prison guard returns as tyner's drummer

[JSngry]

"One year, Patsy knitted a pair of mittens for about a dozen cheerleaders," recalled her daughter-in-law Barb, a retired teacher who served as the squad's coordinator. "She wanted to make sure their hands didn't get cold."

Form and function!

:tup :tup

[JSngry]

Lest there be any misunderstanding, I grew up in a small town (population <7500) where articles like this were the bread and butter of the local paper. So the humor I see here is one based wholly in affection, as well as the fact that it's a little weird to see what could have something from The Gladewater Mirror showing up in the Chicago Trib.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

when exactly was he in Weather report now??? he isn't on any w.p records.....

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

wait hes on i sing the body electric? then when did chester get in

[JSngry]

He was on I Sing The Body Electric, Live In Tokyo, & Sweetnighter.

[JSngry]

wait hes on i sing the body electric? then when did chester get in

Chester was on Black Market, right?

[Larry Kart]

Jim -- Geez, I should have read past the headline. That stuff is unbelievable, right up there with the best of Bob and Ray, with a hint of Jonathan Winters.

[JSngry]

Indeed!

May I direct you to: http://www.organissimo.org/forum/index.php...mp;#entry733082

This is a big part of how/where I grew up.

[Larry Kart]

My wife's folks lived in later years in Springfield, Mo. When we went to visit, I'd notice that (for many years at least) the upper half-page opposite the editorial page in the Springfield News-Leader was devoted every day to freshly written religious (i.e. Christian) poetry submitted by readers.

[Chuck Nessa]

Back on topic................

Around 1970/71 I heard McCoy with Byard Lancaster, Herbie Lewis and EG. This was in a bar in Madison. It was one of 30 or so great "live" experiences of my life. Cecil Taylor was dancing about 10 feet away from me. The whole experience was wonderful.

Bet I've posted about this gig before.

[marcello]

OK, I broke down and here's a photo of Mr. Gravatt from that concert:

[sidewinder]

One of the most distinctive things I noticed when seeing him with McCoy fairly recently was those huge cymbals and their almost vertical orientation.

[B. Clugston]

One of the most distinctive things I noticed when seeing him with McCoy fairly recently was those huge cymbals and their almost vertical orientation.

When I saw him with Tyner last year, his ride cymbal was hanging vertically. His bass drum pedal got busted, but he kept playing as a techie was fiddling about underneath him.

[sheldonm]

One of the most distinctive things I noticed when seeing him with McCoy fairly recently was those huge cymbals and their almost vertical orientation.

When I saw him with Tyner last year, his ride cymbal was hanging vertically. His bass drum pedal got busted, but he kept playing as a techie was fiddling about underneath him.

They are just about vertical in my shots above.... I thought he did a great job on this particular show.

m

[DukeCity]

Am I the only one who sees a bit of dry, sick humor in a former prison guard, instead of a former prisoner, being in a band?

How 'bout Sharon Jones (of the Dap Kings)?

From the Daptone webpage:

... Later she would make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), singing with wedding bands, and a handful of day jobs which included stints as both a prison guard at New York’s notorious Riker’s Island, and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank.

Sure, some of her detracters say that she's really just appropriating the style and trappings of having been a prison guard. After all, they protest, the prison system today is nothing like it was in the Golden Era of incarceration back in the '50s and '60s. There's no way she could guard those prisoners with the authenticity that can only come from having been there when it was really happening. But the way I see it is, as one of her former charges put it, "You know, when she used to crack me on the shoulder blades with her billy club, I could really feel it. And when something feels that real, then hey, how can it not be real?"

Edited December 30, 2007 by DukeCity

[clifford_thornton]

Back on topic................

Around 1970/71 I heard McCoy with Byard Lancaster, Herbie Lewis and EG. This was in a bar in Madison. It was one of 30 or so great "live" experiences of my life. Cecil Taylor was dancing about 10 feet away from me. The whole experience was wonderful.

Bet I've posted about this gig before.

I'll bet it was fantastic...

Though his records haven't always done it for me, Byard Lancaster is a hell of a great live performer. I saw him with J.R. Mitchell and two bassists (unknown to me) and it was really, really fantastic. Rufus Harley even sat in!

[analogak]

is anyone doubting sharon jones authenticity? i think just her bandmates. she is legit as heck.

oh yeah i forgot gravatt is on that lancaster vortex side, isn't he? not an awesome album...

a cool gravatt performance is his album with terumasa hino, motohiko hino, cecil mcbee and mtume...called "hogiuta".

he also did a nice album with masabumi kikuchi and juni booth called "east wind".

eric gravatt was "big in japan".

when i think about his way of playing with tyner...people saying he was too busy and bashing...but the next man to take over was sonship and that guy really is busy and bashes...but i love his style!

[analogak]

i feel like chester thompson got a raw deal with WR. he's a very good drummer...could have helped them more. i think he wasn't ethnic enough.

a random but great place to hear chester thompson is on some of those o'donel levy groove merchant albums. for those that like funky grant green...check levy out. i think some of his albums hold together better than green's of the time.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Am I the only one who sees a bit of dry, sick humor in a former prison guard, instead of a former prisoner, being in a band?

No, you're definitely not the only one!

Playing with McCoy Tyner sounds like a much better gig to me.

[marcello]

I would bet he's been both.

[DukeCity]

is anyone doubting sharon jones authenticity? i think just her bandmates. she is legit as heck.

Just a tongue in cheek reference to some recent discussion in this thread.

Personally, I dig it.

[analogak]

yes i got it. i was just saying...in that thread no one really questioned her. more the dipsters.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Am I the only one who sees a bit of dry, sick humor in a former prison guard, instead of a former prisoner, being in a band?

How 'bout Sharon Jones (of the Dap Kings)?

From the Daptone webpage:

... Later she would make her living with a combination of sporadic session work as a mostly anonymous voice on various dance records (sometimes credited as Lafaye Jones), singing with wedding bands, and a handful of day jobs which included stints as both a prison guard at New York’s notorious Riker’s Island, and an armored car guard for Wells Fargo Bank.

Sure, some of her detracters say that she's really just appropriating the style and trappings of having been a prison guard. After all, they protest, the prison system today is nothing like it was in the Golden Era of incarceration back in the '50s and '60s. There's no way she could guard those prisoners with the authenticity that can only come from having been there when it was really happening. But the way I see it is, as one of her former charges put it, "You know, when she used to crack me on the shoulder blades with her billy club, I could really feel it. And when something feels that real, then hey, how can it not be real?"

You wicked bugger

MG