Ain’t But a Few of Us
Black music writers tell their story…

Ron Welburn is a professor in the English Department at the University of Massachusetts-Amherst, and is the Director of the Certificate program in Native American Studies. Of Assateague/Gingaskin & Cherokee Native American and African American heritage, he grew up in the Philadelphia area. As a jazz writer Prof. Welburn was editor of a journal called The Grackle back in the mid-late ’70s, and a former frequent contributor to JazzTimes magazine. He also formerly coordinated the Jazz Oral History Project for the Institute of Jazz Studies at Rutgers University-Newark.

For those new to this series of dialogues, which began in 2010, the basic premise is that despite the historic origins of jazz music, the history of African Americans writing about jazz from a journalistic or critical perspective has not been robust or even representative of the impact African Americans have made on this music, particularly from a sheer numbers perspective. Classic example: none of the major jazz periodicals down through the generations has ever had a black editor.

WHAT MOTIVATED YOU TO WRITE ABOUT SERIOUS MUSIC IN THE FIRST PLACE?
My original motivation, which turned into my first published article in 1963, was what I saw as the discrepancy of radio jazz programming in Philadelphia compared to NY. I was particularly annoyed that the commercial FM deejays Sid Mark, Joel Dorn and Del Shields avoided playing records by Ornette, Cecil, et al, though they played Coltrane, Dolphy, McIntyre, and Prince Lasha. Local pianist Damon Spiro, to whom I expressed my concerns, invited me to submit an article to the tabloid of the Jazz at Home Club, whose sessions I was attending. “What’s Wrong with Philadelphia’s Radio Jazz?” was the article’s title. Those deejays didn’t like it; Hal Ross of WXPN at Penn thought it was great. Sure, I was on a high horse! Once I got to Lincoln University in my native Chester County, PA, I had a chance to review LPs for the school newspaper.

WHEN YOU FIRST STARTED WRITING ABOUT MUSIC WERE YOU AWARE OF THE DEARTH OF AFRICAN AMERICANS WRITING ABOUT SERIOUS MUSIC?
Yes, I became aware of that around the same time (1962?63). As a Down Beat subscriber I learned about Barbara Gardner; then Leroi Jones’ [column] “Apple Cores.” I think trumpeter Kenny Dorham and Bill Quinn began a few years later.

WHY DO YOU SUPPOSE THAT’S STILL SUCH A GLARING DISPARITY – WHERE YOU HAVE A SIGNIFICANT NUMBER OF BLACK MUSICIANS MAKING SERIOUS MUSIC BUT SO FEW BLACK MEDIA COMMENTATORS ON THE MUSIC?
African Americans seem to have promoted few academic outlets for critical music writing. I can only suppose that editors at newspapers and populist magazines feel “serious” music journalism will not interest their readers, and would rather not support a position where artists could be “torn down.”

DO YOU THINK THAT DISPARITY OR DEARTH OF AFRICAN AMERICAN JAZZ WRITERS CONTRIBUTES TO HOW THE MUSIC IS COVERED?
My better frame of reference for this answer is up to about 1984 or so. There’s never been much room for a conversation. Young white writers have chomped at the bit to write about this music, and for gratis. I’ve never figured out, fully at least, why young writers of color tend to shy away from this kind of writing but are in the foreground criticizing those (whites) who do. Maybe it’s an orientation whites have that writers of color in mainstream journalism shun.

When I was reading Latin New York I became aware of good writing by Aurora Flores; and I met and talked with Max Salazar who I don’t think ever pulled together his writings from LNY and other places into a book (and he cautiously shared a few ideas with John Storm Roberts who then wrote The Latin Tinge). Hilly Saunders with his paper and my Cherokee buddy Lewis MacMillan (New York City Jazz Gazette) didn’t promote much critical writing in their publications. I did a few pieces for Ken Smikle’s publication; Ornette Coleman told me he liked the one I wrote on his harmolodic method. Today, I’m among a few Natives writing about Indians in jazz, blues and pop; yet even for these venues the “serious” writing isn’t fully there.

SINCE YOU’VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT SERIOUS MUSIC, HAVE YOU EVER FOUND YOURSELF QUESTIONING WHY SOME MUSICIANS MAY BE ELEVATED OVER OTHERS, AND IS IT YOUR SENSE THAT HAS ANYTHING TO DO WITH THE LACK OF CULTURAL DIVERSITY AMONG WRITERS COVERING THE MUSIC?
First, I haven’t published any serious music reviews since 2001, after some 36 years because I just couldn’t keep up with that, my teaching, serious illnesses of an uncle and a friend, and writing a book. Second, what I’ve seen and studied tells me cultural wars are a mainstay in American life, and I place the onus for them on the music industry more than the musicians. White musicians are just musicians wanting to perform a vibrant music that makes them part of a significant culture. Even those who didn’t or prefer still not to perform with black musicians are just trying to make it. It’s the machinery and politics of culture that exploits them as pawns, and they haven’t got a clue!

People who start publications tend to call on their friends-devotees to write for them. Essentially, that’s how it was with The Grackle: Improvised Music in Transition, which published five issues between 1976 and 1979. The Grackle was meant to be a forum of ideas for us three that created it: James T. Stewart, Roger Riggins, and me. I invited Victor Manuel Rosa to write on Latin/Nuyorican music. But I turned away at least two white writers who virtually begged for opportunities to write. I didn’t like doing that, but I told them they had outlets not accessible to us, and being in the early stages we had ideas we wanted to work out.

HOW WOULD YOU REACT TO THE CONTENTION THAT THE WAY AND TONE OF HOW SERIOUS MUSIC IS COVERED HAS SOMETHING TO DO WITH WHO IS WRITING ABOUT IT?
There may be some truth to that but I’m not absolutely sold on it. Serious music journalism has an academic quality, and I see nothing wrong with that. Perhaps it could continue to loosen itself rhetorically; but if writers of color are afraid of offending their readers, whites will always fill the void.

Publishing venues differ according to who they view as their readers. The late Eileen Southern and since the 1980s Samuel Floyd edited academic publications; I don’t fully recall many serious essays about jazz in Southern’s journal. Bear in mind the context that jazz was not considered “serious music” by anybody. Attitudes by writers in the jazz magazines “were what they were”; but the most egregiously racist one I read was a review of Albert Murray’s Stomping the Blues where the reviewer accused him of not knowing anything about the blues!

IN YOUR EXPERIENCE WRITING ABOUT SERIOUS MUSIC WHAT HAVE BEEN SOME OF YOUR MOST REWARDING ENCOUNTERS?
I’ve been blessed by enjoying just about all my encounters that turned into writings either assigned or volunteered. Some were outside the jazz field. Just to name a few:
• While the music editor for the Syracuse New Times didn’t want me writing for it, I published a remembrance in 1972 or so of hearing Albert Ayler for the first time in 1962; and I also covered the Newport Jazz Festival New York and the downtown Counter festival during 1972?75. As he was bearing down on me, and I was leaving, I was able to wave in his face my award of a Jazz Criticism Fellowship from the Music Critics Association and the Smithsonian for my writing in that alternative weekly newspaper. He was sour; but the editor/publisher was delighted.
• Covering a few festivals of Asian music and writing a few articles for Music Journal, at the invitation of Guy Freedman, a wonder individual to whom I was introduced by pianist Ran Blake.
• Reviewing international music recordings for a little Philadelphia-based library publication, Rockingchair. I was studying ethnomusicology at the time and wrestling with Spanish, but also reviewed belly dance music, Greek, Isreali, Arab North African, Bhutanese, French Canadian, Grand Comoro Islands. I had a ball! (I did very well in four years of high school Latin; if I could have chosen another career it would have been linguistics; besides those language cultures I would have focused on southern and eastern Algonquian languages).
• Covering Creek/Kaw tenor saxophonist Jim Pepper at the South Street Seaport, and reviewing Comin’ and Goin’.

WHAT OBSTACLES HAVE YOU ENCOUNTERED – BESIDES DIFFICULT EDITORS AND INDIFFERENT PUBLICATIONS – IN YOUR EFFORTS AT COVERING SERIOUS MUSIC?
Nothing terribly caustic. I learned that editors of black newspapers weren’t concerned about the timeliness of a review; and they were not above cutting the final paragraph or two of a relatively short review, which is what the New York Amsterdam News did, once, maybe twice. But I believe everything happens for a reason. The “breaks” I didn’t get meant I probably wasn’t supposed to be there.

WHAT HAVE BEEN THE MOST INTRIGUING RECORDS RELEASED SO FAR THIS YEAR?
Thanks to Glenn Siegel, music director at UMass Amherst’s WMUA and creator of the Magic Triangle series and Jazz Shares, this year I’ve heard some promising music and CDs by Makaya McCraven, Split Decision (Chicago Sessions CS0018)(albeit a 2012 CD) and Mike Reed’s People, Places & Things: About Us (Music and Mike Reed—well, yes, a 2009 CD).

The most exciting and innovating music I’ve heard in the last five years live and on CD includes Michelle Rosewoman who came here with her ensemble and I bought her The In Side Out and hope she does more orchestrations like that; and Rudresh Mahanthappa, who with his cohort is, I think, rewriting the vocabulary for playing the saxophone as part of, in my experience of listening and as an amateur musician, a long arch coming out of South Asia. A development like this in jazz was bound to happen

Yet, a 1997 concert at Mount Holyoke College by Sonny Rollins tops just about any concert I’d heard before or since. Astounding!!! I’m still speechless!

Drummer-bandleader Willie Jones lll has always impressed as a supremely-skilled, thoughtful craftsman at the traps, someone versatile and comfortable enough to work practically any bandstand fortunate enough to have his skills – from singers to big band and all manner of small group opportunities. In that respect he reminds me of such other flexible fliers as Billy Higgins and more recently Lewis Nash; those drummers whose presence enhances any setting they’re called upon to perform, and are a welcome presence as soon as you walk in the venue and spot who’s at the tubs.

Most recently Willie Jones lll has been piloting his own sextet. Their most recent recording is Willie Jones lll Sextet Plays the Max Roach Songbook, on Willie’s own label imprint. I was intrigued by a drummer answering the call of addressing the music of one of the titans of his instrument, Max Roach. Clearly a few questions were in order.

What are the challenges a contemporary artist like yourself faces in endeavoring to pay homage to a giant of your own instrument?

Paying tribute to Max Roach on record was something I thought about doing for awhile. The engagement at Dizzy’s Club Coca-Cola provided the opportunity. One of the challenges was expressing my own voice through the music without sounding like I’m copying Max.

This recording apparently stems from a series of performances of Max’s music you played at Dizzy’s. Is this recording from one entire evening, or are these performances from throughout that stint?

This recording stems from one night out of that week at Dizzy’s. I picked what I thought would be the best songs for the CD.

You’ve chosen a broad range of pieces from Max’s history. Given how deep Max’s musical life was, how did you go about selecting which tunes you thought best represented Roach’s history?

My favorite period of Max’s career are the mid 50s – the Clifford Brown – Max Roach band – to the late 60s when his band featured Gary Bartz and Charles Tolliver. All the music I chose are from those periods.

You’ve got the always tasteful Eric Reed on piano, despite the fact that pretty much over the last 30 or so years of his recording and performing career Max chose to perform in quartet with no piano. What does Eric bring to these pieces and why did you choose to use piano in the ensemble?

As my favorite periods of Max’s music featured piano, Eric, one of my favorite pianists, was the ideal choice to interpret this music.

This record has come out on your own imprint. What was your original intention in establishing your own label and have you found it a more accommodating situation for yourself than being part of someone else’s label?

I’ve always placed great importance in having ownership of my music – not only my compositions, but having control over how my music is distributed, owning my masters, etc. That Max Roach along with Charles Mingus started their own label, Debut Records, in the early 50s hugely influenced me.

Self releasing is a more accommodating situation as I have more control over how the music is presented. I have final say on the personnel and much more.

Catch up with Willie Jones lll’s activities at www.williejones3.com.

There are some artists who are just plain enterprising. These are artists who don’t sit around waiting for the phone to ring, who don’t cry endless tears about the lack of gigs, lack of opportunities, empty pockets, who eschew the “woe is me/us, no one will help me/us” syndrome. These enterprising artists I’m speaking about – a recent classic case was the new Likemind collective we interviewed a couple of weeks back (scroll down); self-starters who are all about creating their own scenes, who are entrepreneurial about developing new projects and career enhancements.

Such an artist is the vocalist Lenora Zenzalai Helm. Several years ago she took her Berklee degree and teaching interests on the road and left the New York jazz wars for a teaching position at North Carolina Central University’s thriving jazz program. More recently she’s launched her own vocal education program; obviously some questions were in order for Lenora Helm.

What made you determined to establish your Vocal Musicianship Academy?

Lol, I like that you said “determined” because it means the passion and intention was felt. I couldn’t sleep at night after many vocal auditions and vocal lessons with students. A troubling pattern emerged of vocalists’ level of musicianship substantially below their instrumental counterparts. This wasn’t a new insight – instrumentalists often have more capacity than vocalists at music theory, and the overall language of music. But audition after audition, a singer would not be able to demonstrate proficiency beyond singing the words and lyrics to their songs. The literacy gap is a problem essentially because it impacts a singer’s ability to sustain a career and thrive as their instrumental counterparts. The dumb singer jokes are so prevalent, and the assumption that a singer doesn’t know is so common, instrumentalists can usually count and identify singers who they regard as true musicians on one hand. When my article Process vs. Results was published in JazzEd Magazine this past January, I received lots of supportive emails and comments from vocal educator colleagues and musicians about points made in that article. There is much agreement amongst musicians and educators of the need for raising the bar and establishing standards for vocal musicianship. This consensus is not only inside of academia, but across the music industry in general.

I wanted to create a vehicle for singers and vocal educators to have access to tools and resources, on-demand, online, to level the playing field for those unable to pay to attend costly programs or institutions, and to create a community to begin a movement toward raising the benchmark and creating standards about what singers should and need to know. I created Vocal Musicianship Academy™ upon coming to understand that many trained singers are years behind their instrumental peers, and a large percentage of singers who are gifted or have a talent for singing are functionally illiterate in the language of music. Singers who may have a spotlight and/or a busy performing career often have a fraction of the knowledge of the inner workings of music compared to the instrumentalists with whom they work. This pervasive illiteracy exists even though vocal programs and resources in academia – K-12, community workshops, etc, are available.

A lack of musical literacy is also a barrier for a singer to earn multiple streams of income in other areas of the music business. What created an urgency for me was, after my informal research amongst my academic colleagues, and professional singers, that even in an academic setting – where singers are counting on the integrity of the coursework to equip them for careers in the industry – a construct exists that enables and sustains their deficiency in music literacy! This construct finds shape in ways large and small in vocal curricula in academia or community based vocal programs. It is as glaring as programs of study that do not require singers to have basic piano proficiency, which is a door to developing musicianship. Or in the case of jazz programs, camps and residencies, having no vocal teacher, vocalists are required to study with an instrumentalist.

In some cases where there is a jazz studies program, and no vocal teacher, the classical voice professors will flat out refuse to train the vocal student who declares an interest in studying jazz. This is absurd! An instrumentalist can certainly teach music theory and ear training to a vocalist, but when the vocalist needs coaching for applying that knowledge with an eye toward vocal health, all measure of problems abound. There are many other scenarios that could fill volumes, but I will stop there.

My other call to action for creating Vocal Musicianship Academy™ was traveling to countries to do workshops or residencies and observing the singers in those locales having the same issues as singers in the U.S., whereby they were meeting the same deficient construct. Within this universal construct is an eerie kind of collective compliance or agreement that yes, singers know less than instrumentalists. But so what – do they really need to know more? I hope Vocal Musicianship Academy™ can fill the void and help to change the paradigm about singers and musicianship and provide access for any singer, anywhere to get what they need to master the language of music, and master the art of working as a vocal musician.

Calling it the Vocal MUSICIANSHIP Academy, as opposed to the Vocal Music Academy or simply the Vocal Academy, has a certain implication. Talk about your sense of Vocal musicianship. Instrumentalists acquire a measure of musicianship as a by product of learning their instrument – learning to read, having to navigate the relationships of elements of the music through notes, intervals, harmonic structures, song forms as their fingers move around their instrument. Singers traverse most of this information aurally and by immersion. As a result, a singer can actually circumvent acquiring the necessary level of musicianship that would sustain a thriving career, and not realize what they don’t know.

Lenora Helms’ latest record is I Love Myself When I Am Laughing.

What level of vocalists are you seeking to impact with the Vocal Musicianship Academy?

Vocal Musicianship Academy™ is for any level of vocalist. It’s for the independent vocalist, or for a vocalist who may need to fill in the gaps of their existing vocal program of study. Whether you are starting from scratch, if you are using it to brush up on skills, or as a veteran performer – you can find resources, and a viable community of singers to build your repertoire, grow your ear and enhance your network. Whether a soloist, ensemble or background singer, you can improve your creative contributions to the field, and become more competitive developing writing and arranging skills. Singers who are soloists often have to be bandleaders before they have training or experience. Often, they are working too without the advice or guidance of a mentor. Early in my career I had the blessing of the mentorship of veteran blues singer in Boston named Jelly Belly. I didn’t fully understand how to apply much of what I learned from him at first, but over the years I was able to use his advice. His tutelage helped me navigate all I needed to begin working in clubs, putting together a band and finding agents. Later in my career, though most of my music mentors were instrumentalists, I did have a music business entrepreneurship coach in New York based Cobi Narita. Her guidance has been priceless. (She has had a profound impact on the careers of countless musicians and I can’t for the life of me understand why she has not yet received an NEA Jazz Masters Award.) Having access to veteran vocal mentors and sponsors is important, and it is my vision to create a community that can support generations of successful vocal musicians on an international scale. Vocal Musicianship Academy™ will give singers access to mentors, music business entrepreneurship training, musicianship coaching, a supportive community of like-minds and networking all in one online portal.

You close your pitch for the Vocal Musicianship Academy by saying “Its about time for singers to take a stand…” That’s a somewhat loaded clause; tell us what you really mean by that.

The same way education advocates addressed the dangers of lack of structured programs to facilitate successful outcomes in reading and math literacy, and creating standards and benchmarks necessary for academic success, there is a need for this same stance in music literacy for singers. It will require withstanding the rigors of the cycle upon which any change is made – consensus on what is wrong, how to fix the problems, and committed educators and musicians to create resources and answers. There was a comment on Facebook not long ago in a vocal educators group about arrangers’ common practice of giving vocalists lead sheets or music to work on without chord changes. There were many responses from the group echoing everything from annoyance to disgust with this practice. I once asked an arranger who gave me music for my vocal ensemble where were the chords for the vocal parts and he said, “I didn’t think they would need them.” The chords are the information used to navigate the music successfully. A lead sheet with melody and lyric only, without the chord changes, is like reading a book with only pictures, and no words. I train my vocal students to refuse to be quietly pigeoned-holed in this way. When bias is this insidious its hard to know where to begin to unravel the construct that exists.

Any closing thoughts?

There is a point for even the most successful artist when they realize (hopefully) if they don’t continue to grow, their creativity suffers. This stunted creativity is hard to discern, especially if you are at a level of renown and are working steadily, but your recordings always tell the truth. If recording 10 sounds like recording 1 – get busy and move past your comfort zones. There are some young singers out there tearing it up – sounding great, with large imaginations and fearless courage. I am betting on them to create the new vanguard of exciting vocal repertoire. I’m so happy that online courses and degrees are now readily available. I’m hoping the veteran performers who are tired of touring will be willing to be of service to the vocal community, take online classes to bolster their musicianship, and consider teaching in academia. They are desperately needed because they have the real world experience a lot of academicians lack. I love the ancient proverb that goes “one generation plants the trees, the other gets the shade.” I am optimistic that vocal educators and vocalists of this present generation will be willing to usher in deep changes. My intention is for Vocal Musicianship Academy™ to serve the international vocal community such that any singer who wants to learn, grow and thrive is equipped with resources, tools and support.

Lenora Zenzalai Helm
Lenora Zenzalai Helm is a jazz vocalist, vocal musicianship coach, composer, lyricist and educator with six solo recordings, her own recording and publishing company, Zenzalai Music, and an extensive discography with some of the biggest names in Jazz. Her latest CD, I Love Myself When I’m Laughing was listed on Independent Ear’s 30 Recommended 2012 Record Releases amongst an esteemed list of jazz artists, and elected for placement on the GRAMMY ballot in two categories. Helm’s achievements in music have spanned more than two decades garnering her inclusion as a subject of biographical record, for Who’s Who in America, Who’s Who in American Women and Who’s Who in the World. Her students have not only earned positions as educators, but have also become leaders in the music business as recording artists earning top prizes in competitions, concert tours with top charting artists and Grammy award nominations. She has published articles in music magazines on vocal pedagogy, vocal musicianship and the music business, and written vocal syllabi for international universities. www.VocalMusicianshipAcademy.com and www.VocalJazzOnline.com

Though most of Helm’s 25-year span of musical achievements as a Jazz Vocal Musician specializing in Classic, Traditional jazz standard and original repertoire to critical acclaim, she also has touring, recording and performing credits in many genres — including R&B, Neo-Soul, and Pop, Theater and Opera. She holds a B.M. in Film Scoring/Voice from Berklee College of Music, a M.M. in Jazz Performance/Voice from East Carolina University and is working on her doctoral degree in Music Education at Boston University. Helm is on the music faculty at North Carolina Central University in Durham, and co-directs their NCCU Vocal Jazz Ensemble. Lenora now makes Durham, NC her home where she lives with her husband, Fred Hammonds. Visit her online at www.LenoraHelm.com.

The demise of the 4-wall record retail store – save for those “local legend” stores like Joe’s Record Paradise (Silver Spring, MD), the Jazz Record Mart (Chicago), Amoeba (L.A. and San Francisco), or the Jazz Record Center (NYC) – certainly hasn’t dampened the enthusiasm of true collectors. The rise of DJ culture has since the late 1980s created a new breed of record questers. If anything that scarcity of retail record stores has sharpened the eyes and ears of intrepid souls and put a name on their seemingly endless search for those gold nugget recordings – the hi & lo search now known as crate digging. And to be sure, the true crate digging expedition is more likely than not to focus on vinyl recordings.

Knowing a bit of his lifelong thirst for records, I’ve been reading the recent autobiography (Mo Meta Blues) of Questlove, drummer Ahmir Thompson, frontman for the Roots, house band for Jimmy Fallon’s show which will morph into the Tonight Show band when Fallon takes over for Leno next spring. My interest was mainly in learning more about the Philly native’s legendary crate digging, a thirst which like most died-in-the-wool vinyl fetishists obliterates stylistic boundaries. Its early on in the reading, but thus far the book does not disappoint in that department.

Crate Digging can take one to assorted destinations – thrift shops, swap meets, flea markets, yard & rummage sales, etc. Some months back we started an occasional Independent Ear series on Crate Digging that began with friend and music journalist colleague John Murph’s insatiable crate digging enterprise. While trips to the 4-wall retail outlets mentioned above are always eagerly awaited (e.g. can’t wait to get to Chicago for the Labor Day Weekend jazz festival and a pilgrimage to the Jazz Record Mart), those are incremental visits. On the regular, as a volunteer for the Friends of the Library of Montgomery County, MD (FOLMC), I’ve done some weekly crate digging at the Friends’ used book store in Wheaton, MD (FOLMC actually operates three used bookstores, each of which carries a healthy stock of vintage vinyl).

Being the intake volunteer of that store’s healthy vinyl record section has its privileges; for the last 18 months I’ve priced & stocked the store’s intake of vinyl record donations. Yep, as you might imagine there’s a fair share of garbage – careless, poorly-kept vinyl recordings are a sad sight. But in many cases one man/woman’s donations are another’s treasure and I’ve uncovered a fair share of gems along the way. And at an across-the-board price point of $1 per record (vinyl box sets included), the three FOLMC stores (Wheaton, Rockville, Gaithersburg) offer good treasure hunt potential for the intrepid DC-area crate digger. Here’s an example of some recent crate digging purchases at the Wheaton FOLMC store:

This is an early example of the great conguero Mongo Santamaria‘s artistry on the Tico label, in pure rumbero mode, a musical tribute to Abacua. And you know this is early Mongo by the original spelling of his last name on the cover, Santa Maria (as opposed to the popular Santamaria he used in becoming the famous master conguero-bandleader). Condition: Excellent, no visible surface scratches; cover with minimal wear & tear; original inner sleeve.

A 2-Lp compilation of “Piano Blues and Boogie Woogie 1926-1941” on New World Records, compiled by the late critic Martin Williams, this set includes seminal tracks from Meade “Lux” Lewis, Albert Ammons, Jimmy Yancey, Pete Johnson, and Pinetop Smith. Condition: Good, some surface wear; cover is in good condition; this was a library copy donation that came encased in thick plastic, so the jacket is in reasonable shape.

Performances of most of the fourteen songs on this Billie Holiday session can more than likely be found on most of Lady Day’s many reissues and box sets; but with atypically spare accompaniment from pianist Jimmy Rowles and bassist Artie Shapiro there’s musical interest. However my primary interest is the track “Rappin’ About Jimmy Rowles” with Billie’s studio conversation on the subject of her piano accompanist. Condition: Fair+, a couple of surface scratches that likely will not significantly alter the listening experience (with a decent cartridge in place that is); lacks dust cover, which indicates a fair level of previous owner carelessness. But again, worth it if only to hear Lady Day talking about Rowles!

Blue Note Lps are the gold standard of crate digging – particularly white label Blue Notes like this one; not to mention my Lee Morgan jones. Condition: Fair-, but c’mon, its Lee and its Blue Note white label and at $1 for a Morgan lineup including Cedar Walton, Reggie Workman, Billy Higgins and Bennie Maupin, not much of a gamble despite the fact that I already have the CD reissue.

This week’s novelty find! Billed as “A Perfect Party Record” this “Stunning array of spooky sound effects” should serve my annual Halloween week jazz radio shows well. Condition: Lacking dust jacket but vinyl appears pristine. Love the disclaimer “Not For The Very Young”!

This one alone was worth the dig! Check the names (Albert Ayler, Don Cherry, John Tchicai, Roswell Rudd, Gary Peacock, Sunny Murray!)… Assembled as “New York Eye and Ear Control” this 1966 ESP disk was one of the recorded building blocks of the so-called jazz avant garde. Condition: Good, some surface wear but not enough to disrupt this sound universe.

If you’re a devotee of Crate Digging and have some stories to share; hit me back at willard@openskyjazz.com or simply leave a Comment below.

..And if you’re Crate Digging in the DC area, don’t sleep these three FOLMC store locations (call for hours of operation, location & directions; and keep in mind that book, Lp, CD, and video tape donations are welcomed):
Rockville, MD: 301/984-3300
Wheaton, MD: 301/933-1110 (Hot tip: most weeks new vinyl is stocked at this store early Wednesday afternoons)
Gaithersburg, MD: 301/355-7211

One of the paramount issues facing performing artists is having the ability and opportunity to secure affordable health care. I cannot tell you how often I’ve had even prominent musicians – let alone those who are struggling – profess great relief and undying love for their working spouse and that person’s ability to provide their health care insurance through the spouse’s place of employment. On the other hand I know of far too many musicians who are one slip & tumble or one debilitating sickness from oblivion. There are so many issues and concerns around the issue of affordable health insurance that I could go on for days about the dangers attached with not having coverage.

The Future of Music Coalition has taken many positive steps on behalf of studying, discussing and lobbying for performing artists needs and disparities in their respective workplaces, on important copyright issues, and in the world you performing artists occupy in general. Currently they are conducting a critical health insurance survey of the performing artist community and I wholeheartedly endorse your participation in this process. Please take a few moments out from your busy schedule, follow the prompt below and voice your choice in this survey… And please do it now; with the current ongoing debates about the Affordable Care Act and the fact that so many employers are fighting enactment tooth & nail, as Charlie Parker said “Now’s the Time” for performing artists to stand up and be counted!

Artists: do you have health insurance? If not, why not? Nonprofit artist groups are conducting an online survey from July 17 – Aug 31 to assess how many US-based artists have health insurance on the eve of the Affordable Care Act.