THE JAZZ CHILL CORNER JEAN WELLS - SOUL ON SOUL DELUXE EDITION |  |
- JEAN WELLS - SOUL ON SOUL DELUXE EDITION
- YUKO YAMAMURA - DANCING IN THE DIALOG
- CRAIG HANDY & 2ND LINE SMITH FEATURING SPECIAL GUESTS WYNTON MARSALIS, DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER, HERLIN RILEY & OTHERS...
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Posted: 26 Nov 2013 02:05 PM PST
Jean Wells' story is not an extraordinary one in the world of soul, although her voice certainly was. Her biggest hit 'Have A Little Mercy' from 1967 was a glorious slice of deep soul, a plea to a lover, whom she is addicted to, but who doesn't seem to notice. Her gospel-trained voice perfectly encapsulating those feelings, whilst a stark arrangement dominated by an ethereal organ and dramatic horn stabs heightens the unbearable effect this man is having on Jean's life. Yet at the time this record only reached number 25 in the R&B charts, just another bit of genius amongst many, thrown out by the black American music industry at one of its most creative and profligate periods.
Born in West Palm Beach Florida in 1942, Jean Wells was brought up in Belle Glade near the state's Lake Okeechobee. As a youngster she sang in gospel choirs, and taught herself piano. Unlike some her family didn't object to secular music and in her teens she formed a girl group with friends whilst she was at High School. With the musical desire firmly in her bones at the age of 17 she left home and headed for Philadelphia, a city that would become her musical base throughout her career.
Philly at the time was at the centre of the American music industry due to it being the place where Dick Clark's American Bandstand was filmed. This pop TV programme was nationally syndicated and could break records to the important post rock and roll teen audience. As such a slew of local record labels led by Cameo had grown up around the town. Jean went looking for a record deal and soon found herself recording for the tiny Quaker Town label. Her first single – 'Song Of The Bells' – was successful enough locally that the label released two further releases 'If He's A Good Man' and 'I Know He Loves Me', neither of which managed to build on the success, and they remained unknown outside of the local area.
Jean went back home to Florida, but the desire to be part of the music industry remained and she returned to Philly to record a single record, 'Don't Come Running Back To Me' b/w 'Little Boots' for ABC-Paramount, before heading back south once more. Yet she was back again in 1966 and it was at this point that she managed to get traction in the industry. Meeting up with producer and A&R man Clyde Otis, who decided to sign her to his production company Argon. Otis had had great success at Mercury Records where he had produced Brook Benton, Dinah Washington and Sarah Vaughan in the late 50s and Clyde McPhatter who he signed to the label in 1960. Since striking out on his own he had produced some of Aretha Franklin's finest pre-Atlantic recordings for Columbia including the wonderful 'One Step At A Time' which has recently been revived by soul DJs and producers of re-edits alike.
With Jean he saw a singer who could be every bit as good as Aretha or Dinah Washington, similar big sounding singers. His first single with Jean is perhaps the most obscure. The glorious deep soul ballad 'If You Ever Loved Somebody' was coupled with 'Hello Baby- Goodbye Too' and released on Juggy Murray's Sue Records subsidiary Eastern. It failed to trouble any charts, but it did put down a calling card for Jean. It was quite clear that this was a singer who could cut high quality material that could match the best of what was coming out at the time.
As Jean worked on new material with Clyde, her producer was sorting out a new label for her to appear on, following the demise of Juggy Murray's labels late in 1966. He signed a deal with Nate McCalla's Calla Records. McCalla was a well known face around 1960s New York, and was closely associated with the notorious Morris Levy of Roulette Records, and it fact had his office in Roulette's building. Stories abound about this colourful figure, who was a decorated hero of the Korean War, but he was a tough guy and his life was prematurely ended when he was murdered in Florida in 1980. His label is a gem, with brilliant records by the likes of Bettye Lavette, Little Jerry Williams (later known as Swamp Dogg) and many others through to its close in 1977. The label always had close ties to Philadelphia, and it is perhaps this link that brought him to Jean.
Her first single on the label was the self-written 'After Loving You' a storming club soul cut with a relentless beat. It was coupled with 'Puttin' The Best On The Outside' which sounded as if it could have been written several years earlier. It was a successful start to her time at the label charting at number 31 in Billboard's R&B chart. The follow up 'I Feel Good' was another dancer that peaked at number 33. It was the next release that was the big one and 'Have A Little Mercy' burst out of the speakers over the Christmas period of 1967 heading to a peak of number 25. On the flip was a glorious northern soul style dancer 'With My Love And What You Got', complete with a vibes filled rhythm section.
Otis took the logical step of following 'Mercy' with another deep soul ballad his own 'Sit Down and Cry'. Once more Jean reaches far inside herself and drags every ounce of emotion from the song in a jaw-dropping performance. It was perhaps a little too intense to be popular, and the single became her first on Calla not to make the R&B charts. She returned to the charts with her very next single, though it would be for the last time. This time the lead number 'Try Me & See' was firmly uptempo and is firmly written to sound like Aretha Franklin's then current hits such as 'Respect' or 'See Saw'. It reached number 45 backed with 'Best Thing For You Baby'.
At this time Calla also tried to capitalise on her success by releasing the album 'World, Here Come Jean Wells' in 1968, it sank without a trace and is now a sought after collectors item. Jean released three more singles on Calla, each one either trying to replicate the success of her previous work or the then current sounds in the pop charts. The best of these was her December 1968 'What Have We Got To Lose' a swaying soul dancer written by Jean, and which in recent years has seen action in the rare soul clubs. Despite Calla losing interest after the 1969 single 'Our Sweet Love Turned Bitter' b/w Keep Your Mouth Shut (and Your Eyes Open)' Clyde Otis kept the faith, and Jean's next single appeared on the Philadelphia independent Volare recycling 'Keep Your Mouth Shut' with the slow funk of 'I Couldn't Love You More Than I Do Now'.
Jerry 'Swamp Dogg' Williams Canyon label was where her next single turned up. This was the stridently funky 'He Ain't Doing Bad' and the wah wah laden 'Somebody's Been Loving You'. These two tracks were recorded in Philadelphia by Earl Young, Norman Harris and Ron Baker. The trio would become the basis of the 1970s Philadelphia Sound and were on hundreds of classic disco and soul recording as well as being the men behind the legendary disco group the Tramps. Clyde Otis employed them for what was supposedly lined up to be an album project on Jean, but only 5 tracks were recorded. As well as the two that appeared on the single, there is the atmospheric 'Roll Up Your Sleeves, Come Out Lovin' which features a very advanced - for the time - synthesiser led backing track, and 'Take Time To Make Time' which to my mind features one of Jean's finest vocal parts. The final number 'Keep On Doing It' takes us back to the world of funk, but with a very Philly swing to the rhythm section. It appeared briefly as a single on Law-Ton in 1972
These were to be the final recordings that Jean made in this part of her career. She left the industry and according to Clyde Otis she went into the gospel field. She made two slight returns to secular music. In 1979 she made the disco/ boogie single 'I Just Can't Stop Dancing' for the Philadelphia based TEC label. Two years later she was back again, still in the city that she had so often called home, this time recording the disco-fied album 'Number One' for Sunshine Recordings.
After this Jean disappeared from sight. Probably back into the world of gospel, she left us with a fantastic recorded legacy, of which her recordings for Clyde Otis, which are gathered here, are the choicest cuts. Vinyl track listing:
1 A: What Have I Got To Lose B: Have A Little Mercy / 2 A: With My Love And What You've Got (We Could Turn This World Around) B: Take Time To Make Time For Me / 3 A: Somebody's Been Loving You (But It AIn't Been Me) B: He Ain't Doing Bad
Source: bbbmusic.com
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Posted: 26 Nov 2013 02:00 PM PST
Featured this week on The Jazz Network Worldwide: Award-winning Jazz and Classical French Hornist, Yuko Yamamura with her debut CD "Dancing in the Dialog".
Yuko Yakamura, french hornist, composer/arranger shares her debut CD "Dancing in the Dialog" with The Jazz Network Worldwide social network community while performing show-stopping performances on tour from New York to Japan.
Award-winning french hornist, Yuko Yakamura brings much experience to her new CD project "Dancing In The Dialog". As grand-prize winner in the jazz catagory of the John Lennon Songwriting Contest 2012 and finalist of the 18th Annual USA Songwriting Competition 2013 she is surely equipped to release her debut CD project to the world. Her composition was selected by in-flight airplay of Virgin America airlines for summer 2012.
Hailing from Kobe, Japan, Yuko Yakamura started her musical studies as a singer at a very early age. Graduating from the Osaka College of Music in 1998, she studied classical music with Hiroko Fushimi and Shigekazu Ikeda, wind ensemble arranging with Toru Takahashi and jazz improvisation with Hiroshi Munekiyo at the Arrow Jazz Orchestra Music School.
As an educator, Yuko taught at the Yamaha School for Wind Orchestra. It was then that she led her own jazz quintet, and enjoyed performances at Kobe and Osaka, which culminated in a CD, which was recorded at XEBEC Music Production Studios.
"Music stays with us strongly and gently. Music is also a guide that leads us deeply into our memory. Life is full of stories, such as joyful, painful, happy and sad stories. Each story never happens in good order but rather does it happen at the same time or sometimes one after another. My songs were created as my thoughts were wondering over these things. Music has a gentle but lasting effect on us, sometimes acting as a guide to the thoughts we keep inside" says Yuko.
Yamamura's met her goal when she to traveled to the United States to attend Berklee College of Music and successfully graduating as a professional music major in both jazz French horn and composition. While there, she studied jazz improvisation with Tiger Okoshi, Christine Fawson, and Jeff Galindo.
Having worked with Victor Jones, Jay Rodriguez, Hector Martignon, Schott Collery, Jerry Granelli, Gerard Angel, David "Pic" Conley and Sweet Plantain Strings Quartet she has become a mainstay on the international jazz scene.
Currently she performs with Japanese traditional Taiko, in the band "Ajarria" in Japan and the U.S. She is also a member of the Victor Jones/Jay Rodriguez Band and regularly performs in New York City. Yamamura continues to perform, compose and working with other artists offering her compositions in a wide variety of genres.
"Yuko's new CD is a true expression of her musical excellence, no matter what geographical coast she is graced with the influences of many great teachers. Yuko is a pure musician who can master any stage from working with a duo to a big band." says Jaijai Jackson, creator and owner of The Jazz Network Worldwide.
Visit THE JAZZ NETWORK WORLDWIDE "A GREAT PLACE TO HANG" at: http://www.thejazznetworkworldwide.com/?xg_source=msg_mes_network
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Posted: 26 Nov 2013 01:56 PM PST
On Craig Handy's OKeh Records debut, Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith, funk and groove supply the motive and the motivation. The album, available January 21, 2014, is the saxophonist's first recording as a leader in more than a decade. The repertoire consists of 10 numbers from the songbook of Jimmy Smith - the founder of modern jazz organ expression, a creative inspiration that evolved from Handy's realization several years ago that his distinguished resume included no opportunities "to cut my teeth with any of the great organ players." As an added---and surprising---turn, Handy's reinterpretation of Smith's work includes rhythm and grooves derived from the tight second-line funk of New Orleans.
For his band Handy recruited soul jazz specialists Kyle Koehler on Hammond B-3 and Matt Chertkoff on guitar (both New Jersey neighbors and members of his working band), sousaphone virtuoso Clark Gayton, and well known New Orleans drummers Jason Marsalis, Herlin Riley and Ali Jackson. Trumpet virtuoso Wynton Marsalis, singer Dee Dee Bridgewater and blues singer-guitarist Clarence Spady make their trademark appearances on the record as well.
In approaching the session, Handy recalls, "I realized that two of Jimmy's hits-'The Cat' and 'High Heel Sneakers'-used modified second-line rhythms. A light bulb went off in my head. I said, 'That's it-we'll do a Jimmy Smith record in the second-line vein.' New Orleans is one of the furnaces that jazz comes from, and I saw no need to change my stripes to suit the style."
Nor do Handy's colleagues. Koehler, a Philadelphian, is intimate not only with Smith's entire corpus, but also with the vocabularies of Philly contemporaries Don Patterson, Shirley Scott, and Charles Earland. Handy observes that Chertkoff, who is equally in demand, effectively channels "the mood and vibe of Wes Montgomery, Grant Green, Kenny Burrell, and Quentin Warren," who are among the most eminent of the guitarists who served as Smith's foils during his years with Blue Note and Verve. There is no busier low-end brass player in New York than Gayton, Handy's band mate in the Mingus Big Band since the mid '90s.
"Matt and Kyle serve as the jazz element, keeping us honest as a modern jazz quintet," Handy says. "Clark and the drummers add the second line element, and I straddle both." That's a perfect description of Handy's treatment of the Muddy Waters blues "Got My Mojo Working." Playing drums and washboard, Riley unleashes a relentless quasi-zydeco shuffle as Spady delivers a gritty vocal. Wynton Marsalis counterstates with fierce growls and hollers that coalesce into an inflamed, cogent solo, from which the leader piggybacks into his own soul-drenched declamation.
Riley's Zigaboo Modaliste-meets-Clyde Stubblefield funk beats propel Handy's intense soprano solo on "Mellow Mood" and his tenor statement on "Ready 'N Able," and "I Got Rhythm" line that Smith presented on his 1956 Blue Note debut, A New Sound, A New Star.
Old-school New Orleans comes forth in the tasty press rolls that Jason Marsalis executes with control and taste to animate the classic Ivory Joe Hunter ballad "I Almost Lost My Mind." He also incorporates tambourine into the groove of "Road Song," a Smith-Montgomery classic; enlivens Handy's soulful alto solo on "Organ Grinder's Swing" with inexorable march cadences; and synchronizes the ride cymbal and bass drum swingingly on Stanley Turrentine's "Minor Chant."
"Minor Chant" is one of several homages to Turrentine that Handy offers on Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith. "The older I get, the more I relate to Stanley," Handy says. "Everything he does appeals to me, like I've been walking for 10 miles and there's a water fountain. I have to drink. I liked him from the very beginning, though as a kid I was drawn to Dexter Gordon and John Coltrane, who were playing more straight-ahead bop, although Stanley was no slouch in that department. Things were wide-open in the Bay Area, and the level of musicianship was high. Nobody was saying, 'Here's what you have to do and this is the way you have to do it.' I'm also a product of the funk movement. The Pointer Sisters lived around the corner from my house, and I listened to Sly Stone, Stevie Wonder, Earth, Wind and Fire, and Parliament-Funkadelic as much as jazz."
In a sense, Craig Handy & 2nd Line Smith marks the first time that Handy has coalesced all of these influences into a unified statement. In part, he credits Bridgewater, a frequent employer since 2010, who sings "On The Sunny Side Of The Street" in her inimitably saucy manner: "Playing with Dee Dee, watching her assume a different role for every song, has rubbed off on me," Handy says. "A singer has to sell the song, and Dee Dee becomes that song every time. Ten years ago, I wouldn't have had the chutzpah to pull off this project. I would have been too self-conscious, concerned about how people perceive me. I wasn't musically ready to handle this kind of project, though I've been heading here for 25 years. Now this seems like the hippest thing I've ever done. As long as I stay in the groove of the beat, I can play anything I hear, be it angular or abstract, and it will sound cool over the bands foundation. Just talking about it is making me excited-I can't wait to get to the next gig-we have so much fun on the bandstand!"
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