Meet Benny Bailey (DB 2-15-73)

[JSngry]

[Larry Kart]

Caught him live once at the Jazz Showcase in the late '70s or early '80s, maybe also once at the Jazz Fest later on. A marvelous player, but he also seemed to have some hard-to-define emotional hangups about playing, as though the necessary ego force one needs to have to actually step up there and play out as a soloist was perpetually troubling to him.

[JSngry]

Interesting...how did this manifest itself?

[BillF]

Of course, he was resident in Europe for a long time. I saw him at the Free Trade Hall, Manchester in about 1966 with Roland Kirk and Philly Joe Jones.

[Larry Kart]

Interesting...how did this manifest itself?

Hard to say at this distance, but IIRC it was like he'd play some alarmingly great stuff and then seem to indicate -- through body position, facial expression, and a general air of withdrawal -- that he wished he could take it back, as though he too were alarmed by it. Perhaps this had something to with the fact that the general outlines of his approach were so boldly dramatic (huge tone, wide leaps, wide dynamic range, etc.), while some part of his soul might have been withdrawn and diffident.

[JSngry]

Wow...that's kinda weird...

[Larry Kart]

Wow...that's kinda weird...

For instance, don't you get the feeling that BB liked playing in a section more than he did taking a solo? Not that the former can't be great thing to do if you're in the right band, but for some guys it may also be a way of hiding out.

[JSngry]

Well what's weird is that Bailey was one hellaceous lead player. No timidity or ambiguity there!

[Larry Kart]

Well what's weird is that Bailey was one hellaceous lead player. No timidity or ambiguity there!

Right -- but there he was the leader of a team and interpreting a chart, not stepping out front and telling his own story.

[JSngry]

I see your point and take it well, but make no mistake - a lead player -of any section - of Bailey's strength of personality (and there have been very few, all things considered) definitely melds "interpretation" with "telling one's own story". You got Bailey, Marshall Royal, Snooky Young, and...not too many others. Maybe some of the Kenton lead trombonists.

But still, yeah, that is over a section, not all the way naked. I hear ya'.

[marcello]

Here's some photos that I took of him one night at the Vanguard (w/ Dexter) in June 1977.

He had no "ego force" problems that night!

[Spontooneous]

Larry, maybe you were seeing manifestations of physical pain? The man had some real problems from playing so long, so hard.

[Larry Kart]

Larry, maybe you were seeing manifestations of physical pain? The man had some real problems from playing so long, so hard.

Could be, but it sounded like he was making everything he tried for, with no particular strain.

BTW, I'm sure this has come up before, but in page 99 of Ira Gitler's "Swing to Bop," Bailey says of fellow Clevelander Freddie Webster: "I happen to know ... that on the [Charlie Parker] recording of 'Billie's Bounce' that [Miles Davis'] solo was exactly the one that Freddie played for that particular blues. Evidently Miles said he was nervous and couldn't think of anything to play, so he did Freddie's solo note for note." It's a lovely chorus and certainly sounds Webster-like.

[Cyril]

Benny Bailey: March 12, 2005

playing In Belgium (his last concert and the last photos!)

Photos by Johan De Grande

It was quite a co-incident that I saw a message in a Dutch newspaper that morning that a 'certain' Ernst Benny Bailey died april 14, 2005, in Amsterdam.

That message was issued by "The Department of the Amsterdam administration".

(It was a shame that Benny was found dead in his small apartment, after a week or fourteen days!!!).

It was for sure that they didn't know who Benny Bailey was....

No family and friends were mentioned!

When I saw this message I was in shock. I realized that the Dutch Jazz World, didn't know about his death.

I started a search to the Dutch musicians (starting with the cats I know and start asking what happenned). No one knew (???)

Later on I got some telephone calls and e-mails wich confirmed the death of Benny.

Benny was playing in Belgium doing his "The 80th Birthday Concerts" ...

I'have known Benny very well...

Live recording in Holland, 01-15-2000.

With John Engels drums, Dolf de Vries piano, Marco Kerver bass, Thomas Hilbrandie guitar, Luis Luz percussion.

Edited March 17, 2008 by Cyril

[Chuck Nessa]

Larry, maybe you were seeing manifestations of physical pain? The man had some real problems from playing so long, so hard.

Could be, but it sounded like he was making everything he tried for, with no particular strain.

BTW, I'm sure this has come up before, but in page 99 of Ira Gitler's "Swing to Bop," Bailey says of fellow Clevelander Freddie Webster: "I happen to know ... that on the [Charlie Parker] recording of 'Billie's Bounce' that [Miles Davis'] solo was exactly the one that Freddie played for that particular blues. Evidently Miles said he was nervous and couldn't think of anything to play, so he did Freddie's solo note for note." It's a lovely chorus and certainly sounds Webster-like.

I have met dozens of musicians I felt deserved more recognition, but a few conversational exchanges revealed the problem. Personalities and "demons" have a bunch to do with public promotion and recognition.

[Guest Bill Barton]

Thanks a lot for this and the other vintage mag posts, JSngry!

I've loved Bailey's playing for a long time and certainly wish that I'd had a chance to hear him in performance.

[Tom Storer]

I saw him a couple of times with the quintet he co-led with Charlie Rouse. John Hicks on piano, I think Clint Houson and Victor Lewis but wouldn't swear by it. They were a mighty band.

[pepe]

I saw him a couple of times with the quintet he co-led with Charlie Rouse. John Hicks on piano, I think Clint Houson and Victor Lewis but wouldn't swear by it. They were a mighty band.

I saw him too, a couple of times, first at Molde International Jazz Festival - Norway - in 1961, where Bailey's precence was the only reason for calling it international - Karin Krog was doing the first part of the concert and was ending her version of Moody's Mood for Love singing "Benny Bailey you can come in now and play", and then he entered from backstage, put the horn to his lips and out came this HUGE and BROAD trumpet sound and fascinating intervallic leaps. Later in the concert he played a great I can't get started that would have Bunny Berigan sit up - a trumpeter friend of mine taped it (from the radio transmission of the concert), and to this day it's one of his desert island picks.

After the concert he was invited to dinner at the home of another friend of mine, and this friend's mother poured some wine she had made herself from plums. Bailey asked "What's this drink", and she answered "It's something I made myself". Bailey: "Ahh, I see - Hjemmebrent! (Moonshine)".

Sorry to hear he ended his life apparently a lonesome and forgotten man. I believe he visited Norway a couple of times during the nineties, touring and recording with tenorist/flutist Harald Gundhus' band.

Edited March 19, 2008 by pepe

[Late]

Have Benny Bailey's recordings for the Metronome label ever been reissued on compact disc?

[Peter Friedman]

Have Benny Bailey's recordings for the Metronome label ever been reissued on compact disc?

Yes, some of it is on TOMMY POTTER'S HARD FUNK on Lonehill A few tracks are also on the box set called

JAZZ IN SWEDEN : THE LEGENDARY YEARS ON WEA / METRONONE.

[Late]

Have Benny Bailey's recordings for the Metronome label ever been reissued on compact disc?

Yes, some of it is on TOMMY POTTER'S HARD FUNK on Lonehill A few tracks are also on the box set called

JAZZ IN SWEDEN : THE LEGENDARY YEARS ON WEA / METRONONE.

I have that disc (Tommy Potter's Hard Funk), but Bailey isn't on it, unless there's a typo. I'll have to look into The Legendary years though. I'd like to hear Bailey and Ericson together: