Ben Webster reminds me of who?

[Larry Kart]

Listening to this album:

Ben Webster -- Live in Hannover

from Dec. 1972, less than a year before Webster's death, it suddenly occurred to me that there is a definite kinship -- in explosiveness of accents, abrupt whisper-to-a-shout dynamic shifts, airiness and graininess of timbre, and even, so it seems to me, some favorite melodic shapes -- between Webster and Pee Wee Russell.

BTW, Peterson is in quite energetic form here, NHOP is excellent, and drummer Tony Inzalaco is an asset.

[Gheorghe]

I must admit I don´t know much about Pee Wee Russell, but Ben Webster - like you said it : in explosiveness of accents, abrupt whisper-to a - shout dinymic shifts,......., and maybe in his whole stage manner or sometimes bad temper......, reminds me of Charles Mingus.

Anyway I´m sure Mingus dug Ben Webster......

From the later Ben Webster I like most those Black Lion sides with Kenny Drew instead of Oscar Peterson.

Tony Inzalaco, long time haven´t heard of him. During the 70´s he was much in order, heard him with Griffin. Maybe he was the first really good drummer I heard and saw.....

[Larry Kart]

I must admit I don´t know much about Pee Wee Russell, but Ben Webster - like you said it : in explosiveness of accents, abrupt whisper-to a - shout dinymic shifts,......., and maybe in his whole stage manner or sometimes bad temper......, reminds me of Charles Mingus.

Anyway I´m sure Mingus dug Ben Webster......

From the later Ben Webster I like most those Black Lion sides with Kenny Drew instead of Oscar Peterson.

Tony Inzalaco, long time haven´t heard of him. During the 70´s he was much in order, heard him with Griffin. Maybe he was the first really good drummer I heard and saw.....

Inzalaco (b. 1938) settled in Europe, where he was a member of Kurt Edlehagen's radio band. Here are some of his credits:

Roger Kellaway Trio: A Jazz Portrait of Roger Kellaway, Fresh Sound, FSR-147, 1963, CD
Maynard Ferguson Orchester: The New Sounds, Fresh Sound, FSCD-2010, 1964, CD
Kenny Clarke/Francy Boland Big Band: Latin Kaleidoscope, MPS, 15 213, 1968, LP
Paul Nero: El Condor Pasa - Paul Nero in South-America, Liberty, 1970, LP
Peter Herbolzheimer: My Kind of Sunshine MPS 2121331-5, 1971, LP
Benny Bailey: Mirrors, Freedom 26316, 1971, LP
Stan Getz/Francy Boland: Change of Scenes, Verve/Ex Libris 171 084, 1971, LP
Ira Kris Group: Jazzanova, MPS 21 20907-5, 1971, LP
Mangelsdorff-Whigham-Persson-Hampton : Trombone Workshop, MPS 2120915-6, 1971, LP
Bora Roković: Ultra Native MPS 1972
Maynard Ferguson: Dues, Mainstream, MSM 474418 2, 1972, CD
Ben Webster: In Hannover, Impro-Jazz, IJ 506, 1973, DVD
Peter Herbolzheimer: Rhythm Combination & Brass, MPS, 0088.048, 1970 - 1974, LP
Art Farmer: A Sleeping Bee Sonet Records, SNTCD 715, 1974, CD
Francy Boland: Papillon Noir, Freedom 40176, 1975, LP
Dexter Gordon: Stable Mable, SteepleChase SCCD-31040, 1975, CD
Eugen Cicero: For My Friends, Intercord 130.010, 1977, LP
Fritz Pauer Trio: Blues Inside Out, MPS 0068218, 1978, LP

Looks like he's based in California now:

http://www.saddleback.edu/news/arts/tony-inzalaco-quintet

[Gheorghe]

Thanks Larry.

Well that is about from the time when I used to see him/hear him. Brings memories back to me, all them great musicians who played over here, Dex, Griff, Art Farmer (he lived in Vienna for some time) , Benny Bailey etc. etc. About the last LP on your list "Fritz Pauer-Blues Inside Out", I knew Fritz quite well during that period. Fritz together with Jimme Woode (b) and Tony Inzalaco frequently worked as a trio and accompanied a lot of great stars....,

back to topic: As I told you, I´m not really associated with Pee Wee Russell, maybe it´s the instrument, maybe it´s the style, not my alley, so I can´t really compare him to Webster. I think Ben Webster traveled a lot during his last year, since he played in my hometown also. Well even then I thought he reminds me of Mingus, someone "like Mingus´daddy" , as I thought about it then, and I remember I had that "dream" that Webster should have been on stage during that Mingus Jam at Carnegie Hall, it would have been the greatest......

[BillF]

Thanks Larry.

Well that is about from the time when I used to see him/hear him. Brings memories back to me, all them great musicians who played over here, Dex, Griff, Art Farmer (he lived in Vienna for some time) , Benny Bailey etc. etc. About the last LP on your list "Fritz Pauer-Blues Inside Out", I knew Fritz quite well during that period. Fritz together with Jimme Woode (b) and Tony Inzalaco frequently worked as a trio and accompanied a lot of great stars....,

Judging by the clips on YouTube made at Porgy & Bess, Vienna, there's still a thriving jazz scene there. I see dates by Carla Bley, Stanley Jordan, Dick Oatts, Jimmy Cobb, Larry Coryell, etc. Jim Rotondi is now an Austrian resident and I saw him earlier this year in a touring quartet that included Eric Alexander and Austrian drummer Bernd Reiter. Here they are at Porgy & Bess:

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Q7BNN8LoG2o

[jazzbo]

Isn't this in the original poset a bootleg we shouldn't be linking to?

Edited November 29, 2013 by jazzbo

[fasstrack]

I always thought Ben Webster was unfairly denied a throne in the middle of those occupied by Bean and Pres---holding his own and occupying the middle ground.

As for Russell, he strikes me as an idiosyncratic player and similarities to Webster or others may be coincidental. Some of his best work was in quartet with Marshall Brown.

[jazzbo]

Nah, Russell's best work was way way earlier, though I like the stuff with Brown.

Russell is one of my favorites. He was amazing and exciting in the 'twenties through the 'forties and just more consolidated and concentrated beyond.

I can hear a bit of Russell in Webster, I hear also a sort of Trumbauer/Young thing too (maybe from Lester's Dad as a teaching influence), and later Webster a sort of Hodges/Bechet thing. Components that are woven into the tapestry. The man came up and through great times and absorbed and assimilated so much. What a player!

Edited November 29, 2013 by jazzbo

[Larry Kart]

Isn't this in the original poset a bootleg we shouldn't be linking to?

Oops -- I think you're right. Link removed.

[Peter Friedman]

I agree with Jazzbo that Pee Wee Russell 's best work was much earlier that the quartet with Brown.

My favorite playing by Russell in his later years was on the Jazz Reunion album on Candid.

[Don Brown]

I was knocked out to read Larry Kart's post this morning and learn that I'm not the only one who can hear the Ben Webster/Pee Wee Russell connection. And if you haven't already heard it Larry you should really check out the Ray Nance CD on the AB Fable label. It's called Ray Nance: The Complete 1940-1949 Non-Ducal Violin Recordings featuring Ben Webster. The catalogue number is ABCD1-014. Ben plays mostly clarinet on this set and damn, does he ever sound like Pee Wee. North Country Distributors has it.

[JSngry]

What did they each drink?

[Larry Kart]

I was knocked out to read Larry Kart's post this morning and learn that I'm not the only one who can hear the Ben Webster/Pee Wee Russell connection. And if you haven't already heard it Larry you should really check out the Ray Nance CD on the AB Fable label. It's called Ray Nance: The Complete 1940-1949 Non-Ducal Violin Recordings featuring Ben Webster. The catalogue number is ABCD1-014. Ben plays mostly clarinet on this set and damn, does he ever sound like Pee Wee. North Country Distributors has it.

Delighted that you hear the resemblance too, Don. For some reason, it just clicked in my head when I was listening to that particular Webster album, though I've loved his playing for almost 60 years.