JamesJazz

Szwed's Ra bio is wonderful. His Miles bio is the best of the lot, IMHO.

The interview Ed (Wigwise) mentioned took place during Baker's Keyboard Lounge 70th anniversay celebrations last year. The CD of rare and unissued Detroit jazz will contain Byrd's first recordings, 1948 I believe. He was 14 or 15 at the time. One track has a short solo. It was pretty funny, we played that track while he was onstage at Baker's, and he covered his face with his hands and slowly shook his head... Ed is right, Donald Byrd is really articulate, thoughtful and interesting.

I once asked Will Austin about those Argo dates, and he told me he, Barry and Frank were NOT on the date Larry mentioned. Will claimed they brought in local musicians who were not Union members, were therefore were paid less, and not listed. Will didn't remember their names.

Al was a member in 1941-42 of a remarkable Detroit band, the Club Congo Orchestra. Led by drummer Kelly Martin, the band contained at different points during its one year existence Howard McGhee, Wardell Gray, Teddy Edwards, Big Nick Nicholas and of course Al and Kelly. Al was married to JC Heard's sister for a time - Al and JC went to Cass Tech at the same time.

Gerald Wilson will likely grace us with his presence at the 2005 Detroit International Jazz Festival. Gerald grew up in Detroit.

I believe it is 'as told to' but it's kinda slim - Yusef didn't provide a lot of detail, apparently. Not sure of the current status.

Heard Stevie Wonder sit in at Beans Bowles' wake with some bona fide Detroit jazz guys, and he really played. He played a version of "Giant Steps" that impressed the other musicians...'played his ass off' was one comment.

OH yeah, Bert is very much alive and well. I have a lengthy bio of Bert, will be happy to email copies to 'all interested parties'. Wigwise is right, Bert is a fine drummer. The LP mentioned earlier is really good - it captured the playing of Ronnie Fields, a little-known Detroit tenor man who died just a couple of years ago, and George Bohanon, Kenny Cox, and Will Austin. Bert wants to reissue the session, and add some unissued stuff, but the funds are not available at the moment... My email is JamesJazz@aol.com

Might want to check out Robert D. Leiter, The Musicians And Petrillo (New York: Bookman, 1953). It's basically a biography of the Appropriately-named James Caesar Petrillo that has mucho info about all of the Union's strikes, etc.

You're right, SEK...the Detroit scene for avant-garde music is very small, indeed... Reparation is Hakim's label. He and Skeeter are co-producers/music directors. They've got connections in NYC, Brooklyn, and get some work there, adding drums and sometimes other instruments. Skeeter's got a Chicago connection happening and that helps too. I hear that Hakim (who cycles between Manhattan and Detroit) is planning some more recordings, this time leaning in the 'straight ahead' direction. Reparations is supposedly doing well - Hakim's got good distribution.

I wrote part of B Motown, Mark, and hello to you my friend! Yes Greg I was on the International Association of Jazz Record Collectors convention committee. Chris' talk was very well received too and it's great to have his revised Bessie book, much new information and very well written.

Can't claim the honor of being a musician, b3-er...but yea I'm from the Detroit area. www.detroitmusichistory.com

He didn't make the gig, jazzmessenger...his illness surfaced and he was in the hospital over Labor Day. Don Swindell led the band instead of Larry.

Larry was a mainstay of the Detroit jazz scene. Hell of a musician, warm personality, wonderful sound on alto. Had a weekly gig for I can't remember how long at Mitch Housey's restaurant. Larry had a fine band, his last project was a tribute to Jobim. I was lucky enough to hear that band a few times...excellent. Fortunately Larry has several CDs out so we can dip into the well of his beautiful music as often as we like. He battled cancer for about six months before succombing this morning. He was under Hospice care. My understand is Eli Fountaine plays the intro on "What's Going On".

There will be some Flanagan from 1950 (six years before his first studio recs) on the upcoming "Detroit Jazz Before Motown" compilation on Uptown. Tommy plays more in a Powell style - not quite so elegant.

Roland "Hack" Hanna

Roland "Hack" Hanna

I think Profit used the piano-bass-guitar format around the same time as Nat Cole. Any other early groups use this setup?

Chuck can maybe fine-tune this a bit, but the target for the Detroit compilation is Aug 1.

Barry will be in Detroit for his annual December concert (Dec 26 this year). He'll front a quartet with Donald Walden (ts), Marion Hayden (b) and James Robinson (d).

Thanks, Ghost / King Ubu.... I've never posted on the same page as a King before....feel kinda humbled...

Sheila was in Detroit earlier this year as part of the 70th anniversary celebration of Baker's Keyboard Lounge. She sounded wonderful, and many of her friends from 'back in the day' came by; Skeeter Mitchell (from her first vocal trio) sat in on a couple of numbers. There is an article about the great Ms Jordan on our website: www.detroitmusichistory.com

Let's try this one more time...

Sorry, I got the ol' 'website not responding' treatment...I'll try again later. Also, Gerald is second from the right, not on the end.

Not an album cover, but a very cool pic nonetheless...Gerald is on the right end...Photo is of Cecil Lee's orchestra, c. 1939, not long before Gerald left Detroit to join the Chic Carter Orchestra in Flint, and then on to the Lunceford band. I had the honor of interviewing Gerald last weekend at the Ford Detroit International Jazz Festival. His memory is amazing.