OJC Musings

[Dave James]

Based on some recommendations from other board members, I downloaded a couple of sides from emusic last night that have really got me wound up. This first appeared on the "Out" OJC thread. It's "Jazz for Moderns" by Duane Tatro. Some pretty interesting music going on there. It really reminded me of someone else, but I couldn't put my finger on it. Then is popped into my head that it there was a lot of the Mulligan CJB going on with this one. Does anyone else hear it that same way?

The second album is Don Sleet's "For Members Only". Boy, that's a rock solid piece of work. Mightily swinging stuff afoot with this guy. Every cut is a treat. What happens to guys like SLeet and Tatro? One recording and it's see you later and thanks for the memories. Go figure.

Up over and out.

[Late]

Glad you liked the Tatro, Dave. A considerably under-remarked album ... but maybe this board will change that a bit! I think I hear how you're making the CJB connection (no piano; harmonically rich). Tatro's stuff doesn't swing as much for me, but that's not my primary attraction to it. If you haven't already, you might want to check out some of the Lennie Niehaus OJCs, as they're at times similar to the Tatro.

None of us have really mentioned the cover of that one. I wonder if that was Lester Koenig's idea.

Don't know the Sleet, but have at least heard sound samples. It does sound nice, and is on my long, long list of to-buys (which is always under-funded ).

A quick note for Oregon posters — Cat's Meow in Eugene is going out of business ... after 22 years. Sale on Saturday!

[Larry Kart]

Tatro's "Jazz for Moderns" precedes the Mulligan CJB by several years; even then, Tatro's work is much headier and more "out." The only obvious model for Tatro is some of the writing for Davis "Birth of the Cool" band, but Tatro is his own man. He spent much of his late career scoring TV shows but continued to compose his own stuff in his own style on the side, so to speak. When we spoke in the mid-1980s, he mentioned a twelve-tone guitar concerto he wrote for Howard Roberts and said he'd send me a tape of the premiere performance, but it never arrived.

The little boy in the car on the cover of "Jazz for Moderns" is Lester Koening's son John Koening, who went on to become a jazz record producer himself.

[Dave James]

Larry,

Spot on. More BotC that CJB, but the Mulligan connection remains.

Up over and out.

[Clunky]

I ordered this disc a few days ago, Modern Jazz: The Essential Records tome by Nicholson/Thacker/Harrison etc rates this session highly

Edited January 28, 2005 by Clunky

[Late]

Anyone else made any recent OJC "discoveries"? Muse away, if so ...

[Stereojack]

What happens to guys like SLeet and Tatro? One recording and it's see you later and thanks for the memories. Go figure.

Don't know whatever happened to Tatro, but I did meet Sleet's brother a few years ago, and of course the question arose. He informed me that his brother had been deceased for some years, but didn't go into details.

Sleet was also a member of Lennie McBrowne & the Four Souls who recorded two LP's, one each for Pacific Jazz and Riverside. Don't know if these have been reissued.

jack

[Son-of-a-Weizen]

f Lennie McBrowne & the Four Souls who recorded two LP's, one each for Pacific Jazz and Riverside. Don't know if these have been reissued.

jack

The PJ one definitely hasn't but is still available in Japan on vinyl....the other one I'm not so sure about.