Walton-Higgins

[Mark Stryker]

10 hours ago, Peter Friedman said:

Curious as to the blues based pianists are that played Often with Dexter. Other than the blues based Kenny Drew and Horace Parlan, Dexter recorded often with Tete Montoliu, sometimes with Ronnie Mathews, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Barry Harris and George Cables. I consider Cedar Walton just as blues based as any of that latter group.

In my opinion, he fit very well with all of them.  

 

Don’t forget Sonny Clark. 

[Gheorghe]

On 25.4.2020 at 1:54 AM, Milestones said:

Walton and Higgins are brilliant on this, Jackie's last recording.  Jackie's playing is great too. 

 

I live this 

[sidewinder]

2 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

I live this 

The last time I saw Jackie live was with this band - Jazz Bakery, Culver City LA, 1996. Spoke with Jackie and the whole band signed a listings flyer, which I still have. it was good to see the Walton/Higgins team still in action back then, there was also an open-air Central LA gig appearance by them both in 1999 with George Coleman which I was also lucky to catch. That would have been the last time I saw Billy (Cedar too) and he was still playing great, with bags of enthusiasm.

in fact, I have photos of that 1999 gig, which I really should get digitised.

Edited April 27, 2020 by sidewinder

[Peter Friedman]

11 hours ago, Mark Stryker said:

Don’t forget Sonny Clark. 

Thanks Mark, not sure how I could have forgotten Sonny Clark????

[Gheorghe]

23 hours ago, sidewinder said:

The last time I saw Jackie live was with this band - Jazz Bakery, Culver City LA, 1996. Spoke with Jackie and the whole band signed a listings flyer, which I still have. it was good to see the Walton/Higgins team still in action back then, there was also an open-air Central LA gig appearance by them both in 1999 with George Coleman which I was also lucky to catch. That would have been the last time I saw Billy (Cedar too) and he was still playing great, with bags of enthusiasm.

in fact, I have photos of that 1999 gig, which I really should get digitised.

Great memories and fantastic concerts you have seen. I would have liked to speak to Jackie McLean. The greatest Thing I ever saw with him was Jackie McLean-Bobby Hutcherson-Herbie Lewis-Billy Higgins.

I saw Cedar Walton I think in 2002 in Vienna with trio. The Bassist must have been David Williams but I don´t remember who was the Drummer. It was a great concert, it was just in my Living quarter, a few blocks from my place we have a club called "Reigen" and they had a string of concerts with great stars, Always went there with my wife: We saw Archie Shepp, we saw Johnny Griffin, and of course Cedar Walton. 

[sidewinder]

That George Coleman open air LA gig was free ! It was a glorious day weatherwise, really must digitise those shots.  Cedar was playing an upright ! Location was near Pershing Square.

Edited April 28, 2020 by sidewinder

[Joe]

Surely we've discussed this before, but, revisiting Billy Higgins' BN discography, it seems more apparent to me than ever before that there would be no BN boogaloo sound without him.

[Milestones]

I just realized that Walton and Higgins were on A Tribute to Lee Morgan, a pretty decent record with Joe Lovano, Eddie Henderson, and Grover Washington.

 

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

On 4/27/2020 at 0:49 AM, sidewinder said:

 there was also an open-air Central LA gig appearance by them both in 1999 with George Coleman which I was also lucky to catch.

I was there!!

are you sure it wasnt June 15, 2000 though- pretty sure thats the date.  At LACMA

[sidewinder]

17 minutes ago, chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez said:

I was there!!

Maybe you are on some of my photos, chewy ! 

Definitely just off Pershing Sq. and must have been 1999. Maybe they did a repeat gig the following Summer?

Edited April 28, 2020 by sidewinder

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

Well you know my guy there might of been a part II this was definetly at LACMA and you know how I remember the date, it was the same day as the Snoop Dogg concert which was at height of his popularity but then I went to the 7-11 to check the LA Times arts calendar and the weekend priorities changed to trip to LA.  You said Cedar Walton right, well that should of piqued my interest cause on my date it was Harold Mabern-----  George Coleman, Harold Mabern, Billy Higgins, (bass player oh god was it Alex Blake, Tony Dumas, Roberto Miranda? I do not recall). The last time I saw Billy, the only time I saw George Coleman, and didn't see Mabern again for 15 years.  Also saw Ernie Andrews there who was just hanging out

Edited April 28, 2020 by chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez

[sidewinder]

Pershing Sq. gig definitely with Cedar, David Williams and Billy so sounds like your event was 2000 Chewy. It was also an open air gig.

[jlhoots]

You guys remember s**t from 20 years ago.

[Gheorghe]

9 hours ago, jlhoots said:

You guys remember s**t from 20 years ago.

I remember best s**t from 40+ years ago, since then I was 18+ years old and everything was so brand new and fascinating and by the way, I get older and remember very well stuff from the past and it becomes harder with later periods since there was so much other Things to do and the live concerts from my youth were something like "unique Events"...….

[Peter Friedman]

I remember seeing Walton and Higgins twice. Once at the Telluride,Colorado Jazz Festival about 30 years ago.

The other time was in a club in Rochester, New York also roughly in that same time period.

Our son was with us at Telluride. I remember him commenting that it was very obvious why he was known as Smiling Billy.

[mjzee]

[Guy Berger]

On 4/28/2020 at 6:32 AM, Joe said:

Surely we've discussed this before, but, revisiting Billy Higgins' BN discography, it seems more apparent to me than ever before that there would be no BN boogaloo sound without him.

I‘m not sure that is a compliment to the BN boogaloo sound...

Edited April 30, 2020 by Guy Berger

[chewy-chew-chew-bean-benitez]

concerts are always my favorite memories so they tend to stick better

[Joe]

8 hours ago, Guy Berger said:

I‘m not sure that is a compliment to the BN boogaloo sound...

Well, I don't intend t throw shade. I'm merely observing that, if "the Sidewinder" is the template for many (if not all) subsequent BN boogaloo tracks, then Billy's approach to the beat is — springy, but still shuffling — is an essential part of what makes it a template at all.

[Hardbopjazz]

I've been enjoying this one a lot recently.

 

[JSngry]

1 hour ago, Joe said:

Well, I don't intend t throw shade. I'm merely observing that, if "the Sidewinder" is the template for many (if not all) subsequent BN boogaloo tracks, then Billy's approach to the beat is — springy, but still shuffling — is an essential part of what makes it a template at all.

and one ignores Roy McCurdy's further evolution of that basic sound at one's own mortal peril!!!!!!!!!!!!!

[Joe]

1 hour ago, JSngry said:

and one ignores Roy McCurdy's further evolution of that basic sound at one's own mortal peril!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Say more about that, please! His work with Cannonball, right?

[JSngry]

Yep!

All of his straight-8ths things.

Check him out on, if nothing else, "Mercy, Mercy, Mercy". What could have been a basic pattern/best was discreetly yet constantly broken up into  conversational-type accents and interjections.

I think that more than anything this speaks to how some people didn't feel a fundamental difference between "grooves" or whatever than did other people. They pretty much played how they played regardless, music was just music, lots of way to be yourself.

[felser]

On 4/29/2020 at 5:21 AM, Gheorghe said:

I remember best s**t from 40+ years ago, since then I was 18+ years old and everything was so brand new and fascinating and by the way, I get older and remember very well stuff from the past and it becomes harder with later periods since there was so much other Things to do and the live concerts from my youth were something like "unique Events"...….

+1

6 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said:

I've been enjoying this one a lot recently.

 

GREAT album.  Every track is wonderful.  And Coleman was perfect for that rhythm section.  

[HutchFan]

9 minutes ago, felser said:

+1

GREAT album.  Every track is wonderful.  And Coleman was perfect for that rhythm section.  

Agreed. I much prefer Big George to Bob Berg.  ... Not that Berg was bad.  No way.  Not at all.   

It's just that Coleman (and Clifford Jordan) both sounded a bit more hand-in-glove with that rhythm section, IMO.

 

EDIT: 
Forgot to say Lucky Thompson too, as heard on Goodbye Yesterday.  Another perfect fit for the Walton/Higgins hookup.  Very different but equally wonderful.

 

Edited April 30, 2020 by HutchFan