"Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook"

[ghost of miles]

This week on Night Lights it’s “Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook.” Trumpeter Cal Massey was an African-American jazz composer, little-known now and in his lifetime, but whose work was recorded by musicians such as John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Parker, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, McCoy Tyner, and Archie Shepp. In the 1960s Massey made his Brooklyn home into a kind of community center for jazz artists and produced many concerts, including benefits for the Black Panthers. A longtime friend of Coltrane, he read the tenor saxophonist’s poem “A Love Supreme” at Coltrane’s 1967 funeral. Massey died of a heart attack in 1972 at the age of 44, leaving a wife and three children; his son, Zane Massey, is a well-respected saxophonist on the modern jazz scene. (As a child Zane was also the inspiration for Massey’s composition “Father and Son,” tapping out a figure on drums that would become his father’s basis for the melody.) We’ll hear recordings of Massey’s music from many of the above-named artists; you can view an online discography of his compositions here. “Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook” airs at 11:05 p.m. EST Saturday, February 10 on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. It airs at 10 p.m. EST Sunday evening on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio.

Also, be sure to tune into Blue Lake Public Radio at 7 p.m. EST Sunday for a three-hour program featuring Lazaro Vega's interview with jazz giant Ornette Coleman. You can read a transcript of the interview here. The Night Lights "Cal Massey Songbook" show will follow the conclusion of Lazaro's Ornette program at 10 p.m.

Next week: "Come On Down to Central Avenue" with L.A. jazz historian Steve Isoardi.

[alocispepraluger102]

This week on Night Lights it’s “Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook.” Trumpeter Cal Massey was an African-American jazz composer, little-known now and in his lifetime, but whose work was recorded by musicians such as John Coltrane, Freddie Hubbard, Charlie Parker, Lee Morgan, Jackie McLean, McCoy Tyner, and Archie Shepp. In the 1960s Massey made his Brooklyn home into a kind of community center for jazz artists and produced many concerts, including benefits for the Black Panthers. A longtime friend of Coltrane, he read the tenor saxophonist’s poem “A Love Supreme” at Coltrane’s 1967 funeral. Massey died of a heart attack in 1972 at the age of 44, leaving a wife and three children; his son, Zane Massey, is a well-respected saxophonist on the modern jazz scene. (As a child Zane was also the inspiration for Massey’s composition “Father and Son,” tapping out a figure on drums that would become his father’s basis for the melody.) We’ll hear recordings of Massey’s music from many of the above-named artists; you can view an online discography of his compositions here. “Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook” airs at 11:05 p.m. EST Saturday, February 10 on WFIU and at 9 p.m. Central Time on WNIN-Evansville. It airs at 10 p.m. EST Sunday evening on Michigan's Blue Lake Public Radio.

Also, be sure to tune into Blue Lake Public Radio at 7 p.m. EST Sunday for a three-hour program featuring Lazaro Vega's interview with jazz giant Ornette Coleman. You can read a transcript of the interview here. The Night Lights "Cal Massey Songbook" show will follow the conclusion of Lazaro's Ornette program at 10 p.m.

Next week: "Come On Down to Central Avenue" with L.A. jazz historian Steve Isoardi.

the damned dont cry is very interesting music, and little shirley scott on piano! thanks!!

i enjoyed this show especially because it covered a very short beautiful(musically) time span, and unfotunately didnt span several generations.

Edited February 11, 2007 by alocispepraluger102

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

is that candid lp of his, is that hard to find

[ghost of miles]

Glad you enjoyed the show, AL... McCoy Tyner also recorded that Massey tune ("I Thought I'd Let You Know"). The program will air again tonight on Blue Lake, but it will be a poor second to Mr. Vega's interview with Ornette Coleman, which airs before it, from 7-10 p.m. EST. (Lobbying folks to tune in for that; I know I am.)

Chewy, I'd imagine that Cal Massey Candid is hard to find on vinyl; it didn't even come out until (I think) the 1980s--might be a few copies floating around in the ether. On CD, not hard at all, as it was recently reissued; certainly available on Amazon.

[sidewinder]

I'd imagine that Cal Massey Candid is hard to find on vinyl; it didn't even come out until (I think) the 1980s--might be a few copies floating around in the ether.

Picked up the German issue a few weeks ago in (real) near mint for £5. I was a happy man.

[ghost of miles]

"Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook" is now archived. Special thanks to Jim Sangrey.

Edited April 26, 2008 by ghost of miles

[Jim Alfredson]

He's the one who wrote "These Are Soulful Days"? Great tune. Don Patterson's version is killer.

[ghost of miles]

He's the one who wrote "These Are Soulful Days"? Great tune. Don Patterson's version is killer.

Yeah--I used Massey's own version of it in the show. It's also on Lee Morgan's LEEWAY.

[sal]

He's the one who wrote "These Are Soulful Days"? Great tune. Don Patterson's version is killer.

Yeah--I used Massey's own version of it in the show. It's also on Lee Morgan's LEEWAY.

I really like the version on Leeway. Massey was an excellent composer.

[sal]

ghost, today was my first time listening to your program. Great job! I'll be checking out more of the archives in the near future.

[Kalo]

Great theme for a show. I'll make sure to give a listen.

[JSngry]

"Soulful Days: the Cal Massey Songbook" is now archived. Special thanks to Jim Sangrey.

Gotta admit, I've been slow/behind/hopelesslyinlove/allthatgoodstuff lately, so I've not yet checked out the show. What did I do?

[ghost of miles]

Why, it's a special thanks just for being you! Well, actually, that's true, too... but I quoted something that you said/posted around these parts about Massey as a composer. Ironically enough, when the show aired Sunday evening on Blue Lake, it immediately followed Lazaro's interview with Ornette, in which Lazaro quoted you. In the future I'm going to refer to you as "Musician and sage Jim Sangrey"...

[JSngry]

Sage? Isn't that what they use to season turkeys?

[ghost of miles]

We'll be rebroadcasting this program on most Night Lights stations this week, but The Cal Massey Songbook is already archived for online listening.

Next week: "Jazz Impressions of Brubeck."