“I want you to put foots in cats tail…..” (James Moody giving Bobby Pierce a pep talk after he had hired him for the gig)
Back when “The Skipper” Henry Franklin and I were mulling over pianists to play at The tribute concert to Gene Russell Henry said, “what about Bobby Pierce? I couldn’t believe Bobby was living in LA and was still gigging. He was the first stop on our soon to be chronicled “Week in La La Land.”
Bless you Bobby,
JF
Folks-
As I drove aimlessly towards downtown Tucson the other day my daughter Hannah said; “Daddy you only have men on the show, why don’t you interview a woman.”
Her observation was prescient and one that I have heard before. In regard to this disproportionate gender inequity I will be making a concerted effort to increase my early 70′s female folk/rock/jazz/psych/blues guests.
I am proud to announce that this week I will be having my first female musician on – Ellen Mcilwaine live from Alberta, Canada.
http://www.ellenmcilwaine.com/
I have been in touch will the great Carol Kaye as well but I am asking for my loyal fan base for help in spurring some ideas. Feel free to visit my website and offer your choices.
Remember If It’s Saturday, It’s JFS!
www.jakefeinbergshow.com
The names Hawkins, Webster, Benny Carter, Fitzgerald, Peterson, Gillespie are ones that are associated with the deepest traditions in jazz. They played and continually evolved to stay current or ahead of the curve. They were the founding mothers and fathers of jazz and paved the way for future leaders in the improvisational music world. There legacy lives on in large part to their playing and the promotion that comes with that. If you don’t have a forum or an advocate for your art what good is it really. For these legends they had the strongest advocate in Norman Granz. Granz was a tireless promoter, critic and transformational figure in jazz. He owned record labels, made sure that his concerts in the south were desegregated, stood up to racial prejudices at home and abroad, and in his own idiosyncratic way endeared himself to legions of jazz fans because he promoted the music and the people behind the music. Money was not supreme for Norman Granz- the music was. Today I was joined by Tad Hershorn an archivist
at the institute of jazz studies at Rutgers University and author of the new book Norman Granz – The man who used Jazz For Justice
A fascinating life story and one that could only be found in America. Hat’s off to Jimmy Lyons, Lester Young and the Monterey Jazz Festival.
Ray Mantilla was born in the South Bronx in 1934. He was going to the Palladium and catching Machito and Tito Puente blister the crowds with dizzying arrays of Salsa. Ray eventually got his chance at the Congo and was a vital part of the Herbie Mann quintet along with Chief Bey, Ray Barretto where they sought to annihilate drums on a nightly basis. Ray was lucky enough to be at the epicenter of the fusion of Latin rhythms and jazz in the late fifties and sixties. This urban strut played out with Joe Farrell, Art Blakey, Jeremy Steig and Max Roach.
The Nuyorican Conguero,
JF
My guest today on the JFS was the equivalent of a five tool player in baseball; meaning that he can throw, hit, catch, run, and hit for power. In the case of Ramon Banda it is spelled out in rhythms and instruments. Tex/Mex Polka, Cha Cha Cha, Mambo, Swing, Bossa, Psychadelic Rock, Organ/grinder, blues and Free Jazz. In terms of instruments it’s the drum kit, timbales, fuzz electric guitar, and the bearded gourds. He has teamed up with his brother Tony to form one of the most formidable bands on the west coast. When he’s not gigging with the family he holds down the beat with “The Skipper” Henry Franklin who refers to Ramon as an animal. He recently came off a multi-city, multi-state tour with B-3 legend Joey Defrancesco.
Music is Life, Enjoy it.
JF
Ira Gitler is one of those transcendental figures in the history of music. He grew up with Dizzy and Charlie Parker and was writing linear notes for Bob Weinstock’s fledgling record label – Prestige Records. He also co-authored The Encyclopedia of Jazz with Leonard Feather. His devotion to the music and the soul’s of the musicians always outweighed his own art and this selfless promotion of information ingratiated himself to the jazz community and has made him a massive contributor to a true American art form.
