Hal Russell / Mars Williams recording

[Chuck Nessa]

Curious about the group here. I am in the midst of dealing with new transfers of my Russell material and just listened to the Hal/Mars tapes.

Curious to know of reactions.

[paul secor]

It was the one Nessa I never bought.

[Uncle Skid]

That might be the only one I don't have, too. Not quite sure why.

[Larry Kart]

Yes. Will listen.

[Chuck Nessa]

I get the idea.

I just had a great time listening to the transfers. Maybe I should just press 1.

[Larry Kart]

Probably isn't what you want to hear, but while I love Hal, I've always been impervious to Mars.

[Chuck Nessa]

No filters required.

[jlhoots]

Probably isn't what you want to hear, but while I love Hal, I've always been impervious to Mars.

Just beat me to what I was going to post.

[Chuck Nessa]

Dang! Listening again and the tapes sound phenomenal.

I first was aware of Mars in 1977/78 when he was studying, via an NEA grant, with Roscoe. In fact I had to leave Roscoe's house one day so they could work.

For the interested, I was staying with Roscoe (in Wisconsin) planning the recordings that became LRG-The Maze-SII Examples.

Hal seemed (to me) to consider Mars his "greatest student".

I am currently going through all of my Hal Russell material and am still intrigued by all the bright, young musicians he gathered.

Hal's work planted the seeds for all the current Chicago north side activity. Too bad he isn't around to appreciate or piss on the results.

I really miss him.

[Larry Kart]

FWIW, a fair number of the players I know on the current Chicago north side scene admire Mars' playing a great deal -- and of course Steve Hunt, Brian Sandstrom, and Kent Kessler as well. Mars, Steve, Brian, and keyboardist Jim Baker play together every Monday at:

Beat Kitchen, 2100 W Belmont, 773.281.4444

Extraordinary Popular Delusions : Jim Baker, Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom, Steve Hunt

[Chuck Nessa]

Extraordinary Popular Delusions have 2 interesting cds.

[mjazzg]

Extraordinary Popular Delusions have 2 interesting cds.

and a great name

[Uncle Skid]

I was thinking about why this is the only Nessa title I don't have, and it comes down to the fact that I have no context at all for Hal Russell. Unlike the AEC, Roscoe, Warne Marsh, Air, Von Freeman, Fred Anderson, et. al., I know very little about him.

And I know that's my own fault. But, Larry and Chuck, I do appreciate the information you guys have provided here in helping me with that.

But, I still have a hard time understanding where he fits in the long tradition of Chicago-area jazz, and also in the wider context. He gets a brief mention in John Litweiler's book, but he's still an enigma to me.

And that's probably why I don't have this recording. Looking forward to what presumably is an upcoming Nessa release.

[Chuck Nessa]

I will wait for Larry to put this in the contemporary Chicago context.

Back in the '60s Hal was one third of the Joe Daley trio. This was the first public display of the Ornette influence in Chicago and they had an RCA lp to spread the word. Hal and band mate Russell Thorne eventually turned against (the less adventurous) Daley. I saw/heard the Daley Trio (with Clyde Flowers on bass) at the '65 Down Beat Festival in Soldier Field.

My next encounter with Hal was a John Klemmer gig in Old Town in 1966/67. The rest of the band was Bebop Sam Thomas on guitar and Malachi Favors on bass. I tried to communicate with Hal but he seemed intimidated and withdrawn.

Joe went on to establish a large following and group of students among the white bop influenced players in town - he was a masterful player. Thorne dropped out and eventually resurfaced as the owner of a book store specializing in the occult. Hal went on to make a decent living playing in shows for "dinner theater" and eventually collected a number of young forward looking musicians to realize his dreams.

By the time we connected in the late '70s his NRG Ensemble included Steve Hunt, Brian Sandstrom, Curt Bley and Chuck Burdelik. As I understood it, Burdelik was a replacement for the departed Mars Williams. All of these players were wonderfully inventive musicians with excellent technique.

In May of 1981 we made the first NRG recording to no acclaim and fewer sales.

In the Fall of 1981 Mars was back in town (after touring with The Waitresses) and Hal mentioned they were jamming in his attic with great results. I suggested a recording session and they agreed. Hal, Mars and I went into Mike Rasfeld's Acme Studio and we rolled tape (4 reels) of pure improvisations. Mars and Michael Lytle eventually edited the material down to seven pieces of lp length. By the time the project was finishing, Mars was a member of the Psychedelic Furs and was in England working on a release with that band. Mars took advantage of the situation and finished the masters with engineer/producer Howard Gray at Manor Studios. This record was issued to nasty reviews and fewer sales than the NRG record.

A year later I had been discussing a new project with Hal and he mentionrd he had a number of charts with baritone parts Mars used to play. I knew Charles Tyler would be in town for the Chicago Jazz Festival and suggested he could play the bari parts. Hal seemed unfamiliar with Tyler but I knew Hal loved Ayler so I made the connection and Hal agreed. I contacted Charles and he agreed to stay on for a couple days of rehearsal and recording. We recorded Generation on September 9,1982.

I have a very personal attachment to these recordings and understand it is a minority opinion. I get to do that.

edit to clean up typos

Edited October 21, 2011 by Chuck Nessa

[Leeway]

I have it. I'll give it a listen tomorrow. I saw Mars recently, in a group with Vandermark; the occasion was a tribute to Brotzmann. The guy can play up a storm, but I have no other context for him. Ditto Russell.

[Chuck Nessa]

Play it as loud as you dare.

[Chuck Nessa]

I seem to have scared off the usual suspects.

I will be reissuing all the Russell material next year. You have been warned.

[Leeway]

Play it as loud as you dare.

Doing that right now! Totally digging it: ballsy free form improv. Pretty out stuff! Hope not taken amiss, but puts me in mind of Paul Flaherty and Wally Shoup (I love those guys). Damn, it's good. I think I made a find when I picked this LP up.

[johnlitweiler]

I seem to have scared off the usual suspects.

I will be reissuing all the Russell material next year. You have been warned.

Great news. Now if some label would only reissue Conserving NRG and Hal On Earth, and issue (for the 1st time) Flying Down To Salzburg. Hal's music was consistently excellent by the 1980s. And yet his music kept developing, in response specifically to all kinds of musical and cultural inspirations: Ayler, Artie Shaw, Astaire, movies, a book, etc. One of his last suites was "The Freedom Principle" - it needed editing, he had enough material for several concerts in that one.

I use "Carnal Conscupicence" by Hal and Mars to scare away kids on Halloween. The whole LP is violently creative.

Weasel Walter is another Hal Russell protege who made good. Mike Staron wasn't a protege, but a good collaborator. At the time it seemed like everybody's loss that Rafael Garrett turned down Hal's offer to put him in the NRG Ensemble. Fortunately Kent Kessler showed up.

Looks like the NRG Ensemble is not going to get together this year for their annual Hal-loween Hal Russell tribute concert. Too bad. But Extraordinary Popular Delusions are well worth hearing on Monday evenings, including October 31, 2011.

[king ubu]

Great news, Chuck!

I fell in love with Hal when I first heard him on "The Hal Russell Story", one of the most unlikely ECM albums I've heard... got the Bomba CD of "Hal Russell NRG Ensemble" and the Nessa CD of the album with Tyler, will be great to have the third piece, too!

Completely missed this thread when you started it!

Oh, and thanks a lot for the fascinating post #14 up here! Most interesting! I've heard the Daley RCA LP, would love to get hold of a copy!

[mikestaron]

I seem to have scared off the usual suspects.

I will be reissuing all the Russell material next year. You have been warned.

Great news. Now if some label would only reissue Conserving NRG and Hal On Earth, and issue (for the 1st time) Flying Down To Salzburg. Hal's music was consistently excellent by the 1980s. And yet his music kept developing, in response specifically to all kinds of musical and cultural inspirations: Ayler, Artie Shaw, Astaire, movies, a book, etc. One of his last suites was "The Freedom Principle" - it needed editing, he had enough material for several concerts in that one.

I use "Carnal Conscupicence" by Hal and Mars to scare away kids on Halloween. The whole LP is violently creative.

Weasel Walter is another Hal Russell protege who made good. Mike Staron wasn't a protege, but a good collaborator. At the time it seemed like everybody's loss that Rafael Garrett turned down Hal's offer to put him in the NRG Ensemble. Fortunately Kent Kessler showed up.

Looks like the NRG Ensemble is not going to get together this year for their annual Hal-loween Hal Russell tribute concert. Too bad. But Extraordinary Popular Delusions are well worth hearing on Monday evenings, including October 31, 2011.

Hello John, I've been wanting to get in touch with you for months. I produced and electronically released another trio recording last fall. Featuring myself, Rich Corpolongo and drummer Steve Magnone. It's freely improvised however we would talk over an idea, form, or an abstract techique before we tracked each piece. I have a tunecore mp3 widget of the recording that I'd like to send to you however I'll need an email address. All the best, Mike Staron, my public email address is - smusic05@sbcglobal.net

[mikestaron]

I seem to have scared off the usual suspects.

I will be reissuing all the Russell material next year. You have been warned.

Hello Chuck, I produced and electronically released another trio recording last fall. Featuring myself, Rich Corpolongo and drummer Steve Magnone. It's freely improvised however we would talk over an idea, form, or an abstract techique before we tracked each piece. I have a tunecore mp3 widget of the recording that I'd like to send to you however I'll need an email address. All the best, Mike Staron, my public email address is - smusic05@sbcglobal.net

[uli]

saw this today. an event of the Millennium Park - Made In Chicago: World Class Jazz event series. 6.30 in the park

Thursday, July 31, 2014
NRG Ensemble (Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom, Kent Kessler, Steve Hunt)
The Hal Russell Story

A drummer, saxophonist, trumpeter and bandleader, Russell was one of the most colorful, flexible and fiery jazz musicians to ever work in Chicago. His long-running NRG Ensemble was formed in 1980 and became a major influence on the free jazz and improvised music scene led by Ken Vandermark, who often subbed in the group. The original lineup—reedist Mars Williams; bassist, guitarist and trumpeter Brian Sandstrom; bassist Kent Kessler; and drummer Steve Hunt, along with Vandermark—reunites to play the last album they made with Russell: The Hal Russell Story (ECM, 1992), an autobiographical exploration of the leader’s life in music, with actor Michael Mason narrating the story.

[colinmce]

Don't think we have a dedicated Hal Russell thread but this is as good as any. Weasel recently restored this film on Hal that has some very valuable footage both of him speaking on his life and work and of the NRG ensemble in action. Great, great stuff.

Part 1:

 

Part 2: 

Part 3:

 

[Chuck Nessa]

Thanks.

By a strange coincidence, I was contacted tonight by an indie film maker looking to license a track from the Hal Russell / Mars Williams record.

On 5/13/2014 at 8:53 PM, uli said:

saw this today. an event of the Millennium Park - Made In Chicago: World Class Jazz event series. 6.30 in the park

 

 

Thursday, July 31, 2014
NRG Ensemble (Ken Vandermark, Mars Williams, Brian Sandstrom, Kent Kessler, Steve Hunt)
The Hal Russell Story

A drummer, saxophonist, trumpeter and bandleader, Russell was one of the most colorful, flexible and fiery jazz musicians to ever work in Chicago. His long-running NRG Ensemble was formed in 1980 and became a major influence on the free jazz and improvised music scene led by Ken Vandermark, who often subbed in the group. The original lineup—reedist Mars Williams; bassist, guitarist and trumpeter Brian Sandstrom; bassist Kent Kessler; and drummer Steve Hunt, along with Vandermark—reunites to play the last album they made with Russell: The Hal Russell Story (ECM, 1992), an autobiographical exploration of the leader’s life in music, with actor Michael Mason narrating the story.

Correcting a post from 2014 by my old friend Uli - actor Michael Shannon narrated the part of Hal Russell.

Edited March 7, 2023 by Chuck Nessa