fasstrack Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 funny 'cause I once sat in with Joe at the West End - Percy France was playing and Joe sat in a side booth with his microphone - everything was in C - I played tenor. Bob Neloms was playing piano, as I recall - it was fun but I mainly did it so I could say I'd played with the greatest blues singer alive - That's right. I remember Neloms playing with Percy. Percy's band got fired (not sure why, but I heard he stuck up for guy in the band and the owner just fired everybody. He told the bandleader he'd fire me if I kept sitting on my amp) before they hired this drummer Honeyboy to lead. I got called to do it by the pianist on it, Chris Townes, who I had played with at an after-hours joint of which you had to be frisked to enter. I saw MFs inhaling from what appeared to be blowtorches and turned out to be my first exposure to what I learned was crack. Chris's brother is Sonny Henry. He wrote 'Evil Ways'. Yeah, it was blues in C. All night. In two tempos: shuffle and slow. Still it was great to work with him---though he was in a wheelchair and in poor health. I checked out a video some years later featuring him in his prime and it was really incredible. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted April 3, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 (edited) Bob's semi-retired now, living out in Detroit with his mother. But that was a great little band - I actually booked the other musicians - at first it was Percy, Neloms on piano, and Leroy Williams (who lived in the neighborhood) on drums. Great stuff, as Neloms has an amazing left hand. of course, Schaap took credit for putting it together, but I introduced all these guys, and they had never worked together before - and I think Bob later worked at Tramps with Percy's band backing Big Joe - Edited April 3, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 - and I think Bob later worked at Tramps with Percy's band backing Big Joe - If it was '81 that must've been the band I meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Someone should do a tribute thread to Percy, come to think of it. Maybe I will. He was really a great guy and underrated as hell: a real bluesman & pro who could swing you into bad health. By himself. Michael Howell and I were reminiscing about Percy and he told me this story: He walked into a dance hall or something and everyone was dancing and having a great time. He turned to the bandstand and the band was..........Percy France. He was my first real friend in the jazz biz. He had me sit in at the West End and recommended me to George Kelly. I wanted to use him for my first concert playing originals, but he was out of the country. In (I swear) France. I'll close with a final story: in those days WKCR had annual fundraisers at the West End. Percy MCed one, and graciously introed tenor player after tenor player----all damn respectable players. Finally he got up, strapped on the horn, called "Sugar"---and blew the roof off the joint. He let music have the last say. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JSngry Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 it was fun but I mainly did it so I could say I'd played with the greatest blues singer alive - You played with Little Milton? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ValerieB Posted April 3, 2009 Report Share Posted April 3, 2009 Bob's semi-retired now, living out in Detroit with his mother. But that was a great little band - I actually booked the other musicians - at first it was Percy, Neloms on piano, and Leroy Williams (who lived in the neighborhood) on drums. Great stuff, as Neloms has an amazing left hand. of course, Schaap took credit for putting it together, but I introduced all these guys, and they had never worked together before - and I think Bob later worked at Tramps with Percy's band backing Big Joe - i heard Leroy last August (at the Charlie Parker Festival) and this past February in NY (with Barry Harris), and he's still an excellent drummer. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted April 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 Leroy's great, nice guy - my wedding band (1982) was Percy France, Leroy on drums, Skinny Bergan (used to be with Lionel Hampton) on bass; Dick Katz, piano, Randy Sandke, trumpet; and Joe Albany and Aaron Bell sat in (Joe was a guest; Bell came with a friend of mine) - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 Leroy's great, nice guy - my wedding band (1982) was Percy France, Leroy on drums, Skinny Bergan (used to be with Lionel Hampton) on bass; Dick Katz, piano, Randy Sandke, trumpet; and Joe Albany and Aaron Bell sat in (Joe was a guest; Bell came with a friend of mine) - Jeez. I remember Skinny Bergan (I thought it was Berger). He and Percy played a job at the West End accompanying Jo Jones and Jo wasn't too nice to the band. Great guy, as I recall. I think he stood up to Jo, or Percy defended him. I'm a longtime admirer of the talents of Randy Sandke. Hope I get a chance to work with him. His musical depth, creativity, and knowledge are impressive indeed. Yes, Leroy is a great cat. Everybody in NY has nothing but props for him and his playing. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted April 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 (edited) yeah, Skinny was a sweetheart; I've lost touch but I doubt he's still around - yes, Randy is amazing, good guy, too, played on 2 of my CDs. He can do anything from Bix to bebop to post-bop. One of my favorite nights at the West End had Skinny working with Triglia who loved his playing because he was so old school - perfect time, very basic, great support. Edited April 4, 2009 by AllenLowe Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 4, 2009 Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 yeah, Skinny was a sweetheart; I've lost touch but I doubt he's still around - yes, Randy is amazing, good guy, too, played on 2 of my CDs. He can do anything from Bix to bebop to post-bop. One of my favorite nights at the West End had Skinny working with Triglia who loved his playing because he was so old school - perfect time, very basic, great support. Did you know Morris Edwards? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
AllenLowe Posted April 4, 2009 Author Report Share Posted April 4, 2009 no - Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Sounds of Syananon is a jazz guitar classic IMO. It really doesn't get better---unless it's Django or CC. Every solo he plays is so joyful and swinging and his articulation and chops with the pick are on the highest level. Good band, too. Just picked up a copy of Sounds of Synanon and am really enjoying it. I agree that Pass sounds just great on this album, as does Arnold Ross. Some of the other guys sound talented, but kind of unfinished. I would have liked to hear what else trumpeter Dave Allan was capable of, but he doesn't seem to have recorded again. In any case, thanks for this thread - Sounds of Synanon would not even have been on my radar otherwise. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
fasstrack Posted April 5, 2009 Report Share Posted April 5, 2009 Sounds of Syananon is a jazz guitar classic IMO. It really doesn't get better---unless it's Django or CC. Every solo he plays is so joyful and swinging and his articulation and chops with the pick are on the highest level. Good band, too. Just picked up a copy of Sounds of Synanon and am really enjoying it. I agree that Pass sounds just great on this album, as does Arnold Ross. Some of the other guys sound talented, but kind of unfinished. I would have liked to hear what else trumpeter Dave Allan was capable of, but he doesn't seem to have recorded again. In any case, thanks for this thread - Sounds of Synanon would not even have been on my radar otherwise. I know what you mean about 'unfinished'. In fact at first I thought it was kind of a mediocre junkie band playing mediocre junkie bebop except for Pass, but it grew on me. It has soul. I dig the whole thing. My friend, a very swinging guitarist himself, came over one day and we listened together, and he said that good jazz was 'sexy'. I know what he meant. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
jeffcrom Posted July 31, 2009 Report Share Posted July 31, 2009 Recently picked up two 78s on the Sunset label by Willie Smith and one by Red Callender on which Arnold Ross plays - all from 1945. He solos on three of the six sides, and his playing is really nice in that swing-to-bop kind of way. There's also really nice Howard McGhee and Lucky Thompson on the Smiths and Sweets Edison and Les Paul on the Callender. I now know to keep my eyes open for Ross's name. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ghost of miles Posted February 6, 2010 Report Share Posted February 6, 2010 Just a heads-up that there's a good deal of Arnold Ross on this recent Hep release: Corky Corcoran With the Lamplighter All-Stars, 1945 Ross is the pianist on two of the three broadcast sets and gets a fair amount of soloing time. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopkins Posted September 21 Report Share Posted September 21 (edited) His "Barbed Wire..." LP was re-issued on CD by Fresh Sound Records: https://www.freshsoundrecords.com/arnold-ross-albums/1121-just-you-he-me.html It is available on some streaming platforms. I had it playing on repeat on my stereo this afternoon... As a result, I just ordered his first album, which was reissued in Japan on CD. Edited September 21 by hopkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopkins Posted September 21 Report Share Posted September 21 (edited) I followed up with this album, which has two excellent 1945 club broadcast, with some fine Ross solos (among others): https://www.discogs.com/release/15778163-Willie-Smith-The-Harry-James-All-Stars-Live-In-45 What a treat to have this available! Edited September 21 by hopkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopkins Posted September 21 Report Share Posted September 21 (edited) From the first club session, a nice track in which Ross solos twice: https://storage.googleapis.com/cloudplayer/samples/03 These Foolish Things (Remind Me of You).flac The second solo (between Corcoran and Berry) is wonderful. Check it out! Edited September 21 by hopkins Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
hopkins Posted September 21 Report Share Posted September 21 The tracks are also available here: https://www.discogs.com/release/13013842-Corky-Corcoran-The-Lamplighter-All-Star-Broadcasts-1945 Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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