Orrin Keepnews, RIP

[JSngry]

I get the impression that to know him might have not necessarily been to love him, but I didn't know him, and however he did the truly legacific things he did, they got done, and I'm thankful (or more) for a damn fair big number of them, so RIP.

[sidewinder]

RIP - He certainly left a very significant impact on jazz.

[JohnS]

RIP, thanks for all the music.

[Claude Schlouch]

RIP Orrin

I'll never forget your invaluable help.

You will stay for me a very great man!

Edited March 2, 2015 by Claude Schlouch

[Guy Berger]

RIP. Other than Sonny, was he the last of the '50s' towering figures left?

Ok, Keepnews was obviously an important individual in some ways, but calling him a "towering figure" (side by side with Sonny Rollins!) is absurd.

(GA, sorry about the harsh wording. No offense intended.)

[king ubu]

RIP. Other than Sonny, was he the last of the '50s' towering figures left?

Ok, Keepnews was obviously an important individual in some ways, but calling him a "towering figure" (side by side with Sonny Rollins!) is absurd.

(GA, sorry about the harsh wording. No offense intended.)

... and yet that might just about be how he saw himself

[ejp626]

RIP and thanks for facilitating all that music...

I've been meaning to pull out the Riverside Monk set for some time, so I have done so, but perhaps even more importantly, I finally tracked down Clark Terry's Serenade to a Bus Seat (the spine is just slightly different from other Riversides) so I will give that a spin now.

Edited March 2, 2015 by ejp626

[Clunky]

I too have thoroughly enjoyed his work , perhaps less so his involvement in CD issues where he made some quite odd decisions regarding track choice. That aside he did plenty to deserve more than just a foot note in jazz history. I think his role with Monk must be his most significant, given the huge importance of the Riverside dates and Monk's subsequent trajectory. RIP

[sgcim]

RIP Mr. Keepnews

there's a whole series of interviews with him on youtube:

[johnblitweiler]

It's too bad that he never got around to writing an autobiography. Thank you for your contributions, Mr. Keepnews, and rest in peace.

Here's my review of Keepnews' book "The View From Within," which has some memoir material but no secrets, no intimacy at all: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/02/books/in-short-nonfiction-in-short-nonfiction.html

I'm very grateful to him for the Riverside, Milestone, and Landmark sessions he supervised. But I wish a more careful person had produced the Fantasy reissues beginning in the 1970s, and I wish a more careful person had produced the Bluebird, Decca, and other reissue series Keepnews produced for CDs.

[MomsMobley]

It's too bad that he never got around to writing an autobiography. Thank you for your contributions, Mr. Keepnews, and rest in peace.

Here's my review of Keepnews' book "The View From Within," which has some memoir material but no secrets, no intimacy at all: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/02/books/in-short-nonfiction-in-short-nonfiction.html

I'm very grateful to him for the Riverside, Milestone, and Landmark sessions he supervised. But I wish a more careful person had produced the Fantasy reissues beginning in the 1970s, and I wish a more careful person had produced the Bluebird, Decca, and other reissue series Keepnews produced for CDs.

Thanks for this, John. Was reading this thread thinking that those feeling sentimental for Keepnews had not read his book, which is mostly awful and evidence, were one curious, that Orrin's biggest fan was... certainly Orrin and not-- by all evidence to date-- the musicians his association with Bill Grauer first enabled him to work with. Yes, OK's name is on some swell records and I'm happy that, say, Johnny Griffin's varied Riverside dates exist but...

sidenote: been going issue by issue (at the library) through "Kulchur" magazine and it's great to see you there!

Edited March 2, 2015 by MomsMobley

[GA Russell]

RIP. Other than Sonny, was he the last of the '50s' towering figures left?

Ok, Keepnews was obviously an important individual in some ways, but calling him a "towering figure" (side by side with Sonny Rollins!) is absurd.

(GA, sorry about the harsh wording. No offense intended.)

No problem, Guy! It seems to me that the founders/co-founders of Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside, Pacific Jazz and Contemporary were all towering figures of '50s jazz.

[Chuck Nessa]

I agree with Georgia.

[MomsMobley]

I agree with Georgia.

Ah, the Bill Grauer thread--

Edited March 3, 2015 by MomsMobley

[GA Russell]

I agree with Georgia.

Hey Chuck, you're going to enjoy this.

At Christmastime, I received from a charity a request for a donation; and enclosed was a sheet of return address labels for "Ms. Georgia Russell!"

[duaneiac]

RIP. Other than Sonny, was he the last of the '50s' towering figures left?

Ok, Keepnews was obviously an important individual in some ways, but calling him a "towering figure" (side by side with Sonny Rollins!) is absurd.

(GA, sorry about the harsh wording. No offense intended.)

No problem, Guy! It seems to me that the founders/co-founders of Blue Note, Prestige, Riverside, Pacific Jazz and Contemporary were all towering figures of '50s jazz.

And perhaps Verve and Fantasy as well?

In my earlier list I neglected to mention Lou Donaldson and Benny Golson, both pretty important figures in the 50's. Jack Sheldon, while perhaps not towering, was still a notable musician in the 1950's and he's still with us.

Probably the most towering musical figures of the 1950's who are still around today are from outside the world of jazz: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino -- and from the opposite end of the musical spectrum, Doris Day!

[GA Russell]

I thought about Fantasy, but I'm doubtful. In the '50s they had Dave Brubeck's group and Cal Tjader's group.

Anyone else of note? Vince Guaraldi (Tjader's pianist) recorded his own albums in the '60s, but for the '50s I'm stumped regarding Fantasy.

Norman Granz of Verve I would certainly call a towering figure, although his taste was I think for the most part for the older musicians.

[JSngry]

Fantasy had Lenny Bruce, I'm told that he was jazz.

Speaking of still-living players, Ahmad Jamal, a true chameleon of towering, now you see it, now you don't.

[Larry Kart]

It's too bad that he never got around to writing an autobiography. Thank you for your contributions, Mr. Keepnews, and rest in peace.

Here's my review of Keepnews' book "The View From Within," which has some memoir material but no secrets, no intimacy at all: http://www.nytimes.com/1988/10/02/books/in-short-nonfiction-in-short-nonfiction.html

I'm very grateful to him for the Riverside, Milestone, and Landmark sessions he supervised. But I wish a more careful person had produced the Fantasy reissues beginning in the 1970s, and I wish a more careful person had produced the Bluebird, Decca, and other reissue series Keepnews produced for CDs.

Thanks for this, John. Was reading this thread thinking that those feeling sentimental for Keepnews had not read his book, which is mostly awful and evidence, were one curious, that Orrin's biggest fan was... certainly Orrin and not-- by all evidence to date-- the musicians his association with Bill Grauer first enabled him to work with. Yes, OK's name is on some swell records and I'm happy that, say, Johnny Griffin's varied Riverside dates exist but...

sidenote: been going issue by issue (at the library) through "Kulchur" magazine and it's great to see you there!

I've got a near complete run of Kulchur, which I read avidly at the time. Had a big educational effect. Quite a turn it gave me to meet John L. at the time and realize that he lived in the same neighborhood I did (Hyde Park in Chicago) and was a just year or so older than I was. I'd assumed from what I'd read that he was very mature, learned gentleman -- not that John wasn't learned, but I'd been thinking maybe, pipe and slippers, and an Irish Setter in front of a fireplace, kind of Whitney Ballet image.

BTW, it was darn strange when Kulchur, originally a Black Mountain School offshoot by and large, underwent a near total conversion to the work and the viewpoints of Ted Berrigan's crowd -- this I assume because the magazine's bankroller, Lita Hornick, changed allegiances herself. I'm sure that the literary and personal politics involved have been written about somewhere, perhaps in the autobiography of LeRoi Jones' first wife, Hettie Cohen.

[BFrank]

Fantasy had Lenny Bruce, I'm told that he was jazz.

Speaking of still-living players, Ahmad Jamal, a true chameleon of towering, now you see it, now you don't.

Barry Harris is still going.

[crisp]

Probably the most towering musical figures of the 1950's who are still around today are from outside the world of jazz: Chuck Berry, Little Richard, Jerry Lee Lewis and Fats Domino -- and from the opposite end of the musical spectrum, Doris Day!

I wouldn't put Doris at the opposite end of the spectrum to those guys. She has as much soul as any of them.

[John L]

RIP. Other than Sonny, was he the last of the '50s' towering figures left?

Ok, Keepnews was obviously an important individual in some ways, but calling him a "towering figure" (side by side with Sonny Rollins!) is absurd.

(GA, sorry about the harsh wording. No offense intended.)

... and yet that might just about be how he saw himself

I still find it hard to believe that Orin had the nerve to write in the introduction to the liner notes to the Monk on Riveride box that this collection represents "all of my work with Thelonious."

[paul secor]

I figured that, sooner or later, this thread would take a more negative turn.

[MomsMobley]

I figured that, sooner or later, this thread would take a more negative turn.

And how could it be otherwise?

https://books.google.com/books?id=jk3Bx7KfdO8C&lpg=PA295&dq=orrin%20keepnews&pg=PA295#v=onepage&q=orrin%20keepnews&f=false

"The guy thought he knew everything. He talked all the time and never listened." -- Randy Weston

btw, I discovered Keepnews ridiculousness from an impeccable source-- himself, when in ignorance I bought his book at some Half Price Books years ago, pre- jazz bulletin boards so all one "knew" was public writing and whatever level of personal/scene experience one had.

Bet we could do, say... a Lester Koenig thread and nobody would have a cross word or anecdote.

# of times Keepnews is mentioned in Arthur Taylor's "Notes and Tones": precisely zero, which is, I suppose, better than being castigated but perhaps also indicative of his "importance" and certainly his affability/empathy (as opposed to paternalism.)

[clifford_thornton]

Not exactly a beloved guy, his name on releases being questionable (as far as how much he actually contributed to the sessions' production), and yet I still want to say 'RIP.' Guess that's how it is in this business.

FWIW, when Stollman goes, as rightly vilified as he might be, I'll still be bummed.