Liner notes to "Harold Land, Westward Bound!"

[Larry Kart]

In co-producer Cory Weeds' portion of the liner notes, I found this odd statement: "Although only on two tracks, the inclusion of Hampton Hawes is also important. The much maligned pianist is in incredible form here..."

In what ways, by whom, and for what reasons was Hampton Hawes "much maligned"? I'm baffled.

[JSngry]

they must do things different in Canada?

[Kevin Bresnahan]

Maybe because of the self portrait he created with his autobiography, "Raise Up Off Me"? I haven't read it but it supposedly doesn't paint a pretty picture.

[JSngry]

it's a great book, you should read it. And it was actually critically hailed in its time for its honesty.

[jlhoots]

I've heard complaints about All Night Session, which I happen to like a lot.

[HutchFan]

That is odd.  Seems like Hawes has always had a solid (or even better) reputation.

 

[ghost of miles]

1 hour ago, Larry Kart said:

In co-producer Cory Weeds' portion of the liner notes, I found this odd statement: "Although only on two tracks, the inclusion of Hampton Hawes is also important. The much maligned pianist is in incredible form here..."

In what ways, by whom, and for what reasons was Hampton Hawes "much maligned"? I'm baffled.

I had the very same reaction when I read the notes this past weekend and nearly started a similar thread.  Bizarre.  (And the phrasing/context almost makes it seem as if the reference is to Hawes' musicianship, which would be *really* bizarre.  But I've never encountered malignment of Hawes on personal grounds either.)

[Dan Gould]

Maybe his fingers tripped over "underappreciated"?

[Rabshakeh]

When were the notes written?

[Larry Kart]

1 hour ago, Rabshakeh said:

When were the notes written?

It's a new release.

[Rabshakeh]

3 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

It's a new release.

Oh yes. Sorry. I’d hastily read the title of the thread as referring to one of his 1960s releases.

It seems a bizarre thing to say. My only guess is that it might refer to Hawes’ role in West Coast jazz (Shorty Rogers, etc., rather than Harold Land) or his embrace of electric keyboards - both of which have been unpopular with critics at times. But “much maligned”?!

Edited June 22, 2021 by Rabshakeh

[JSngry]

I mean, my first impression of Hawes was that he was some kind of a west coast Horace wannabe. But I was something like 16 at the time and didn't know jack shit about too much of anything. I got over that soon enough....

I really can't imagine a well-informed adult saying anything remotely like this, especially in a liner note on one's own label!

But this is why a fuller history must be told. For all I knew at the time, Hampton Hawes WAS a west coast cat who just fell in with the rest of them Contemporary Records crew. But then, the history comes more fully to the fore (not the least in Hawes' own words), and...Critical Jazz Theory, still needed!

[Joe]

If you can find Whitney Balliett's original NYer review of Hawes' ALL-NIGHT SESSIONS, it is none too complimentary. IIRC, he labels Hawes a Horace Silver imitator and spends most of him time talking about Jim Hall.

This is one reason why I'm not a big Whitney Balliett fan.

[Dan Gould]

42 minutes ago, Joe said:

If you can find Whitney Balliett's original NYer review of Hawes' ALL-NIGHT SESSIONS, it is none too complimentary. IIRC, he labels Hawes a Horace Silver imitator and spends most of him time talking about Jim Hall.

This is one reason why I'm not a big Whitney Balliett fan.

None of our heroes (well virtually none) were regarded as without fault at the time their careers were in full swing.  But Weeds isn't writing back then, he's writing in 2021, and with 60 years of hindsight does anyone think Hawes wasn't talented?

In researching for my Percy France website I found so many reviews of great albums that didn't just denigrate players we adore, but also said things like "with so many recordings to choose from, this one just doesn't make the cut," and that in the context of what a lot of people would call stone-cold classics.

 

[Morganized]

19 hours ago, Larry Kart said:

In co-producer Cory Weeds' portion of the liner notes, I found this odd statement: "Although only on two tracks, the inclusion of Hampton Hawes is also important. The much maligned pianist is in incredible form here..."

In what ways, by whom, and for what reasons was Hampton Hawes "much maligned"? I'm baffled.

Agree wholeheartedly!!! One of my all time favorite pianist.

And like Sangry said, Raise Up Off Me is a great read.

[JSngry]

34 minutes ago, Morganized said:

And like Sangry said, Raise Up Off Me is a great read.

It really is. As "frank" as Straight Life (but less "sensational"). In the end, the man confronts his demons (like, confronts them, what they are, where they came from, why they are there, and how he let them get to him) and decides to move on in spite of them. "Raise Up Off Me" indeed.

[mikeweil]

3 hours ago, Dan Gould said:

In researching for my Percy France website I found so many reviews of great albums that didn't just denigrate players we adore, but also said things like "with so many recordings to choose from, this one just doesn't make the cut," and that in the context of what a lot of people would call stone-cold classics.

So many writers let their tastes dominate their judgements. I think one should try to avoid any evaluations as far as possible when writing about music. A writer's yardstick should be what the musician tried to achieve, and to see if he did succeed. That is hard, but pays respect. 

In the case of that "maligned" statement about Hawes, he should have done his homework. Hawes played and recorded with bebop pioneers as early as 1947. He and Silver shared many inspirations and each went their way from that. But who could say one was better than the other?

[MomsMobley]

20 hours ago, JSngry said:

it's a great book, you should read it. And it was actually critically hailed in its time for its honesty.

Raise Up Off Me is one of great American autobiographies, period, not "just" jazz or music or Black culture. Highest recommendation to all and an excellent companion to the novels of Ishmael Reed, the poetry of Wanda Coleman, and the movies of director Charles Burnet. 

Having missed the (very) superficial Horace Silver comparisons, I thought the biggest gripe about Hawes' music was his electric piano period but I dig those sides too.

Hampton Hawes - Tune Axle Grease - YouTube

Edited June 22, 2021 by MomsMobley

[clifford_thornton]

Moms!

[Kevin Bresnahan]

On 6/22/2021 at 0:21 PM, MomsMobley said:

Raise Up Off Me is one of great American autobiographies, period, not "just" jazz or music or Black culture. Highest recommendation to all and an excellent companion to the novels of Ishmael Reed, the poetry of Wanda Coleman, and the movies of director Charles Burnet.

As I said, I have not read "Raise Up Off Me". My earlier comment was based on a conversation I once had in a record store where one of the participants said that after reading it, they thought a lot less of Hawes than they did before they read that book. I gathered it didn't paint a pretty picture of Hawes.

[JSngry]

He painted his own picture.