I went to North Carolina A&T and I got into the band. I was

not taking a music degree. When I got into the service I got into

the Navy Band and I used to go to Chicago…and after I heard

Charlie Parker that changed my whole direction.”

“Actually what happened to me is that I became a travelling

musician. You have to get out ofNY to actually know what Joe

Public is thinking about music. As long as you stay in NY you

have an elitest approach to music, but when you go cross

country… I had to play in a lot of ghetto clubs and they want to

hear what they like. Like … [out there on the road] you don’t have

to worry about jazz critics. I formulated a style to be compatible in

the places I played. By doing so, I created a style. It’s a style

that’s a cross between bebop and swing. What it does, it satisfies

say, people that like to be entertained more than people in New

York.

“I worked at hard bop and bebop for years, so I had a good

background, and I just added a little more compatible stuff for the

general public. So I still am employed as much as I want, and I

have a following in towns where most jazz musicians can’t play.”

JC: A lot ofmusicians complain about not working, but you took

responsibility for finding work. It must have been hard.

LD: “It was tough, but we were lucky, we lived when all those

clubs were available. On the road ifwe had two weeks off, we

would call the clubs and towns, and we could fill up the opening.

“You don’t have anything like that today. No ghetto clubs at

all. All the clubs are gone, or they play hip hop…

JC: Mr. Donaldson set up tours throughout regions in the US.

Today he works locally at the Village Vanguard and Birdland, and


1 1

performs at festivals, and special occasions, pacing himself and

choosing his dates like the other great musicians of the world.

JC: But the public schools stopped music in the 70’s. So all the

public school kids have nowhere to learn to play or learn about

jazz.

LD: “Something is not right in the US because when you go

overseas, the younger people (there) are much more informed

about the music than in the US. The young people seem much

more informed about jazz and jazz musicians than in the US.”

JC: You were married to the same lady, Maker, for 56 years, and

you had two daughters, one doctor in African American Success

Foundation in Ft. Lauderdale.

LD: “My whole family there is supportive there. My

granddaughter is supportive, they put on their website what I do

and stuff…and it helps me a lot.”

“She [Maker] was … in my home town, I knew her before we

Mona and Jimmy Heath in audience


1 2

got married, so it was a pretty good relationship, and she didn’t

play music but she knew all about it. She was there all the time

because she took care ofmy business and was very supportive of

what I was doing, so I was lucky to have her around all the time.”

JC: Alfred Lion of the Blue Note Records asked you when he was

playing at Minton’s to make a record with Milt Hinton. How did

you feel about that?

LD: “Of course I was very excited because he came up to

Minton’s to listen to me play and he asked me did I want to make a

record, so I said, “Of course.” Then he asked me would you like

to play like Charlie Parker. I said, ‘ I’ ll do the best I can.’”

JC: A leader in the true sense of the word Lou Donaldson “made”

more musicians than almost any other musician through his

generosity.

LD: “At the time I was doing it, I didn’t really, really know what I

was doing, but I recommended over 50 musicians. Some of them

for my dates, and I recommended for other dates.

“A lot of them had to fit into the scheme [ofwhat] I was trying

to play and make records. I was very lucky. What happened in the

mid 60’s Blue Note Records was sold to Transamerica Corp. and

had a lot ofmoney--it was a big corporation. They had 10 or 12

record companies and they had A&R men, and they would come

around wanting you to cover “songs” to get in a competitive

market with commercial records. They wanted jazz to be

competitive with commercial vein. Like “Who’s Makin’ Love,”

“Billie Joe,” “Say It Loud, I’m Black and I’m Proud,” so we were

lucky. They were jazz hits. Jazz at that time didn’t sell that many

records. We made a lot of records that sold [tens of thousands] . I

was the most recorded person at Blue Note Records.

JC: When asked about his records:

LD: “Blues Walk” was mentioned as a favorite…”Alligator

Boogaloo”…that was a big record for me financially. And I had


1 3

George Benson and Lonnie Smith

and Idris Muhammed and they

were great musicians.”

JC: “The Masquerade Is Over,” was another hit, and “Whiskey

Drinking Woman.”

Some of the musicians Lou Donaldson played and recorded

with were: Clifford Brown, Horace Silver, Grant Green, John

Patton, Donald Byrd, Blue Mitchell, Horace Parlan, Al Harewood,

George Tucker, Herman Foster, Tommy Turrentine, Jamil Nasser,

Curtis Fuller. One group he had for a long time was: Herman

Foster on piano, Peck Morrison bass, Ray Barretto, Dave Bailey

on drums.

Some of the clubs on Lou Donaldson’s touring circuit were: In

Rochester, Birdie’s & Crawford Grill; the Sacred Mushroom in

Ohio, Jilly’s in Dayton, Babe Baker & Modern Jazz Room, The

Idle Hour in Kentucky, The Riviera, The Gaslight Club, Georgie’s,

the Blue Note, the Blue Room in Kansas City, Bill Reeves

Steakhouse, Twilight Club, the Lark Club in Texas, Magruders,

the Flamingo, the It Club and the Zebra Lounge in LA, Mister

Major’s, The KC Lounge in Denver, the Jazz Showcase in

Chicago, Vernon’s in New Orleans; Judge’s Chambers in E. St.

Louis, Bakers’ Lounge in Detroit, the Blue note on Ridge Avenue

Reverend Lind listens to Lou

Donaldson; ditto, tenor saxophonist

Eugene Ghee


1 4

in Pennsylvania, Club Harlem and a few other places.

JC: What about working with the Jazz Messengers?

LD: “Playing with Clifford Brown was an experience I’ ll never

forget. I would have done it for free. It was just happy playing

beside him to hear him play. Art Blakey was like…I didn’t hang

with Art. He was great when he was playing, he was a great

drummer and he was always upbeat. His sound was upbeat and he

always had energy. Horace and I used to practice together at a little

studio on 1 16th Street and we knew each other real well. It was a

company date on Blue Note, but they made Art the leader,

probably because he owed them more money than anyone else. It

was a great date because all the musicians liked each other and

they were compatible, which makes for a great record.”

LD: “Of course being a veteran, I was in the Navy, a young guy

just 1 8--it taught you discipline, how to organize your thoughts

and actions, to make everything progressive. So you didn’t have

any dead weight. Most of the musicians [I met when I came to

NY] were my heroes, [but] they had problems with drugs and

stuff. I did 100% opposite ofwhat they did, because that’s a no

win situation. You learn discipline [in the service] the way [things]

are supposed to be done, and it’s a good pattern for your life

afterwards if you really put yourself into it. Darrow was a pretty

good school, and right next to it was Heart Net Studios, it was also

a GI school. I [had already] learned theory and harmony in the

service and at A&T.

JC: How do you feel about the fact that jazz is an art form

primarily created by African American musicians, and its meaning

in the world.

LD: “This is the only art form that comes from the US, the only

art form the US has produced. I knew all about it because my

father was a minister, and as a kid I used to hear the old Negro


1 5

spirituals, so I had a great background.”

JC: So what you’re doing is a continuation,

of that background.

LD: “That’s what it is. [And in my

records] We have smooth rhythm, you

never see no erratic rhythm. You got to

have swing rhythm. “It don’t mean a thing

if it ain’t got that swing.” …You got a

groove, you get into and that’s it, which is

wonderful for me.”

JC: You have such a recognizable sound.

One note, and you know it’s you. Did you

work at that or did it just come naturally?

LD: “Whenever you play music you want

to have an ID, an identity, so that when people hear you play. I

worked it hard to get my individual sound and that’s what I use.

JC: Lou Donaldson had four organ bands, including: Dr. Lonnie

Smith, Mel Lasky, trumpet, Idris Muhammad, drums; Earl

Spencer, Charles Earland, Baby Gardner and Billie Willette, one

with Jimmy Ponder. [to LD] I notice you use the organ instead of

the piano.

LD: “Now I use the organ because I had several records that were

popular with the organ sound. I initially started using the organ

because when I started travel cross country, a lot of clubs didn’t

have a piano and you couldn’t rent a piano. If you rented a piano

you couldn’t make any money. [It was like $1 ,000 a week] . The

jobs we played wasn’t paying that much. So we got us an organ.

So we’d set the organ up, take the organ behind a car and put it in

a trailer…[Then] After Jimmy Smith showed up everybody started

to love the organ sound.”

JC: I notice when you are playing, it seems like everyone could

Bassist Kim Clarke, out

for inspiration, listens to

Lou Donaldson


1 6

dance to it.

LD: “No, years ago all of the big bands played jazz for dancing.

That’s where I got the idea from, and that’s how I play. We try to

get the people to planting their feet swinging and that does it.”

JC: Are there any young players who inspire you?

LD: “I see a few around but not as many as I would like to. Most

of the young players today seem to be over educated. They’re a

little too technical and mechanical and not enough soulful to

maintain the standards that you have to do to be a jazz musician.

“We try to be soulful and melodic. That’s the problem….they

forget that if you play “Bye Bye Blackbird” as long as you play it

it’s supposed to sound like [it] but if you get too involved with

chord changes, technique, sounds like they’re practicing, I don’t

hear the song anymore. And you’ve got to avoid that when you try

to be a jazz player. That’s the way I try to play…The way the great

jazz musicians played. Which is very hard to do, unless you

understand the song, and I memorize the words and when I’m

playing [I think about the words] , I try to make the saxophone talk

to the audience, say: “This is ‘Body and Soul’ and this is what I’m

playing.”

“Most of the people sound like they are playing concert, a

concerto or something and they forget about swing and rhythm

which they’ve got to have to retain the jazz beat and jazz music. .

Overblowing a song, playing too much, is just as bad as not

playing enough. [There’s a] Happy medium they have to find and I

found it for myself and that’s it.

JC: Receiving the NEA Award, did that mean anything special?

LD: “Well it’s a recognition that you have contributed

something…If I had received 15-20 years it might have meant

much more to me, when my wife was alive and stuff like that. You

got to put in the time and effort to [become a great musician] and

she knew that, but now, it doesn’t excite me that much. The only


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1 7

thing that keeps me going is playing. Music is good for all sorts of

stuff. You got some ailment, it will ease the pain.”

Mr. Donaldson got an Honorary Doctorate from North Carolina

A+T University, and an NEA Jazz Masters Award in 2013. Mr.

Donaldson said, “I appreciate the response I have seen over the

years from people that have listened to and bought my records. I

still do, and that makes me very happy, it didn’t make me rich, but

I’m comfortable.”

See: Lou Donaldson.com

Barry Harris Workshops EveryTuesday at 6, Pianists, 8,

Vocalists, 10:30, Improvisationat 250 West 65 Street,

between Amsterdam and 11thAvenues all welcome. See

Barry Harris.com

ROMA JAZZ WORKSHOPFeaturing Barry Harris, March 11-15

Contact: lucianofabris@hotmail . com 33933831 39

annapantuso@hotmail . com 3396748724

Call Anna

Email Luciano


1 8

RON McCLURE PART II

. . . .arrangement of “No Show” down to to 5:1 1 for the recording. I

was accustomed playing jazz where a tune can go on for much

longer.“

Ron McClure has 28 cds under his own name ofmainly

original music. 1 5 of them for Steeplechase Records in

Kalmbenborg, Denmark, produced by Nils Winther, who he met In

1988 on recording session with guitarist, David Stryker. He had

been turned down by Fantasy Records, but Nils said: “Give me a

call” when I told him I wanted to record my own music. My first

Cd was “McJolt.” Nils has enabled me to do document my music

and the people I’ve played with for the past 22 years. In 1997, I

did “Pink Cloud” on Naxos Jazz, which is no longer in existence. I

also recorded CDs “Descendants” and “Inspiration” for Ken

JAZZ HERITAGE

Ron McClure at a gig


1 9

Music, a Japanese label, and “Yesterday’s Tomorrow” for EPC, a

French label.

JC: Do you like being record producer?

RM: “I love the process of putting music together. I’ve record

most ofmy Cds in New York City. I have two sextet records, but

the others are smaller groups, from quartets, quintets, trios and two

duo recordings. I’m told that the average jazz record sells 2,000-

2,500 over a period of ten years. Unfortunately, Cd’s don’t sell so

well anymore. iTunes and YouTube have taken over the market.

“I met Paul Chambers when he at the end of his illustrious

career. He was so depressed and sick. He was 34 years old when

he died. He was one ofmy greatest influences. I played opposite

him for six weeks at the Consulate Hotel in the mid 1960s with the

Mike Longo trio. Paul played with the Ross Tompkins trio, who

was the bandleader on the Tonight Show with Johnny Carson.

There were gigs like that then. There’s nothing like it now.”

JC: Do you want to talk about your own past habits?

RM: I quit everything on September 28, 1 993. It was time, and I

finally came to my senses, and got some help. It was the best

decision I’ve ever made. I drank from the age of 18. Did a lot of

beer and pot. It starts small, but it escalates. Part of it was peer

pressure. Two guys I’d played with in Maynard’s band, for

instance, later in died from overdoses. You’re working in bars and

you want to be accepted by your peers. It was fun for a while, but

I’m lucky I stopped when I did. I talk about it openly because I

couldn’t care less about being “Anonymous”. I like help other

people through my personal experiences. In 1964, before I really

did a lot of drinking or drugging, my friend, Maynard Ferguson,

warned me: “You better be careful, because you like to get high”.

Most everybody in and around the music world was doing

something. I was lucky. My daughter said, ‘ I always knew I had a

father but didn’t really know him, but now I do”.. . That was very

moving to me personally. My therapist insisted I go to AA, which


taught me how to live my

life on day at a time. They

should teach the principles

ofAA to kids in High

School.”

JC: When did you start to

solo?

RM: “I started to solo right

away, because I had been

improvising melodies on the

accordion. Paul Chambers

and Mingus were my first

influences on the bass. Paul

Chambers was the number

one bass player. … That was

when you listened,

transcribed solos and lines We

talked about music and

compared notes. It helps your improve your ear. People buy solos

in books now, but that isn’t like doing your own transcriptions.

Your musical personality comes from your personal work and

experience, mostly from discovering things on your own and

trying to figure out what you were hearing. It’s a lifelong process.

Some jazz students expect a teacher to give it to them because

they’ve paid for it, but it doesn’t work like that. “

About amplification: “Some people turn a sound system on and

as long as there’s no feedback, think it’s okay. When I subbed for

Dennis Erwin with Mel Lewis, he taught me: “The louder you play

the louder everyone else has to play.” About recording: The jazz

scene is much smaller [now]. The record companies want to know

how many units you will sell. If you don’t sell product, you’re

gone.” On Luck: It’s all about timing. There I was, only playing

bass for ten years, and listening to Paul Chambers, and I got lucky

enough to be taking his place at the age of 24.”

Ron McClure in coffee shop on west

side

20 The Jazz Culture, VI:45

21

JC: Do you feel jazz is America’s greatest contribution to world

culture?

RM: “Yes. Jazz is probably our only cultural contribution to the

world. It is only a four letter word, but people it’s influence can be

felt all around the world. Today, young musicians have access to

everything and anything. Being able to swing used to be an

American thing, but now people anywhere can swing, because

they’ve grown up hearing it. It’s not about what race you are, it’s

what you’ve heard that gets you the right feel.”

JC: What do you do to keep fit?

RM: “I go to the gym at the YMCA where I have a personal

fitness trainer, as well as doing the Jenny Craig diet. Together, it

helped me lose 30 pounds. I’ve always played sports, and for the

past 35 years I’ve played tennis. In the winter I try to play once a

week, but in the summer I play a lot in the NYC parks.”

JC: What do you think of the future of jazz? Do you think swing is

important?

RM: (nods) “It’s the hardest thing. “Rhythm is the most important

thing in life.”

JC Why?

RM: “It’s the hardest thing for people to do. The time feel—that’s

why. It’s more syncopated, accents on the offbeat. Rhythm, the

feel, the placement. It’s like learning a French Accent. You have to

live it.”

JC: Do you feel you’ve made a contribution?

RM: “To some people. My student at NYU just quoted an article

by Tom Kennedy, a fine younger bass player, who said he was

influenced by my playing. I’ve tried to make a contribution to

music through my work, but the effect it’s had remains to be seen.

I think I’m a good player and writer but acceptance is a bitch on

wheels. I’ve been teaching for 40 years. I try to teach them how to


22

figure out stuff on their own. I think American education in

general doesn’t focus enough on teaching kids how to learn.”

Ron McClure played with Charles Lloyd till 1 969 along with

Keith Jarrett and Jack DeJohnette. He worked with Wynton Kelly

taking Paul Chambers’ place with Jimmy Cobb and Wes

Montgomery; with Carla Bley, George Russell, Julian Priester and

Herbie Mann. He also worked with George Coleman and Miles

Davis, where he met Joe Henderson, whom he subsequently toured

with.

An outspoken person and leading musician who has carved out

his own voice as a bassist, composer, arranger and teacher, Ron

McClure currently lives in NYC with his two cats, Ulala and Nana,

teaches at NYU, and records for Steeplechase Records. Mr.

McClure is a good role model for students on how to use hard

work, discipline and devotion to evolve in this most individual of

art forms. According to him, it was mostly being at the right place

at the right time, but you also have to deliver, even if you are at the

right place at the right time. He has performed all over the world,

and even plays solo piano at a McDonald’s in Manhattan a couple

afternoons a week. Ron McClure did a tour in October 2012 with

Quest, led byDave Liebman, with Richie Beirach & Billy Hart.

Overv Thanksgiving he went to Toronto, Canada to perform at The

Rex Jazz Club, The Jazz Room in Waterloo, and taught 3 jazz

workshops at Humber University, Mohawk University and The

University ofToronto with Toronto drummer/educator: Ted

Warren, who teaches at Humber. The other players were Brian

Dickinson (piano) & Ted Quinlan (guitar).

When asked about the future, Ron McClure says, “I’m always

looking for what hasn’t been done. What it is and where it might

go. I like to play quality music with quality players.”

See Ron McClure.com; also, Steeplechase.com


23The Jazz Culture, VI:45

The next song by Stevie Wonder was

“Don’t You Worry ‘Bout a Thing” arranged

by Thad Jones at about 108=quarter note. Mr. Mosca said it was a

1973 bid for a younger crowd, then acknowledged Mr. Wonder as

a meaningful composer. A dramatic accented horn intro sets up the

song, with Mr. Drewes playing a flute solo. The trumpets, flutes

and bones play segments of the melody that float back and forth to

a Latin beat, wafting sinuously and sexily. Then brassy full shouts,

punctuated powerfully, goes on with delicate flute lines quoting a

two note syncopated motif.

The orchestra then played one section from "Suite for Pops,"

which Thad Jones wrote for Louis Armstrong when he passed;

specifically, “Only for Now” a ballad—at about 1 16=quarter note.

Lushly horn parts like a wave from a tropical sea, undulating to a

Latin beat welcoming a loved one, the melody is stark, consisting

mainly of two note phrases. On flugelhorn, Mr. Wendholt made a

nice entrance to his solo inserting a 16 note triplet while the rest of

the trumpet section used mutes playing doleful long tones. Jeff

Nelson on bass trombone double timed a full toned and low solo,

scraping the bottom of the barrel of his register, with a beautiful

sound and passionate delivery with a short piano interlude, ending

in long tones that segue back to the main melody. The horn players

then played blissfully to an ending, expressing their deep

reverence for and love of the immortal Pops.

The last song of the set was Thad Jones arrangement of “All of

Me,” at about 1 38=quarter note. Mr. Weiss played the song all in

rolling triplets, giving a dancing, shining quality to the downbeat

oriented melody. The horns come in, making a dramatic, luxurious

statement. The trumpets were elegantly voiced while the other

horns played quarter notes with a clipped quality. Then as if in call

and response, the other horns jam in full voice. Mr. Jackson

played a tasty and swinging solo, melodically relevant, technically

well controlled, with good articulation, very good rhythmic

accents and choices, kicking the beat ahead, showing a sensitive

Cont. from p.7

24

Please note the following ERRATA in the issue covering the ColtraneConcert 1st Set on February 10, 2013:

Michela Lerman is spelled thus,not Michaela LermanTraci Mann was one of the tap dancers

Angeline Butler spoke the first quote of John Coltrane’s: "I thinkmusic is an instrument (that) can create the initial thought patternsthat can change the thinking of the people."

Hank Smith recited the 2nd quote of John Coltrane’s: "Jazz...if youwant to call it that, to me, is an expression of higher ideals, to me. Sotherefore, brotherhood is there and I believe with brotherhood therewould be no poverty. And also, with brotherhood, there would be nowar."

Traci Mann recited the 3rd quote of John Coltrane’s: "... it seems tome that the audience, in listening, is in an act of participation... Andwhen you know that somebody is maybe moved the same way youare... it's just like having another member in the group."


personality on trombone. Mr. Terrell Stafford started his solo in a

cool manner, feeling subdivisions accurately, with just enough

vibrato, playing melodically, then playing with chordal ideas and

then executing arabesques at the top of his register, twisting,

starting with triplets, in figures going up to a high note, repeating

the same lick, punctuating well, then shaking the tone with

insistence, driving the audience to shout with excitement, flaring to

a high note then into a well accented descent. The song had a

vibrant ending with shaking horns, and saxophones bellowing up

to a rocky swinging ending well conducted by Ralph Lalama,

halting this well oiled big band

machine for an intermission.

Mr. Mosca spoke to the

audience and maintained a

great relationship, told several

witty hip jokes, to the delight

of the crowd.

John Riley & Tanya Darby

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