Larry Kart Posted March 6, 2012 Report Posted March 6, 2012 Called Flory today (first time for me) in search of info about a set of liner notes. Med said, "Howdy," and we were off. Unfortunately, he couldn't tell me much about my subject, cornetist Don Joseph, other than that Joseph's eyes were always red (ha!), but we were having a good time and wandered onto other subjects, including an IMO great Al Cohn chart with a stunning shout chorus, "No Thanks," that Med's NY rehearsal band recorded in 1953. Whereupon Med onomatopoetically sang the whole damn, almost 4-minute piece -- "Blee-bop-bud-dah-bop" etc. -- with immense gusto. Somewhat dumbfounded, I asked how long ago it was that he'd played "No Thanks." "When we recorded it," he said -- i.e. some 59 years ago. How remarkable a feat of memory that is, I don't know, but I have a feeling that it's evidence that when jazz musicians really care about something, they really care about it. One other thing. Speaking of Joseph and his friend Tony Fruscella's drug use, I stumbled into the familiar phrase "victims of the times" or something like it. "Victims?" snorted Med. "They were enjoying themselves." Quote
JSngry Posted March 6, 2012 Report Posted March 6, 2012 Med Flory had a NY rehearsal band in 1953? Details, please? I had no idea he went back that far. Quote
Dave James Posted March 7, 2012 Report Posted March 7, 2012 Med Flory was in the Jerry Lewis version of The Nutty Professor. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Posted March 7, 2012 Sorry -- Feb. 4, 1954. Born in 1926, Med would have been in his late 20s. He'd been in bands since he joined Claude Thornhill in 1950. Those 1954 performances, four of them, were recorded by John Bello, Al Derisi, Jerry Kail, Doug Mettome, tpts; Billy Byers, Urbie Green, Milt Gold, trbs.; Med, Hal McKusick, Al Cohn, Jack Agee, reeds; John Williams, pno.; Teddy Kotick, bs., Art Mardigan, drms. These days Med sounds as vigorous as all get out -- more so than I do most days. Quote
jeffcrom Posted March 7, 2012 Report Posted March 7, 2012 I have half of that session on an EmArcy 78 - Straight Ahead and The Fuz. Nice record. Quote
Larry Kart Posted March 7, 2012 Author Report Posted March 7, 2012 Is this stuff available now? Yes: http://www.amazon.com/Go-West-Young-Med-Flory/dp/B00005EBU2 Other tracks are by Med's 1956-57 West Coast band, which became the core of the Terry Gibbs band, plus two brief and forgettable "exotic" 1959 tracks by a reeds and rhythm ensemble. Quote
JSngry Posted March 7, 2012 Report Posted March 7, 2012 Oh good, Fresh Sounds. Maybe I can find it blogged somewhere! Seriously, I've only known Flory as a West Coast guy. Interesting to find out otherwise. Quote
AllenLowe Posted March 7, 2012 Report Posted March 7, 2012 funny thing, Larry, is that Dave Schildkraut did a very similar thing with me - he sung me a chorus he'd played in 1954 but had not listened to in more than 20 years. Not quite the same feat, but these are amazing guys, Quote
flat5 Posted March 16, 2014 Report Posted March 16, 2014 http://keepswinging.blogspot.nl/2009/11/med-flory-in-1950s-go-west-young-med.html Quote
Quasimado Posted March 16, 2014 Report Posted March 16, 2014 Saw him leading Supersax in the 70's ... very, very hip. The band played Bird's solos like a choir of angels, and then Warne Marsh played Warne Marsh ... unforgettable. Many, many thanks, Med. Q Quote
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