Loyalty in Jazz...

[Hardbopjazz]

I started to wonder of any musicians that remained with bands for an extreme long period of time. Those that come to mind are Freddie Green with Count Basie orchestra. He was there even after Basie died. Then there were Johnny Hodges and Billy Strayhorn who were always in Ellington’s band. Can you think of any others?

Edited September 26, 2005 by Hardbopjazz

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I think there is no better example of this than musicians who worked with Sun Ra. John Gilmore, first and foremost, but Marshall Allen, James Jacson, and numerous others too.

Even the longtime Ellington guys could justify things with their paychecks. Not so for the Arkestra players. It was all about the love and the loyalty.

Mike

[tonym]

Wynton seemed to hang onto Buddy Bolden's coat-tails long after that great man passed......

[king ubu]

Carney even more so than Hodges! He sort of spent his whole life with the Duke...

[Hardbopjazz]

Carney even more so than Hodges! He sort of spent his whole life with the Duke...

←

That's right, Harry Carney as far as I knows, was always Ellington's band.

[John Tapscott]

Tenor saxophonist Steve Marcus with Buddy Rich for 12 years, which, given Buddy's nature, would seem to be a VERY long tenure. Steve says somewhere that was fired by Buddy a number of times, but simply kept showing up for the next gig, and Buddy seemed to have forgotten all about the firing.

[John Tapscott]

I suppose we could also mention bassist Steve Gilmore and drummer Bill Goodwin who have been with Phil Woods for 30 years now.

[brownie]

Guitarist Billy Mackell was with Lionel Hampton for some 30 years. From 1944 on...

[Jazz Kat]

Lyle Mays and Steve Rodby have been with Pat Metheny since the early 80's. In Lyle's case, the late 70's.

[Free For All]

I think of the Basie and Duke "residencies" as some of the longest-standing relationships, but there are many other examples of long-term commitment.....

Charlie Rouse/Monk

Jarrett/Peacock/DeJohnette

Bob Cranshaw/Sonny Rollins

How about (outside of music):

Ron Howard/Clint Howard

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Frank Tiberi with (and after) Woody Herman, going back to 1969

The Vanguard Orchestra has several long-time members, going back to the 1970s.

Mike

[Big Wheel]

James Cammack has been playing with Ahmad Jamal for at least 20 years.

[Free For All]

Frank Tiberi with (and after) Woody Herman, going back to 1969

←

.....and for that matter trumpet/manager Bill Byrne. Though not widely known as a player, Bill kept the band (and Woody) together through much of the IRS flack (I think Bill joined the band before Frank).

Edited September 26, 2005 by Free For All

[Guest]

Dannie Richmond (drum) with Charles Mingus for 2+ decades.

Steve Potts (alto) with Steve Lacy.

Tony Bennett's had the same piano player for ever and ever, hasn't he?

[Free For All]

Tony Bennett's had the same piano player for ever and ever, hasn't he?

←

Ralph Sharon. He started with Tony in 1957 and stayed through 1965, then rejoined Tony in 1979 and stayed until recently, when I believe he retired.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Shirley Horn had bassist Charles Ables for about 35 years. And she's had drummer Steve Williams for 20 years and still counting.

Mike

[BruceH]

Carney even more so than Hodges! He sort of spent his whole life with the Duke...

←

That's right, Harry Carney as far as I knows, was always Ellington's band.

←

Plus the fact that Hodges left the Ellington band for five years in the fifties.

[AllenLowe]

well, Al Haig once said:"I'd play in a toilet to play with Bird" - Bird's side men paid their dues - as Haig told me - "Charlie was a great guy - no hassles, no problems - no money" -

[sidewinder]

William Henderson with Pharoah Sanders for 15+ years.

Bobby Wellins (on and off) with Stan Tracy since the 1960s

Jack Nimitz and Mel Hill with Gerald Wilson since the 1960s

[Brad]

I may be wrong about this but my impression that in the post bop area, the number of musicians who stayed together was a lot less than the pre bop era. I believe a lot has to do with the nature and economies of the time. From the mid 40s on, everything was more fluid, traditions uprooted and so on. I think that Duke Jordan, for instance staying with Bird for a couple of years was an anomaly.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Sure - when a bandleader could promise a sideman months of work (and the steady weekly paycheck), that was a JOB. Because no one is booking long-term jazz (6 days for a gig is about the most), and because there isn't a circuit anymore, it's every man for himself. Maria Schneider has good loyalty - most of the same musicians for over a dozen years - but she doesn't work enough for those players to survive. They're all very much in demand and do other things when MS isn't working. Which makes the Arkestra guys all that more remarkable.

Mike

[clifford_thornton]

True, true, and the Arkestra were loyal not just to Sunny but to a philosophical belief and state of being that go beyond just the music. Same with the Art Ensemble of Chicago - the band has carried on without Lester or Malachi, though I guess it's up to debate whether the group is still relevant or musically interesting...

Jimmy Lyons was with Cecil Taylor from 1960 until his death, pretty much straight through, though he did record sans Cecil on his own a fair share.

[Michael Weiss]

Loyalty is a little too romanticized a term. One decides to take a gig based on the relative values of the economics (present or future) and quality of the music, period. This is no big money making music anyway, so you often make professional choices based on the musical value of the gig. The term Loyalty here to me is a little misplaced.

[Hardbopjazz]

Question, are you the pianist Michael Weiss? Just asking.

[Dennis_M]

The great Milt Hinton played with Cab Calloway for thirteen years, I think. On the other hand, this was only a small part of his fabulous 60 year career.

Edited October 9, 2005 by Dennis_M