Happy birthday, Marty Ehrlich!

One of Marty Ehrlich's many projects is the Julius Hemphill Sextet,
which performs and records the music of one of Ehrlich's St. Louis mentors

Today, it's a party for Marty, as we celebrate the versatile multi-reedman and composer Marty Ehrlich, who was born on this day in 1955. Though actually born in St. Paul, MN - some references say St. Louis, but that's wrong - Ehrlich was raised in the St. Louis suburb of University City, and as a teenager took part in educational programs and performances sponsored by St. Louis' Black Artists Group.

Ehrlich plays alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet and flute and thus has been compared by some to the great Eric Dolphy, but he's definitely his own man as both a composer and an improviser. He's performed and recorded everything from free improvisation to relatively straight-ahead jazz to modern chamber music with prominent musicians including Anthony Braxton, Muhal Richard Abrams and many others too numerous to list here. So, to find out more about Ehrlich, visit his Web site, which has a biography, discography and all sorts of other information.

You may also enjoy reading these other brief biographies, these two interviews I found online, this page dedicated to his clarinet playing, and this discography, which has lots of detail but unfortunately stops in 1999. The prolific Ehrlich has put out at least four more discs as a leader since then, as seen in this entry in All Music Guide, and continues to write, perform and record in a variety of instrumental settings.

Deaprtment of corrections, part 2

Regina Carter

In a post last week, I wrote that the Yellowjackets were the final act of the 2004-05 season at Jazz at the Bistro. Not so - I had forgotten that Regina Carter had rescheduled her shows here after her appearance earlier this year was postponed. She'll be appearing at the Bistro this Wednesday through Saturday.

Also, this post made it seem as if the Bistro's "Summer Jazz Spectacular" would be taking place in July 2006, when in fact it begins next month with an appearance by guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli, followed by Pat Martino and the Tribute to Jimmy Smith featuring OGD and Willie Akins.

Finally, based on bad information, I had reported that this Friday's Bass Player's Ball featuring Michael Henderson would be taking place at Pop's, when in fact the show will be at the Ambassador, 114 Northland Shopping Center. Tickets are $30-$38.50 and can be purchased through Metrotix, 314-534-1111.

Obviously, I regret the errors. One was just a dumb mistake, and in the other two cases I relied on ambigious or faulty information in an effort to get news posted as quickly as possible. That's one of the inherent perils of blogging, I suppose, but I can and will do a better job of vetting sources in the future.

Welcome, Brooklyn Vegan readers

So I checked the referrer logs from the last two days, and noticed several hits coming from a weblog called Brooklyn Vegan, also celebrating Miles Davis' birthday with a tribute post.

I thought this was kind of cool because, well, it's the first blog that has linked to me that wasn't run by someone I already know. But I bring it up now because I wanted to point out to those visiting looking for Miles Davis links that there were actually two posts on this blog for Miles' birthday, the other one being right here. Otherwise, welcome - feel free to look around, put your feet up, and make yourself at home.

Happy birthday, Frankie Trumbauer!

Frankie Trumbauer

In today's installment of our continuing series of tributes to jazz musicians with St. Louis roots, we mark the birth of Frankie Trumbauer, born on May 30 all the way back in 1901. Trumbauer, one of the most famous jazz saxophonists of the Twenties and Thirties, actually was hatched down the road in Carbondale, IL, but is often associated with St. Louis because he worked here during the earliest part of professional career, and also co-led a band in the Gateway City with Bix Beiderbecke during 1925 and '26.

Trumbauer was known for playing the C melody saxophone, which is in concert key and sounds a bit like the missing link between tenor and alto saxes. In addition to his ongoing collaboration with Bix, he also worked with Jean Goldkette, Paul Whiteman, Jack and Charlie Teagarden, Eddie Lang and others, and his cool style and vibrato are said to have influenced Benny Carter and Lester Young.

When war came and styles changed, Trumbauer got out of the music business. He was a test pilot during World War II, and afterwards he played briefly in studio groups from 1945-7 before leaving music forever to work in aeronautics.You can find out more about him by reading this short biography and his All Music Guide page. You can also see a discography and hear Real Audio samples of Trumbauer's own Orchestra here.

(You say you don't like Real Player, and that it's full of ads, makes constant annoying attempts to update itself and download unwanted content, and is otherwise also quite troublesome? I agree, and thus suggest you go here to download the BBC version of Real Player, which is ad-free and (mostly) reminder-free as well. It seems Real had to agree to produce a more well-behaved version of their player in order for the BBC to continue encoding its content in the .rm format, and you and I are the ancillary beneficiaries of the deal. It comes in handy for certain types of content, such as the above Frankie Trumbauer samples, not readily available elsewhere.)

Still more Miles ahead

To simultaneously view a transcription and hear
the first 16 bars of Miles' solo on "So What," go here.

East St. Louis celebrates the birthday of one of its most famous sons this weekend with the Miles Davis Arts Festival. "The main event is a gathering of artists, DJs and poets from noon to 8 p.m. Sunday at the East St. Louis Higher Education Campus, followed by a jam session at JoJo's, 512 Missouri Avenue," writes Kevin Johnson in a brief article found on STLtoday.com.

If I'd known about this yesterday, I would have included it in the post for Miles' birthday. But since I just found out today, as a conscientious blogger I make amends as best I can by mentioning it now. Also, it's a good excuse to run another picture of Miles and links to transcribed Davis solos from "All of You," "Autumn Leaves" and "If I Were A Bell." (Note: the first two are pdf files, the third is regular html.)

Happy birthday, Shorty Baker!

"I believe in melody. You must have a lead, a guide."
- Shorty Baker, as quoted in The World of Duke Ellington

Today, we pay tribute to another of St. Louis' trumpet greats. Harold J. "Shorty" Baker was born in St. Louis on May 26, 1912, and went on to play with Don Redman, Teddy Wilson; Andy Kirk, Mary Lou Williams (whom he also married) and many others. But he's best known as one of the Duke's men. Baker first performed with Ellington in 1939, became one of the mainstays of the band's trumpet section in the Forties, and returned for yet another tour of duty in the late Fifties and into the Sixties.

There's not much in the way of biographical material about Baker on the 'Net, and the album cover shown above is the only photo I could find. So, I'll take the liberty of quoting in full from the print edition of Who's Who in Jazz by John Chilton (Time-Life Books, 1978 edition), which offers the most detailed biography within reach:

Harold J. “Shorty” Baker

Born: St. Louis Missouri, May 26, 1914
Died: New York, November 8, 1966

His brother, Winfield, was a trombonist. Originally a drummer, then switched to trumpet and playing in his brother's band. Lessons from P. G. Lankford in St. Louis. With Fate Marable (c.1930), then with Erskine Tate in Chicago before returning to St. Louis to join Eddie Johnson's Crackerjacks (1932-3), then in band led by his brother. With Don Redman from late 1936 until 1938 (briefly with Duke Ellington in 1938). Joined Teddy Wilson Big Band in April 1939, left early the following year to join Andy Kirk. With Kirk until spring 1942, then co-led sextet with Mary Lou Williams (to whom he was then married). With Duke Ellington from c. September 1942 until Army call-up in spring 1944. Guested with Duke Ellington in 1945, then regularly with Duke from summer 1946 until early 1952. Played with Teddy Wilson Quartet, Ben Webster small band, and free-lanced in New York. Joined Johnny Hodges Band in late 1954. From 1957 until 1963 worked on and off with Duke Ellington, during this period also with Dick Vance, Claude Hopkins, Bud Freeman, George Wein, etc., also led own quartet. Played at the Metropole, New York, in 1964 and had his last dates at The Embers, also in New York, then regular playing was curtailed by illness. He underwent a serious operation late 1965, was temporarily released from the hospital, but was unable to continue trumpet playing. He died of throat cancer in the New York Veterans' Hospital.

I did find a couple of other Baker-related items of interest, including this discography (which, given Ellington's output, may be incomplete, but gives some idea of the scope of of Baker's career), and this transcription (.pdf) of a Baker solo on the standard "All of Me". During his time with Duke, Baker was known especially for his ballad playing, and several references cite him as an early influence on and personal favorite of Miles Davis.

It appears as if the album pictured above is the only recording of Shorty Baker as a leader (or co-leader, in this case) that's still in print. (Interestingly, this album also features another St. Louis native and former Ellingtonian, bassist Wendell Marshall.) However, Ellington's recordings from the Forties are readily available, and they're a good starting place to hear some of what Baker could do.

Happy birthday, Miles!

Miles Davis, as seen on the cover
of his landmark album Kind of Blue

On this day in 1926, Miles Dewey Davis was born in Alton, IL. A year later, the family moved to East St. Louis, and...well, if you're any sort of jazz fan, you already know a lot of what happened after that.

Miles will always hold a special place in my heart, because it was his work that first led me to jazz. If I hadn't heard Bitches Brew as an impressionable 15-year-old, I might never have become a musician or music journalist, and could very well be blogging instead about baseball, politics or some other random topic.

To celebrate this jazz giant who changed the course of music so many times over the years, check out his official site or the site maintained by Sony/Legacy, the label for which he did some of his most memorable work. You may also enjoy the fan sites Milestones and Miles Ahead (which has a nice discography and lots of links), as well as Miles Beyond and this essay, which deal with Miles' electric music of the Sixties, Seventies and Eighties.

Jazz this week: Yellowjackets, an all-star benefit for the Sheldon, back to Gaslight Square and more

St. Louisan Marcus Baylor (third from left) returns
home this week to drum with the Yellowjackets

Jazz at the Bistro concludes its 2004-05 season this week with the Yellowjackets, who will appear Wednesday through Saturday night at the club in midtown's Grand Center district. The current edition of the band features St. Louis native Marcus Baylor on drums, and you can find out more about them by reading my Critic's Pick in this week's Riverfront Times.

Also in Grand Center on Thursday beginning at 7:30 p.m., the Sheldon Concert Hall will host an all-star ensemble of St. Louis jazz players to celebrate the release of St. Louis Jazz, a limited-edition CD featuring songs about St. Louis performed by Dave Brubeck, Willie Akins, Kim Portnoy, Erin Bode and more. Alas, the CD will be available only to donors of $100 or more to the Sheldon Arts Foundation, but if you're not quite that flush, you can still see a fine lineup of talent that includes pianists Carolbeth True and Reggie Thomas, singer Mardra Thomas, guitarist Rick Haydon, trumpeter Randy Holmes and vibraphonist Jonathan Whiting for just $10 at the door.

Also on Thursday, and continuing on Friday night, Finale presents "Back to Gaslight Square," featuring the vocal stylings of ultrasuave crooner Gene Lynn and longtime St. Louis favorite Jeanne Trevor. Then on Saturday, saxophonist Tim Cunningham brings his smooth jazz sounds to the new music and supper club in Clayton.

In University City this weekend, Brandt's features singer Victoria Gough with Bob Bosch on Friday, a return appearance by Mae "Lady Jazz" Wheeler on Saturday, and a Sunday brunch performance by Jobim Dreams.

Over in my swingin' hometown of Webster Groves, guitarist Corey Christiansen and vocalist Erika Johnson will perform together Friday night at Cookie's, while just around the corner at Crossings Taverne and Grille, bassist Tom Kennedy leads a trio on Thursday night, Erin Bode performs on Friday, and the duo of clarinetist Scott Alberici and pianist Kim Portnoy will play on Saturday.

And back in the city on South Grand, saxophonist Dave Stone continues his long-running Friday night gig at Mangia Italiano. (Warning: website contains annoying, user-unfriendly animated calendar.)

If you'd like to see your gig or concert featured here, or you want a link for your band or club on the sidebar, use that new-fangled thing called "email" to beam some packets of electrons with the relevant info to me at stljazznotes at yahoo dot com.