Document

TheJAZZ CULTURE

The Jazz Culture, VI:40 1

Bill Charlap �onet played "The Birth ofthe Cool" at Jazz at Lincoln Center

2The Jazz Culture, VI:40

REVIEWTHE BILL CHARLAP NONETTribute to “The Birth ofthe Cool”

Kenny Washington (drums), Peter Washington (bass), Steve

Wilson, (alto sax), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Steve �elson (vibes),

Gary Smulyan (baritone sax), Jason Jackson (trombone), Bob

Stewart (tuba) and JeffScott (French horn). The four Guest

Stars were: Steve �elson (vibes), Frank Wess (tenor sax), Mary

Stallings (vocals), Bucky Pizzarelli, (guitar).

Caught the Bill Charlap Nonet at Jazz at Lincoln Center on

Friday, January 18, at the early show. The Nonet was: Kenny

Washington (drums), Peter Washington (bass), Steve Wilson, (alto

sax), Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Steve Nelson (vibes), Gary Smulyan

(baritone sax), Jason Jackson (trombone), Bob Stewart (tuba) and

Jeff Scott (French horn). The four Guest Stars were: Steve Nelson

(vibes), Frank Wess (tenor sax), Mary Stallings (vocals), Bucky

Pizzarelli, (guitar). Bill Charlap loves John Lewis’ , Gerry

Mulligan’s, Johnny Carisi’s and Gil Evans’ arrangements, and

cherished the “Birth of the Cool.” Mr. Charlap worked with Gerry

Mulligan early in his career, who showed him on the piano, some

of the voicings Mr. Mulligan (a Queens guy) used. A well

appreciated

project by the

audience,

partially

because the

music

resembled

classical music-

-jazz chamber

music, with

subtle textures

but swinging.Peter Washington, Bass, and Kenny Washington,

Drums, after concert

3

Open Singers Jam Every Fri. 6‐9 at Zeb's

The Jazz Culture, VI:40

The Nonet band had already

gone through “Jeru” (Gerry

Mulligan) and “Deception” based

on George Shearing’s

“Conception” before this person

got there, and was off and running

on ”Godchild,” an earthy tune.

“Godchild” by George Wallington

and arranged by Gerry Mulligan,

was based on “Between the Devil

and the Deep Blue Sea” by Arlen.

They played it faster than the

record, about 148=quarter note. The charming melody was played

by an ascending horn line starting on a downbeat and some

triplets, followed by a pretty trumpet solo by Jeremy Pelt, who has

gotten more relaxed and assured.

Review 1‐5How To‐Tips for Jazz

Vocalists 6‐12Concert Pix at Zeb's 11‐12

Review cont. 13‐14Jazz heritage Ron McClure 14

Singapore Jazzman Mario Serio14‐19

Jazz Heritage Ron McClure cont.20‐24

[email protected]://theJazzCulture.com © 2012

Cont. p. 4

4 The Jazz Culture, VI:40

Then there were short solos from Steve Wilson on alto solo, a

subtle scalar piano solo, a baritone solo by Gary Smulyan and

Jason Jackson on trombone.

The Nonet then played Chummy MacGregor and Johnny

Mercer’s beautiful “Moondream” (originally done by the Glen

Miller Orchestra), the Nonet arrangement by Gil Evans. Done as a

walking ballad at about 102=quarter note, Kenny Washington

displayed impeccable technique with Peter Washington playing

hand in glove with him, framing the lush voicings woven with a

romantic mystique by the horns. There was a short baritone solo

that Mr. Smulyan made the most of. Mr. Smulyan has a full

baritone sound. The sound of the arrangement resembled modern

classical music. Mr. Charlap conducted the ending; it’s difficult to

conduct from the piano bench (since the players have to look out

of the corner of their right eyes, while keeping an eye on the score)

but the band could have used more direction at one point in the

middle of the tune, which was divided in sections with different

tempos.

Then the program changed pace, bringing on Frank Wess on

tenor, Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar on “Lady Be Good,” (Jerome

Kern) at about 168=quarter note. Mr. Charlap said that the Cool

School was derived straight from Lester Young and the Count

Basie rhythm section. Mr. Pizzarelli delighted all with his rhythm

guitar, bringing back the verve of the big band days, showing the

style that has made him a living legend. Mr. Wess played an

engaging solo and Mr. Kenny Washington lifted the band and

added some spice to the performance.

Then Mr. Charlap called on Mary Stallings, a mezzo soprano

with her own sound, who did “Pennies from Heaven” (Arthur

Johnston) with fine articulation and phrasing, adding obligato both

from the blues scale as well as chords and neighboring tones of the

changes, with an inflection influenced by Carmen McCrae. Ms.

Stallings hit tasteful accents. Frank Wess did a tasty solo reaching

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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,

and makes production of high notes difficult or garbled.


up, over and below the melody line. Mr. Charlap played a

swinging solo with lovely bass lines in counterpoint by Mr. Peter

Washington.

“Easy Living,” (Jenkins, Robins, Rainger, Young, Hollaender)

opened with an exquisite rendition of the melody by Frank Wess,

each note a gem, with a guitar trio, Ms. Stallings sang the next

chorus with very good phrasing tinged with some blues notes, on

one occasion sliding up to a note or descending the blues scale in a

call and response fashion, displaying a good sense ofmusical

balance and architecture.

Then three Guest Stars left, and they did John Lewis’ “Rouge,”

with Steve Nelson on vibes, brightly at 160=quarter note. Mr.

Charlap said in terms of vibes players, Mr. Nelson inherited the

mantle from Lionel Hampton and Milt Jackson. This song shone

like a diamond bracelet, Mr. Nelson has a full tone and really fine

articulation. He started with a four note motif that he built up into

a flowing tapestry. Mr. Charlap played an inspired short piano

interlude. Then Steve Wilson brightened the stage with a piercing

alto solo, and Jeremy Pelt did an easy gambol through the park on

trumpet (Central Park was visible through immense window panes

in the Allen Room; however, the ensemble sounded feathery,

except for the soloists, though the piano was soft, could not tell if

this was due to the glass wall or the engineer).Cont. p. 13

6

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.

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

Lionelle Hamanaka


7

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

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

Chlothida


8

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

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

James Malloy


9

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

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

Maggie Malone


1 0

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

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


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order. Please comment online at http://thejazzculture.com


HAPPY BIRTHDAY AL FOSTER!!Jazz Center of NY Concert Pix from Zeb's

Ron Saltus, left andMaki Matotso, Right Concert at Zeb's

1 2 The Jazz Culture, VI:40

After that Kenny Washington

inserted drum fills that kept the

band’s motor humming. The ensemble played with light tripping

swing with flourishes coming from the vibes.

They certainly packed a lot ofmusic into 90 minutes. Steve

Nelson then played at about 96=quarter note, as lovely deep bass

notes and soft piano chords supported him. He then broke into a

slow swing (126=quarter) with a bluesy rendition, maintained

perfect balance, and soulful treatment in his solo.

On “Django” (also by John Lewis in the MJQ) Charlap swung

by himself through one chorus; then was joined by bass and

drums. He played acoustically without much amplification, and

was deferential to the rest of the ensemble. He let loose into flights

of fancy, creating his own world and sound, and then the rhythm

section played some choruses of shuffle blues, slowing to snail’s

pace as Steve Nelson played the beautiful haunting melody, with

sensitivity, taste and subtlety.

The Nonet then played “Milestones” (Miles Davis). Steve

Wilson did a very urbane, hip solo incorporating bebop, and the

cool school, in his singular sound. Nelson’s solo was well shaped

and rendered and displayed a fine sense of form. The Charlap solo

used space, sounding a bit like Miles, then started chording

quoting the melody. The band traded 4’s with Washington, who is

Singer Carol

Randazzo does her

thing at Zeb's, a

concert produced by

Cobi �arita on

Saturday, December

19

Cont. from p. 5

1 3The Jazz Culture, VI:40

known as a jazz historian and record or cd collector. With a clean

and lovely alto sound and perfect phrasing, Mr. Wilson took the

head out.

Mr. Pizzarelli and Mary Stallings came back for Gerry

Mulligan’s arrangement of “Darn that Dream” (Jimmy Van

Heusen). Mr. Charlap introduced the arrangement as having the

Claude Thornhill sound, saying “the band floats on a turquoise

cloud.” The arrangement had deep lush voicings, the singer and

ensemble were nicely balanced, and Ms. Stallings displayed very

musical phrasing climbing the scale, looking elegant in a white

floor length gown. The baritone played a lyric interlude, there was

a short solo by Pelt, who expanded in breadth and depth of color.

Then Stallings restated the theme to end the song.

Next Johnny Carisi’s “Israel” was done (168=quarter note) –

Mr. Charlap pointed out that it was the only blues on the “The

Birth of the Cool.” The melody is unusual, angular and

provocative and uses some whole tone intervals. Mr. Pelt did a

good solo close to the melody. Mr. Smulyan did an angular solo

inspired by song’s dynamic. Mr. Wilson used some daring

intervals in a short snappy solo, and the trombonist Jason Jackson

did a hip bluesy solo, well phrased, using space and devices of the

period. Bob Stewart on tuba got into the act with a solo featuring

succinct three to six note motifs that accented the upbeat. Bassist

Peter Washington invented some haunting licks with a deeper

sound than he has had in the past. The drummer Mr. Kenny

Washington discovered melodies close to the surprising accents of

the theme. Then the Nonet took the song out.

The last song was Gerry Mulligan’s “Rocker,” an entrancing

and joyful song, a breathless and sunny musical romp. “Rocker”

(200=quarter note) was like a rocket that starts on the upbeat. Pelt

and Wilson played short improvised interludes. The audience was

rapt, discovering the excitement of improvised music through this

carefully crafted program of “The Birth of the Cool.”

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


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


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


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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 )


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