Unexpected Sidemen

[Peter Friedman]

While listening this morning to the "George Wallington - Jazz For The Carriage Trade" CD on Prestige, I was somewhat surprised when I found that the drummer was Bill Bradley. I have had this session for a long long time, first on LP and now CD, but did not recall the name of the drummer. When I checked, I had expected someone such as Art Taylor or perhaps Nick Stabulas.

I know that Bill Bradley is on a J.R. Monterose date on Fresh Sound, and on the Tony Fruscella album on Atlantic, as well as other recording sessions.

He sometimes goes by Junior Bradley, and other times Will Bradley,Jr.

However, he is not often associated with playing on hard bop dates on labels such as Prestige, Blue Note or Riverside.

This got me thinking that there are quite a few recordings with sidemen who would not normally be expected to play on that particular session. Thought it might be interesting to see what others people can suggest.

[Don Brown]

Reminds me of the time World Pacific (Pacific Jazz) leased recordings Sidney Bechet had made in 1957 for French Vogue and issued them for the first time in North America, Peter. We were more than a little surprised to discover that the pianist on the date was Martial Solal and the drummer Kenny Clarke. But then musicians in those days never paid much attention to all that "mouldy fig vs. bopper" crap did they? That was for Leonard Feather and his ilk.

Edited October 25, 2008 by Don Brown

[Larry Kart]

While listening this morning to the "George Wallington - Jazz For The Carriage Trade" CD on Prestige, I was somewhat surprised when I found that the drummer was Bill Bradley. I have had this session for a long long time, first on LP and now CD, but did not recall the name of the drummer. When I checked, I had expected someone such as Art Taylor or perhaps Nick Stabulas.

I know that Bill Bradley is on a J.R. Monterose date on Fresh Sound, and on the Tony Fruscella album on Atlantic, as well as other recording sessions.

He sometimes goes by Junior Bradley, and other times Will Bradley,Jr.

However, he is not often associated with playing on hard bop dates on labels such as Prestige, Blue Note or Riverside.

This got me thinking that there are quite a few recordings with sidemen who would not normally be expected to play on that particular session. Thought it might be interesting to see what others people can suggest.

I'm not aware of Will Bradley, Jr. appearing on any other dates of note than these, though he may have been a member of a road band or two of that era, like a lot of other guys whose sympathies were basically hard-boppish. His father, trombonist Will Bradley, co-led a popular big band ("Beat Me, Daddy, Eight to the Bar," "Celery Stalks At Midnight," et al.) of the early '40s with drummer Ray McKinley.

[Larry Kart]

Dick Johnson Quartet

Dick Johnson (as) Dave McKenna (p) Wilbur Ware (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

NYC, October 30, 1957

Riverside RLP 12-253

Odd several ways at once.

[Larry Kart]

Then there's the album that I dreamt about some 50 years ago and listened to in the dream. It had a front line of Jack Teagarden (the leader) and Paul Desmond.

[B. Clugston]

Art Taylor showed up on a Frank Wright-Noah Howard album.

Dave Brubeck with Anthony Braxton and Roy Haynes.

Pee Wee Russell and Thelonious Monk at Newport.

[Larry Kart]

Coleman Hawkins' "The Hawk Relaxes" (Moodsville) with Andrew Cyrille. IIRC Cyrille, then 21, restricts himself to very simple, almost mindlessly uptight brushwork -- what used to be called "what to do?" patterns -- as though this were a hotel dance gig.

[TedR]

My copy of the OJC 1991 (Limited Edition Series) cd of Wallington's Jazz For The Carriage Trade lists Arthur Taylor as the drummer. Is this a misprint on the cd?

[Chas]

My copy of the OJC 1991 (Limited Edition Series) cd of Wallington's Jazz For The Carriage Trade lists Arthur Taylor as the drummer. Is this a misprint on the cd?

The Lord discography has this session footnote : "The Prestige Label Discography by Michel Ruppli incorrectly lists the drummer for this session as Bill Bradley. He is pictured on the cover of Prestige LP7032 but only replaced Arthur Taylor after the recording session."

[JSngry]

Elvin Jones & Richard Davis w/Earl Hines

[Chas]

Elvin Jones & Richard Davis w/Earl Hines

I was surprised at the lineup on that session too , and then a little disappointed after hearing it .

Puts me in mind of another surprise Elvin Jones appearance , this time teamed with Art Davis : Father Tom Vaughn's first RCA record Jazz in Concert at the Village Gate .

[BillF]

Kid Ory's Creole Band

Dec 1 and 2 1954, Hollywood

Ory (tbn), Alvin Alcorn (tpt), George Probert (clt), Don Ewell (pno), Ed Garland (bs), Minor Hall (dms), Barney Kessel (gtr).

[Tom Storer]

Then there was Tim Berne's 1993 album of Julius Hemphill music, "Diminutive Mysteries." It had Berne, Marc Ducret, Hank Roberts, Joey Baron, Herb Robertson, Mark Dresser, and... David Sanborn.

[Larry Kart]

Will Bradley Jr. IIRC is on at least one album by that Wallington band, though not "Jazz for the Carriage Trade."

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

Well, there's "Let's do it again" by the Fatback Band; their first LP. I got this when it came out and when I heard "Give me one more chance", complete with girlie backing singers, I had to say, who the fuck is this tenor player coming on like Pharoah Sanders? It was George Adams, of whom no one had ever heard at the time.

I've always had a deep affection for the three LPs made by Charles Williams for Mainstream, largely because of the unexpected personnel. These LPs were based on a co-op band called the Four Souls, who were Bubba Brooks (Tina's brother), basically a blues and Websterish swing stylist on tenor; Williams, a modern Soul Jazz alto player; Don Pullen on organ; and Bill Curtis (who left the band in 1972 to form the Fatback Band) on drums. This band really should not have worked, but it did.

It's curious that Pullen and Adams both had a connection to the Fatback Band.

Dorothy Norwood - Look what they've done to my child. Dorothy is one of the great lady gospel singers from the classsic period - a former Caravan and still singing I believe. This LP, from 1981, on Savoy, has a Muslim (!) guitarist credited as Melvin Hassan, who's better known to O readers as Melvin Sparks.

A big surprise for me (perhaps not others who know jazz better) was Jimmy McGriff's 1988 CD "Blue to the 'bone", which featured Al Grey, a trombonist whom I'd always ignored up 'til then, thinking him just an old Basie man.

MG

[paul secor]

Dick Johnson Quartet

Dick Johnson (as) Dave McKenna (p) Wilbur Ware (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

NYC, October 30, 1957

Riverside RLP 12-253

Odd several ways at once.

Odd, but in good ways - at least to my ears.

[Hot Ptah]

Jerry Garcia on Ornette Coleman's Virgin Beauty.

Edited October 27, 2008 by Hot Ptah

[Peter Friedman]

Cecil Taylor - Hard Driving Jazz

with Kenny Dorham, John Coltrane, Chuck Israels, Louis Hayes

[Chuck Nessa]

How about Tootie Heath on a Roscoe Mitchell date?

[Chas]

I've always had a deep affection for the three LPs made by Charles Williams for Mainstream, largely because of the unexpected personnel. These LPs were based on a co-op band called the Four Souls, who were Bubba Brooks (Tina's brother), basically a blues and Websterish swing stylist on tenor; Williams, a modern Soul Jazz alto player; Don Pullen on organ; and Bill Curtis (who left the band in 1972 to form the Fatback Band) on drums. This band really should not have worked, but it did.

Agreed . I remember hearing the record and thinking the organist had to be one of the veteran grease merchants . Quite a shock to find out it was Pullen - he had the style down cold !

[Larry Kart]

Dick Johnson Quartet

Dick Johnson (as) Dave McKenna (p) Wilbur Ware (b) Philly Joe Jones (d)

NYC, October 30, 1957

Riverside RLP 12-253

Odd several ways at once.

Odd, but in good ways - at least to my ears.

I agree.

[Dan Gould]

I've always had a deep affection for the three LPs made by Charles Williams for Mainstream, largely because of the unexpected personnel. These LPs were based on a co-op band called the Four Souls, who were Bubba Brooks (Tina's brother), basically a blues and Websterish swing stylist on tenor; Williams, a modern Soul Jazz alto player; Don Pullen on organ; and Bill Curtis (who left the band in 1972 to form the Fatback Band) on drums. This band really should not have worked, but it did.

Agreed . I remember hearing the record and thinking the organist had to be one of the veteran grease merchants . Quite a shock to find out it was Pullen - he had the style down cold !

Iirc, it was Williams and Brooks who had to "teach" Pullen the blues. He gave them credit in an article in DB, I think.

[mikeweil]

Art Taylor showed up on a Frank Wright-Noah Howard album.

There was a Noah Howard LP with Kenny Clarke, too.

[AllenLowe]

will put in a plug for a CD I recorded at the Knitting Factory some time ago with David Murray, Doc Cheatham, Loren Schoenberg - I also put Doc in a "modal" atmosphere on still another CD - I told him he sounded like Booker Little - he said "that's good because I subbed for Booker in a Latin band years ago."

Edited October 28, 2008 by AllenLowe

[AndrewHill]

No Material on ITM: Ginger Baker with Peter Brotzmann, Sonny Sharrock, Nicky Scopelitis and Jan Kazda