Earl Bostic - the general thread

[mikeweil]

This double CD on Acrobat gives a nice overview - I'd go for that one if I didn't own so many LPs.

http://acrobatmusic.net/?cid=5&AlbumId=971

1	Haven't Named It Yet	Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra
2	All on	Lionel Hampton & His Orchestra
3	Double Trouble Blues	Hot Lips Page Band
4	Ram Session	Buck Ram's All Stars
5	You Need Coachin'	Hot Lips Page
6	Shady Side Of The Street	Rex Stewart & his Orchestra
7	The Man I Love	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
8	Hurricane Blues	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
9	The Major And Minor	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
10	Liza	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
11	That's The Groovy Thing Pt. 1	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
12	Birmingham Boogie	Hot Lips Page
13	Texas And Pacific	Hot Lips Page
14	Let's Ball Tonight Pt. 1	Earl Bostic's Orchestra
15	Where Or When	Earl Bostic's Orchestra
16	Cuttin' Out	Earl Bostic's Orchestra
17	Hot Sauce Boss	Earl Bostic Quartet
18	8.45 Stomp	Earl Bostic Quartet
19	Artistry By Bostic	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
20	Apollo Theater Jump	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
21	Tiger Rag	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
22	Temptation	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
23	Watch Where You Walk Boy	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
24	From Midnight Till Dawn	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
Disk 2:
Track	Title	Artist
1	Earl's Imagination	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
2	Choppin' it Down	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
3	Serenade	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
4	Don't You Do It	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
5	Flamingo	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
6	Sleep	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
7	Moonglow	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
8	Ain't Misbehavin'	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
9	You Go To My Head	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
10	Cherokee	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
11	Steam Whistle Jump	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
12	Bostic's Boogie Blues (Smoke Rings)	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
13	Cracked Ice	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
14	Blue Skies	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
15	Liebestraum	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
16	Blue Moon	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
17	Harlem Nocturne	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
18	Stompin' at the Savoy	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
19	Special Delivery Stomp	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
20	Goodnight Sweetheart	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
21	Wee-Gee-Board	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
22	Up There In Orbit	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
23	Ducky	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
24	All The Things You Are	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
25	Jungle Drums	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra
26	Where Or When	Earl Bostic & his Orchestra

But "Blows a Fuse" is great, too, the CD version on Charly can be found on amazon, here's a track list:

Medium 1
Cherokee
Two O'Clock Stomp
Cuttin' Out
Earl Blows A Fuse
Disc Jockey Nightmare
That's A Groovy Thing (parts 1 & 2)
Don't You Do It
Moonglow
Seven Steps
Steam Whistle Jump
Flamingo
Filibuster
Who Snuck The Wine In The Gravy
Mambostic
8:45 Stomp
Sleep
Harlem Nocturne
Night Train
Tuxedo Junction
Special Delivery Stomp

Edited November 12, 2018 by mikeweil

[paul secor]

Music as part of society - What a subject.

For myself, even though I realize that music is in some sense a part of society, I've always listened to music for my own emotional needs, whatever they may be at any time. Society never comes into play for me when I listen. I read that someone once said - can't recall who - that society is just other people. Other people don't listen for me.

[JSngry]

On ‎11‎/‎5‎/‎2016 at 3:40 PM, medjuck said:

Is there any kind of consensus on what would be the best Earl Bostic cd  to buy?  (I've mentioned before  that the only radio station in my home town-- which mainly played c&w) often featured Bostic's version of Harlem Nocturne. 

I can't speak to any one particular overview, but if you want to get some really kickass Earl Bostic playing no-compromise jazz, this or some variant thereof is a must-have, imo.

Bassist is Jimmy Bond, and drummers include Shelly Manne & Earl Palmer. Finger pop, toes tap, shit swings nonstop.

 

[jeffcrom]

Earl Bostic is one reason I'm glad to be a 78 collector. I've got the equivalent of an album's worth of Bostic on 78, and I enjoy him a couple of records at a time. That's enough for me.

[Chuck Nessa]

Does that include turning them over?

[JSngry]

 

The second one in particular, if you hear Jaws, then I think you should hear this. Different rooms in the same house.

[Dan Gould]

On 11/10/2016 at 10:39 AM, JSngry said:

I can't speak to any one particular overview, but if you want to get some really kickass Earl Bostic playing no-compromise jazz, this or some variant thereof is a must-have, imo.

Bassist is Jimmy Bond, and drummers include Shelly Manne & Earl Palmer. Finger pop, toes tap, shit swings nonstop.

 

I don't know why I missed this but I just got to the part of Porter's Soul Jazz book that mentions Bostic recording with Groove Holmes and Pass which sent me here and now, off to Amazon. Ordered.

[Jim R]

On 11/10/2016 at 1:30 PM, jeffcrom said:

Earl Bostic is one reason I'm glad to be a 78 collector. I've got the equivalent of an album's worth of Bostic on 78, and I enjoy him a couple of records at a time. That's enough for me.

That's how I got started listening to Bostic, buying 78's at flea markets in the early 80's.  "The Song Is Ended" was my favorite side.

I ended up getting these later, which have been enough for me (although I could see myself adding more at some point):

  

 

[bopmaster]

    The musc as art debate is not worth getting into and is also pretentious. Bostic was a great player and if he had to get a bit commercial to survive, so what (very players could make a living playing jazz).  His Gotham material is my favorite, though  I also like his King material and the later stuff he did with Joe Pass.  Not many alto players could make that extra octave that he could. I wish I could have seen him but was too young when he played in New England and of course as a teenager knew nothing of R&B. It is a shame he did not live longer as he might got a chance to make more albums like the Pacific Jazz lps, but I am satisfied with his recorded legacy including his King lps. 

[Dan Gould]

On 12/27/2016 at 1:49 PM, Dan Gould said:

I don't know why I missed this but I just got to the part of Porter's Soul Jazz book that mentions Bostic recording with Groove Holmes and Pass which sent me here and now, off to Amazon. Ordered.

Update:

ordered, listened to twice.

HATE HATE HATE.

First time, I thought, maybe I'm just not in the mood. But now I've given a second spin and its the same thing.  I think its his tone - strangled, pinched?  But this is doing nothing for me and there isn't nearly enough to Holmes or Pass to make up for it.

Free to a good home, just send me a PM.

[sgcim]

I was another one who didn't take EB seriously, until I read  Jimmy Heath's  autobio where he mentioned that whenever they had any technical difficulties, they always went to EB, and he would straighten them out.

Shortly afterward, the co-leader of a big band we had started and I were celebrating a successful first concert at a diner, when a funky looking dude saw my friends sax gig bag, and invited himself to join us at our table, telling us that he was also a sax player.

The interloper turned out to be an R&B sax player, and he kept raving about EB's playing on a particular tune.

Since Jimmy heath raved about EB also, I checked out the cut the 'dude' was raving about, and here it is:

 

[mjzee]

That was wild!  He went into the upper range and hit all the notes (I hate it when someone tries and fails to hit the note - it just sounds sad).

[medjuck]

2 hours ago, sgcim said:

I was another one who didn't take EB seriously, until I read  Jimmy Heath's  autobio where he mentioned that whenever they had any technical difficulties, they always went to EB, and he would straighten them out.

 

I once heard a radio interview with Benny Golson where he said the same thing.  BTW Up There in Orbit seems to be a wild variation of  The Saints Go Marching In. 

Edited March 10, 2017 by medjuck

[sgcim]

It could have been Golson's autobio; I read both one after the other.

[Jim R]

22 hours ago, sgcim said:

I was another one who didn't take EB seriously, until I read  Jimmy Heath's  autobio where he mentioned that whenever they had any technical difficulties, they always went to EB, and he would straighten them out.

Shortly afterward, the co-leader of a big band we had started and I were celebrating a successful first concert at a diner, when a funky looking dude saw my friends sax gig bag, and invited himself to join us at our table, telling us that he was also a sax player.

The interloper turned out to be an R&B sax player, and he kept raving about EB's playing on a particular tune.

Since Jimmy heath raved about EB also, I checked out the cut the 'dude' was raving about, and here it is:

 

A great display of technique, but I think I hate this one.  Sounds like background music for acrobats or plate-spinners.

By the way, at 3 minutes elapsed, that's Bull Moose Jackson on the Bostic reissue CD cover.  I wonder if this guy was the source (chicken or the egg?):  https://geezermusicclub.wordpress.com/2010/05/26/earl-bostic-taking-jazz-in-a-new-direction/

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Jim R said:

Sounds like background music for acrobats or plate-spinners.

You say that like it's a bad thing?

 

Yeah, see, this is why Americans have to work at call centers and bad phone sex, this shit takes work and discipline, like Earl Bostic. Scoff at the results, but respect the process.

 

[Jim R]

2 hours ago, JSngry said:

You say that like it's a bad thing?

...this shit takes work and discipline, like Earl Bostic. Scoff at the results, but respect the process.

"Great display of technique", said I.  How is that not respecting the process?  I already mentioned my appreciation for Bostic.  Perhaps "I think I hate this one" was me going a bit over the top.  The style/mood of the piece, with its focus on technique, and a dazzling exhibition of runs is not the type of thing that I'm as inclined to listen to, and associate with the old variety shows, where people were doing dazzling exhibitions of a different kind.

After re-listening, I'm a bit less turned off by the technical display factor, but there's another negative (to me) factor involved on this particular piece.  I have a pretty strong distaste for the high range exhibition thing, on any instrument (although it seems more prevalent- and more painful- in the trumpet/cornet realm).  No disrespect to the technique and discipline and effort, but... not for me.

[JSngry]

Fair enough. Too often "technique" is dismissed like it has no meaning apart from "work", and work is such a drag, right, why do all that work anyway, all you get put of it is tecnique, right? Just go with feeling, that's all that matters.

Well, yeah. Good luck having a life with that, with no work and all feeling, there's the foundation for building something to pass on.

Later on in his life, Sun Ra used to go off on how the demise of big bands was detrimental to the collective character, how it took away the notions of a collective discipline and labor and replaced them with a sole emphasis on individual expression. You need both, Ra said, and I swear, the older and crankier I get, the more it passes me off to think that the work, the focus and discipline, needed to get a real technical fluency in ANYTHING just gets marginalized as some kind of wankery.

Getting in touch with my Inner Puritan, I suppose.

[JSngry]

 

[JSngry]

I was just hipped to a record with Ted Curson & Odean Pope backing the singer Clyde Terrell, whom the liner notes claim was the singer here. Can anybody confirm/revoke that claim, and no matter, who is/was Clyde Terrell?

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

7 hours ago, JSngry said:

I was just hipped to a record with Ted Curson & Odean Pope backing the singer Clyde Terrell, whom the liner notes claim was the singer here. Can anybody confirm/revoke that claim, and no matter, who is/was Clyde Terrell?

Dunno but that track has never appealed to me.

MG

[mrjazzman]

I care about and am aware of his music because my father, Elmon Larue Wright along with his buddy Benny Golson together played in Bostic's bands.  Golson told me that they weren't play a lot of jazz in those bands.

[The Magnificent Goldberg]

9 hours ago, mrjazzman said:

I care about and am aware of his music because my father, Elmon Larue Wright along with his buddy Benny Golson together played in Bostic's bands.  Golson told me that they weren't play a lot of jazz in those bands.

Depends on your idea of what jazz is. It ALL swings a HELL of a lot more than this Golson album

So I seldom view Golson as an authority for me to take a lot of notice of.

MG

[mrjazzman]

Since Golson and my dad were in Bostic's band and you weren't, I'll take your word over a living master's word. Will that make you feel authenticated, make you feel like you actually know what you're talking about?

[Big Beat Steve]

Doesn't it all depend on the definition of "jazz" used in those particular cases? If Golson had more far-reaching ideas and ideals of how he wanted his jazz to be, he may well have felt playing in Bostic's band to be a "hack job". But does this mean Bostic's bands were NOT a part of ALL the facets of jazz that there were and that served different purposes? Doesn't it rather mean that Golson did not find much of what HIS idea of jazz was?

Remember Dexter Gordon is on record as having said that the Louis Armstrong band of the mid-40s that he played in for a time before bebop burst out was "just blah". So ... does this invalidate Louis Armstrong's band?