The irony of it all...

[jazzwestcoast]

Here's one that gets put into the "Ironic" file...

For those that don't know, bassist Oscar Pettiford is another GREAT bassist from the big band and bebop eras. In fact, for many years, he was credited with pioneering pizzicato jazz cello until time and recording dates proved my father was the true pioneer of the instrument's inclusion to jazz.

Taking nothing away from Mr. Pettiford - the man was incredibly talented and wonderfully innovative - and my father looked up to him and highly respected his musical abilities. In 1953, the two men got together and formed a group, played around Los Angeles, and recorded a four song EP on Imperial Records they called Oscar Pettiford and his Jazz All Stars. This album is one of my personal favorites - it features both my father and Oscar playing duet cellos, with a supporting bassist freeing up the cellos to play full time melodic harmonies and solos. What an INCREDIBLE recording!!!! The sound has never been duplicated.

Anyway, I mentioned four songs - Just Too Marvelous for Words and Blues in the Closet, both arranged by Oscar Pettiford - and Monti Celli and In a Cello Mood, both Harry Babasin originals, written and arranged by my father.

Now, to the ironic part. Fresh Sound Records, out of Barcelona, Spain, recently released a compilation CD digipack of Oscar Pettiford music - a very good retrospective of definitive Pettiford throughout his career. It's called "Oscar Pettiford - In a Cello Mood". Not only does it include the four songs from the Imperial EP, including my father's originals, they even named it after one of my dad's songs!

Go figure. And they didn't even pay any licensing or royalties to my mom for the use of my dad's tunes or performances... but that's another story...

[rostasi]

[aparxa]

UnBearable :D

[Pete B]

The full session is available on "First Bass" issued by the IAJRC, and readily available. I would assume they paid the appropriate fees, and the cd is excellent. It was produced by OP's discographer Coover Gazdar.

[jazzwestcoast]

Not only did the IAJRC do right by the release, I still have the Award of Distinction - "presented to Harry Babasin in recognition of his outstanding contribution to recorded jazz", issued on August 14, 1987 - about nine months before Harry passed away.

It was really nice for dad to receive that award while he was still with us... to see someone still cared... it meant a lot to him...

[Chas]

And they didn't even pay any licensing or royalties to my mom for the use of my dad's tunes or performances... but that's another story...

And why exactly would Fresh Sound owe any royalties for your father's performance over and above those owed based on his authorship ? Imperial Records themselves no doubt only paid mechanicals , not artist royalties , in this case .

[mikeweil]

Does the fact that copyright last only 50 years in Europe affect all this?

[Daniel A]

I would assume that the producer's rights have expired (50+ years since the recording was released). Still, the copyright in the compositions lasts for the autor's life +70 years.

[paul secor]

And they didn't even pay any licensing or royalties to my mom for the use of my dad's tunes or performances... but that's another story...

And why exactly would Fresh Sound owe any royalties for your father's performance over and above those owed based on his authorship ? Imperial Records themselves no doubt only paid mechanicals , not artist royalties , in this case .

Sounds like he's saying that Fresh Sound didn't pay any composer's royalties either. Thieves will be thieves - don't cut them any slack.

[jazzwestcoast]

You know... after you're dead and gone, the only thing that matters in a composer's life is what they actually had writer's and publishing credits on. When it comes down to it, that defines your cultural contribution.

'In a Cello Mood' still appears on Harry's repertoire page on the BMI website so I would think it's fairly easy to trace. My mom recently received a small check for the writer's percentage of a song he wrote, 'Noctambulism', that appears on the Brazilliance Vol. 1 CD release by the Laurindo Almeida Quartet, so we know the channels are open. She's on an extremely fixed income and severely emphysemic so any few dollars that might get paid to her are very welcome.

My father died almost penniless, in a barrio area of the San Fernando Valley called Pacoima. The Musician's Union Local #47 had a benefit concert to raise money to pay his hospital bills. Joe Pass played that day... George Segal and the Beverly Hills Unlisted Jazz Band too... it was a moving celebration. When he passed, barely an obituary was written. His long time friend, drummer Bill Douglas, wrote a short tribute.

As his family, we always wanted more recognition for Harry, he was much more than just a bass player. But, dad said he wouldn't have traded his life for anything... what a treasure he was...