Jazz for aficionados

"A player who didn't get his due"

If you didn't want to play the normal game, move to New York, and tour, you would be unavailable to play when people needed a musician. We would not know who Pepper Adams was, because he was in Alabama. Any time you are "not available ", people think of who is available, and the great player in Alabama is forgotten, except to aficionados.

A couple of local legends from the Dallas area, who would fit this criteria would be Big Al Dupree and Marchel Ivery. I would add James Clay but, he missed a lot of time for drug use. Same out of mind situation, but different reason. This is just this one area.

I will close my coffee rant with a question. What would have happened to Ornette Coleman if he stayed in Fort Worth?

A story to support Frogman and O10,

When I was younger, I taught myself how to play the tenor sax. Not very good, but I loved to play. I rejected the whole playing in cords idea, because I was free to play what I wanted (BS). I could play all kinds of patterns, because my mind saw math when I played, and it sounded ok, by myself. When I tried to play with anyone else the free idea did not work. I played for my family and friends a few times and they did not get it.

I , suddenly lost any desire to play and never played again. My friends and family now talk about how good I was, and with out playing anymore, l get better every year.

I think by the time I die, I will be a legend. 😂

Accounting for the universal truth that there are exceptions to every rule, what would have happened to Ornette is that he probably would not have become what he did as an artist. Why? Because greatness doesn't happen in a vacuum. A musician needs to be where he is going to get his ass kicked and being a big fish in a small pond is seldom the way. No one is saying that there aren't really good players in smaller towns. We love our local heroes and many are really good players who could probably reach even higher levels of ability if they were in an environment where they weren't the best player in town and where the scene is so vibrant that creativity is inspired. Imo, we tend to romanticize their place in the grand scheme of things. Good players, yes, some of whom could be one of the pool of really good players in scenes like NY, LA, Chicago etc.; but, players like Pepper Adams or Ornette are at the very top of the heap (in very different ways; duh). Players of that caliber usually feel that that HAVE to be in a place where they can grow; it's not an option for them. Imo, that hunger also says something about their potential. IMO.

Thanks for the nice personal story.

'The idea of forgotten player' is a thought that comes to me quite often, more so when man digs deep into world of jazz. Aldo Frogmans explanation is quite logical, my personal perspective is somehow different, and I would like to share some thoghts on that matter. One thing that remains unknown to me is a question if somebody was 'the player' during some specific time, and later, during time and with a lack of interest for jazz music in general, faded into oblivion, or maybe one was never at all under the spotlight. For those informations I would appreciate the thoughts of ones whe were the witnesses of that time, like O-10. The obvious fact is that even the 'wellknown' figures led a hard life, and numerous others who perhaps were equally good players, never made it, for one reason or another, and that happend more often than is possible to blame on someones lack of musical expertise. So, I would like to start a discussion about it, and will post few clips, with players who are not so 'popular'. (guess that word popular is oximoron in jazz)
Todays start, will begin with few guitar players

Thornel Schwartz, recorded many early albums with Jimmy Smith, and with other great organists as well. Made only one album as a leader, as far as I know.

https://youtu.be/8tgpOBAZ1hE

Ray Crawford, played with Ahmed Jamal trio, with Jimmy Smith as well, and so on, again, only one album as leader

https://youtu.be/fka0tp0WGPs

How about Dempsey Wright? I think the west coast guys on this record would not keep him company if he is no good.

https://youtu.be/Y96sawbRZe0

Skeeter Best? Eddie McFaden? No albums at all, and yet, great players. Imho the list is long. Looking forward to hear some other suggestions

Alex, thanks for the clips and for sharing your thoughts. Some more of mine:

Context, context, context. Very important when trying to find answers to your interesting questions. Btw, I think it's wonderful for music lovers to look at these issues; puts the work of favorite artists in a better perspective and gives more insight into the music.

Something that isn't always given enough scrutiny when looking for answers to these questions is the role of the producer. Every recording lists a producer. He is often the guy that says: "Hey, I know this good, or promising young guitar player. I want to record him. I think I will hire so and so to back him up on the record"; or, even, "Hey, Milt Jackson is really hot right now. Pablo records has him on contract. My label Slick Records doesn't have a vibes player on the roster. Who can I get to fill that slot and capitalize on the current listener interest in the vibraphone?". Given the relatively short supply of jazz vibraphonists, he may end up recording a second tier vibes player. The point is that simply because a player has a record contract or records with top tier players does not automatically mean that he, himself, is a top tier player. I know it takes a bit of the romance out of it, but most of even the top players are "guns for hire". Of course, the great ones will not play for a lame "leader"; but, that leader may sometimes not be on the same level as his sidemen.

I cannot think of one single example of a player who was "the one" and then simply disappeared from the jazz scene. Sure, new players and new styles come along and supplant, in general level of popularity, the older player. But, any player who is "the one" will have, by definition, a substantial body of recorded work and that will live on; in the context of general declining interest in the art form. Example: Joe Lovano is probably "the one" right now in the tenor saxophone world. Does that mean that Sonny Rollins (who is still alive and playing) has been forgotten? I don't think so! Re your clips:

When you refer to these players as "equally as good" as the high profile players, what higher profile players are you referring to?

Thornell Schwartz. My first thought was, here we go again, nice and easy twelve bar blues. Says little about the player's range. Even in that context, and compared to someone like Kenny Burrell, a mediocre player. And that tenor player!? Ouch!! Sorry.

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=dIZQYzQoruc

Ray Crawford. Nice player. Still, compared to, say, George Benson or Wes Montgomery? Not quite.

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?list=PL8DB57484F40BBCC3&v=SLG2ssX2oto

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=AbXHRF8D7ag

Dempsey Wright. Best of the three by a long shot; albeit in a very different style. Very nice player. Still, compared to Joe Pass or Herb Ellis and, well.....

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=_RPkohp10EQ

Speaking of the twelve bar blues:

https://m.youtube.com/#/watch?v=3muZKOxqtGU

Debate is a good thing. I'll stick to my contention that, by and large, there is usually a real reason that most players who are forgotten are forgotten and some remain in the limelight (or in record collections).