Paul Chambers

[pryan]

I don't think Mr. P.C. has been discussed all that much, on this board at least. Count me in as a huge fan. Such a tasteful player, beautiful support of Miles' band for so many years, amazing soloist (bowed and plucked). I think his "peak" years were from about '58-'61, when he recorded a bunch with Miles and also had numerous sideman dates, in addition to leading a couple of dates on VeeJay (must get that Kelly/Chambers Mosaic sometime). SOUL STATION really stands out as a particularly superlative sideman appearance from this period.

Listening to the Blackhawk recordings is shocking in that you can literally "hear" Chambers become increasingly drunk as the night goes on, in that he gets further and further behind the beat. How bad was P.C.'s drinking problem?

But back to the music, does anyone have any good recs for later period Chambers, or does his playing decline precipitously?

Any info/comments on Paul Chambers are welcome on this thread (duh!).

[Ron Thorne]

Well, I wasn't as fortunate as David to go backstage the first time I heard Miles, but it was certainly memorable, nontheless. I was 18 years old, and on my way to Berklee School of Music when I caught the very sextet to which David refers (with the addition of J. J. Johnson) at the old Howard Theatre in Washington D. C. in January, 1962. Paul's playing was sublime, and the entire band was so cohesive that it was almost scary. Perhaps I was blessed to hear a matinee concert, rather than a club gig. Paul, Wynton and Jimmy sounded like one instrument very often. What a rhythm section! I'll never forget that performance.

Personnel:

Miles Davis - trumpet

Hank Mobley - tenor saxophone

J. J. Johnson - trombone

Wynton Kelly - piano

Paul Chambers - bass

Jimmy Cobb - drums

Paul Chambers died far too young, as did so many from that era.

Born: April 22, 1935, Pittsburgh, PA

Died: January 4, 1969, New York, NY

[Soul Stream]

Paul Chambers, to me, is the best bassist to have ever played jazz. Of course, "best" is just an imaginary thing. But in my imaginary world, Chambers is the bassist.

[king ubu]

We sure will all get the scheduled Chambers Select

He was one of the very best, in my opinion. The Kelly/Chambers/Cobb unit was great. But let's not forget the Garland/Chambers/Philly Joe and Garland/Chambers/Taylor rhythm sections.

Each time I decide to hear some early Coltrane (like say Traneing In or Soultrane or Settin' the Pace) these guys amaze me, and Chambers certainly delivers quite a lot of highlights on these albums.

How good are the Wynton Kelly Trio Verve albums? I only have the one that was reissued in the VEE series?

ubu

[mikeweil]

You can hear the effect of alcohol on his playing on the Wes Montgomery Full House session with Johnny Griffin, Kelly, Chambers and Cobb, he had serious problems on the ballad, I've grown accustomed to your face. Keepnews' double-tongued comment advises one not to listen too closely to Chambers' playing on that track ... he was afraid he would be too drunk to play by the last set.

I like Chambers' sound much better when NOT recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, like on the famous Art Pepper meets the ryhthm section album.

He was one of the greatest jazz bassists of all time, for sure, but somehow I enjoy it more to listen to Doug Watkins - here's an underrated bassist! - or others of his generation. Just my personal set of ears, I guess.

[king ubu]

Yeah, Doug Watkins! He was one who played the bass. (No coincidence it was him Mingus chose to play on "Oh Yeah!")

ubu

[brownie]

mikeweil wrote:

I  like Chambers' sound much better when NOT recorded by Rudy Van Gelder, like on the famous Art Pepper meets the ryhthm section album.

THAT was recorded by Roy DuNann who still stands as the best engineer ever in the jazz

field. The sound he got from the other bass players he recorded for Contemporary

(Scott LaFaro, Red Mitchell, Curtis Counce, Charlie Haden among others) has yet to be equaled.

RVG did a pretty good job however on Paul Chambers on most of the Red Garland trio albums (with Art Taylor) for Prestige.

Edited August 8, 2003 by brownie

[Dave James]

I have something of a love / hate relationship with Paul Chambers. I love his playing when he sticks to pizzicato and I hate it when he plays arco. His bowing sound reminds me of someone being mugged in an alley. Still, all things considered, easily among the top 5 all time players. My own personal favorite is Leroy Vinnegar.

Up over and out.

[kumakuma]

The true test of whether you are a fan is if you are getting the Mosaic Select set just to see how the sound compares to the various versions you already have!

[DrJ]

I guess I'm a true fan then!

Seriously, I really enjoy Chambers' work overall. His leader dates for BN were refreshingly varied and often quite different from the more typical BN sound (witness QUINTET and BASS ON TOP especially). As far as bassists for in the pocket, mainstream hard bop of the 50's/early 60's, hard to better Mr. P.C., although I do prefer some others above him personally (Watkins and Wilbur Ware right off the bat).

I tend to agree with Dave James though about his arco playing - listen to his arco work alongside that of someone like Richard Davis and you will realize pretty clearly he had some technique problems in that area.

[BruceH]

somehow I enjoy it more to listen to Doug Watkins - here's an underrated bassist!

YES!!! Doug Watkins rules! I'm with your 100% Mike!

[jazzbo]

Yeah, his arco playing is not my favorite; Mingus, Richard Davis, many others were much better arco players.

Not to mention SLAM STEWART.

But he was a great player with a great attack, tone and swing. Perfect for most all the sessions he was hired for.

Recently he knocked me out listening to Africa Brass, and I was knocked out yet again by the recorded sound of his bass on the Wes "Willow Weep for Me" Verve minilp release.

Edited August 8, 2003 by jazzbo

[Dmitry]

An infrequently seen photo - on eBay right now.

http://cgi.ebay.com/ws/eBayISAPI.dll?ViewI...&category=34292

[Jim R]

Count me in as a Paul Chambers fan. PC is about as well-represented in my collection as any musician in jazz.

Now, the other reason I wanted to post here...

Welcome Ron Thorne !

Edited August 8, 2003 by Jim R

[Ron Thorne]

Wow, that was an unexpected, warm welcome! Thanks, Jim.

I may just have to watch that Wynton Kelly photo on eBay. It's pretty cool.

I have many favorite bassists, including Scott LaFaro, Richard Davis, Charles Mingus, Doug Watkins, Eberhard Weber, Ed Schuller, Charlie Haden, Marc Johnson, Gary Peacock, Glen Moore, and others, but Mr. P. C. has always had a special place in my heart.

[jazzbo]

Hey Ron, welcome to Organissimo, glad to see you here!

Of course this place needs a drummer! They're in demand everywhere!

[Brad]

Paul Chambers is no doubt one of the great bassists. But to call him the best, well, I leave that for others to decide. Also, we should not forget that there are many great bassists in that era. A few that come to mind that are favorites also are NHOP, Sam Jones, George Mraz and Leroy Vinnegar. From the bop era, ones that come to mind because they played with Bird are Tommy Potter and Curly Russell (did play with Blakey as well). And of course there's Milt Hinton. So Chambers is very good, but let's not forget some of the others.

[Jamming With Edward]

Does anyone know what is going to be on the Chambers Select? I'm a big fan of his solo stuff, and I'm wonering if I'll be getting anything I haven't heard yet with the mosaic...

[pryan]

I believe the Chambers Select will have all of his BN leader dates, plus some extras. I'll definitely be getting that when it comes out, as I only have WHIMS OF CHAMBERS, as far as his leader dates go. Can't wait to hear BASS ON TOP!

Yeah, his arco playing is a bit shaky, especially when you consider the intonation problems.

Although his solos are consistently excellent, I'd have to mention his solo on "My Funny Valentine", from the JAZZ AT THE PLAZA disc under Miles' leadership, as a particular highlight. It's so beautiful in its virtuosity, yet the many note phrases still fit within the ballad structure, if that makes any sense.

[Shrdlu]

I would like to rise to the defense of Paul's arco work. I think it's amazing, and I've enjoyed it for years. He is the only one I've heard that could keep up with the beat while doing that and sustain it, even on an uptempo number. What's shaky about it? The intonation is almost perfect, the tone is good, and he was trained by a symphony guy in Detroit.

I can understand if someone took awhile to get used to it, but it's well worth acquiring the taste. Miles and Trane would not have tolerated it if it was bad.

[Late]

I think its the "sawing effect" Chambers gets when playing arco that most here are referring to. Richard Davis, to me, does sound as if he's playing "classical" contrabass when he's playing arco — very pure, almost cello-like.

Still, I think very few could swing on such a consistent basis as Mr. P.L.D.C. The man could fit into nearly any musical situation you put him in when he was alive. I actually would like to have heard him with Ornette. I think their relative contrast in approach would make for some interesting listening.

[pryan]

Still, I think very few could swing on such a consistent basis as Mr. P.L.D.C. The man could fit into nearly any musical situation you put him in when he was alive. I actually would like to have heard him with Ornette. I think their relative contrast in approach would make for some interesting listening.

Hey Late, or anyone, what's his playing like on those Warne Marsh-led sessions for Atlantic. That seems to be a somewhat "different" context than what P.C. normally was used to. I'm gonna have to get that Mosaic (Tristano/Konitz/Marsh) pretty damn soon, there's so much on it that I haven't heard (only have the LEE KONITZ AND WARNE MARSH date).

[Larry Kart]

Excerpt from the notes I wrote for the Mosaic Tristano-Konitz-Marsh box:

"...in December 1957, Marsh will almost come to grief in the company of Paul Chambers and Philly Joe Jones.

Describing the partnership between Chambers and Jones in the liner notes to Hank Mobley’s Poppin’, which was recorded less than two months before the first of the two dates that make up the Atlantic Marsh album, I wrote that the drummer and bassist "shared a unique concept of where ‘one’ is--just a hair behind the beat but rigidly so, with the result that the time has a stiff-legged, compulsive quality. The beat doesn’t flow but jerks forward in a series of spasmodic leaps, creating a climate of nervous intensity that was peculiar to the era. Either the soloist jumps or he is fried to a crisp on the spot." Well, Marsh did survive the encounter, and he is a bit more at ease on the next date in January 1958, when Paul Motion takes the place of Jones and pianist Ronnie Ball drops out. For even though Chambers’ broad rhythmic impasto, so full of directional energy, still threatens to ride right over the nodes of rhythmic ambivalence that Warne must leave exposed, the absence of a chordal instrument makes just that much more space available to the soloist, who is especially fluent on "Yardbird Suite." One wonders, though, what this album would have been like if [Oscar] Pettiford and [Kenny] Clarke had been present."

But don't let that discourage you from getting the Mosaic box, though. It's full of wonderful music.

A Chambers question: Does anyone know who wrote about (and where) his deliberately playing between the notes pitchwise at times in a walking context -- say, inserting a note that was a fair bit sharp beween two that were on the button in order to give his lines an extra edge, a bit more forward lean?

[pryan]

Much thanks for posting that, Lawrence.

[jazzbo]

I don't know, I don't fastforward through Paul's arco work, but compared to Slam Stewart's for example it's not up to snuff for me. . . . And Mingus is the modern one that floors me with his bowing. But Paul's is fine, just for me not up to these dizzying heights.