During the out chorus there are spots where he uses bass drum prominently. There’s also a fill where I hear at least one Tom-tom (maybe two). During the ending I hear a crash cymbal, and at the very end I hear him playing hi hat and playing what sounds like a crash and hitting a ride cymbal. All of that adds up to a full drum kit. 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks to both of you, I have added info about Roy Haynes's set and removed the comment about the incomplete set. Look again please. THANK YOU ANDREW and GLENN!
Very nice recording, and fine restoration job by Mr. Accardi.
A note about the technology and the need to synchronized the sound from the left and right heads. Modern stereo tape heads were built as a pair within the same block, but before stereo recording became common, machines were built with two heads, staggered from each other along the tape path. Unless you have the machine in which the tape was recorded, or have detailed knowledge of the head spacing, it takes a combination of great musical ears and use of electronic instrumentation, in addition to the editing software capable of moving one track with respect to the other.
Bert Whyte used such a machine specially built by his employer to record the Kenton band at the Blue Note in September 1952 with a spaced pair of world class Neumann microphones.. Because he was running at a fast tape speed to maximize quality, the edited recording was only 27 minutes, but the sound quality is spectacular, and the band is full of future stars.
Wally Heider, just starting to learn live recording, very prolifically recorded almost anything worthwhile he could find in the '50s, beginning in 1952. I've collected more than 100 CDs, nearly all of them bootlegs, culminating in his recordings of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band. The first of his stereo recordings that I've found were done in November 1956 of the Kenton band in one of the later nights of a long run in San Francisco. It's particularly interesting because Pepper Adams was on the band and playing so great that some of the band's soloists were giving him their solos.
Thanks for clarifying this trchnical issue I was wondering about since my 1964 tape recorder has two channel stereo heads in no need of synchronization.
Yes, I did not explain the technical details, but I can tell you that on all these tapes, when played back on a more modern tape deck, you can hear a definite delay between the left and right channels. It sounds like an echo and I could not have posted it without the corrections of Accardi. Thank you Jim and Bo!
The reel-to-reel enthusiasts may be interested in reading about an afternoon I spent in the company of Jack Towers, an audio engineer who had recorded live jazz at clubs, WWII era and after, with top quality microphones and recording gear. Late 1970's Jack invited me and a couple of other jazz friends to his Maryland home to hear vintage jazz not widely available or unreleased. He had recently finished remastering his Ellington at Fargo recording (1940) about to be released by Book-of-the-Month Club. The band was a bit rough with some new hires, but some versions of Ellington's best tunes are actually more musical than the studio recordings of a few months previous. At intermission close friends Ben Webster and Jimmy Blanton asked Jack to record them together, an impromptu 6 minutes on "I Can't Get Started" or similar ballad. I understand that duet became Webster's own favorite recording.
Columbia Records had recently cleaned out a storage room, turned over a box of
leftover tapes Jack had been sifting through including 15 minutes of Ellington meandering at the piano (studio chatter in the background) tentatively starting new motifs with a couple of chords, sometimes developing threads, sometimes not. Not suitable for commercial release, but real moments of creativity.
Jack didn't really like bebop, but he was currently working on some low-fi Charlie Parker remotes he'd been sent (maybe the Savoys or the Benedetti's). The late 70's was just before the beginning of the digital sound age. He demonstrated a meticulous "de-ticking" process he had invented to cut down on surface noise. Zeroing in on the exact physical spot of a click on the tape he would carefully scrape off 1/4 inch of emulsion with a razor blade. The sound would be interrupted for a fraction of a second, not noticeable to the ear. He might spend 2 hours fixing a 3-minute tune.
A true gentleman, well spoken, humorous, humble I'm sure Jack's success at convincing musicians to cooperate with his remote recording was advanced by his likeable personality.
Man— even with minimal kit, Roy still sounds good. Fascinating to hear him work with the stripped down kit. I only had time for a minute— will check out more later.
I assume you’ve heard the magical live gig of Bud with Roy and Mingus. For me, this new dose of Bud and Roy is now a nice companion piece to that amazing recording.
Yes, that's great stuff from 1953. And of course Bud and Roy recorded in the studio for Blue Note, and were recorded together on other occasions. THANK YOU KARL
I've always wondered why most 1950's California pianists picked up on Bud Powell while their saxophone partners laid back a generation on Lester Young.
Piano: Lou Levy, Russ Freeman, Carl Perkins, Hampton Hawes, Richard Twardzik, Andre Previn, Pete Jolly.
Sax: Bob Cooper, Paul Desmond, Wardell Gray, Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca, Jack Montrose, Lennie Niehaus.
Yes, it's a good example of how far off critics can be. All those pianists got labeled under "cool" but when someone really listens, as you have, one hears a particularly intense and percussive approach. THANK YOU CRAIG
Great piece and always great to hear more Bud. I was interested in your comment about Bud’s left hand, and wondered if now, or in a subsequent post, you could elaborate more about his earlier “low rumbles”.
If Powell had not been perennially dealing with bad physical and mental health, he could have had a much longer career. As it is, his piano legacy remains impressive.
I’m definitely hearing bass drum as well
All the way through I Want To Be Happy. Just listened with headphones - Roy is playing it
Can you cite a specific timing? Thanks Andrew
During the out chorus there are spots where he uses bass drum prominently. There’s also a fill where I hear at least one Tom-tom (maybe two). During the ending I hear a crash cymbal, and at the very end I hear him playing hi hat and playing what sounds like a crash and hitting a ride cymbal. All of that adds up to a full drum kit. 🤷🏻♂️
Thanks to both of you, I have added info about Roy Haynes's set and removed the comment about the incomplete set. Look again please. THANK YOU ANDREW and GLENN!
Very nice recording, and fine restoration job by Mr. Accardi.
A note about the technology and the need to synchronized the sound from the left and right heads. Modern stereo tape heads were built as a pair within the same block, but before stereo recording became common, machines were built with two heads, staggered from each other along the tape path. Unless you have the machine in which the tape was recorded, or have detailed knowledge of the head spacing, it takes a combination of great musical ears and use of electronic instrumentation, in addition to the editing software capable of moving one track with respect to the other.
Bert Whyte used such a machine specially built by his employer to record the Kenton band at the Blue Note in September 1952 with a spaced pair of world class Neumann microphones.. Because he was running at a fast tape speed to maximize quality, the edited recording was only 27 minutes, but the sound quality is spectacular, and the band is full of future stars.
Wally Heider, just starting to learn live recording, very prolifically recorded almost anything worthwhile he could find in the '50s, beginning in 1952. I've collected more than 100 CDs, nearly all of them bootlegs, culminating in his recordings of the Terry Gibbs Dream Band. The first of his stereo recordings that I've found were done in November 1956 of the Kenton band in one of the later nights of a long run in San Francisco. It's particularly interesting because Pepper Adams was on the band and playing so great that some of the band's soloists were giving him their solos.
Thanks for clarifying this trchnical issue I was wondering about since my 1964 tape recorder has two channel stereo heads in no need of synchronization.
Yes, I did not explain the technical details, but I can tell you that on all these tapes, when played back on a more modern tape deck, you can hear a definite delay between the left and right channels. It sounds like an echo and I could not have posted it without the corrections of Accardi. Thank you Jim and Bo!
The reel-to-reel enthusiasts may be interested in reading about an afternoon I spent in the company of Jack Towers, an audio engineer who had recorded live jazz at clubs, WWII era and after, with top quality microphones and recording gear. Late 1970's Jack invited me and a couple of other jazz friends to his Maryland home to hear vintage jazz not widely available or unreleased. He had recently finished remastering his Ellington at Fargo recording (1940) about to be released by Book-of-the-Month Club. The band was a bit rough with some new hires, but some versions of Ellington's best tunes are actually more musical than the studio recordings of a few months previous. At intermission close friends Ben Webster and Jimmy Blanton asked Jack to record them together, an impromptu 6 minutes on "I Can't Get Started" or similar ballad. I understand that duet became Webster's own favorite recording.
Columbia Records had recently cleaned out a storage room, turned over a box of
leftover tapes Jack had been sifting through including 15 minutes of Ellington meandering at the piano (studio chatter in the background) tentatively starting new motifs with a couple of chords, sometimes developing threads, sometimes not. Not suitable for commercial release, but real moments of creativity.
Jack didn't really like bebop, but he was currently working on some low-fi Charlie Parker remotes he'd been sent (maybe the Savoys or the Benedetti's). The late 70's was just before the beginning of the digital sound age. He demonstrated a meticulous "de-ticking" process he had invented to cut down on surface noise. Zeroing in on the exact physical spot of a click on the tape he would carefully scrape off 1/4 inch of emulsion with a razor blade. The sound would be interrupted for a fraction of a second, not noticeable to the ear. He might spend 2 hours fixing a 3-minute tune.
A true gentleman, well spoken, humorous, humble I'm sure Jack's success at convincing musicians to cooperate with his remote recording was advanced by his likeable personality.
Nice memories of the legendary Mr Towers. THANKS MUCH for sharing them Craig!
amazing!!!! Bud Alive!!!!!!!!
Thank you so much, Lewis.
Man— even with minimal kit, Roy still sounds good. Fascinating to hear him work with the stripped down kit. I only had time for a minute— will check out more later.
I assume you’ve heard the magical live gig of Bud with Roy and Mingus. For me, this new dose of Bud and Roy is now a nice companion piece to that amazing recording.
Yes, that's great stuff from 1953. And of course Bud and Roy recorded in the studio for Blue Note, and were recorded together on other occasions. THANK YOU KARL
I realize now that he does have a full kit, but for some reason was choosing to play mostly high hat.
Great job, Lewis. Eugene Holley, Jr. here, and I’m on Substack as Sound and the Mainstream!
Very exciting! Good to know. THANK YOU EUGENE
I've always wondered why most 1950's California pianists picked up on Bud Powell while their saxophone partners laid back a generation on Lester Young.
Piano: Lou Levy, Russ Freeman, Carl Perkins, Hampton Hawes, Richard Twardzik, Andre Previn, Pete Jolly.
Sax: Bob Cooper, Paul Desmond, Wardell Gray, Bud Shank, Art Pepper, Bill Perkins, Richie Kamuca, Jack Montrose, Lennie Niehaus.
Yes, it's a good example of how far off critics can be. All those pianists got labeled under "cool" but when someone really listens, as you have, one hears a particularly intense and percussive approach. THANK YOU CRAIG
Hi Lewis,
Great piece and always great to hear more Bud. I was interested in your comment about Bud’s left hand, and wondered if now, or in a subsequent post, you could elaborate more about his earlier “low rumbles”.
Thanks as always
David P
At some point I want to do a post about Bud's recordings of 1949/50. THANK YOU DAVID!
Oh my! What a treasure, treat and inspiration! Thank you for sharing these jewels from the modern master!
Thank you! I've posted over 200 essays to date--check out the Index on the home page or just browse through. THANK YOU SUMI !
If Powell had not been perennially dealing with bad physical and mental health, he could have had a much longer career. As it is, his piano legacy remains impressive.
Yes, unfortunately on some of his recordings he is clearly in poor shape. But we are lucky to have so many brilliant moments captured on recordings!
I have seen Lester Young’s nickname spelled Prez and Pres. I know he was The President, but which spelling is correct? Or are both good?
Both are good, although I think "Pres" was used more on recordings released during his lifetime. THANK YOU ANIBAL
Amazing! Thank you for sharing, Mr Porter.
THANK YOU!
Thank you for sharing these recordings and their context. It is always a treat to hear some Bud Powell I haven’t heard before. Happy holidays!
THANK YOU and the same to you!
WONDERFUL!!! Really enjoyed these gems.
Tuffy
THANK YOU!