Gallery 41 - Interviews with Jazz Legends

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - David Axelrod (#15)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Tue, 29 May 2007 14:04:05 -0700

Composer, Arranger, Producer David Axelrod, born and raised in Southern California was there making history in the center of a thriving Jazz scene in South Central Los Angeles that rivaled any other. A young author, a truck driver, a light-welterweight boxer who lost only 1 of his 16 bouts before turning to music in the 1950’s when he learned how to operate a sound board and began producing records by Gerald Wiggins and Buddy Collette. The album most often credited as his first Jazz project is The Fox by saxophonist Harold Land featuring the underrated trumpeter Dupree Bolton and pianist Elmo Hope. In the 1960’s he produced the first Jazz recording to earn a place in the top 10 on the Billboard charts (number 2 with a bullet to be more exact)….Mercy, Mercy, Mercy written by Joe Zawinul and recorded by Cannonball Adderley. David and Cannon, as he refers to him, were the closest of friends. Other projects through the 60’s and 70’s included multiple hits by Lou Rawls / eclectic rock by The Electric Prunes / and the hard-swinging big band of Stan Kenton. He’s earned 1 Grammy, 5 nominations, and 7 Gold Records.

Now there is a new project. A wonderful package that contains both an audio cd and a dvd of a concert at Royal Festival Hall in London as part of the Ether Festival on March 17, 2004. The project was produced and directed by his son Dana Axelrod.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Cedar Walton (#14)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Thu, 15 Mar 2007 17:51:13 -0700

On this program we feature pianist Cedar Walton. From Dallas, Texas as he tells us in this clip from a conversation recorded in December of 1982, he grew up surrounded by music and some of his earliest memories are of some of the major Jazz figures of the time coming to his family's home to play and share the wonders of the music.

Cedar eventually of course became quite well known for his work with Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers in the early to mid 1960's, and for many years since he continues to lead his own groups that have included saxophonist Hank Mobley, drummer Billy Higgins, and far too many others to try to name them all here.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Todd Barkan (#13)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:08 -0800

For well over the past 30 or more years, Todd Barkan has distinguished himself as one of the world's prominent live Jazz performance and record producers. I first met Todd when he was owner and manager of the legendary Jazz club in San Francisco, The Keystone Korner.

This conversation was recorded in 1983. We first discussed issues concerning public support and the survival of venues presenting live Jazz. Our focus then turned to someone who was a very close friend and influence of Todd's, Rahsaan Roland Kirk.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Milcho Leviev (#12)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:16 -0800

Composer, arranger and pianist Milcho Leviev was born in Eastern Europe on December 19, 1937. Milcho graduated from the State Academy of Music in 1960 majoring in Composition and his professional development as a composer began at the Drama Theatre in Plovdiv. He later became conductor of the Big Band of Bulgarian National Radio, as well as from 1963 to 1968 he accepted an appointment as conductor of the Sofia and the Plovdiv Philharmonic. In 1970, for various reasons he tells us, he left Bulgaria moving first to Germany, and then to the United States. It wasnt until 1980 by the way that he once again performed in Bulgaria.

Its interesting to note how the world politics have changed since this conversation took place in February of 1982 in Los Angeles, California. He tells us in this clip of his first experiences in the US as composer, arranger and pianist with the Don Ellis Orchestra, then drummer Billy Cobham, saxophonists John Klemmer and Art Pepper, drummer Roy Haynes and others.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Abbey Lincoln (#11)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:19 -0800

Born Anna Marie Wooldridge on August 6, 1930 in Chicago, Illinois Abbey Lincoln grew up in rural Michigan on a large farm in a large family. The family had a piano, and Abbey early on developed an interest in music, and will credit the early recordings of Billie Holiday, Sarah Vaughan, and Dinah Washington with teaching her how to sing.

In her late teens or early 20s, she moved to California which is where eventually she met a man named Bob Russell who would become her manager and renamed her, Abbey Lincoln.

In this clip from a conversation recorded in Los Angeles, California in the late 1970s, she talks about meeting drummer Max Roach who she tells us played a major role in her artistic growth.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Anthony Braxton (#10)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:24 -0800

In this program we are going to hear from multi-instrumentalist Anthony Braxton.
It's happened a couple of times in taping these sessions that the telephone proved to be the best tool to get the job done and in this instance it saved the day. Anthony wasn't scheduled to arrive in San Francisco for another few days and timing was, as always, everything. It's a good thing we taped this telephone interview in advance of his arrival since his schedule filled up quickly and we were not able to meet for a second taping while he was in the area.
The time was the mid-1980's and Anthony had just returned to his home in Woodstock, New York from a European tour with a quartet that included trombonist George Lewis. His trips to the western United States were all too infrequent, and often solo.
We managed still to cover quite a bit as we discussed his experiences with the music on both American coasts and in Europe. I still look forward to an opportunity to sit down for that "in-person" session, but am certainly fortunate to have this interview to share with you now.
Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Joseph Jarman (#9)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:28 -0800

From an interview recorded on June 11, 1979 in Los Angeles, CA. the subject of this program is one of the founders of what could be one of the longest running bands in the history of creative music. This is saxophonist Joseph Jarman talking about the formation of the A.A.C.M. in the 1960's and the evolution of the music played by The Art Ensemble of Chicago.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier

Gallery 41 Interview with a Jazz Legend - Sampler (Shelly Manne, John Carter, Reggie Workman, Joe Williams)

ronjpelletier@gallery41.com(Ron J. Pelletier) — Wed, 17 Jan 2007 21:16:31 -0800

This first program is meant to serve as a sampler if you will of a handful of the recorded conversations in the Gallery 41 archives, and features drummer Shelly Manne, bassist Reggie Workman, clarinetist John Carter, and singer Joe Williams.

Recorded and produced for Gallery 41 by Ron J. Pelletier