VIDEO (+ New CD Release)- Don Wilkerson Stretching Out -1980s Houston

[JSngry]

[CJ Shearn]

Wow, thanks for sharing!

[JSngry]

Yeah, this is pretty amazing footage, in different ways, for different reasons...the first set is totally "local", the band is very "local" (Don plays his ass off anyway), but the glimpse of the house and the crowd....you just don't see much video documentation of jazz-as-purely-social-music (from every angle) to this...blatant of an extent!

Then you have the latter two sets, obviously a different scene altogether, more "jazz", not nearly as "social", and Don plays his ass off there too.

The thing is this - what made Don Wilkerson (and so many others) who they were was getting plenty of seasoning in both types of environments. I wish there was casual footage like this documenting some of the Dallas clubs of the day...imagine a setting like that first place, some small joint populated by people there for a good time that doesn't involve sitting still and quiet and "listening" to the music, but sure as hell does involve having the music in the air at all times, and if you didn't want that kind of music, you wouldn't be THERE, dig?, only with a Marchel Ivery/Red Garland group...and then in walks James Clay to cheers, whoops, and whistles...and then it's ON,,,that world doesn't exist any more.

[Joe]

W.H.O.A.!

[Dan Gould]

I am nearly speachless. And I thought I was lucky to have that Wilkerson in 1963 audio tape but I like this even better.

[Rooster_Ties]

Best guess as to the year this is from?

Will definitely be checking this out later.

[JSngry]

Looks like the late-70s thru maybe the middle 80s? That would fit, roughly,with the progression of the three venues.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

looks good, what exactly is the vintage of this footage, is this the eighties?

[JSngry]

When did home camcorders become commonish? Mid-80s? Not late 70s, so let's start at the mid-80s.

Also, that first clip, I was wondering where the drummer with good time but zero variety was on that stage, then it hit me - it was a drum loop! I don't think that would have been allowed in the late 70s, so money was already squeezing stuff out. Otherwise, there would have been a drummer crowded in somewhere. That would have been sometimes in the early mid-80s.

Then again, I don't know, this was Houston. Different scene there than here. Not totally, but...some.

[romualdo]

What a find & 30min treat

Home Cookin' !!

he passed away in 1986 so it's likely early to mid 80's

just found the original posting on youtube

Published on Jan 15, 2014

This video is from a series of recordings by the late master saxophonist Don Wilkerson including The original Ritzy, Pizzaz, and Lott's EMPORIUM. Onxe every blue moon we got blessed by Arnett Cobb.I was blessed to be instructed by him while playing in my bands. Equal regards go out to the late Charles " Spooky " Dancey. Spookey served in the NAVY and would have had wider recognition had he stayed in. All of the Pizzaz footage was possible because of the underwriting by Tulie Evans and the direction under Conrad Johnson the PROF with Joe Nettles and Kenny Andrews contributing. All of the video was done by pea-squared and is a Peters' PRODUCTION.

[Caravan]

Best I heard in a long long time!

[dprfish]

Found this on a Houston Jazz forum, posted by pianist Joe LoCascio:

To my utter surprise I received in the mail a CD entitled Live at Lotts Emporium, The Carl Lott Trio with Texas Tenors Arnett Cobb and Don Wilkerson. The CD is a labor of love from Carl Lott who has painstakingly been editing and compiling (with the help of Digital Crosstrax Studio and Powerhouse Music Studio) performances recorded at his nightclub Lotts Emporium circa 1982. The CD features Carl Lott on drums, Bill Murry on bass, Joe LoCascio on piano and of course, Arnett and Don on Tenor Sax. Arnett is featured on 5 tracks and Don on an additional 5.

Some of you may remember the Emporium. It was one of the greatest jazz clubs Houston has ever seen and in its brief run (1982-1983) featured, in addition to Don and Arnett, artists such as Pharoah Sanders, Hank Crawford, G.T. Hogan, Woody Shaw, Leon Spencer Jr., Conrad Johnson, Tony Campise, Mildred Jones and Charles Patterson. Bill Murry and I were privileged to be members of the house band, led by Carl, during the entire run. It was an intense education, to say the least.

Edited January 20, 2014 by Dave Fish

[kh1958]

Here is the CD:

http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/carllotttrio

[JSngry]

Pleasant surprise indeed! New Don Wilkerson AND new Arnette Cobb!

CD ordered!

[Dan Gould]

Only a few left, and me and Jim makes two fewer!

(This one was worth going for the hard copy not a download)

[JSngry]

Now showing CD out of stock, with a waiting list being offered. Download still available, of course.

This is one of the most out of nowhere, blink or you miss it things I think I've ever come across!

[ejp626]

Leaning towards getting the dl rather than waiting.

Can somebody indicate which tracks feature Wilkerson and which feature Cobb? Thanks!

[JSngry]

The video is all Wilkerson, as for the CD/DL, there are samples, but I don't think there's overlap with the video. but they should be easy to tell apart.

[jlhoots]

I'm on the waiting list.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

I've got one on (back) order. Looking forward to hearing it.

[Kevin Bresnahan]

CD Baby cancelled my order saying, "We've tried contacting the artist multiple times to request more copies, but unfortunately, we're having some difficulty restocking this album. Because we don't want to leave you in order-limbo forever, we're going to cancel your backorder for now."

[jlhoots]

No luck for me either.