Wednesday, February 13, 2013
Jack Straw Supports Project
Saturday, February 9, 2013
1989 Interview 4
JB: I remember Jim Wilke at the Penthouse when 'Trane was playing there. And so he said, "It sounds like he's angry to me." And then I said, "Well no, It's not anger... I think what happens is you're coming from a perception of where you are at the moment." Because some people may look at that music as hostile.
PdeB: Oh a lot of people do. I remember.
JB: Cat's were slobbering and whatever else you know. But those guys were pretty mad. No, but what you're trying to do is you reach another state of consciousness and you try to do, and somehow--maybe you take out of body. You just created the fullest of your thing. And it's really enjoyable. It's not painful. I mean you're in a state of being where you're really exhilarated. You enjoy what you're doing, at least as far as what I can kind of felt myself. And so, it may appear because of the strive in whatever you're doing--you're reminiscing and looking strange, and to that it seems like pain to some other people outside. Because 'Do we feel pain when we do that?' but no. It's no pain at all. It's maybe a striving to do better. Because I think 'Trane and Dizzy and Miles are trying to reach a certain sound that will reach a center of consciousness that will make people more aware, more friendly, better universally--at least in the country a little better. So I think that was really the motivation for them doing some of the things they were doing. You look at Albert Ayler in Mozambique done that kind of thing. And probably any musician who's really into his music that way--even guys like Bary Harris and Tommy Flanagan.
PdeB: But you were one of the people who brought that consciousness here. It's real clear to me.
JB: I wasn't aware of that. That's the first time I've heard of that. I mean I never even thought about that.
PdeB: That music could heighten your consciousness and that it was really a concentrated effort to do that. I'm curious...
JB: I never knew that.
PdeB: Oh a lot of people do. I remember.
JB: Cat's were slobbering and whatever else you know. But those guys were pretty mad. No, but what you're trying to do is you reach another state of consciousness and you try to do, and somehow--maybe you take out of body. You just created the fullest of your thing. And it's really enjoyable. It's not painful. I mean you're in a state of being where you're really exhilarated. You enjoy what you're doing, at least as far as what I can kind of felt myself. And so, it may appear because of the strive in whatever you're doing--you're reminiscing and looking strange, and to that it seems like pain to some other people outside. Because 'Do we feel pain when we do that?' but no. It's no pain at all. It's maybe a striving to do better. Because I think 'Trane and Dizzy and Miles are trying to reach a certain sound that will reach a center of consciousness that will make people more aware, more friendly, better universally--at least in the country a little better. So I think that was really the motivation for them doing some of the things they were doing. You look at Albert Ayler in Mozambique done that kind of thing. And probably any musician who's really into his music that way--even guys like Bary Harris and Tommy Flanagan.
PdeB: But you were one of the people who brought that consciousness here. It's real clear to me.
JB: I wasn't aware of that. That's the first time I've heard of that. I mean I never even thought about that.
PdeB: That music could heighten your consciousness and that it was really a concentrated effort to do that. I'm curious...
JB: I never knew that.
1989 Interview 3
JB: Now, 'Live in Seattle' I'm not sure when that was recorded. What I mean by that is we were playing the same way all week. I had sat in with 'Trane during the entire week. Because 'Trane stayed with me in Detroit when he first got his band together. And I gave him a map to get to California. At the time he had McCoy Tyner on piano, Steve Davis, I think playing drums and Reggie Workman was playing bass...
In the meantime, before that, several times he'd come through with Miles. We'd hang out, share, talk and discuss music. We traded a lot of ideas. Usually four or five of us saxophone players would get together. It'd be Yusef, Joe Henderson, myself, Cokie Winfrey and 'Trane. And we'd just practice and whatever and share ideas. 'Trane was always absorbing as well as giving. He was very open, and he was also in focus and tell you what he's doing. You asked him what are you doing. He was like learning. In a sense not so much learning but absorbing, we'll say, as much as he was sharing. He was a guy who relentlessly practiced. He practiced six, seven, eight hours a day.
PdeB: So when he came out here, he was staying with you.
JB: A couple of times. Yes. Sometimes he came with bands. When he came with Miles, he stayed with the band or stayed with the hotel. We'd just get together. When he came out with his own band, then he stayed with me.
PdeB: And that was that week at the Penthouse.
JB: Ummmm. No, no, no, no. When I say stayed with me, I'm talking about Detroit.
PdeB: Oh! Okay. I'm sorry.
JB: I do that sometimes too. I'll get on the microphone. Instead of Detroit--even though I call myself staying one year, I don't know if I've ever made the shift yet. It's really kind of strange.
PdeB: So out here how did the session come together?
JB: Oh. The 'Live in Seattle' thing. I think what had happened is that were reading the _____. I had about 10 versions of the Bhagavad Gita. And 'Trane was interested in some of those versions that I had. I never did know really what his background was as far as studying a bit of philosophies and religion, but we started chanting 'Om' one day, at the gig on this 'Om' we were playing. We had two bass players at the time. It was a guy in Chicago. I can't think of the player. He's kind of and avant-guard player too.
PdeB: It's ah...it's ah...oh, and he also had two names.
JB: Right. He had another name too. Played clarinet a little bit. I can't even think of his name. But anyway we-- of course Elvin and Jimmy Garrison. Donald Garrett.
PdeB: There we go. Garrett.
JB: Donald Garrett. We had two bass players, a drummer plus McCoy, 'Trane and myself, and Pharoah Sanders was also on the gig. So, just during the week--I'd pretty much sit in most of that week. He invited me up. Now talking about avant-guard playing, which we were kind of doing at that time; there were sounds at least. And I really didn't know what I was doing. I'm trying to play new. 'Trane said, 'Oh wow! You sound just like we do.' And I said, 'Not to me.' But I did a couple of just my own recordings. I think I may have some tapes somewhere. But I didn't even know that was being recorded for a recording then. So somebody just either took some recordings or did some recordings live at the club.But is was similar to Om. That was done in Woodinville, Washington. It was the only guy, at that time, who had some kind of recording studio. In other words, the big studios that were downtown didn't exist at that time. _____ was looking for a place to record, and I don't know how we found the place. I can't even think of the guy's name.
PdeB: I've talked to him. He lives up in Everett now.
JB: But I think his record was done...
PdeB: Was it Woodinville? I don't know.
JB: It was someplace up in Washington.
PdeB: Or Lynnwood.
JB: Lynnwood! Maybe it was Lynnwood. But he had a little garage or something. He had set up a big room and had all these little mics and stuff. We went out there to record. In fact we rode out in a Chrysler, because I drove out here. My old Imperial. The thing that's kind of interesting, the door had a real loud squeak on it. You open it, errrr. Needed oiling I guess. And 'Trane loved the sound of that squeak. He was thinking at one time to running a microphone out and have somebody just opening and closing that door while we were recording. But we never did it. But somehow he was fascinated by the sound of that door. Errrrr.
In the meantime, before that, several times he'd come through with Miles. We'd hang out, share, talk and discuss music. We traded a lot of ideas. Usually four or five of us saxophone players would get together. It'd be Yusef, Joe Henderson, myself, Cokie Winfrey and 'Trane. And we'd just practice and whatever and share ideas. 'Trane was always absorbing as well as giving. He was very open, and he was also in focus and tell you what he's doing. You asked him what are you doing. He was like learning. In a sense not so much learning but absorbing, we'll say, as much as he was sharing. He was a guy who relentlessly practiced. He practiced six, seven, eight hours a day.
PdeB: So when he came out here, he was staying with you.
JB: A couple of times. Yes. Sometimes he came with bands. When he came with Miles, he stayed with the band or stayed with the hotel. We'd just get together. When he came out with his own band, then he stayed with me.
PdeB: And that was that week at the Penthouse.
JB: Ummmm. No, no, no, no. When I say stayed with me, I'm talking about Detroit.
PdeB: Oh! Okay. I'm sorry.
JB: I do that sometimes too. I'll get on the microphone. Instead of Detroit--even though I call myself staying one year, I don't know if I've ever made the shift yet. It's really kind of strange.
PdeB: So out here how did the session come together?
JB: Oh. The 'Live in Seattle' thing. I think what had happened is that were reading the _____. I had about 10 versions of the Bhagavad Gita. And 'Trane was interested in some of those versions that I had. I never did know really what his background was as far as studying a bit of philosophies and religion, but we started chanting 'Om' one day, at the gig on this 'Om' we were playing. We had two bass players at the time. It was a guy in Chicago. I can't think of the player. He's kind of and avant-guard player too.
PdeB: It's ah...it's ah...oh, and he also had two names.
JB: Right. He had another name too. Played clarinet a little bit. I can't even think of his name. But anyway we-- of course Elvin and Jimmy Garrison. Donald Garrett.
PdeB: There we go. Garrett.
JB: Donald Garrett. We had two bass players, a drummer plus McCoy, 'Trane and myself, and Pharoah Sanders was also on the gig. So, just during the week--I'd pretty much sit in most of that week. He invited me up. Now talking about avant-guard playing, which we were kind of doing at that time; there were sounds at least. And I really didn't know what I was doing. I'm trying to play new. 'Trane said, 'Oh wow! You sound just like we do.' And I said, 'Not to me.' But I did a couple of just my own recordings. I think I may have some tapes somewhere. But I didn't even know that was being recorded for a recording then. So somebody just either took some recordings or did some recordings live at the club.But is was similar to Om. That was done in Woodinville, Washington. It was the only guy, at that time, who had some kind of recording studio. In other words, the big studios that were downtown didn't exist at that time. _____ was looking for a place to record, and I don't know how we found the place. I can't even think of the guy's name.
PdeB: I've talked to him. He lives up in Everett now.
JB: But I think his record was done...
PdeB: Was it Woodinville? I don't know.
JB: It was someplace up in Washington.
PdeB: Or Lynnwood.
JB: Lynnwood! Maybe it was Lynnwood. But he had a little garage or something. He had set up a big room and had all these little mics and stuff. We went out there to record. In fact we rode out in a Chrysler, because I drove out here. My old Imperial. The thing that's kind of interesting, the door had a real loud squeak on it. You open it, errrr. Needed oiling I guess. And 'Trane loved the sound of that squeak. He was thinking at one time to running a microphone out and have somebody just opening and closing that door while we were recording. But we never did it. But somehow he was fascinated by the sound of that door. Errrrr.
1989 Interview 2
"You see, at one point I was really an intense researcher. Most of it was Detroit work. You take Barry Harris. He used to listen to records for hours and hours and hours trying to figure out his ____ lick. Of course, myself, I'm listening to Charlie Parker or whoever. We would memorize every song, just from 78 records. From that you would figure out what the chord changes were. And that was it. You just did it yourself. Now from that we might write it down, we might not.
"So everyone became that kind of researcher. When I met Frank [Gant] sometime later on, like he used to come hang out in the basement. In fact he met Joe Henderson there. He me Cokie and a whole bunch of cats. Whenever I had these sessions the ____ would come out there. Everybody would come by and hear _____, or play. Sonny Redd and all those cats.
"I remember Donald Byrd showing up, 'Joe, don't ____ to take them tunes up too much.' He used to play it like me too. Around Detroit. Donald.
"What would happen is that everybody gets a chance to hear 'Trane or hear whoever--Freddie Hubbard or _____ national known. Freddie was but Donald Byrd wasn't. All the local guys get a chance to hear the national guys, but sometimes national guys get the local guys.
"So when 'Trane came in and had one session in my pad, the next day he came by, 'Did you tape that last night?' I've been taping since 1955. I've got tapes of Clifford Brown. Probably the last thing he did before he died. We had the same kind of machine--work horse... END OF SIDE 2, TAPE 1 OF 3
"So everyone became that kind of researcher. When I met Frank [Gant] sometime later on, like he used to come hang out in the basement. In fact he met Joe Henderson there. He me Cokie and a whole bunch of cats. Whenever I had these sessions the ____ would come out there. Everybody would come by and hear _____, or play. Sonny Redd and all those cats.
"I remember Donald Byrd showing up, 'Joe, don't ____ to take them tunes up too much.' He used to play it like me too. Around Detroit. Donald.
"What would happen is that everybody gets a chance to hear 'Trane or hear whoever--Freddie Hubbard or _____ national known. Freddie was but Donald Byrd wasn't. All the local guys get a chance to hear the national guys, but sometimes national guys get the local guys.
"So when 'Trane came in and had one session in my pad, the next day he came by, 'Did you tape that last night?' I've been taping since 1955. I've got tapes of Clifford Brown. Probably the last thing he did before he died. We had the same kind of machine--work horse... END OF SIDE 2, TAPE 1 OF 3
Saturday, February 2, 2013
1989 Interview
Paul DeBarros interviewed Joe Brazil for Jackson Street After Hours. A transcript by Carmen Jones contains information about Brazil's Detroit home where musicians congregated.
"From playing with all the different Detroit musicians, my home became a mecca for a lot of... it was just an idea I had... I grew up in a poor area.. ghetto area around what you call downtown Detroit. In the 1940's when I got out ot service with my G.I. Bill, I bought a home out in the area... We were the first Black family in that block. In fact, we got a lot of hate letters. No so much directed at us, but just... as Blacks moving into the neighborhood or something like that. Knock on the door. And so we'd read it. I was about 21 or 22 at the time when I bought my first home, and it was just for my mom and my brother. We all moved together.
"Anyway, out of that house became an area where a lot of jazz artists... it was something I had in my mind that I wanted to build a studio. Which I did eventually, in my basement. It wasn't really a studio. It was just like a place to kind of... But I had this baby grand piano and kind of like a bandstand kind of thing. And everybody used to come there and just play.
"My mom passed away. My brother moved out. So I just had this house to myself. A lot of musicians moved in with me during this period of time. They could be down on their luck or whatever, so I just always had musicians come live there. Sometimes they paid a little rent... mowed the yard or whatever.
"So Paul Chambers stayed with me for a long time, and 'Cokie' Winfrey -- somebody you probably never heard of. Ollie Jackson -- you might have heard of him, a bass player. And many more people throughout the years. But those are the ones that come to mind at the moment."
"From playing with all the different Detroit musicians, my home became a mecca for a lot of... it was just an idea I had... I grew up in a poor area.. ghetto area around what you call downtown Detroit. In the 1940's when I got out ot service with my G.I. Bill, I bought a home out in the area... We were the first Black family in that block. In fact, we got a lot of hate letters. No so much directed at us, but just... as Blacks moving into the neighborhood or something like that. Knock on the door. And so we'd read it. I was about 21 or 22 at the time when I bought my first home, and it was just for my mom and my brother. We all moved together.
"Anyway, out of that house became an area where a lot of jazz artists... it was something I had in my mind that I wanted to build a studio. Which I did eventually, in my basement. It wasn't really a studio. It was just like a place to kind of... But I had this baby grand piano and kind of like a bandstand kind of thing. And everybody used to come there and just play.
"My mom passed away. My brother moved out. So I just had this house to myself. A lot of musicians moved in with me during this period of time. They could be down on their luck or whatever, so I just always had musicians come live there. Sometimes they paid a little rent... mowed the yard or whatever.
"So Paul Chambers stayed with me for a long time, and 'Cokie' Winfrey -- somebody you probably never heard of. Ollie Jackson -- you might have heard of him, a bass player. And many more people throughout the years. But those are the ones that come to mind at the moment."
Wednesday, November 7, 2012
John Handy with Joe Brazil in 1978
Tuesday, November 6, 2012
Black Academy of Music Workshops
The Black Academy of Music presented many workshops with name musicians:
1972 McCoy Tyner, Eddie Harris, Archie Shepp, Herbie Hancock
04/09/74 Donald
Byrd
06/15/74 Gary
Bartz
06/21/74 Stanley
07/22/74 Stanley
07/27/74 Cannonball
Adderley
08/24/74 Elvin
Jones
10/12/74 Dizzy
Gillespie
1972 McCoy Tyner, Eddie Harris, Archie Shepp, Herbie Hancock
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