Journalist,Actor/Poet, Robert J. Carmack sits down for a chat with the powerful Jazz painter, SAM PACE.
COMING IN AUGUST 2018 @ Hipster Sanctuary…
“Fiddler Blue” Not the official title, Just what I call it” -RJ Carmack
Our Newest Contributing Jazz Editor Mr. Eddie Carter of Atlanta..FOLLOW the JAZZTRACKS
Words from Publisher/Founder Robert J. Carmack
“welcome aboard Eddie its good to have your wise advice and keen knowledge when it comes to jazz.” R.J. Carmack
Eddie Carter – Southern Region – Jazz Editor ~ Eddie’s love for jazz began at the age of eight years old and learned all he could about the bands, groups, musicians and vocalists who created the music. He began writing reviews of CD’s and LP’s in 1991 for The Atlanta Audio Society and covered concerts including The Tri-C Jazz Fest, The Cincinnati Music Festival and The Atlanta Jazz Festival for WCLK’s On the Air Magazine and Strictly Jazz Magazine. He currently writes jazz reviews for The Atlanta Audio Club web page and three Facebook pages.
The Jazz Crusaders – Lighthouse ‘68
By Eddie Carter
My choice from the library to talk about this time is by four friends from Houston, Texas who began performing locally in 1956. They were originally known as The Swingsters and The Nite Hawks, but moved to Los Angeles in 1961, changed their name and became one of the best West Coast ensembles of the sixties, The Jazz Crusaders. I first discovered their music in 1962, the year I became a jazz fan thanks to one of my heroes on the airwaves, Chuck Lansing of WCUY 92.3 FM. He began his nightly show with The Young Rabbits, the last track on their second LP, Lookin’ Ahead (PJ-43/ST-43), also released that year. The song became a huge hit for the group and I loved the sound of the trombone-tenor sax front line. The quartet consists of Wayne Henderson on trombone; Wilton Felder on tenor sax; Joe Sample on piano; Stix Hooper on drums with Jimmy Bond, Victor Gaskin, and Herbie Lewis filling the bass chair on their records during the decade. Lighthouse ’68 (ST-10131) documents the group performing live at one of the premiere West Coast clubs, The Lighthouse Café, in business since 1949 and now a multi-genre venue which features jazz twice weekly. The bassist joining the quartet on this date is Buster Williams and my copy used in this report is the original 1968 US Stereo release.
The set opens with Oogo-Boo-Ga-Loo, an infectiously danceable audience grabber by Stix Hooper which begins with a lovely introduction by the trio, then blossoms into a sanctified styled theme treatment. Wilton goes to work first with a soulfully flavored, funky performance that calls to mind the sound of tenor man Willis Jackson and will have you tapping your toes and wanting to get up and dance. Joe takes over for a brief performance of irresistibly appealing phrases on the closer, leading to the theme’s reprise and audience’s appreciative applause. Eleanor Rigby by John Lennon and Paul McCartney is one of The Beatles most famous and recorded compositions. The quintet’s rendition does the song proud with a mid-tempo version which begins with them exploring the melody collectively. Sample is the song’s only soloist and he gives an extended performance of dazzling melodic lines which are consistently creative and exquisitely presented.
The tempo moves up for Native Dancer, the first of two contributions by Buster Williams which gets off to a roaring start with a nimble melody presentation. The aggressive opening statement by Joe moves swiftly through each verse like a musical twister, then comes Wayne who makes his first solo appearance next with a jubilant spirit during his performance which is remarkable. Wilton steps into the spotlight next for a swinging reading of limitless energy. Buster takes over for the finale with a delightful interpretation that is a model of spontaneous construction, showing off his agility as an improviser and extraordinary inspiration as a composer effectively. Sample’s Never Had It So Good starts the second side with an easy spirited beat that leads us back to church with a bit of boogaloo in the imaginative display of harmony during the group’s opening melody. The solo order is Felder, Henderson and Sample, and each man preaches their part of this sermon weaving a series of rhythmic ideas which swing comfortably to the delight of their extended congregation, the Lighthouse audience.
The Emperor, also by Williams takes us back to straightforward bop with the solos in the same order as the previous tune. Wilton starts the soloing with a passionately personal opening statement with each phrase beautifully articulated as he weaves gracefully in unison with the stunning foundation provided by Joe, Buster and Stix. Wayne sustains the relaxing beat with an attractive reading possessing a great amount of warmth and excitement. Joe makes a succinct statement with a full-bodied interpretation of finesse which is skillfully performed. Buster eases into the final interpretation with a performance as mild as a smooth sherry and a sound that goes straight to the heart. The album ends with John Coltrane’s Impressions, taken at breakneck speed with an invigorating introduction by the trio and theme statement led by the horns. Henderson takes off first with a jet-propelled interpretation followed by Felder who infuses the second solo with searing fire for an energetic workout. Sample comes next with an exhilarating performance of fierce intensity and Stix exchanges a few clever comments with both horns prior to the effervescent ending.
Three years after this album was recorded the quintet would shorten its name to The Crusaders, moving towards Jazz-Fusion, Jazz-Funk and Smooth Jazz. Their biggest hit would come four years after Henderson left the group to become a record producer in 1979 with Street Life (MCA Records MCA 3094) featuring Soul vocalist Randy Crawford. The remaining members would stay together until 1983 when Hooper left to pursue a solo career. In 1991, the surviving members Sample and Felder released what would be their final album as The Crusaders, Healing The Wounds (MCA Records 09638 – GRP 9638). In 1995, Wayne Henderson revived The Jazz Crusaders name for a CD-album, Happy Again (Sin-Drome Records SD 8909). Henderson who suffered from diabetes, passed away from heart failure on April 5, 2014 at age seventy-four. Joe Sample passed away five months later on September 12, 2014 from Mesothelioma and Wilton Felder passed away one year later on September 27, 2015 from Multiple myeloma, both were seventy-five years old. Stix Hooper and flutist Hubert Laws who (I didn’t know was a founding member) left the group in 1960 to attend The Juilliard School of Music are the only surviving members of the original group.
Dino Lappas, the engineer on Lighthouse ’68 has also worked on their second live album, Live at The Lighthouse ’66 (PJ-10098/ST-20098); their fourth and final live album, Lighthouse ’69 (World Pacific Jazz – Pacific Jazz ST-20165); The Three Sounds Live at The Lighthouse (BLP 4265/BST 84265) a year earlier in 1967 and also in 1972 on Elvin Jones Live at The Lighthouse (BN-LA015-G) and Grant Green Live at The Lighthouse (BN-LA037-G2) on Blue Note. The sound quality is splendid throughout with plenty of clarity across the frequency band of treble, midrange and bass. This is particularly noticeable with a good set of headphones; the benefit is the richness and detail of each instrument and specifically Buster Williams’ bass which is outstanding. If you only know of this talented group of musicians from their records as The Crusaders, I invite you to audition Lighthouse ’68 during your next vinyl hunt for a spot in your jazz library. The album will transport you back in time to that intimate Hermosa Beach venue, The Lighthouse Café to hear The Jazz Crusaders at the top of their game playing some of the best Hard-Bop and Post-Bop you’ll hear! The last vinyl pressing of Lighthouse ’68 (APBL-2312) was issued by Applause Records in 1982 and is out of print. The CD-album released in 2004 by Pacific Jazz Records adds four additional tracks to the LP track listing, Cathy The Cooker by Wayne Henderson; Shadows by Buster Williams, Tough Talk by Stix Hooper, Joe Sample and Wayne Henderson, and Third Principle by Wilton Felder, and is to my knowledge out of print as well!
Cathy The Cooker, Happy Again, Healing The Wounds, Elvin Jones at The Lighthouse, Grant Green at The Lighthouse, Dino Lappas, Live at The Lighthouse ’66, Lighthouse ’69, Shadows, Street Life, Third Principle, Tough Talk – Source: Discogs.com
Jimmy Bond, Randy Crawford, Wilton Felder, Victor Gaskin, Wayne Henderson, Stix Hooper, Hubert Laws, Herbie Lewis, The Julliard School of Music, Joe Sample
© 2018 by Edward Thomas Carter
I guess it’s always a surprise to find that another year have come and gone, then you realize that it’s not just another year, but a decade has come and left.
I’m not naive to believe time should stand still for me,but I was just reflecting with a good friend of mine, who also grew up in LA ,just like I did, he on the Eastside and me in the Watts section of Los Angeles in the Nickerson Garden Projects from 1960-1967, then in January of 1967 we moved to a house in Compton near Rosecrans and Rose Ave.
I remember the Summer of 1966 like it was only yesterday. School let out for the summer in mid June. Now what was I going to do , I had no job prospects , but I had my Music. at the time, I was playing in a bunch of different bands to keep me busy.One day I was lying on the grass in my backyard when suddenly a bunch of people I knew came by and said, hey! If you want a summer job you better go up to Central and 113th street, They’re handing out jobs, free lunches and you have to be at least 15 to get paid. Since I was turning 16 in August I qualified. So I went up and got me a job working with little kids teaching arts & crafts, and basically baby-sitting some little wild kids that never had anybody pay any attention to them or teach them about the arts, have “RAP sessions about life and just growing pains of “being black” in 1960s LA.. All of this just One year removed from one of the worst riots in 20 years , over 34 dead, thousands arrested and over $40 million in property damage. So all of a sudden, a lot of money was flowing into WATTS in general, but L.A. period. This man name ,Ted Watkins founded this Jobs training and youth program, along with the UAW and U.S.Labor department
Also the local politicians needed to find something to counter-balance what had happened just a year before .(1965 Riots) A cultural committee was established of community people along with clergy and politicians. They came up with a cultural project concept of a Festival that recognized Black people who were doing things in the community. Entertainers provided an artistic contribution and artists painted Murals on old or burnt building. Watkins had a full grassroots youth labor movement to clean up the city with paint, brooms, saws, pitch forks , everybody bought-in to chip-in and clean up the city.
To revitalize the area, abandoned buildings became training centers for adults with no job skills, college students,high school students had jobs, Vets returning from Viet Nam found work. By July ,1966 We had heard a rumour of a planned Parade with a big name Grand Marshall and Queen of the Festival. Ultimately, the Festival Committee selected high-profile individual, Sargent Shriver as Marshall and actress Brenda Sykes as 1966 Queen of WATTS Festival.
I was already excited because we were getting ready to do a show in June at Jefferson High school “Alive and Deprived in 65” was the name of the show that featured Our youth band, saxophonist Curtis Amy quintet with Carmello Garcia on Congo. The great Sam Fletcher vocalist and Gerald Wilson Big Band headlining. That was a really big deal to this 14-year-old saxophonist.
So by the end of July 1966, I had two things going for me, I was going to be involved with the very first WATTS Festival, just 12 months after the whole town was in flames. The youth jazz band was appointed by Gerald Wilson to “open” for the Sunday afternoon program of Jazz under the Big Tent in Will Rogers park , Yay!! That was exciting. but I also worked for WLCAC as an art instructor, and they had selected some of my work on Patio furniture made out of old Redwood logs and broken pieces. Myself and two other youngsters my age had formed this company called CHB ENTERPRISES, a teen company. Our work was so good it was selected to appear on the WCLAC float in the parade. We had previously appeared on a local (KTTV) channel, Louis Lomax TV show, mainly because we were denied entrance into the Junior Achievement organization, a national youth business enterprises organization founded to encourage youth to explore business enterprises. They were racist and we exposed them on TV. One year later we got an offer to join them, but we refused and moved on, with dignity intact.
So with all the excitement of being in the very first Festival almost over-whelming to say the least. Two weeks away from the beginning of the new Festival, another rumour started. The new sensational musician that was making waves in the jazz field and on the radio with his new jazz sound on trumpet.
A South African musician named, Hugh Masakela was revising Herbie Hancock’s Cantaloupe Island hit on record. Radio stations could not stop playing this guy’s music from an album entitled, The Americanization of OOGA-BOOGA. Man! did this guy really dominate on radio.. more than Miles Davis, more than Coltrane , more than anybody else on radio including rotation on R&B stations too. He was slated to perform a concert to open up the whole festival on a Friday night at LA Jordan High school. Tickets sold out so fast, I never got a chance to buy any. Its been a major part of the folkloric legacy of the very first WATTS Festival.
The Hugh Masakela Group consisted of Masakela on Trumpet/Flugelhorn/vocals, Larry Willis piano, Henry Franklin Bass, Henry Jenkins Drums and Big Black percussion. Over the years I have either met, or interviewed some of the band members. Most recently over the last two years, I’ve met and befriended Big Black, a tremendous percussionist. I always admired and respected his playing. he’s still active as a musician. (Shown in the picture below) I ran into him on a gig with his old friend and former bandmate, Henry Franklin in Riverside, California.They both sounded very strong some 50 years later. I sometimes wish I had a time machine, since I don’t…I just use the 2nd best method, MUSIC. It always bring you back and take you there too. what a lifetime of great memories through music and travel..the window to my soul.
posted by blues2jazzguy Robert J. Carmack
Recently at the jazz club Catalina’s in Hollywood California, a crowd of fans, former schoolmates, neighbors, teachers all came together for a reunion concert by The Harold Johnson Sextet. Johnson is an accomplished producer,writer and arranger whose Jazz group kicked off their early music careers with a “hit album” right out the gate in House on Elm Street released in 1967..the album was not only popular in Los Angeles which is Harold’s native city,but it enjoyed heavy rotation on Jazz and soul radio stations all over California and beyond.
The Reunion concert was an idea spawned from the latest CD released by Harold Johnson Sextet entitled, “Back on Elm Street” Reunion, featuring some of the original members of the band . David Crawford on Flute, and hit-songwriter,producer and highly sought after drummer, Leon Ndugu Chanceler.
Rounding out the Reunion band’s personnel ; Munyungo Jackson Percussionist, Welton Gite Bass, Gemi Taylor Guitar, The Vincent Sisters vocals and Olivia Reese vocals.
There was a particular buzz in the room as the swelling audience began to feel the electricity of the evening that was building as the show’s Master of Ceremonies, Robert J. Carmack , founder and editor of Hipster Sanctuary.Com began to warm up the audience with a little welcome cheer.
After the introduction of Harold Johnson ,the bandleader appeared alone on stage at the piano and began the evening’s festivities with a gospel-tinged solo composition, Pass It On. Johnson then started into another fanfare piece as he brought on-stage each member of the band and vocalists. Upon the first few notes the audience recognized the popular and finger-poppin’ melody of House on Elm Street title-track with original member David Crawford lit into swirling trills,grace-notes and sweet arpeggios on Flute. Crawford’s solo was followed up by the leader Harold Johnson on Electric piano. Over 40 of Harold Johnson’s songs have been recorded by major hit-makers over the years like LTD, Diana Ross, Stephanie Mills, Dennis Edwards,Thelma Houston,Jeffrey Osbourne, OJays,Temptations and many more.
We were entertained with a trip down memory lane of jazz and R&B songs from the many hits he wrote for other artists. He also introduced us to cuts from the new CD, BACK ON ELM STREET REUNION, “Main Squeeze” and “Til’ We Meet Again”. In addition to a reunion of band mates were local school alumni who attended school with Harold Johnson or his band personnel.
I spoke with Johnson about future projects plans and actions, he mentioned that He’s already in motion for a “Back On Elm Street Reunion Volume 2. we can hardly wait.
For More information or you want to purchase go to http://www.cdbaby.com and search
Harold Johnson Sextet-Back On Elm Street Reunion.
With all the remakes, and first time Bio-pics being produced at an alarming rate, where is the quality to match the numbers that’s’ due out and those yet to be made? MY VOTE is for Nat King Cole, the Man, musician,singer, husband and parent. I want to know when will we see the NAT KING COLE story? I can give a ton of personal reasons I want to see this film on the screen,but Here’s a couple universal reasons everyone should want to see this project brought to fruition. Some background on Nat: Born March 17, 1919, in Montgomery, Alabama. Nat King Cole first came to prominence as a jazz pianist.
In 1956, Nat became the first African-American performer to host a variety television series, and for many white families, he was the first black man welcomed into their living rooms each nigh
The Early Years
Known for his smooth and well-articulated vocal style, Nat King Cole actually started out as a piano man. He first learned to play around the age of 4 with help from his mother, a church choir director. The son of a Baptist pastor, He started out playing religious music. In his early teens, Cole had formal classical piano training. He eventually abandoned classical for his other musical passion—jazz. Earl Hines, a leader of modern jazz, was one of Nat’s biggest inspirations. At 15, he dropped out of school to become a jazz pianist full-time. Cole joined forces with his brother Eddie for a time, which led to his first professional recordings in 1936. He later joined a national tour for musical revue “Shuffle Along” by Eubie Blake, performing as a pianist. 1937, Cole started to put together what would become the King Cole Trio, the name being a play on the children’s nursery rhyme. They toured extensively and hit the charts in 1943 with “That Ain’t Right,” penned by Cole. “Straighten Up and Fly Right,” inspired by one of his father’s sermons, becoming a hit for the group in 1944. The trio continued its rise to the top with such pop hits as the holiday classic “The Christmas Song” and the ballad “(I Love You) For Sentimental Reasons.”
Well In my Opinion, The fact that the record company, Capitol was never the same after signing Nat Cole in 1943. That reason alone is a great story. The long and phenomenal ride at the top of the charts over the many decades leading up to and beyond his death in 1965 from cancer.
In August 1948, Cole purchased a house from Col. Harry Gantz, the former husband of Lois Weber, in the all-white Hancock Park neighborhood of Los Angeles. The Ku Klux Klan, still active in Los Angeles well into the 1950s, responded by placing a burning cross on his front lawn. Members of the property-owners association told Cole they did not want any undesirables moving in. Cole retorted, “Neither do I. And if I see anybody undesirable coming in here, I’ll be the first to complain”
WHO WOULD YOU LIKE TO SEE PORTRAY NAT COLE? send us your response! Here at http://www.hipstersanctuary.com
BENEATH THE SPIN Posted by Eric L. Wattree via #blues2jazzguy
I went to Shelly’s Manhole with some older brothers to see Thelonious Monk one night, and I noticed that Monk kept looking over at me as he was playing. It made me nervous because I was under age and I thought he was gonna give me up and tell ’em to kick me out. They already knew me at the clubs around town. I knew damn near every waitress in this city. Sometimes they’d let me stay, and other times they’d kick me out – I never did figure out what made the difference. And they’d never serve me drinks, so I’d have to order something non-alcoholic and bring my own. But I wanted to be accepted as a sophisticated adult more than anything in life, so sometime I’d put the bass in my voice and try to casually order Scotch on the rocks. But the waitress would just look at me sideways like, “You’re lucky I’m letting you stay here, so don’t push it, buddy.” 
. One or two of the waitresses who’d been around for a while knew my mother when she was working as a greeter at Dynamite Jackson’s, and I think they put the word out on me. So they’d tolerate me, but they just wouldn’t let me be the man who I wanted to be so desperately, because I wasn’t. It’s sort of funny when I look back on it. Had I been sophisticated enough to know what adulthood actually entailed, I would have been more desperate to hold on to those precious years than was I to become an adult. . So I just kept coming back and braving the humiliation, because from the time I was 12 years old I loved everything, and everybody, associated with jazz. I got that gene from my father. As I’ve said many times before, my father thought the only reason the Sun came up was to keep Bird’s reeds warm. I had to fight the preacher at his funeral to have Jackie McLean playing “Love and Hate” in the background. I told the preacher if they don’t have jazz in Heaven, the Pearly Gates would constitute the entrance to Hell for my father. The irony was, when I was done reading the eulogy that I’d written for my father (Blues For Mr. C), with Jackie Playing softly in the background, that very same preacher came up to me and asked me for a copy. 
. On that particular night, however, after his first set, Monk walked up to me and TOLD me, “Come with me.” He took me back to the musician’s lounge where Nelly was, and asked, “Who does he remind you of?” And she said, “TOOTIE!” – Monk’s son. . He saw me as a young wide-eyed joke, and I was. I was 16 and on a roll (I had just seen John Coltrane a couple of weeks earlier). Monk asked me, “What you know about jazz, boy?” And I started telling him about all the urban legends that I’d heard about him. As he was listening intently to one of my stories he asked me, “Damn! What did I do then!!!?” You have to know how Monk was to know why I look back on that as being so funny, because he was dead serious. He got into the story like I was telling him a story about someone else. I never did find out whether the story was true or not. But When I was done, he told his wife, Nelly, “Shit, he knows more about me than I do,” and they started laughing’ their asses off. . I spent that entire night with them, because I was so young that Nelly was worried that I was gonna be picked up by one of those,”Hollywood perverts.” Monk told Nelly, “Shit,who you should be worried about is (Blank)? ” – his drummer (I’m not gonna give his name because he’s famous and he’s never been outed as gay). But for the rest of the night I sat in the front row next to Nelly, and after the gig I went to their hotel room with them and we grubbed and talked. I told him how I planned on becoming a great saxophone player someday, and I asked him everything I could think of about Bird. I remember him telling me, “Naw, you don’t want to be Bird, unless you like bein’ broke. How much money you got?” I had about five dollars in my pocket. And he said, “Shit, you already richer than Bird was half the time,” and then started laughing’. Nelly said, “Don’t say that, T!” They dropped me off at my mother’s door just as the Sun was coming up. It was a night I will never forget. 
. After that episode, the OGs made me a celebrity in the hood. I’ve never had that much attention before, or since. I had attracted the interest of THELONIOUS MONK. EVERYBODY wanted to know EVERY detail of what went down, and every detail about Monk that they could get – everybody, including Jimmy, the brilliant dope fiend that my father had hired to teach me to play the saxophone. There are a lot of details that I’ve left out of this story, and I remember every detail like it happened last night, but I do intend to write about it, and every nuance of that great man in the most minute detail in the near future, because it’s of historic significance. People STILL don’t realize how great that man was. You can listen to “Ruby My Dear,” or “Round Midnight,” and they constitute a MASTER’S CLASS on what contemporary music is all about. I could appreciate that even back then. So I thank God that I had the sense to know that I was in the presence of immortality. . I also intend to write about an entire New Years weekend that I spent with Dexter Gordon during the 70s. He grew up two blocks from my mother and they both went to Jefferson High School here in Los Angeles. She graduated; he went on the road with Lionel Hampton at 17 years old. During that weekend Dex made a passing comment regarding how I idolized him that ended up becoming the guiding philosophy of my life – “Learn to become your own hero, because you’re the only one who won’t let you down.” He also told me, “Whenever you hear me play a lick, your very first thought should be about how you could go about playing it better.” He was right, and that was the key to his greatness. Lester Young was his main man, and you could hear Lester in him, but he wasn’t Lester – he was Dexter, and nobody did it better. But he was wrong about one thing. He never did let me down. He blew the lights out until his very last breath. But I’ve taken him at his word, nevertheless, and he became my last hero. That’s turned me into a severe cynic over the years, and that very cynicism has been of tremendous value to me as a writer. I don’t trust the word of nobody, so I start off every piece I write by probing for lies.
