Document

TheJAZZ CULTURE

The Jazz Culture, VI:39 1

VALERYPO�OMAREVdirecting his Big Band at ZI�C

2

REVIEWValery Ponomarev’s Big Bandby Doodlebug

Band Members (including subs)

Conductor/Arranger: Valery Ponomarev

Vocalist: Tami Schwartz; Rhythm Section: Jerome Jennings,

Drums, Mamiko Watanabe, Piano, Bass Ruslan Khein;

Trumpet: 1 . Rick Henley; 2. Mickey Hirose; 3 .Ted Chub; 4. Sharif

Kales

Trombone: 1 .Stafford Hunter, 2.Dave White 3.Scott, 4. Bass: Jack

Jeffers.

Saxophones: Alto 1 . Darryl Yokley; Alto 2. Matt Chalk; Tenor 1 .

Norbert Satchel, Tenor 2. GeoffVidal, Baritone Anthony Nelson.

Caught Valery Ponomarev’s big band at Zinc, dedicated to

“Our Father Who Art Art Blakey,” a successful orchestral

transmutation ofArt Blakey’s legendary Jazz Messengers, which

Ponomarev was a member of, featuring songs from composers like

Benny Golson. Mr. Ponomarev, a singular trumpet player taught

himself jazz off records in the Soviet Union, by transcribing many

solos of his heroes like Clifford Brown. Given that big bands and

jazz orchestras are obsessions to many fans, such aficionados

might check out Mr. Ponomarev’s ensemble which plays monthly

at Zinc.

The band played the “VP (read Valery Ponomarev) JBB

Overture,” a rousing introduction at 1 50=quarter note, with

boppish percussive lines, horn accents on off beats, with fat sounds

in the lower register, in which all sections created a frenetic

energy, with stabs and then falls from the trumpet section. A fluent

scalar piano solo by Ms. Watanabe was followed by a high energy

drum solo from Mr. Jennings.

“Gina’s Cooking Big Band,” a swinging original by Mr.

The Jazz Culture, VI:39

3

Open Singers Jam Every Fri. 6‐9 at Zeb's by Jazz Center of NY

Ponomarev, at about 175=quarter

note, used the Call and Response

device. A spirited romp by

Anthony Nelson on baritone

displaying a fat sound in his lower

register, feeling the subdivisions of

the beat, with other horns playing

background sprays. On trumpet,

Mickey Hirose, displayed

economy, accenting upbeats, using

triplets and falls, a pretty soloist

who extended melodic motifs in

the second chorus. First Alto

Darryl Yokley’s solo used scalar

lines and chord inversions over a propulsive horn background. The

song ended on a long tone, a lyric extension of the theme.

Review 1‐5How To‐Tips for Jazz

Vocalists 6‐12Jazz Connect NY Pix & NEA Jazz

Masters 2013 11 -1 3

Jazz heritage Ron McClure 14Singapore Jazzman Mario Serio

14‐19Jazz Heritage Ron McClure cont.

20‐[email protected]

http://theJazzCulture.com © 2012

Cont. on p. 4


4

On “Crisis,” there was a bass

intro at 1 50=quarter note, the

theme repeated by the horns in a

sultry interlude that quickly heats

up; this sensual mode keeps

repeating. Mr. Chub’s solo, after a

few dotted quarter notes, went into

16th note runs with a hip urban

feeling. The arrangement was

lyrical as segments of the theme passed from one section to

another. Norbert Satchel performed a well informed solo, where he

doubled the tempo, swung well, using some altered 7th chords, and

the bassist distinguished himselfwith a nice full sound in his lower

register, propelling the rhythm ahead.

Mr. Golson’s beautiful standard, “Are You Real,” was about

148=quarter note. The theme first featured sax section, rich in

triplets, followed by trumpets and trombones with short percussive

licks. Scott, (last name unknown) did a solo that was concise

comments on the rhythmic patterns of the song. The piano solo

combined swing and bop ideas; the theme was stated by the bass

and repeated by the horns. A dreamy and evocative theme

suddenly became dynamic and they vamped out. There was drum

solo, well constructed, then a restatement of the theme, ending on

a long tone.

Although the subs seemed to solo more than the regulars; they

read very well and seemed to make only one mistake, and that was

an entrance that was not clear.

The Famous “Blues March” (Benny Golson) was played next at

about 160=quarter note. Drums gave an introduction, a militant,

vibrant version expressing the will to go on no matter what

happens. Ponomarev offered a pretty solo, reflecting his many

years of experience, with a unique sound focused in the middle

register, kind of radiant burnt orange, starting on one note that led

Valery Ponomarev, just back

from Russia


5

HOW TO-Tips for Jazz Vocalistsby L. Hamanaka

Vocal tips: These are practical notes about various things

singers may find of interest.

Stance: A singer may move, and move parts of his/her

abdomen, but should not lower the head. This bends the airway,

to a fall, contrasting to the drummer’s patterns and propulsive in

effect. An excellent bop player, he has a meaty sound, nice arcing,

accurate lines sometimes ending in triplets to accentuate a point.

The kind of player one wishes would continue. Mr. Vidal did a

solo, a fat tenor sound with courage, brave on accents, a sort of

rolling effect using the blues scale with good articulation. Mr.

Jeffers after sounding things out, began rhythmic variations later.

There was an interesting drum interlude, somewhat long. Mr.

Ponomarev sometimes lets his soloists go on for a long time,

however it is a soulful swinging band. Mr. Ponomarev has a

passionate style of arranging, with complete commitment, and has

a rhythm section where the bass and drums lock down the band

and keep a groove happening. Art Blakey would be happy and

proud to know that his heritage is kept alive in this way. Ruslein

Khein is a bass player who has a good feel and who plays with

openness, vibrancy and strength; he does not touch the bottom of

his musical energy. Jerome Jennings is a young drummer with his

own sound. He can play softly, and knows the Messenger

repertoire well. He does not

have complete clarity,

however he has verve, a

circular notion of the beat, and

controls his power. Mr.

Ponoramov is the main player

in his own band, but is quite

modest in encouraging the

other musicians. VPBB between numbers


6

and makes production of high notes

difficult or garbled.

Jaw: You can open your jaw three

ways: 1 . Lower the bottom half. 2. Raise

the top half. 3 . Open top and bottom at

the same time. Don’t open so wide that

you start hearing clicks, or it feels

unnatural. Have a natural mouth.

Posture: You should try to have good

posture, because a person with bad posture looks as if they lack

confidence or have something to be ashamed of, and that

impression will detract from your interpretation.

Hands: Hands should fall naturally and

never be tense. Gestures can be very helpful

to the acting in singing, and sometimes to

vocal production.

Eyes: Try not to close your eyes because

people like to look at a person whose eyes

are open. Think about it. The audience does

not want to feel cut off from you. If you

were having a conversation with someone,

would you want them to close their eyes

when they were talking to you? Also, most

people look tense and tortured with closed

eyes, and their faces screw up into a grimace. Try to let the

emotion come out in your sound and the lyric, and let your face be

a blank slate which the audience can relate to.

Feet: Feet should be squarely on the floor; if you have to wear

heels, make them as low as possible, and the heels should be

sturdy, not pencil thin.

Lisi Pakulski

Lionelle Hamanaka


7

Waist: You should not

tighten your midriffwith air.

You don’t take a breath and

hold it around the waist and

gradually release it. Breathing

is a constantly fluid process. If

you want to know how to

breathe, look at a sleeping baby.

To learn how to inhale or

breathe in, just exhale and

empty your lungs. Then open

your throat and relax your

waistline. To repeat, do not

hold air in the circumference of

your waist. Do not raise your shoulders while inhaling. This

creates tension and does nothing for your lungs. It is good to

maintain a state of relaxed alertness when singing or playing.

The main thing a singer has that an instrumentalist does not, is

words. Therefore, diction is very important, because if no one can

tell what you are saying, they cannot be affected by you. There are

32 common vowels in English, from the long “E” to the “A” in

father. You should go through the alphabet and slow down your

pronunciation so that you know what actions your tongue and lips

make to sound each letter of the alphabet. You should know

exactly how you produce vowels, and what adjustments to make.

For example, the word “love,” is pronounced with a short “U.”

However that sounds dull when sung. For an important word like

“love” you want a brighter sound. So you might raise the back of

your tongue slightly for that brighter, warmer sound and it will

also brighten the pitch.

Clothes: If you have a choice, do not let your clothes dominate

you as a person. If you are playing a role you may not have a

choice. If you choose a style, be as unique as you can but you

should choose clothes that allow your personality to flower and

Chlothida


8

don’t distract from your

voice.

Microphone: When you

hold a microphone, imagine

you are singing to a person

inside the microphone. If

this makes you crazy, just

try it once, for the sake of

an imagination exercise.

When you sing loud or a

long tone that crescendos,

pull the mike away or back up from the mike so it won’t be too

loud for the audience. You may not be holding the mike; you may

not be able to hear yourself if you do not have a monitor. If you

can’t hear yourself, don’t leave it to fate, but ask someone to give

you feedback, and listen to the sound to see if it is balanced. Arrive

early enough to do a sound check with the band, and then appoint

someone or ask someone to tell you if the sound is balanced.

Microphones will sound different through a different sound system

or amplifier. Don’t be afraid to return a mike to the store if you

don’t like it on a gig. Don’t take for granted that because you have

one sound at home or in your studio, the sound will be the same in

a club or concert hall.

State ofMind: Most of all protect your state ofmind. Don’t

quarrel with anyone before a performance or at a rehearsal. If there

is someone with whom you have an issue, stay away from that

person before a performance. Don’t invite them to come. If you

are tired and are coming after work or a hard day at home, do some

stretches and if possible wash your face. There is nothing more

important than maintaining a positive vibe with the band and

therefore, yourself. Music is a positive force, and you have to keep

your energy focused and undivided for the music to come out well.

The bandstand is like a shrine of the Muse. No matter how simple

the circumstances, once you enter that circle ofmusic makers and

James Malloy


9

face the audience, there should be magic inside that circle. Don’t

let anyone disturb you.

When practicing, try to practice first thing, because there are a

million distractions, and

most of us don’t have great

focus. Or meditate, and call

upon that meditative state

when you start practicing.

You have to protect your

right to practice from

everyone, and give them

something to do. If you

have a child, you need a

babysitter or relative, or

project for that kid to do.

Then afterwards you can

give them your undivided

love and attention. Practice

every day unless your voice needs to rest. Divide your practice

time. If you have 15 minutes, you can warm up, do a scale exercise

and practice a song in 15 minutes. However if you are practicing

for performance, you should plan your repertoire well ahead of

time and go through at least a set a day, until you feel secure with

that set of songs, then start on the next set. Then before the

performance, at least one or two weeks ahead, you should go

through all the songs every day that you will perform. You don’t

want to go into a situation where that will be the first time you go

through all the songs. You need to pace yourself for the entire

performance, both physically and mentally or emotionally. The

songs should be in an order that you can switch from one to the

next, and make the emotional switch or development.

There are hundreds of standards that every jazz singer must

know. You must know the words, the melody, the key and the

changes to all these tunes, or not expect to work at all. You can

Maggie Malone


1 0

keep books of your repertoire, by

composers or sets, and keep one for

piano or guitar, and one for bass and

one for drums. These books can be

black or dark colored with plastic

covers for each song that attach to the

center of the folder or cover. We

could have an on-going debate on

which standards must be learned. But

it should consist of Swing, Ballads,

Latin songs, most ofwhich are songs

that every musician knows, and not in

the keys of “A” or “B.” There should be about 8 songs per set, and

most of them have to be swing or up tempo. If you do not have

enough time to do them all, you can use them later. Some singers

sing 20 songs a set; I once went to hear Barbara Cook and she sang

40 songs in an hour. Pacing is very important, and tempo is very

important, so you should experiment and find tempos (ask for

help). Keep in mind that a tempo does not just mean faster or

slower; there is an emotional state or message you are delivering

with that tempo. You can record a prospective set and see how it

works. Sit back as if you were an audience member, and ask a

close friend or relative their opinion also. Unless you are singing

the repertoire of a certain band for a special occasion, most of the

time you will be in charge ofwhat to sing, and how fast or slow.

Then there’s your voice itself, keeping it in good working

condition. So if you are allergic to milk, you can’t eat cheese and

drink milk if you want a clear tone. A good warm up is the hum.

You can hum in the morning, afternoon and evening, for a few

minutes, up and down your range, on the “e” and “ah” vowels, and

not use up your singing voice. You can hum anywhere. Don’t sing

without warming up. You want to do your whole range every day,

but never strain your voice. Remember in the top note there is

some bottom register, and in the lowest note, some top. In that

way, you don’t break your voice in two, or lose your top or

Joe Gimpel


11

bottom. Keep yourself hydrated by drinking 8 glasses ofwater a

day. Water is the center of your diet, cleaning the inside of your

body so you do not get sick. Some singers have a drink they

prefer, like a certain tea or something, with honey. Having

common sense helps. You can’t expect to sing well if you are

loaded with drugs and

alcohol, got two hours sleep,

or get no exercise. As alive

as you want your music to

be, you have to be. You

can’t go out and buy a

voice, like a Steinway or

Stradivarius. Look at your

voice as a car; you want to

keep it in good running

order.

JAZZ CONNECT @APAP CONFERENCE IN NYC

Michael Carvin left, and Greg Osby, right, who spoke on APAP

Panels for the jazz community

1 ,000 members of the jazz community pre-registered for

APAP's January 10-14 Jazz Connect conference at the New York

Hilton. Panels on many subjects included producing your own cd,

what djs look for, how to create a video to help brand an artist,

Global jazz initiatives. The audience was musicians, producers,


1 2

festival directors, public relations people, all part of the jazz nexus.

Later in the weekend jazz musicians took part in a number of live

performances. This event was sponsored by Jazz Connect and Lee

Mergner, owner of Jazz Times.

Peter Schulze, Gary Steuer, Linda Oh, WulfMuller, Scott Southard,

Global panel above. Sara, a consultant for Jazz Connect, John

�ewcott, Joe Vella, Jimmy Katz, & Brian Pace on the video panel

Above, small part ofthe crowd at Jazz Connect conference; upper

right, Keynote address on Day 1, Mayor Michael �utter,included

Geald Beasley, Bass Botto Camp, MelissaWalker, Jazz House Kids,

Arturo O'Farrill, bandleader, JeffMyers, This is Red ad agency; panel

with Sara introducing: Cecil Brooks II, JeffLevenson,

producer/moderator, Francois Zalacain, Sunnyside, �ick Phillips,

Concord, Michael Cuscuna, Mosaic


1 3

Job Opening: Advertising Director for The Jazz Culture Newsletter,50% commission basis; email: [email protected]

The Barry Harris Trio willbe at the Village Vanguardstarting Tuesday January

15, 2013

2013 �ational Endowment for the Arts Jazz

Masters: L-R Eddie

Palmieri,pianist/bandleader;Mose Allison,

pianist/composer & lyricist; Lou Donaldson,

alto saxophonist; missing, Lorraine Gordon,

owner ofthe Village Vanguard

National Endowment for the Arts Presentation ofJazz Masters' Awards 2013

�EA Jazz Masters Mose Allison, David Baker, Kenny Barron, Candido Camero, Ron

Carter, Jimmy Cobb, Lou Donaldson, Curtis Fuller, Roy Haynes, Jimmy Heath,

Ahmad Jamal, Sheila Jordan, Dave Liebman, Eddie Palmieri, Jimmy Owens, Paquito

D'Rivera, Annie Ross,George Wein, Ramsey Weston,Joe Wilder & others


1 4

Ron McClure-BassistPub. Note: Ron McClure, bassist, was born at St. Raphael

Hospital in New Haven, CT, into a working class family, the

youngest of three brothers. His parents had a house in North

Haven and though they were not musicians they supported Ron’s

talent. He came to music, like many others of his generation,

through the public schools. At North Haven High School his

Music Director, Alex Winsco, offered to teach him how to play

bass because he needed a bass player for the legit band. Prior to

that Ron played accordion, and in the band combo class at school.

Mr. Winsco, a sax and clarinet player, taught beginning lessons on

many instruments as Musical Director. Soon after Ron learned to

play, due to a shortage of bass players in New Haven, his phone

started ringing. He played with the Kingsmen, a quintet ofYale

guys who played every weekend, led by Bob Shaw. The Kingsmen

backed up the “Academics,” a vocal group, and that was Ron’s

JAZZ HERITAGE

cont. p. 19


1 5

Pub. �ote: A

musician with a unique

style that reflects all

piano literature, from

classics to now, Mario

Serio, a jazz pianist,

accompanist, musical

director, arranger and

educator born in

Manhattan, attended the

School of Performing

Arts, Mannes College of

Music, the National

Music Camp in

Interlochen, Michigan

has a successful career

in Singapore. He moved

there in 1995. He plays

most styles ofmusic,

and is known as one of

the most versatile pianists in that region. As jazz is a world music,

Singapore has a lot of jazz, and Mr. Serio is one of the leading jazz

pianists there. Of Filipino heritage, second generation American,

Mario got his love ofmusic when he was four. He did his first gig

at age six on TV. He maintained his classical lessons through the

High School of Performing Arts, maintaining private lessons under

Stanley L. Friedberg, and after inquiries, went to SIR studios

(where he studied under Walter Bishop, Jr.) then Barry Harris, a

Teddy Wilson master class at Mannes College ofMusic, Fernando

Laires at the National Music Camp, Interlochen Michigan, and

Mildred Waldman at the Mannes College ofMusic. Mario Serio

has a great ear, can sing any line back in solfeggio, effortlessly

SINGAPORE JAZZMAN MARIO SERIO

Mario Serio at a concert


1 6

knows the voicings blindfolded of groups as they are playing, and

is a phenomenal reader, having fluency transposing heavy classical

pieces to keys like B.

By Mario Serio

I started doing more gigs after college, after I left Mannes,

working more regularly. I’ve had the honor and joy ofworking

with some great groups and individuals like “The Platters, The

Coasters, Nestor Torres, Shirley Bassey, Kenny Washington, Mike

Clark, and Lea Salonga.

I originally came out for a four month performing contract at

the Singapore’s premiere jazz club (at the time), Somerset’s

Lounge at the Westin Plaza Hotel in 1994 backing jazz vocalist

Nancy Kelly. I liked Singapore, …the weather, the cleanliness, the

orderliness, the safeness- all though it did seem a bit antiseptic at

the time, as compared to NYC, that is. It’s tropical all year round.

Although I do miss the 4 seasons (I can travel to get my fix of

that), I like the monotony of the weather. Also, it’s a progressive

city, cosmopolitan, from a developmental standpoint,

infrastructure all here, all the big names in shopping are here. Of

course my lovely wife, jewelry designer SuLin Serio, is the main

reason I stay here. She has her own boutique in the Tanglin Mall

called SuLin Serio, since the mall opened, some 18 years ago.

What I do here is perform at various clubs and venues, teach

privately during the daytime, give occasional lectures and/or

workshop classes and provide musical entertainment for private or

corporate functions.

JC: Your career might be considered an example of how jazz has

flowered and become a world music with roots far from the US,

and has been successful in Singapore.

MS: In the sense that I keep busy, a lot of people know me, so

they call me because ofmy particular abilities, so I’m constantly


1 7

working. If the frequency ofmy work constitutes exercising my

craft, the answer to your question would be “yes”, although

sometimes I feel there are not enough hours in the day as I’m so

busy with my business (and my wife’s business) that I find it

difficult to do personal projects such as record my own CD, my

own recital or compose. I've seen the jazz scene in Singapore grow

enormously in the 18 years I’ve been here, partially because the

ex-pat community’s influence - people from the US or other

countries who settle here, whose presence influence the jazz scene.

Also, there are the local musicians adventurous (and fortunate)

enough to study in universities in NYC, Boston, and other

countries as well, bringing back valuable knowledge and first-hand

experience from countries where jazz was either born or greatly

developed. Then you have the technological leaps and IT

platforms such as YouTube, iTunes and the Internet itself. We

used to have to do research at the library, borrowing books. Now

you simply type it into your computer and voila, you’re looking at

(or listening to) pretty much anything you need. So these have

contributed to the accelerated evolution of Singapore’s jazz scene

and "world music" scene. In fact, the immediacy of information

has accelerated the music of the world music scene en masse, or at

least the potential is there.

JC: So it’s pretty international in Singapore?

MS: Singapore is considered a business hub, it’s nestled within

south east asian countries, Vietnam, Cambodia, Malaysia,

Philippines, Indonesia, etc…so it’s a pretty central launch point.

That’s reflected in Changi Airport, touted as being one of the

finest in the world.

JC: Have you been recording.

MS: Not really, I haven’t done much in the way of personal

projects.

JC: Do you think Singapore has become an international jazz city

like London or Paris.


1 8

MS: An international city, for sure. An international jazz city

like London or Paris, I couldn't say because I don't know the

essence of those cities. I do know something about New York

though. “Singapore is an island city-state country geographically

714.3 square kilometers, just about the size ofNew York City (the

combined 5 boroughs ofManhattan, the Bronx, Queens, Brooklyn

and Staten Island totalling 789.4 square kilometers). Singapore

although slightly smaller than NYC has done quite well to put

itself on the world map as a world class player. The F1 is here.

Two integrated resorts (casinos) are here. Although these type of

entities elevate Singapore’s profile (from certain perspectives), the

soul of jazz is in the blues. Granted, human emotions are

international and span all walks of life and social classes. But

certain social conditions allow scenarios of desperation to emerge.

Desperation causes the human spirit to sink or swim and in these

type of extreme circumstances, certain individuals digs deep to

pull themselves out and rise above their immediate circumstance.

This is the place where the sheer will to survive, to supercede that

which was previously done and push the envelope of your art

form, to throw caution to the wind and sacrifice everything you

have because you're at the point where you have nothing more to

lose, comes from. Now, I'm not an authority on Singapore but it

seems the standard of living (for the young musical students I've

experienced thus far) looks like desperation is not so likely, which

is a blessing from an overall viewpoint but again safe and secure.

And in art, you never get far playing it safe and secure. That being

said, there is an increasing number of homegrown artistes doing

great work and making their mark on the local and international

scene. Regarding the jazz venues in Singapore, the hotel scene

used to be good but that has changed. The hotel is no longer a

venue known for its jazz, though there are a couple that still

maintain jazz artists. There are only five to six major jazz clubs or

venues here presently.

Mr. Serio’s clarity, his beautiful style and open personality

have been embraced by the people and musicians in Singapore and


1 9

he has performed at the following venues in Singapore: The

Westin Hotel (Somerset's Lounge), Pan Pacific Hotel’s Lobby

Lounge, 1 Altitude (1 Raffles Place), Cocotte, Raffles Hotel (Bar

and Billiard Room), The Fullerton Hotel, the Regent Hotel (The

Bar), the St. Regis Hotel (Astor Bar), Saxophones, Harry’s Boat

Quay, Harry's Esplanade, Jazz@Southbridge, Blu Jazz, L'Opera,

The Sultan Jazz Club, B28, The Kallang Theatre, Esplanade

Concert Hall, Esplanade Recital Studio, Jubilee Concert Hall,

Victoria Concert Hall, Transit Hall ofChangi Airport. We are

eager for his future recordings. See: MarioSerio.com on google.

Best regards, Mario Serio

+6592728953

www.marioserio.com

first

recording

job. “My mother, Mildred, used to drive

me to gigs and pick me up at 1 :00 in the

morning,” Ron recalled. Then, after

turning 16, “In high school I had a red

and black Ford Fairlane that all the girls

liked.” While still in High School, and

after having played the bass for a few

months, and not even owning his own

instrument, Ron played with

McPartland, Bobby Scott, Toshiko

Akioshi at McTriff’s, a New Haven jazz club, and was allowed by

Winsco to use the school’s bass.

After one miserable semester at the Storrs campus of the

University ofConnecticut, having been convinced that a life in

music would be too difficult by a well-meaning high school

guidance counselor who’d had me on a path towards becoming a

business administration major, “I finally realized that a career in

music was what I wanted. It had all started with Alex Winsco, an

insightful high school band director who recognized that I’d never

Ron McClure cont. from p. 14

Ron McClure in coffee

shop


20

be as happy doing anything other than music in life…”

After dropping out ofUCONN, Ron enrolled at the Hartt College

ofMusic in Hartford, Connecticut, and studied with the legendary

Joe Iadone, a protege of Paul Hindemith while attending Yale

University. A former bassist himself, Mr. Iadone become a world

famous lutenist, and performed with Collegium Musicum. “Mr.

Iadone gave me discipline in reading rhythms correctly, and proper

technique on the bass. He was very strict about hand positions and

had me concentrate only on bowing for six months before

combining both hands. In order for me to learn how to draw a

sound out of the bass with the proper bowing technique, he

arranged to have me contact a grad student named Marilyn, and

had me observe her while she practiced her cello. I respectfully sat

there and learned what proper bowing technique looked and

sounded like.”

While attending Hartt College ofMusic, Ron recalled…”In

my senior year, I played six nights a week in Hartford at the

Heublein Hotel, the main jazz club in Hartford, which featured

New York City jazz artists such as Mike Manieri, who later got me

with Buddy Rich’s Sextet in Las Vegas after I graduated. I didn’t

use an amp till 1 970, and there wasn’t much in the way of

amplification at all in most jazz venues. There was usually only

one microphone, and the leader usually took that for himself. I saw

Scott La Faro with Bill Evans at Birdland, and Paul Chambers at

the Village Vanguard with Miles Davis live, and I couldn’t hear

them very well. I played opposite Sonny Rollins at the old Five

Spot with Bobby Timmons as Charles Mingus and Paul Chambers

stood at the bar looking and listening. That was a nervous evening

for me!”

After Ron graduated Hartt College ofMusic in the summer of

1963, he put his bass in his VW and moved to New York City to

“Make it in Jazz”! When asked what the jazz scene was like then,

he replied “Jazz was at its highest point in the 1960’s. Bands led

by Charles Mingus, Miles Davis and John Coltrane were playing


clubs, and the scene was

at it’s peak. While at a

club, I met Bobby

Porcelli, an alto player

who lived on West 83rd

Street between

Columbus &

Amsterdam Avenues,

who let me stay with

him for a few days, not

having my own place

yet. My first rental was a

room at an SRO on West 94th Street, where I where water-bugs

climbed into my bass. A few months later, Mike Manieri, Mike

Abene and I drove from New York to Las Vegas to join the Buddy

Rich Sextet. We arrived in Vegas at dusk on November 22nd, my

22nd birthday, and the day John F. Kennedy was assassinated.

Vegas was dark that evening. I met Buddy at his home, and he was

devastated. A few days later we began to work. Buddy could play,

but he had no redeeming qualities as a human being, that I could

see. He seemed to go out of his way to make everybody miserable.

The gig at the Thunderbird Hotel lounge began at 2:00 a.m. and

finished as guests were having their breakfast at 7:00 a.m. The

other players were: Harry “Sweets” Edison (Trumpet), Mike

Abene (piano), Mike Manieri (vibes) and Sam Most (flute). After

only six weeks, Buddy announced that he was going back with

Harry James’ band, so I booked a ticket on the Santa Fe railroad

and took a train back to New York with Mike Abene, who went

back with Maynard Ferguson’s band. Soon after, Maynard’s band

hired me to go to Montreal to sub for Linc Milliman, and I

subsequently became the bassist with Maynard’s big band and

sextet for the next 2 years.

“In 1965 I was young, impressionable, curious, eager to play.

I’d been well trained, and happened to be in the right place at the

right time now and then. I did my first two jazz recordings with

Ron McClure Trio at neighborhood gig

21The Jazz Culture, VI:39

Maynard: “Color Him Wild” (later released on Cd as “Dues”) and

a sextet album for Mainstream, with Bobby Shad as producer. My

next career changing opportunity came while playing with

Maynard Ferguson’s big band at a club in Atlantic City opposite

the great Wes Montgomery with the Wynton Kelly Trio. After our

set, everyone in Maynard’s band was sitting in the front row of the

club in anticipation of hearing this great band. I was a huge Paul

Chambers admirer. Due to illness, Paul hadn’t arrived. Jimmy

Cobb, who I had never met, hit a couple of rim shots and gestured

for me to come up and fill in for Paul. I’ ll never forget that

experience. They were visibly upset and concerned about Paul, but

once we started to play Wes turned around and laid a huge smile

on Wynton. It was the greatest moment ofmy life. Two months

later, I had another occasion to play with Wes, Wynton and Jimmy

at the Village Gate in New York City. Ron Carter, who had

replaced Paul Chambers, had a record date that went overtime and

Wynton asked me if I’d play their first set. Ron Carter called the

following day and asked me to plat the first set that night. He said:

‘ I’ ll give you $20.’ ’ ! After having played with them three times,

Wynton asked me for my phone number. A few months later, in

July of 1965, it was 106 degrees in New York, when Wynton

Kelly called me and invited me to go out to the west coast for a

tour. I stayed with the band for a couple months before Wes, who

had become a star, went out on his own. Wynton Kelly didn’t have

as much of a name and as great as he was, his career sadly faded

away.

JC: How did you know their repertoire when you played with

them?

RM: “There wasn’t much written music in those days. Wes didn’t

read music.”

JC: What tunes did you play?

RM: “On the Trail,” “Old Folks,” “4 on 6,” “West Coast Blues…”

I have a good ear and what I couldn’t hear Wynton would show

me with his left hand. The first chorus of a new tune he’d play out

22 The Jazz Culture, VI:39

of tempo

showing me the

roots of the

chords. I’d

absorbed Paul

Chambers’

playing (like

most bassists! ).

There were no

problems

between us

musically other

than the fact that

I was relatively

inexperienced

compared to

them. Wynton

and Jimmy had

played with

Miles Davis for

years! Wynton

told me: 'You

wouldn’t believe what I have to go through to have you in my

band.' Apparently, the Brothers questioned him as to why he’d

hired me. He told them to come out and listen to us. They usually

came around and ended up buying me drinks! ”

JC: Did you ever study classical music?

RM: “Coming up, I mainly listened to horn players and piano

players like Miles, Trane, Rollins and Bill Evans, but I did study

classical music in college and even gave a senior recital for my

degree as a Double Bass Major. As a jazz bassist, I had to learn

what people needed from the bass player in the rhythm section.

Having played accordion prior to bass, I had learned about

melodies and harmony, but I’d never thought about being a bassist

in a supporting role. Paul Chambers was my main influence when

Ron McClure still lovin' it after all these years

23The Jazz Culture, VI:39

Subscribe Free to the Jazz Culture Newsletter:http://thejazzculture.com. © 2012, The Jazz Culture, Ltd. PO

Box 20023 Park West Finance Sta, NY 10025, Tel: 646-312-7773.

it came to walking bass lines. He had the best Time feel with a

capital “T.” He studied at Curtis. People still emulate his playing.

JC: Barry Harris said he taught Paul Chambers to play bass. Barry

played bass in high school.

RM: “I don’t take credit for teaching or discovering anyone but I

heard Jaco Pastorius before he was well known. It was a Wayne

Cochrane & The CC Riders recording on the jukebox at Joe

Namath’s Club “Bachelors Three” in Ft. Lauderdale, Florida while

I was playing there in 1975 with BS&T. I fell in love instantly

with his electric bass sound, and asked the bartender who it was. I

had to play the track for BS&T drummer/leader, Bobby Colomby.

Bobby heard what I’d heard in Jaco’s sound. The next day, he

went out and found him and later brought him to New York and

recorded Jaco’s amazing solo Cd on Epic Records. A few months

later, Bobby fired me and hired him. Jaco didn’t want to play

BS&T’s music. He wanted them to play his, but they had hits! I

often wonder what would have happened had I not told Bobby

Colomby about Jaco. He was a true innovator, but his life was

tragically cut short in his mid thirties.

“During my 3 years with Blood Sweat & Tears chose to write

instrumental pieces for them, not having what it takes to write

“Pop Music” with lyrics. In 1974 I wrote the title track for “Mirror

Image” on Columbia Records. In 1975 I was nominated for a

NARAS Grammy for “Best Instrumental Arrangement” for an

original piece called “No Show”.

JC: What did you learn from the recording experience?

RM: “Jimmy Einer, the producer of the BS&T recording: “New

City”, helped me reduce my 1975 (Cont. in February as Part I I )

24 The Jazz Culture, VI:39

Document

Documents

trumpet section

jazz center of nyponomarev

informed solo

chubs solo

fluentscalar piano solo

section toanother

high energydrum solo

valery ponomarevvocalist