Hardbopjazz Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Today I was listening to "Out to Lunch" on WKCR. The theme was 1955. They played a tune by John Dennis, a piano player. It was from his only album called "New Piano Expressions." It was with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. The tune they played was really good. What ever happen to this guy? It doesn't appear that he recorded anything else in his career as a leader or a sideman. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 He's on a Thad Jones' Debut date available on OJC. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Both those sessions are in the Mingus Debut box, I believe. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Thanks for the replies. Wasn't Debut records Chiles Mingus' label? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Yup. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jazzbo Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Yes, it was "Chiles'" and for a large period part-owned by Max Roach. (All the time?) Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
kh1958 Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 The notes to the box describe him as "a pianist from Philadelphia about whom not much is known." Both dates are ascribed to March 10, 1955. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 AMG shows that Willie Dennis was also from Philly. Any relation? Both played w/Mingus, so maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 I may be mis-remembering this, but I seem to recall McCoy Tyner citing Dennis -- who've I've also seen referred to as "the fat genius" of Philly piano players -- as an early influence or at least inspiration. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 The Mingus biographies have very brief notes on John Dennis. Obscure is usually the word to describe him. Harvey Pekar mentions somewhere that he died in 1963 at the age of 33. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Hardbopjazz Posted February 23, 2005 Author Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 The Mingus biographies have very brief notes on John Dennis. Obscure is usually the word to describe him. Harvey Pekar mentions somewhere that he died in 1963 at the age of 33. Dead at 33. That can exlpain the small output from him. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 So, was he related to Willie Dennis? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Chuck Nessa Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Likely related to Dennis Day and all the other Days, like Doris and Green. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 23, 2005 Report Share Posted February 23, 2005 Doris Green could PLAY! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 "Oh, Dennis!" Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Drug problems, maybe? A bit of a prejudiced assumption, perhaps, but that might explain the small output and early death... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Re: Tyner... I must have been mis-remembering. From the Fantasy web-site: In a 1990 article by Gene Santoro, Jimmy Heath recalled that pianist John Dennis was nicknamed “Fat Genius” by Philadelphia musicians and Muhal Richard Abrams praised Dennis’s “full pianistic approach,” which blended a cocktail style with jazz and classical strains. Will see if I can track down the Santoro article in question. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Re: Tyner... I must have been mis-remembering. From the Fantasy web-site: In a 1990 article by Gene Santoro, Jimmy Heath recalled that pianist John Dennis was nicknamed “Fat Genius” by Philadelphia musicians and Muhal Richard Abrams praised Dennis’s “full pianistic approach,” which blended a cocktail style with jazz and classical strains. Will see if I can track down the Santoro article in question. Re-printed in DANCING IN YOUR HEAD, maybe? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 In his Charles Mingus biography 'Myself When I'm Real', all Santoro had to say about John Dennis was: Philadelphia pianist John Dennis teamed with Mingus, Roach, and Thad Jones, and then without Jones. For 'All the Things You Are', a standard boppers often recomposed, Denis played a baroque intro, explicitly connecting bop improvisation and fugue.' Not a single mention of John Dennis after that. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Joe Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 Re: Tyner... I must have been mis-remembering. From the Fantasy web-site: In a 1990 article by Gene Santoro, Jimmy Heath recalled that pianist John Dennis was nicknamed “Fat Genius” by Philadelphia musicians and Muhal Richard Abrams praised Dennis’s “full pianistic approach,” which blended a cocktail style with jazz and classical strains. Will see if I can track down the Santoro article in question. Re-printed in DANCING IN YOUR HEAD, maybe? More than likely. Santoro was cotributing regualr to the VOICE and the ATLANTIC MONTHLY then, was he not? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 24, 2005 Report Share Posted February 24, 2005 So, was he related to Willie Dennis? Still wondering... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brownie Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 So, was he related to Willie Dennis? Still wondering... As far as I know, John Dennis was black. Willie Dennis was not. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dmitry Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 As some of you folks might remember I did an interview with Walt Dickerson a couple of years back. He spoke about John Dennis quite a bit. They were childhood friends. It may still be available online? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted February 25, 2005 Report Share Posted February 25, 2005 So, was he related to Willie Dennis? Still wondering... As far as I know, John Dennis was black. Willie Dennis was not. Well, that narrows the chances, but doesn't eliminate them entirely... Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted August 4, 2006 Report Share Posted August 4, 2006 Even though I already have the trio sessions on the Mingus Debut box, I went ahead & picked up NEW PIANO EXPRESSIONS as part of the $2.98 blowout Concord sale... and am I glad that I did. This CD is wonderful to listen to. I'm going to hunt around for Dmitry's interview online. Man, I wish JD had recorded more! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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