Mundell Lowe RIP

[sgcim]

Mundell Lowe passed away at 10:45 yesterday morning (12/2). He was 95.

One of his important contributions to jazz was 'discovering' Bill Evans in Louisiana, and then putting him in touch with Orrin Keepnews, leading to BE's first LPs on Riverside.

My only contact with him was when I did an album with clarinetist Joe Dixon. Joe wanted to record my arr. of a tune of ML's from Satan In High Heels' soundtrack.

Mundell's reaction was, "What the hell do you want to do that song for?"

Edited December 3, 2017 by sgcim

[clifford_thornton]

Wow, what a life. RIP.

[sidewinder]

RIP - Another stalwart leaves us. 

Edited December 3, 2017 by sidewinder

[mikeweil]

R.I.P.

Those first LPs on Riverside were really interesting.

But his debut was a 10-inch LP on RCA Victor:

[Cyril]

R.I.P.

[JohnS]

Sad news.   I don't have too much Lowe in my collection but what I have is top notch.

[BillF]

Mundell Lowe was on this one:

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Bird_Is_Free

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

its bigger than all that- he had one of the most extensive carreers in jazz as far as who he played with, in addition to always doing his own stuff- lets put it this way-------you know the blue note scene, well basically, mundell didnt really play w/ anyone in that scene that i can recall--- but he played with basically everybody else besides that, in jazz.

Edited December 3, 2017 by chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez

[brownie]

His Riverside album 'Speak Low' deserves à place in the 'obscure albums' thread. A remarkable album.

So were the two CD's 'Sweet 'n Lovely' Lowe recorded for Fresh Sounds with Tete Montoliu.

[jeffcrom]

When I first heard the live recordings with Bird, my reaction was, "Wow - who is that guitarist?"

I picked up his 1959  TV Action Jazz album for a buck, thinking it was going to be a silly, campy, hoot - but it's really good.

[mjzee]

RIP.  He seemed to be instrumental in the Charlie Parker Records label; maybe there was an Aubrey Mayhew connection.  Truly an amazing life, and he played some sweet guitar.

San-Diego Union Tribune

San Diego Reader

[JSngry]

Probably the first jazz guitarist I knowingly heard, courtesy of Texaco.

Some of you might remember what it's like hearing music/records as a real young kid, and you don't have any reference at all what what an instrument "sounds like", then your imagination runs free and it becomes some kind of a voice or shape or color, or whatever your little youngster imagination can connect it to. Mundell Lowe's solo here, I did not know what that sound was coming from, so I heard it as some kind of turquoise underwater fish that went swimming around undetected and bothered by any of the fish. And his riff-comp behind the out chorus, that was just...some kind of giant electric neon comb.

I pity the kids today who don't get exposed to all the different timbres and shapes that musics have to offer.

 

[Hardbopjazz]

RIP. Thanks for the music.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

he played with Elvis too.  Charlie Parker and Elvis.  

[mikeweil]

  On 12/3/2017 at 12:02 PM, brownie said:

His Riverside album 'Speak Low' deserves à place in the 'obscure albums' thread. A remarkable album.

So were the two CD's 'Sweet 'n Lovely' Lowe recorded for Fresh Sounds with Tete Montoliu.

Expand  

That's the Guitar Moods album:

At least it was reissued in the OJC series - the one with new Alec Wilder compositions is even more obscure.

[Bill Nelson]

The 'New Music of Alec Wilder' (Riverside, 1956) made a second appearance in 1960 on Bill Grauer's Offbeat label.  It was re-titled 'Tacet For Neurotics'.  Grauer pulled a Richard Bock stunt by changing the cover entirely, though I can't say that he re-spliced any of the tracks.  

[jeffcrom]

  On 12/5/2017 at 1:32 AM, Bill Nelson said:

The 'New Music of Alec Wilder' (Riverside, 1956) made a second appearance in 1960 on Bill Grauer's Offbeat label.  It was re-titled 'Tacet For Neurotics'.  Grauer pulled a Richard Bock stunt by changing the cover entirely, though I can't say that he re-spliced any of the tracks.  

Expand  

That's the one I've got. It has a vaguely cheap look, but sounds just fine.

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

there is a reissue of that w/ a different cover, on one of riversides budget lines, thats the one i have

[GA Russell]

RIP.  He's a guy I need to hear more of.

[danasgoodstuff]

  On 12/3/2017 at 8:41 PM, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said:

he played with Elvis too.  Charlie Parker and Elvis.  

Expand  

Dude, that's range!

[Peter Friedman]

Volumes 1 and 2 of this duo offer a terrific opportunity to hear some fine playing by Mundell Lowe.

[JSngry]

Is it just my imagination, or are the early Riverside "modern" albums noticeably "junkie-free"? Or more generally, "quirky-free"? Trigger Alpert!!!!

What an impact Monk must have made, not from a junkie standpoint, but definitely from the quirk.

[Larry Kart]

  On 12/5/2017 at 9:22 PM, JSngry said:

Is it just my imagination, or are the early Riverside "modern" albums noticeably "junkie-free"? Or more generally, "quirky-free"? Trigger Alpert!!!!

What an impact Monk must have made, not from a junkie standpoint, but definitely from the quirk.

Expand  

Yeah — like Matthew Gee, Ernie Henry, Kenny Drew, Kenny Dorham, Wilbur Ware, Johnny Griffin. Can't swear that all those guys were junkies at precisely that time, but.... Also, Riverside's house drummer was Philly Joe.

[JSngry]

Except for Drew, those were all post-Monk.

From this:

RLP	Artist	Album
201	Monk, Thelonious	Plays Duke Ellington
202	Sullivan, Joe	New Solos by an Old Master
203	Weston, Randy	Get Happy with the Randy Weston Trio
204	Lowe, Mundell	The Mundell Lowe Quartet
205	Parenti, Tony	Ragtime!
206	Bell, Marty	The Voice of Marty Bell - The Quartet of Don Elliott
207	Lewis, George	Jazz in the Classic New Orleans Tradition
208	Lowe, Mundell	Guitar Moods
209	Monk, Thelonious	The Unique Thelonious Monk
210	Mayl, Gene	Dixieland in Hi Fi
211	Davison, Wild Bill	Sweet and Hot
212	Sutton, Ralph	Classic Jazz Tradition'
213	Helm, Bob & Lu Watters	Riverside Roustabouts
214	Weston, Randy	With These Hands...
215	Janis, Conrad	Dixieland Jam Session
216	Bechet, Sidney	Creole Reeds
217	Barbarin, Paul & Sharkey	New Orleans Contrasts
218	Elliot, Don & Rusty Dedrick	Counterpoint for Six Valves
219	Lowe, Mundell	New Music of Alec Wilder
220	Corwin, Bob	The Bob Corwin Quartet featuring the Trumpet of Don Elliott

to this:

221	Gee, Matthew	Jazz by Gee
222	Henry, Ernie	Presenting Ernie Henry
223	Evans, Bill	New Jazz Conceptions
224	Drew, Kenny	Kenny Drew Trio
225	Alpert, Trigger	Trigger Happy!
226	Monk, Thelonious	Brilliant Corners
227	Weston, Randy	Trio and Solo
228	Sims, Zoot	Zoot!
229	Gryce, Gigi	Gigi Gryce and the Jazz Lab Quintet
230	Lewis, George	Jazz at Vespers
231	Halen, Carl	Gin Bottle Jazz
232	Weston, Randy	Jazz à la Bohemia
233	Hawkins, Coleman	The Hawk Flies High
234	Mann, Herbie	Sultry Serenade
235	Monk, Thelonious	Thelonious Himself
236	Drew, Kenny	This Is New
237	Terry, Clark	Serenade to a Bus Seat
238	Lowe, Mundell	A Grand Night for Swinging
239	Dorham, Kenny	Jazz Contrasts
240	Jaspar, Bobby	With George Wallington, Idrees Sulieman
241	Rollins, Sonny	The Sound of Sonny
242	Monk, Thelonious	Monk's Music

[JSngry]

and then...

243	Various Artists	Blues for Tomorrow
244	Various Artists	Jazz for Lovers
245	Mann, Herbie	Great Ideas of Western Mann
246	Terry, Clark	Duke with a Difference
247	Monk, Thelonious & Gerry Mulligan	Mulligan Meets Monk
248	Henry, Ernie	Seven Standards and a Blues
249	Drew, Kenny	Pal Joey
250	Redd, Freddie	San Francisco Suite
251	Lincoln, Abbey	That's Him!
252	Ware, Wilbur	The Chicago Sound
253	Johnson, Dick	Most Likely
254	Kelly, Wynton	Piano
255	Dorham, Kenny	2 Horns / 2 Rhythm
256	Golson, Benny	The Modern Touch
257	Thielemans, Jean ("Toots")	Man Bites Harmonica!
258	Rollins, Sonny	Freedom Suite
259	Dixieland Rhythm Kings	At The Hi Fi Jazz Band Ball
260	Red Onion Jazz Band	Dance Off Both Your Shoes
261	Halen, Carl	Whoopee Makers' Jazz
262	Monk, Thelonious	Thelonious in Action
263	Bradshaw, Evans	Look Out for Evans Bradshaw!
264	Griffin, Johnny	Johnny Griffin Sextet
265	Adams, Pepper	10 to 4 at the 5 Spot
266	Henry, Ernie	Last Chorus