Blue Note artists who didn't turn up at the

[connoisseur series500]

I read in Cook's book that Horace Silver was invited but declined to participate. Anyone know why?

Alfred Lion also wanted Mobley and Dexter Gordon to appear. Mobley was too ill. Why didn't Dexter come?

Was Duke Pearson alive then? Obviously, Sonny Clark and Ike Quebec, and Grant Green and Lee Morgan had already died.

Anyone else missing who should have been there?

Anyone know any other stories about this event?

[sidewinder]

I heard that Hank was in the audience but was too ill to play on the night.

Didn't Duke Pearson pass away back in 1980?

It goes without saying that Andrew Hill should have performed that night. A major oversight !

[JSngry]

I think Hank was scheduled to play but was too loaded. There was a posthumous "appreciation" article in Musician magazine (a good one, at that) that mentions this. He was wearing some sort of leisure suit, either bright green or bright orange, can't remember, and was both too sick and too loaded to play. That's what I remember reading, but somebody correct me if I'm wrong.

[connoisseur series500]

Any online links to that article, Jim, or any other articles about that evening?

[CJ Shearn]

wow, I was not aware that Horace was invited and declined. Perhaps he felt those days were firmly behind him? Another curious omission as Wayne Shorter. Wayne was signed to Columbia at the time I know. I also have been wondering why Donald Bailey was not asked to participate considering with Smith/Burrell/Turrentine, he was the drummer on "Midnight Special", where "The Jumpin Blues" was culled from in addition other classic Smith dates at the time. Grady Tate was Jimmy's drummer of choice from the mid 60's on pretty much, with the exception of Billy Hart being in his trio around then, maybe Grady was the easiest to get for that gig maybe? As for other stories surrounding that concert, I remember reading the Volume 3 liners and seeing that Jimmy, Kenny and Grover had about a 45 minute jam session eithe backstage or at a rehearsal(can't remember which) that went unrecorded.

[connoisseur series500]

Interesting, C.J.

Maybe Horace wanted too much money. He was still recording at the time. Certainly with Joe Henderson and Woody Shaw present, the horn section could have been established. Was Blue Mitchell still alive at the time?

My guess with Wayne Shorter is that he had already moved on to other forms of jazz. Maybe he just didn't want to play any of his older stuff. Strange that he wasn't there either.

[Dan Gould]

I'm almost certain Blue was gone by 1979.

[JSngry]

Any online links to that article, Jim, or any other articles about that evening?

The Mobley Musician article is in my closet. I'll see if I can find it.

[CJ Shearn]

Connoiseur, I was thinking the same about Wayne, considering he has been quite forward thinking, and when he does revisit old stuff it is radically reworked. I still question the choice for Cecil Taylor to end that DVD though, was he really that big a part of the BN legacy, or was it more so that he brought an interesting concept that added a new wrinkle to BN. I've noticed when I've bought some RVG's from the mid 60's that the period of 1964-66 was some of the most adenturous in the BN catalog.. with titles like "Lifetime", "Mode For Joe", "Speak No Evil", "Maiden Voyage", "Search For the New Land", etc.....

[connoisseur series500]

Cook's book on the story of Blue Note said that Alfred Lion insisted on Cecil Taylor's participation. He was one of the first names mentioned by Lion. The liner notes to the cd mentioned that Taylor was eager to play.

I just read the liner notes to the cd and found it interesting that "Mode For Joe" was not included in either the cds or the DVD (though it was played.) Neither was "Maiden Voyage." Cuscuna felt that it was too "tired and long."

Another interesting anecdote from the liner notes: "Bouquet" was planned for the quartet of Hutcherson, Hancock, Carter, and Williams. Tony had to go to the bathroom during the rehearsal and the trio continued on. They were connecting so well, that they left Williams off the song.

Man, that must have been a long bathroom break! Wonder what he was reading on the toilet...

Edited November 27, 2003 by connoisseur series500

[kdd]

Andrew Hill played at the equivalent concert in Japan with Woody Shaw and I think Joe Henderson. It was availible on video for a while in Japan but I was never able to get it. Hopefully this will show up on DVD as well. Wayne might have been too expensive, but he did do Blakey tributes later than this. Pearson and Mitchell were dead. Sam Rivers might have been nice.

Edited November 27, 2003 by kdd

[connoisseur series500]

Yes, Cook mentioned that concert in Japan. He said the musicians started into "Cool Struttin" and the jazz-educated Japanese audience expressed immediate recognition of the tune. The musicians were shocked and lost their way for a few moments.

BTW, I doubt money was the issue with Wayne Shorter. He probably didn't want to play the old songs or was on schedule to do something else.

Sure would love to get my hands on that Tokyo video for sure!

[CJ Shearn]

wow, the interesting info coming from this thread, this is great! thanks everyone. I remember the "Bouquet" bit from the liners when I had vol. 1 on cassette. Was there any other reason given for not including "Mode for Joe" on the CD/DVD/VHS releases? it's a great tune. I could understand MC's feeling of "Maiden Voyage" being tired and overlong, the tunes the Hancock/Hubbard/Henderson et. al group did were quite long, makes up about 40 minutes of the DVD. Still, I'm grateful to have this document on DVD for the great music contained within. So, was the Mt Fuji Jazz Festival a direct outgrowth of the "One Night With Blue Note" event?

[bertrand]

It is possible that Wayne was simply on tour with Weather Report.

Interesting conjectures, all. Let's make a list of those who were AWOL and I'll try to ask Cuscuna what happened. He may decline to share the info, though.

The following could have theoretically played at the concert:

Andrew Hill

Sam Rivers

Wayne Shorter

Ornette Coleman

Don Cherry

Big John Patton

Miles Davis (!)

Joe Chambers

James Spaulding

Freddie Redd

Horace Parlan

Art Farmer

Grachan Moncur III

Sonny Rollins

Any others?

Bertrand.

[.:.impossible]

Elvin Jones

[JSngry]

It's not a given that everybody on the "no show" list had the warmfuzzies about Blue Note or that they wanted to be thought of as purveyors of the "Blue Note Sound".

[Rooster_Ties]

It's not a given that everybody on the "no show" list had the warmfuzzies about Blue Note or that they wanted to be thought of as purveyors of the "Blue Note Sound".

I think this would have been the case (probably) for Moncur at least.

[connoisseur series500]

That may be true, Jim, but it is interesting that McCoy Tyner was a bit part of the show since he made it a habit not to be bound by any single label. He apparently didn't mind playing.

[Michael Fitzgerald]

Perhaps there was a fixed budget for this event? Obviously you can't invite everyone. And perhaps the organizers wanted something more structured than just everyone who ever recorded for Blue Note showing up. I wouldn't blame them one bit.

Regarding Wayne Shorter and the "old tunes" - in 1983 he did play them, and *not* very reworked at all, at a celebration of his 50th birthday at William Paterson College in NJ. And a few months after the BN celebration he was in Paris with Dexter Gordon and others recording and filming Round Midnight.

I don't find reference to him being on tour in February 1985. WR had been in Japan in October 1984 and then in the summer of 1985 Wayne was playing with a new band in support of his Atlantis album. At some point before that he had to be recording that album. Don't have specifics.

Mike

[connoisseur series500]

wow, the interesting info coming from this thread, this is great! thanks everyone. I remember the "Bouquet" bit from the liners when I had vol. 1 on cassette. Was there any other reason given for not including "Mode for Joe" on the CD/DVD/VHS releases? it's a great tune. I could understand MC's feeling of "Maiden Voyage" being tired and overlong, the tunes the Hancock/Hubbard/Henderson et. al group did were quite long, makes up about 40 minutes of the DVD. Still, I'm grateful to have this document on DVD for the great music contained within. So, was the Mt Fuji Jazz Festival a direct outgrowth of the "One Night With Blue Note" event?

The liner notes did not mention why "Mode for Joe" was excluded, but it did say that "Recorda Me" was the definitive Joe Henderson tune. I guess they wanted only one of Joe's tunes.

The Japan concert was put on for Alfred Lion's benefit as well. I simply don't remember any other details. I think it was joint idea of Cuscuna and the Liberty owner to run the BN tribute concert in the States.

I'm seeking info too; that's why I started this thread! Any comments, Kevin? Michael Fitzgerald?

[connoisseur series500]

Oh...there you are, Mike!

Sorry, I posted before seeing you.

Any idea why Horace declined to show?

Edited November 27, 2003 by connoisseur series500

[Michael Fitzgerald]

I couldn't tell you about Horace, but he is working on his autobiography. Perhaps there will be comment there.

Mike

[Indestructible!]

It's not a given that everybody on the "no show" list had the warmfuzzies about Blue Note or that they wanted to be thought of as purveyors of the "Blue Note Sound".

I think this would have been the case (probably) for Moncur at least.

Hi Rooster,

Actually, Grachan Moncur did play the Mt. Fuji Blue Note Festival in 1986, so I don't think him not wanting to be identified with the "Blue Note" sound was an issue.

I sure would love to get my hands on the VHS of that Japanese fest. If I recall, one of the lineups included a front line of Moncur, Jackie McLean, and Woody Shaw! That HAD to have been great!

Cheers,

Shane

[bertrand]

Indestructible,

If you find that VHS, let me know!!!

I think someone on the old board had a CD-R of that session. He posted this just a few days before the board was shut down (early March 2003), and I didn't send him a PM in time. If you recall from a thread I had on the old board, I am trying to get a hold of all of Jackie McLean's recordings. This would be a great addition.

As for my list of AWOL musicians, I think Mike is right - the budget must have been limited. Shorter would have had to be flown in from California, Parlan from Denmark, and Farmer from Austria, so that rules them out. I suspect most of those who were there are east-coasters, although I think at least Hutcherson is from LA, isn't he?

Bertrand.

[connoisseur series500]

Up for further comments.

Notice the thread about the DVD in the "New Releases" section.