A Hollow Muscular Organ

Yes, it’s that time of year again

– Happy V day from your pals @ the ARC – B, Fred + Quinn!

The History of Jazz

The history of jazz is a long, often-told story for which there are quite possibly over a hundred books. Here at the ARC, we have cataloged more than one thousand books that make reference to jazz in one way or another.

In 2011, Oxford University Press published the second edition of a book suitably titled “The History of Jazz,” written by Ted Gioia. At 388 pages (not counting notes, indexes, etc.), it is a very comprehensive story of jazz: how it was invented and developed; how it went through different phases of popularity; how it grew; how it fragmented into disparate styles; and finally, the state of jazz today.

Having been an avid listener of jazz since the late sixties and having read many books and liner notes dealing with the subject, it can be said that, for the most part, Gioia gets it right. He tells all the key stories and recites all the biographies of jazz’s most important artists in an interesting and concise manner that keeps the story moving at an even pace. Gioia knows his subject well, and he explains it all with the enthusiasm and care that the subject deserves. Indeed, if you read this book, you will find yourself wanting to listen to the recordings that he mentions on nearly every page. Perhaps in the future, books like this will be coupled with a website where referenced recordings may be sampled by the reader. This would make it much easier for the attentive reader to understand what the author is discussing.

However, Gioia gets two things wrong: one is rather major; the other is admittedly nitpicking on the part of this reviewer.

Jazz began splitting apart in several styles most apparently during the forties. Traditional, Dixieland-style had become a cult. Swing was still the thing. Modern styles like bebop and chamber jazz were being played in the clubs. Gioia notes all of this. What he does not note is that rhythm & blues (thus, rock ’n’ roll) also developed out of the swing tradition. The most notable artist (not mentioned at all in “The History of Jazz”) is Louis Jordan. Jordan was an alto saxophonist and singer with the great orchestra led by the influential drummer Chick Webb. After splitting from Webb, Jordan’s small combo recordings were immensely popular and became the template for practitioners of jump blues, and subsequently rock ’n’ roll. The most obvious example would be Bill Haley and His Comets, which is basically a hillbilly act trying to be Louis Jordan and His Tympani Five. Other examples of rock ‘n’ roll having been an offshoot of jazz include Big Joe Turner, who sang with Art Tatum; and Johnny Otis, who drummed behind Lester Young.

Indeed, Gioia’s knowledge of rock music seems to be lacking in other aspects, also. It is more likely that he does not care for it. When discussing jazz styles, particularly fusion’s mix of jazz and rock, the subject of The Brecker Brothers comes up. On page 331 Gioia states that Randy Becker “had played on the first Blood, Sweat & Tears album…” (a fact) but on the next page, when discussing the jazz-influenced horn section of the rock band Blood, Sweat & Tears, he states, “…recording of Billie Holiday’s ‘God Bless the Child’ from their debut album…” The song was actually on B,S&T’s second album, possibly confused by the fact that its title was eponymous.

As stated earlier, this latter beef is nitpicking. The former beef, however, is one that is rarely mentioned in jazz histories, as if the authors do not want jazz to be held liable for what passes for rock music in the 21^st Century. One can not blame them, but it should be noted here that jazz is even more directly responsible for a phenomena that is even worse than contemporary rock music: smooth jazz!

In all, Ted Gioia’s Second Edition of “The History of Jazz” is a wonderful read. Gioia’s love of the art form is infectious and reading it will send you to where ever you get your music from these days (record store, online store, youtube, etc) to listen to the titles he discusses. It will also send you to the bookstore to read more about the many fascinating characters a tome like this can only allow a few paragraphs to: Jelly Roll Morton, Art Tatum, Benny Goodman, Billy Holiday, Lester Young, Charlie Parker, Bud Powell… way too many to list here!

If you only read one book on jazz in your life, this would be a good one. Read the book. Dig the music.

For more on the author, check out his website: http://tedgioia.com/

Fred Patterson, Head Archivist, ARC

Paris – Day six – L’Empire des Signes

The Marché de Noël des Abbesses in Montmartre was offering a course on Roland Barthes this Christmas Eve, with vinyl examples…

Here a vendor uses the disc to advertise his wares.  Enamored by it’s surface, and delighted by its re-application, I forgot to read it, or have a drink.

Using vinyl discs as a canvas deKo Facto creates objects depicting musical icons and images.  Is a appropriately corresponding disc used, or are the Beatles adorning an Abba LP?  What meaning/songs lie beneath the red Steve McQueen vs the blue?  Doesn’t Serge seem to be listening?  Who is the author?  Sign or symbol?  Lost in this plurality of meaning, my head spinning (like a record), am I quoting Pete Burns, Little Nell, Adam Sandler, or yet another re-mix?  A simple fellows seeking universal meaning in a closed situation I opt for the obvious bourgeois solution; lunch.

SUNDAY – Final Day of ARC’s Holiday Sale

Sun Dec 15 – Outside it looks like this…Inside it’s warm and colorful– not only records, but lots of lovely housewares from donated estates like this “Slick and Fancy” Jeannette glass punchbowl set with enough cups to egg-knock over your whole family.

Great stuff, good people, all to help support the not-for-profit ARChive of Contemporary Music.  More vinyl and CDs than we’ve had in years – all genres and formats – 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, books, posters, DVDs, VHS, magazine and a vintage flea market + yard sale! An incredible collection of punk/new wave 45s + LPs, 3 big boxes of Christmas LPs, 12″ singles and sound effects for sampling.

SUNDAY SPECIALS – all $1 + $2 items, half off. THEN take 10% off the final total if you buy 10 items or more. more info : 212-226-6967   Please tell all your friend about our sale and help support the ARC!

The Wine Is Gone, but We Still Have Plenty of Records

Archivist Quinn MacRorie pictured before the start of our sale.  Notice the custom ARC wine label courtesy City Winery!

After the ARC Party, no more wine, but we still have lots of great stuff on the wall!

Last night’s members party at the archive was a great success. As you can see from the “After” picture, all of the excellent LPs displayed on our wall before the party started were snatched up by our record-hungry attendees. Fortunately, we have plenty of other excellent selections to replace them, all of which will be available for purchase when our sale officially begins tomorrow at 11:00AM. Get ’em while they’re hot!

ARChive of Contemporary Music • 54 White Street in Tribeca.  Sale everyday from Saturday, Dec 7 through Sunday, Dec 15, from 11am to 6pm.  Cash only – all to benefit the library.

ARC Holiday Record + CD Sale! Dec 7 – 15

Our Holiday Sale Starts this weekend, and we hope to see you there!
Great stuff, good people, all to help support the not-for-profit
ARChive of Contemporary Music.

A full week of X-mas shopping fun. more than 25,000 items – More vinyl and CDs than we’ve had in years – all genres and formats – 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, books, posters, DVDs, VHS, magazine and a vintage flea market + yard sale! An incredible collection of punk/new wave 45s + LPs, 3 big boxes of Christmas LPs, 12″ singles and sound effects for sampling + Lou Reed section.

Join the ARC and become a member. Members attend our Holiday Party on Thursday evening, Dec. 5th.
Food + drink donated by Bonnie’s Grill, Two Boots, The City Winery and Royal Wine Merchants.

ARChive of Contemporary Music  • 54 White St.  Tribeca  NYC   •  info@arcmusic.org  •  more info : 212-226-6967

Please tell all your friends about our sale and help support the ARC!

ARC Holiday Record + CD Sale! Dec 7 – 15

The LONG wait is over.  More than 20,000 never before offered recordings just in time for the Holidays.  Join us as for one week every December ARC is the largest record store in New York City!

when: Sat Dec 7-Sun Dec 15, everyday 11 am – 6 pm
where: Our Tribeca space – 54 White St, ground floor
directions: 3 short blocks south of Canal St, between Broadway + Church Take the #1 train to Franklin, or any train to Canal
why: To support the preservation and research activities at the ARC
what: 25,000+ recordings-all genres and formats – 45s, LPs, CDs, cassettes, books, posters, DVDs, VHS, magazine and a vintage flea market + yard sale!
specials: This year there is an incredible collection of punk/new wave 45s + LPs, 3 big boxes of X-mas LPs, more CDs than ever before, + a special Lou Reed section. 100s of modern art, experimental + modern Classical LPs – Glass/Varese/Crumb/Carter/Satie.

All recordings never offered before – we start fresh every sale.  All styles of music in all formats. Cheaper than online prices, no shipping costs and cheaper than downloading.

We hope you can lend a hand by making a donation or joining the ARC. Memberships start @ $50 annually + you can join online via our NYcharities.org page (best for matching funds) or through paypal using the button below.

Paper people can always post a donation/membership by mail.

Members attend our pre-sale party on Thurs. evening, Dec 5. Here they can meet fellow ARC supporters, and enjoy food, drink + early shopping.

You can also donate materials. Clean out that closet, check under the bed, un-deck those halls. ARC accepts any and all music related ‘stuff.’ – LPs, CDs, 45s, 8-tracks, books, posters, swag, press kits, memorabilia and ephemera. All contributions are tax deductible.

More than 250,000 recordings are donated to the ARC every year; we sort through these, make sure we have the two best copies in our collection, and sell off third copies. Our sale improves the permanent collection, frees up space and offers everyone a fresh crop of great recordings.

So PLEASE lend a hand – donate, shop and tell folks about our sale! Is that too much to ask?

Contact us if you need more information.
212-226-6967 info@arcmusic.org
ARC: 54 White St, NYC, 10013
Thanks!

Grubby Dub Surfaces

Everyone knows that ARC has the BEST interns in the American League, and today’s All-Star is Arlo, who, while inspecting classical LPs for surface worthiness, discovered some booklets stuffed inappropriately in inappropriate sleeves.

Who could have have thought to place these very pricey items (going for up to $125 online) into totally trashed Bach variations?  And why did they choose to snack on Jerk Chicken over the only illustrated page of ‘Inglan’?

But we’re glad to have them, and lucky that Arlo checked before he chucked.

If you’ve listened to the recorded versions of Linton Kwesi Johnson’s dub poetry, the righteous rhetoric tempered by tasty licks, you know how glad we are to have found these.  As Wiki claims, “In 2002 he became the second living poet, and the only black poet, to be published in the Penguin Modern Classics series.”

But I prefer the wax.  Here’s a list of the LKJ LP recording here at the ARC.

• A cappella Live  (Lkj, CD 016, 5”, compact disc, 1996)
• Bass Culture  (Island, UK, ILPS 9605, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1980)
• Bass Culture  (Mango, USA, MLPS 9605, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1980)
• Dread Beat An’ Blood  (Heartbeat, USA, 01, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp   , 1981)
• Forces of Victory  (Mango, USA, MLPS 9566, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1979)
• Forces of Victory  (Island, UK, ILPS 9566, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1979)
• In Concert With the Dub Band  (Rough Trade, Rough78/LKJ 006, 12”, vinyl disc-LP)
• In Concert With the Dub Band  (Shanachie, USA, 43034/5, 12″, vinyl disc-2Lp, 1985)
• LKJ in Dub  (Mango, USA, MLPS 9650, 12”, vinyl disc-Lp, 1980)
• LKJ in Dub  (Mango, UK, RRCD 34 / (510 170-2), 5”, compact disc,1980)
• LKJ in Dub Volume 2  (LKJ, UK, LKJ LP 009, 12”, vinyl disc-Lp, 1992)
• Making History  (Mango, USA, MLPS 9770, 12″, vinyl disc-Lp, 1984)
• Reggae Greats Linton Kwesi Johnson (Mango, USA, MLPS 9786, 12”, vinyl disc-Lp, 1984)
• Tings An’ Times  (Shanachie, USA, 43084, 5″, compact disc,1991)

There are a lot more out there – feel free to stuff a few into a Bach folio and send ’em on down to the ARC…

2 new adds 2 The Keith Richards Blues Collection + 1 Jazz LP

Our fearless leader here at the ARC, known affectionately as B., often prowls rural flea markets, combing the stalls for unique and/or interesting sound recordings. The recent Fourth of July weekend was no exception, as B. returned with an armful of 12-inch discs.

Among them were three LPs of note: “Low Down Blues” by Champion Jack Dupree (Continental CLP-16002), a compilation entitled “Rhythm and Blues” on the UK Decca label, and “Sweet Swingin’ Stuff” by Stuff Smith.

The Champion Jack album is of note because it collates the songs from his three 78s on the Continental label in one place. Dupree, as we all know, was one of the finest blues pianists of all time, New Orleans born and bred. He had a LONG career, recording as early as 1940 and even made a couple fine albums in 1990 and 1991 before he died in 1992. In the liner notes to the album at hand, the clearly un-informed writer states that singer Dupree is accompanied by “a regrettably anonymous but very excellent blues piano player.” The writer also forgets to note the bass player, Count Edmonson, according to several discographies. The guitarist Brownie McGhee is duly noted; indeed, he is listed on the album cover but his name is misspelled. The session is a fine one, recorded in 1945, it harkens back to the classic, pre-war piano-guitar duet that was so popular during the Thirties. The version of Leroy Car & Scrapper Blackwell’s “How Long How Long Blues” accentuates that concept.

Side two of the album is much more mysterious, noted as by “Sonnie and Lonnie.” The writer states that Lonnie is Lonnie Johnson, a pianist who is not to be confused with the more famous legendary guitarist with the exact same name. Further information regarding Sonnie is not presented. According to some discographies, this is Teddy “Sonny Boy” Smith (one of the lesser known blues “Sonny Boys”). According to others he is listed only as “A. Smith.” A second guitarist, Sam Bradley, is not even noted by the writer. These six sides were also once issued on Continental 78s and, as the Champion Jack material, were presented here for the first time on a 33 1/3 RPM microgroove LP, manufactured probably around 1961, with a high quality, semi-laminate gatefold cover.

The cover is worth noting because, upon opening it, the first page is nearly blank, save for “technical data” small print on the bottom; the second page contains the track listing and the briefest of credits, plus the almost-helpful liner notes. Turn the page and there are TWO entirely blank pages. Couldn’t Continental Records come up with some photos of Dupree or McGhee (who were both still alive in 1961) or at least more accurate and complete notes about the sessions?

But the music is great, and the album is worth seeking.

“Rhythm and Blues” is a collection of British blues and R&B recordings from the early sixties. When discussing British blues, it is occasionally said that the English cannot play the blues.

This argument is pretty much shattered by the compilation at hand. These acts—Dave Berry, The Graham Bond ORGANisation, Alexis Korner’s Blues Incorporated, John Mayall and the Blues Breakers and Zoot Money’s Big Roll Band—are all fine proponents of the style. True, two of Berry’s three tracks are slightly pop-oriented, but his version of Bo Diddley’s “Diddley Daddy” is good. Instead of turning it into a haul-ass romp as most Brits did with blues material during the Sixties, he kept Bo Diddley’s lopping tempo and spiffed it up with odd guitar breaks.

It’s true that Britain never produced a singer with the vocal power of Howlin’ Wolf—and unfortunately John Mayall’s two songs here exemplify that fact. However, Mayall’s songs are likable and one cannot doubt his sincerity when he sings a tribute to Elmore James who had recently passed when “Mr. James” was written.

The bands of Zoot Money and Alexis Korner (known as the “Founding Father of British Blues”) turn in recordings (two each) that can be considered archetypal, pre-Rolling Stones/Yardbirds/Animals-style British R&B. The album contains five tracks by the Graham Bond ORGANisation and these are the best of the lot. Bond’s organ-driven combo stomps through the given material with a lot of enthusiasm and little reverence, the way it should be no matter where you come from!

British Blues may not be authentic blues in the strictest sense, but it is an original style of playing the blues, and therefore authentic—especially when performed by these guys.

This album has historical value of course, because many of the big classic rock stars produced by England learned their trade playing in these bands. Eric Clapton and members of Fleetwood Mac played with Mayall (though after these recordings); Ginger Baker and Jack Bruce are on the Bond and Korner tracks; Charlie Watts also played with Korner at one time; Jimmy Page and John Paul Jones recorded with Dave Berry (though not on these tracks); Zoot Money influenced Eric Burdon, etc.

The story on the Stuff Smith album is all about the cover—a photo of an extremely square-looking white couple used to market an LP of jazz made by African American men! Granted, “jazz violin” may not be the hippest thing under the sun, but the way Stuff Smith played it, it was pretty close. There is no way that the art director for this cover even listened to the music; and quite possibly did not know the title, either: “Sweet Swingin’ Stuff.” Nothing about this cover swings, but the music sure does!
(B note : my cost $2)

Fred Patterson

Simon, Nile + Reed – in the news

Well, quite a few of our Board Members are in the news these days.  First off here’s a pic of Paul Simon who visited the ARC last week (ignore that other guy).

We had a mint copy of his Jerry Landis early personae release, “The Lone Teen Ranger,” for Paul to peruse. What we didn’t have was his single with Tico and the Triumphs,  (anyone out there have one to donate to the collection?).

He was kind enough to autograph a copy of Graceland for that wall of signed classics behind us in the photo.

Paul was witty and gracious and stayed for over an hour    – a treat for everyone here.

Board member Nile Rodgers is also on our radar as his recent collaboration with Frenchies Daft Punk seems to be top of the charts on every continent.  Congrats.

Now these days YouTube is so commercial-laden that I suggest you have a look at the video on: http://www.youtubeskip.com/watch?v=h5EofwRzit0   By the way, see those space helmets in the video?  Watch for an upcoming feature here on bands in helmets!

Finally a hearty get-well-soon to Lou Reed, recovering from major surgery in Cleveland.  Laurie told us about this a while ago, but we  didn’t mention until story officially released.  Lou send us a pic of you doing yoga!

And don’t forget  ARC’s Swingin’ SUMMER  Record + CD SALE   –  THIS WEEKEND.  Sat, June 8 and runs through Sun, June 16.    everyday, 11am – 6pm.

Books, CDs, LPs, singles, VHS, DVDs, sheet music + more    Help us out !  Blog, face, tweet, post or shout out about our sale…

Join the ARC ($50 minimum) and attend our Summer Party – great food, nice people and first crack at all the recordings!  ARC members ONLY, Thursday June 6.  Call or e-us.  You can Join via    Paypal   or   NYcharities.org   –  or go to our website, click dancer image, and use the paypal button.  http://arcmusic.org

PARTY treats provided by:
Brooklyn’s Bonnie’s Grill (hotwings + beer).  Tribeca’s Bubble Lounge (champagne), and Two Boots Pizza.   Krrb is your host for the evening, a local classified startup.   Do visit:  Krrb.com

ARChive of Contemporary Music
54 White Street in Tribeca   New York City, 10013
between Broadway and Church St – 3 short blocks south of Canal
tel : 212-226-6967     e : info@arcmusic.org
http://arcmusic.org       blog: https://arcmusic.wordpress.com