Nonagenarian Jazz Musicians

[Hardbopjazz]

On 12/29/2021 at 10:43 AM, Milestones said:

Thanks for the video of Benny Golson.  As many know, Golson is a great storyteller, and his recount of hearing about Clifford Brown's death and writing his famous tribute is priceless.  A very touching performance too, with the audience so respectful that you could hear a pin drop.

 

Benny Golson told the story a few weeks ago on how McCoy Tyner met John Coltrane. I was at a Vincent Herring show in NYC. Vincent was talking to Benny the night before. Benny told Vincent he hired Tyner. McCoy had not been in New York yet. He started to drive from Philly to NYC when his car broke down on the Jersey Turnpike. McCoy called Benny and asked if he could come pick him up so he wouldn't miss the gig. Benny didn't have a car, but told McCoy he would call a friend to see if he was available. He called John Coltrane. He drove down to where McCoy was stuck and drove him up to NYC. A year later, McCoy would join Coltrane's band. You would think all three being from Philly, Coltrane would have met Tyner back in the 50's.  

2 minutes ago, Rooster_Ties said:

Dizzy Reece??!!! 

I had no idea he was still with us.

I did see Dizzy Reece perform about 6 or 7 years ago. I'm glad he's still around. I mix him up with Ted Curson.

[felser]

8 hours ago, Hardbopjazz said:

Benny Golson told the story a few weeks ago on how McCoy Tyner met John Coltrane. I was at a Vincent Herring show in NYC. Vincent was talking to Benny the night before. Benny told Vincent he hired Tyner. McCoy had not been in New York yet. He started to drive from Philly to NYC when his car broke down on the Jersey Turnpike. McCoy called Benny and asked if he could come pick him up so he wouldn't miss the gig. Benny didn't have a car, but told McCoy he would call a friend to see if he was available. He called John Coltrane. He drove down to where McCoy was stuck and drove him up to NYC. A year later, McCoy would join Coltrane's band. You would think all three being from Philly, Coltrane would have met Tyner back in the 50's.  

Great story, hate to ruin it with facts, but Trane and McCoy met in 1957 through Cal Massey, and Trane recorded Tyner's "The Believer" in early 1958.

[Gheorghe]

2 hours ago, felser said:

Great story, hate to ruin it with facts, but Trane and McCoy met in 1957 through Cal Massey, and Trane recorded Tyner's "The Believer" in early 1958.

Well understandable. That was quite common with a lot of musicians from the old generation to be "great storytellers", Art Blakey also was one of them. And Benny Golson did it on stage too, with much showmanship. I remember once in the early 2000´s he played with Curtis Fuller and when the next tune was a Curtis Fuller solo feature (Hello Young Lovers), Golson announced him in a strage manner, explaining the audience something like that "Look at my saxophone, what do you see? It has keys !! And now look at Curtis´ trombone and what you see ? It has NO keys! "..... well something like that might be nice if a star visits a "Kindergarten" or a hospital for children, but sounds a bit strange in front of a jazz audience...., But......great concert, fantastic rhythm section, and later Johnny Griffin sat in and called "In Walked Bud"....

Dizzy Reece , he really was something else, I have all his BN records. But I always had thought he had retired long long ago. The last notes I heard from him was on a Sonny Rollins live  double album from 1978 titled "Don´t Stop the Carneval" on which he plays on Disk 2, but it sounds very very weak, as if he was almonst inable to play. 

[BillF]

On 29/12/2021 at 3:19 PM, BillF said:

So good that we now have nonagenarians in a profession where people used to die at 25 (Charlie Christian, Clifford Brown, Scott LaFaro) or 26 (Fats Navarro).

I could have added Jimmy Blanton who went at 23.

Fortunately, there were exceptions, most notably ragtime pianist Eubie Blake, who continued to play and record until his death at 96 in 1983. (Uncertainty over his birthdate meant that he was originally thought to have reached 100.)

[JSngry]

6 hours ago, Gheorghe said:

Dizzy Reece , he really was something else, I have all his BN records. But I always had thought he had retired long long ago. The last notes I heard from him was on a Sonny Rollins live  double album from 1978 titled "Don´t Stop the Carneval" on which he plays on Disk 2, but it sounds very very weak, as if he was almonst inable to play. 

That was Donald Byrd.

[Ken Dryden]

4 hours ago, BillF said:

I could have added Jimmy Blanton who went at 23.

Fortunately, there were exceptions, most notably ragtime pianist Eubie Blake, who continued to play and record until his death at 96 in 1983. (Uncertainty over his birthdate meant that he was originally thought to have reached 100.)

Eddie Costa, like Clifford Brown and Scott LaFaro, died in a car wreck, he was 31.

[Big Beat Steve]

On 31.12.2021 at 2:51 PM, Ken Dryden said:

Eddie Costa, like Clifford Brown and Scott LaFaro, died in a car wreck, he was 31.

As did Stan Hasselgard (26), Doug Watkins (27), Willie Dennis (39) and Nick Stabulas (43).

And Bob Gordon (27)!!

And Chu Berry (31) but he would be long gone even as a nonagenarian by now, and Peter Trunk (37) who would not be a nonagenarian yet if he had lived.

Edited January 19, 2022 by Big Beat Steve

[Rooster_Ties]

Booker Little (23) too. 

[Big Beat Steve]

I understand Booker Little died of uremia?

[Ken Dryden]

22 minutes ago, Big Beat Steve said:

I understand Booker Little died of uremia?

Yes, that’s true.

[Hardbopjazz]

15 hours ago, felser said:

Great story, hate to ruin it with facts, but Trane and McCoy met in 1957 through Cal Massey, and Trane recorded Tyner's "The Believer" in early 1958.

I know they met early but Golson swore to Vincent Herring that’s how they met. 

[colinmce]

I am also shocked about Dizzy Reece and Bill Holman too. Great to hear.

Related question: who has the earliest recording credit among these artists? Not thinking too hard, but I'm wondering if it might be Roy Haynes who can be heard on some Lester Young Aladdin sides from February 1947. Terry Gibbs made his debut on some Alan Eager Savoy sides in 1947. Sonny also has credits in the 40s of course, on Bud Powell's iconic 1949 Blue Note sessions. It simply boggles the mind.

Edited January 1, 2022 by colinmce

[Justin V]

The great Richard Davis hasn't been mentioned.

[BillF]

8 minutes ago, Justin V said:

The great Richard Davis hasn't been mentioned.

Yes, Wikipedia gives him as 91.

Saw him with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1969.

[medjuck]

1 hour ago, colinmce said:

Related question: who has the earliest recording credit among these artists? Not thinking too hard, but I'm wondering if it might be Roy Haynes who can be heard on some Lester Young Aladdin sides from February 1947. 

According to the Mosaic box set and the Frank Buchmann-Moller discography that wasn't Roy Haynes but he did appear with Prez at a November 1947 concert at Town Hall which someone recorded. Unfortunately it hasn't been released.  

[colinmce]

2 minutes ago, medjuck said:

According to the Mosaic box set and the Frank Buchmann-Moller discography that wasn't Roy Haynes but he did appear with Prez at a November 1947 concert at Town Hall which someone recorded. Unfortunately it hasn't been released.  

Very interesting, I never knew that. Wonder how it is that Cuscuna published those credits on the Blue Note releases of these recordings. 

[medjuck]

Buchmann-Moller writes. "Michel Rupp states that this date is correct according to the Alladin files, which also means hat the rhythm section must be the same as in the previous session, contrary to what is said elsewhere on back cover notes and discographies, because Lester's group had the same personnel until October 1947. 

[Hardbopjazz]

Tony Bennett. We can't forget him.

[clifford_thornton]

On 12/31/2021 at 8:17 AM, JSngry said:

That was Donald Byrd.

AFAIK Reece's last appearances on disc were in the early 90s with Clifford Jordan's big band. I think the last one to be released was in '97 but it had been recorded several years prior.

[cliffpeterson]

Sheila Jordan performing in real time on Emmet's place (with a cold and after walking 5 flights of stairs)!!!!

[jlhoots]

1 hour ago, cliffpeterson said:

Sheila Jordan performing in real time on Emmet's place (with a cold and after walking 5 flights of stairs)!!!!

It was amazing!!!

Edited January 4, 2022 by jlhoots

[Dmitry]

On 12/29/2021 at 8:07 AM, Stereojack said:

With the recent death of Barry Harris at 91, I got to wondering how many major jazz artists are still with us over 90? So far, I've been able to come up with five:

Sonny Rollins, 91

Kenny Burrell, 90

Roy Haynes, 96

Lou Donaldson, 95

Bill Crow, 94

Any others? 

I didn’t know Lou was still with us. Wish him many more!

Do you remember a story on the BLUE NOTE Board when Aric Effron and his buddy called him and he told them he was eating a sammich?

 I was at the performances of the still living nonagenarian  Tony Bennett;  Randy Weston, Jimmy Heath and Lee Konitz, shortly before they died. 

Helen Merrill is 91.

 

 

 

 

 

 

[Chuck Nessa]

I was ready to post Frode Gjerstad and Paal Nilssen-Love and then I noticed it wasn't Norwegian Artists.

 

[Rabshakeh]

John McLaughlin as of today...

[sidewinder]

24 minutes ago, Rabshakeh said:

John McLaughlin as of today...

80, not 90.