Dizzy Reece in rare NY appearance

[brownie]

From The New York Times today.

BLASTS FROM THE BEBOP PAST OF AN ELUSIVE TRUMPETER

By Nate Chinen

Disappearing acts are not uncommon in jazz, but Dizzy Reece is an extreme case. A Jamaican-born trumpeter who first made his name in London in the mid-1950s, Mr. Reece briefly enjoyed a reputation as a formidable voice in hard bop. He made four strong albums for Blue Note in the Eisenhower era, three with top-shelf American rhythm sections. But then came a period of struggle, followed by unexplained oblivion. For much of the last 40 years, Mr. Reece has essentially led a nonpublic life.

Small wonder that his concert on Friday night at the Rubin Museum of Art had all the makings of a triumphant return. It was his first headlining appearance in New York in many years, and the museum’s auditorium was impressively packed. In addition to his re-emergence, Mr. Reece was announcing the release of “Nirvana,” an album recorded 40 years ago. It was also his 76th birthday, another cause for celebration.

Unfortunately, he was leading a pick-up quartet that seemed unrehearsed and undernourished. His trumpet playing, though competent on a technical level, sounded similarly off. And instead of playing material from “Nirvana” — which, with its Eastern haze of sitar, koto and tambura, might have been appropriate in a museum of Tibetan art — he opted for the familiar comfort of by-the-book bebop.

But he didn’t take much comfort in it, despite the ministrations of the pianist Mike Longo and the bassist Lee Hudson. Mr. Reece seemed troubled by the chord structures of standards like “You Stepped Out of a Dream.” During an eight-bar stretch of his solo in “Star Eyes” he held his trumpet at waist level, eyes downcast, as if waiting for the song’s bridge to pass. Undermined by the unsteady drumming of Jimmy Wormworth, “On Green Dolphin Street” found Mr. Reece without much to say; at one point he quoted “ ‘Round Midnight,” the set’s previous tune, in a way that defied harmonic sense.

The most frustrating aspect of the performance was the fresh memory of Mr. Reece in his prime. Two years ago his Blue Note albums were reissued as a comprehensive and compelling three-disc set (“Mosaic Select: Dizzy Reece,” available at mosaicrecords.com). They make an airtight case for his talent, as does “Asia Minor,” a 1962 album for Prestige that’s still in print. Mr. Reece’s old output also attests to his considerable gift as a composer, sadly unacknowledged on Friday night.

Given the rigors of his instrument and the challenges of the music, no one should expect Mr. Reece to be battle-ready after so many years off the scene. But he still has some obstacles to surmount, as he seemed to realize incrementally as the night wore on. Three songs into the second set, he was looking at his watch and musing that his time must be up. Turning to Mr. Longo, he gruffly suggested “something short” as a final song.

Though the audience had thinned, the remaining listeners gave Mr. Reece a generous round of applause. “We hope to see you another time,” he said. Looking a bit ashen, he added: “It always can be better. Next time, we’ll probably take it a little further out.”

[clifford_thornton]

Too bad it was an off night. Even into the 1970s, his output was very strong. He's an interesting character, and was a blast to interview...

[Soul Stream]

Several years ago I asked George Braith, who is very close to Dizzy Reece, if he would have Dizzy sign a copy of "Sounding Off" for me (which he generously did). Dizzy's still one of my ALL time favorites. He was a true artist. And still is. He is a writer, painter, musician. An artist in every best sense of the word.

People should be a little more kind if he's making a bit of a comeback. I have no doubt that if his chops are up to it, the music will gather itself more quickly once he gets back to it on a regular basis. I'd LOVE to see Dizzy back in the game. THAT would be the comeback of '07 imho.

[ValerieB]

People should be a little more kind if he's making a bit of a comeback. I have no doubt that if his chops are up to it, the music will gather itself more quickly once he gets back to it on a regular basis. I'd LOVE to see Dizzy back in the game. THAT would be the comeback of '07 imho.

i dare say that would be the comeback of the decade!

[paul secor]

I'm against censorship (except, at times, self censorship) (apologies to a Board member who knows what I mean), but I wonder if it might have been a good thing if The Times hadn't printed this review, and perhaps waited for another Dizzy Reece performance (assuming that there will be one) when he might have things more together.

Edited January 10, 2007 by paul secor

[clifford_thornton]

Again, I'll prop this one:

Reece at AAJ

[paul secor]

Thanks for posting that, Clifford.

[AllenLowe]

well, unless Baby Dodds was playing pre-natally, I don''t think he performed in Congress Square (Dodds was born in 1898; those performances stopped well before that) -

[brownie]

The announced reissue of the Futura album 'From In to Out' by Dizzy Reece with John Gilmore still has not materialized!

[clifford_thornton]

well, unless Baby Dodds was playing pre-natally, I don''t think he performed in Congress Square (Dodds was born in 1898; those performances stopped well before that) -

OK, good to know.

Knowing Reece, it's possible that he knows something we don't!

Too bad the Futura still hasn't been reissued. It's a wonderful record.

[sidewinder]

It's stunning to think of all of those brilliant UK Tempo sessions done by Dizzy Reece back in 1955/56/57-ish and here he is still gigging in NYC and enthusiastically making music. Inspiring !

Edited January 10, 2007 by sidewinder

[Niko]

thought i'd post this also in a place where it can be found...

discovered today that on dizzy's myspace page you can listen to full length sound samples of his new cd (recorded in 1968) Nirvana

http://myspace.com/dizzyreece

you can also buy it from cdbaby

http://cdbaby.com/cd/dizzyreece

besides on his blogspot page there is a nice radio show with tunes from for instance his rare futura album with john gimore and siegfried kessler...

http://dizzyreece.blogspot.com/

[sidewinder]

Great - thanks for this !

I wonder if there's any mention of the Tempo 'Nowhere To Go' soundtrack EP he did with Tubby Hayes?

Edited December 5, 2007 by sidewinder

[six string]

Thanks for the links. I just ordered the cd. The Mosaic Select was my introduction to Dizzy. Yeah, I know, late to the party.

At least I'm here! He's a great player that I admire a lot.

[clifford_thornton]

Indeed.

I will have to order that new disc.

[sidewinder]

Indeed.

I will have to order that new disc.

Hey, just checked out your AAJ interview with Dizzy, Clifford.

Must have been fascinating. Is he now gigging regularly again?

[btownsurvivor]

A vote for journalistic integrity here ...

Sorry, don't mean to inhibit resurgences of legends of the past, but music criticism is all too often compromised.

Doesn't sound to me like Reece had an "off night". Sounds like his comeback is half-baked.

I've been a huge benefactor of jazz throughout my life, even when I couldn't afford it (at all) but ill-advised high-priced concerts by names who can no longer play is not cool. Specifically, I'm referring to Gillespie near the end, Elvin near the end, Hubbard today, the list goes on.

Remember, there are many casual fans who go to see these shows not knowing much about it and come away feeling ripped-off. I've personally felt very guilty for taking friends and their wives to a couple of these types of shows.

Bottom line: it's bad for the jazz economy. And what's bad for the jazz economy is ultimately bad for jazz.

Hope I don't sound like too much of a cold hardliner. Just tellin' it like it really is.

Let's hope Dizzy gets it together and holds off on the concerts until he does.

Edited December 12, 2007 by btownsurvivor

[Tom Storer]

Hope I don't sound like too much of a cold hardliner.

You sound like too much of a cold hardliner!

Life is life, people take risks, sometimes they fail. People who have grown old or ill sometimes can't bow out gracefully, for whatever reasons. As fans you take risks, too--who knows if the concert you're going to next week will be a revelation or a flop?

Sure, on a professional level, you can criticize musicians for being unprepared; as a disappointed fan, you can be angry that you didn't get enough enjoyment for your dollar. But big deal, really. I'm just speaking for myself, but the sort of consumerist indignation you express doesn't have much to do with how I feel about music. The generosity and vulnerability that performing artists demonstrate (regardless of the fact that they're getting paid for it) merits generosity on our part, too.

I agree with you, though, that critics have every right to report disappointing concerts accurately.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

so what was he doing prior to his "comeback'? did he just decide one day to start gigging and, and then make a myspace page? what the hell?

[Niko]

Dizzy Reece available for concerts

For bookings and inquiries please call 212-260-0163 or 718-585-7017.

Dizzy has hours of personal recordings ready for release as well as dozens and dozens of arrangements for big bands and small groups.

...

[btownsurvivor]

Hope I don't sound like too much of a cold hardliner.

You sound like too much of a cold hardliner!

Life is life, people take risks, sometimes they fail. People who have grown old or ill sometimes can't bow out gracefully, for whatever reasons. As fans you take risks, too--who knows if the concert you're going to next week will be a revelation or a flop?

Sure, on a professional level, you can criticize musicians for being unprepared; as a disappointed fan, you can be angry that you didn't get enough enjoyment for your dollar. But big deal, really. I'm just speaking for myself, but the sort of consumerist indignation you express doesn't have much to do with how I feel about music. The generosity and vulnerability that performing artists demonstrate (regardless of the fact that they're getting paid for it) merits generosity on our part, too.

I agree with you, though, that critics have every right to report disappointing concerts accurately.

Well, I'm a software developer, a very good one, of the true believer software artist variety. My customers get amazing product even if I'm relatively underpaid. And there are a lot of guys out there just like me. We just don't deliver crap, no matter what. And I've suffered financially for it, on specific gigs. I once refunded $10K to a guy because he didn't understand sw dev and was unrealistic and mad as hell. But long term, pursuing quality pays off, because my reputation precedes me.

All too often jazz musicians have a "we're different" attitude regarding the economic realities of the art form. This can range from being unprepared, to being under the influence, to having a bad attitude towards the audience.

You always hear jazz musicians complain about how wrong it is that society undervalues their contributions. In the sense that society is shallow and doesn't know what's good for it, they have a point. But in the sense that many jazz musicians themselves just don't get it financially, they have no point whatsoever.

When you add-in the elitist insiders-only, "you're not hip enough to associate with", or "you don't wear a beret, you must be the enemy" attitude many jazz musicians display to their fans, it's no wonder most of them never get rich. As quickly as their music attracts potential fans, they alienate them with their mysterious superior attitude.

[clifford_thornton]

so what was he doing prior to his "comeback'? did he just decide one day to start gigging and, and then make a myspace page? what the hell?

Writing, reading, thinking, being.

The AAJ interview might elucidate some things for some people.

[six string]

Good interview Clifford. It's nice to read an interview from someone who was prepared with good questions and knowledge of the interviewee. That of course will and indeed did gave Dizzy reason to respond in kind.

I received his Nirvana disc yesterday and really like it. It reminds me a little of an album I have called Curried Jazz. The east meets west works for me. If you want to hear hardbop, it's not going to be your cup of tea, but otherwise some really nice playing. It's curious that there aren't any musican credits on the disc.

[sidewinder]

It's curious that there aren't any musican credits on the disc.

Of course, it was issued on the el cheapo-cheapo "Music For Pleasure" (MFP) label for sale to the punters in the likes of Woolies in rotary racks (remember it well..) along with 'Singalongamax Vol 98' and most of these MFP LPs never had credits.

The lineup includes:- Dev Kumar (sitar), Chris Karan (tabla), Sitara (tamboura), Ray Swinfield (fl), Kenny Wheeler (flh), Jeff Clyne (b), Bill Eyden (dr) - on tracks 3 & 4 Leon Calvert replaces Kenny Wheeler and Art Morgan replaces Bill Eyden

[six string]

When I listened to Nirvana, I thought to myself, " he sounds like Kenny Wheeler on that tune." Kenny is also on that Curried Jazz album. It didn't occur to me that Dizzy was using another trumpet player on the album, though he played with Donald Byrd on Blues in Trinity. Thanks for the info.