Saturday 15th March, 5:00 PM – House of Hard Bop.
In part 1 of a triptych, you will hear a live recording of Jimmy Raney from 1976: The Complete Jimmy Raney in Tokyo (Xanadu). In the concert hall, a concentrated and enthusiastic Japanese audience. Raney enjoyed the positive atmosphere and the hospitable environment. He also considered this performance to be one of his very best.
Most of the pieces have a trio line-up, with bassist Sam Jones and drummer Leroy Williams. In two pieces, the trio is expanded with altoist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris.
The second broadcast will be dedicated to his son Doug Raney (1956-2016), with recordings for the Steeplechase label. And in the third episode we hear them together: Stolen Moments on Steeple Chase and Raney ’81 on Criss Cross.
The New York Times described Jimmy Raney (1927-1995) as “one of the most gifted and influential postwar jazz guitarists of the world.”
Raney was certainly no beginner in 1976. In the 1950s he played with Red Norvo and Stan Getz. His music was recorded on dozens of records, many of them under his own name. In the late 1960s he declined somewhat, but then came back strongly. He started working with his son Doug, also a guitarist. With the rise of fusion and rock, difficult times dawned for bop-oriented jazz, but Japan remained stabley jazz-minded during that period. Americans were received with great enthusiasm and respect.
Live in Tokyo was a three-artist concert series. Pianist Barry Harris, altoist Charles McPherson and Raney were the frontliners, bassist Jones and drummer Williams the regular accompanists. Jimmy Raney had written quite a few pieces himself, but here he chose standards from the Great American Songbook, perhaps to accommodate the Japanese – and his accompanists. He also limited the playing time per piece, to a maximum of five minutes. His concentration is on the long melody lines – chord work is minimal.
1 How about You
2 Darn that Dream
3 Anthropology
4 Watch what Happens *)
5 Just Friends
6 Autumn Leaves
7 Stella by Starlight (Raney solo))
8 Here’s that Rainy Day
9 Groovin’ High
10 Blue ’n’ Boogie
The last two pieces increase the dynamics: altoist Charles McPherson and pianist Barry Harris join the trio.
House of Hard Bop – Eric Ineke
*) Watch what Happens (in French: Recit de Cassard) falls somewhat outside the standard list. It is a composition by Michel Legrand, from the French film Les Parapluies de Cherbourg (1964). The special and unique thing about this film, starring twenty-year-old Catherine Deneuve: everything is sung, no spoken word. Recommended!
