Craig Hundley Trio: Arraval of a Young Giant

[Rooster_Ties]

Was just thumbing through a mess of jazz LP's in a store the other day, and ran across an album (on Pacific Jazz maybe?? - make that World Pacific), that was a piano trio made up of all teens, probably all ages 15-16, maybe 17 or 18 at the very most (heck, one could have been as young as 14 maybe). The piano player was the leader on the date, and according to the liner notes -- was some kind of child actor (forget what he'd been in, some TV show probably). He was White, and so was the drummer. Bass player was Black (with a medium-size 'fro B-) ). All kids, mind you.

Who was it, and how is it?? I have no intention of buying it, but was curious about the back-story here. Was he really good enough to get a recording date?? Or was this a simple attempt to cash in on the kid's name as a child actor?? Some of both??

Anybody got a pic of the cover handy??

Any of them go on to bigger and better things, musically??

Edit: The LP was from the mid-to-late 60's. 1967 or '68, if I remember right.

Edited March 23, 2005 by Rooster_Ties

[Dan Gould]

I remember seeing this, the Amazing someone or other. I got it: Craig Hundley, right? Since Bill Fenohr has the PJ catalog, he probably knows how it is.

[Rooster_Ties]

Yup, that's the one...

CRAIG HUNDLEY TRIO

Arrival Of A Young Giant

(World Pacific)

This was interesting, a young trio of teenage boys, two in Nehru jackets, on World Pacific. Was this the future of jazz to come?

According to the liner notes, Craig Hundley was classically trained and made use of his talents by appearing on a number of television shows during the late 1960's. He was also a child actor, apparently appearing on Lassie and The Flying Nun. But at the age of 14, he already had a group and they were picked up by World Pacific to record the first album.

Craig Hundley (piano), Jay Jay Wiggins (bass; son of pianist Gerald Wiggins), and Gary Chase (drummer) do not sound like a bunch of 14 year olds (or 12 years old in the case of bassist Jay Jay), in fact these guys sound more mature than a lot of rock bands of the time. Not only is Hundley's piano playing extraordinary, but he also gets into different time signatures not unlike Don Ellis. How many 14 year old kids today know anything about performing in 11/4 and 7/4? Keep in mind that I'm not a piano player, so an expert can probably tell you that Herbie Hancock or Dave Brubeck are far better than Hundley, but this is a 14 year old playing jazz like an old man, with 12 year old Jay Jay playing bass as if he's Ron Carter or Jimmy Garrison. If there is any reason to keep music in schools, this is it.

SOURCE (scroll down a bit)

Edited March 23, 2005 by Rooster_Ties

[Rooster_Ties]

Looks like that wasn't his only World Pacific album...

CRAIG HUNDLEY TRIO + ORCHESTRA

Craig Hundley Plays With The Big Boys

(World Pacific)

Now it's Hundley's mug hogging the cover. The trio, with Stuffy McKinney replacing Jay Jay. On this album, with accompanyment from an orchestra, Craig Hundley sounds more polished, with help from arrangements by Don Sebesky. His classical training is more evident on this one, but the selection of songs show not only his training but his personal musical tastes, including a bossa nova-ish rendition of The Beatles' "Martha My Dear".

In the songs with big band arrangements, you will hear the drumming of Paul Humphries. The selections sound more "pop" oriented than those on Arrival Of A Young Giant, but it's still a great album.

SOURCE (scroll down a bit)

[slide_advantage_redoux]

I always run across copies of that first LP in used bins, and for years I have wondered if it was any good. Question is, where is he now?

[SGUD missile]

I always run across copies of that first LP in used bins, and for years I have wondered if it was any good. Question is, where is he now?

Excellent question ..I remember this kid from the 70s, but until he was brought up here, I hadn't heard or thought of him since then..ther's no question he was an amazing talent.

The upside hopefully might be that he just disappeared into the world of anonymous studio guys and is making a great living playing sessions, films , etc. BUT:

I know a lot of the working studio guys and I've not seen his name appear anywhere. ( I'll make a couple inquiries )

The Downside might be he just got fed up with the music "business" and went into teaching or sosme other line of work entirely.

Speaking of young pianists with young groups, the first 2 CDS by Seattle born Aaron Parks ( now in NYC working with Terence Blanchard, I think ) utilized his high school rhythm section, which was very proficient.

[Jazz Kat]

I have seen those albums in my local vinyl shop. Man that kid had one big una-brow! I remember one of the albums had them playing on the back, it was in black and white. That was wicked, how were those kids?

[JSngry]

Those albums? Leave'em alone. All bun, no meat. Unless you like that kind of thing, in which case, bon apetit.

Wiggins went on to be an official for Local 42, IIRC, might still be serving in that capacity.

[Randy Twizzle]

The IMDB has this bio for Hundley:

"Popular child actor of the 1960s (most remembered for guest roles in "Star Trek" and "Bewitched"). He originated a band named the Craig Hundley Trio in the late 60s and went on to a later successful career (as Craig Huxley) in new age music as a performer, composer and producer.

[Jazz Kat]

[Jazz Kat]

Those albums? Leave'em alone. All bun, no meat.

Well they are just kids, which makes me wanna hear it. Obviously, no one is expecting Ahmad Jamal, or Herbie Hancock, but I would personally want to hear them.

[JSngry]

Fair enough.

[Jazz Kat]

So you own those cuts?

[JSngry]

Had them both in the early 1970s, when I was about your age. They were part of the big Liberty catalog purge of about 1970 or so, and were available as cutouts rather readily. Listened to them a few times, found them pretty superficial, and got rid of them shortly thereafter. Don't remember exactly how.

I mean, the kid were jsut that - kids. They could all "play" but that was it. No disrespect meant, but that's just the way it was. No "prodigies" involved, no "young geniuses", just some kids who could play their instruments well enough to not obviously suck.

I supposed I should have been inspired, what with me also being a teenager and all, but I had just discovered Coltrane, and Craig Hundley seemed a little less compelling, if you know what I mean.

[RDK]

but I had just discovered Coltrane, and Craig Hundley seemed a little less compelling, if you know what I mean.

his magnum opus: A Crush Supreme

[Jazz Kat]

I think I wanna battle it out with that kid drummer.

[JSngry]

You better get a time machine then...

[Jazz Kat]

I'm sure he hasn't gotten any better.

[Jim Alfredson]

[Jazz Kat]

Glad to see he's busy.

[Jazz Kat]

This album is very interesting. I did finally buy this album. Actually, I think it's pretty good.