venerdì 6 febbraio 2015

Chronic Blues (John Coltrane)

 Questo blues vigoroso viene dal primo, bellissimo disco di John Coltrane a proprio nome. «Chronic» è una varietà potente e pregiata di marijuana; l’arrangiamento è di Cal Massey, come nel resto del disco.

 Non credo si sia mai sentito un sax baritono nei dischi di Coltrane, a parte quello previsto dalle partiture dolphyiane di «Africa Brass». Qui si trova nelle mani capacissime di Sahib Shihab. Il trombettista Splawn, chissà chi era.

 Chronic Blues (Coltrane), da «Coltrane», Prestige-OJCCD-020-2. Johnny Splawn,  tromba; John Coltrane, sax tenore; Sahib Shihab, sax beritono; Mal Waldron, piano; Paul Chambers, contrabbasso; Albert «Tootie» Heath, batteria. Registrato il 31 maggio 1957.



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4 commenti:

Alberto ha detto...

Il trombettista Splawn, chissà chi era, ma era bravino eh.

Marco Bertoli ha detto...

Niente male

MJ ha detto...

Così scriveva una decina d'anni fa Mike Fitzgerald, che si era dato molto da fare per recuperare informazioni su Splawn:

He was born on January 31, 1931 in Harrisburg, PA and he lived in Philadelphia for most of his life.

He studied with Mike Guerra at Ornstein School of Music on Spruce Street in Philadelphia (this may be where he met John Coltrane).

Clifford Brown admired him and the two played together in jam sessions in the area.

Drummer and singer Bill "Mr.C" Carney had a band with Splawn, John Coltrane, and Albert Heath before Coltrane joined Miles Davis.

Splawn performed at the Red Rooster club in Philadelphia with a Coltrane band that included McCoy Tyner, Jimmy Garrison, and Albert Heath. This was probably around May 1957.

He recorded (playing good trumpet) with Coltrane (May 31, 1957). This was his only recording session, although he was not happy with it because he felt he didn't play well. He had very high standards. Bassist Art Davis worked with Splawn on several occasions.

He played with Sonny Stitt's band in the late 1950's.

He was crippled, due to infantile paralysis - possibly related to a flood in Harrisburg - and used crutches. He called himself the "crippled genius." He was bitter about his lot in life (understandably so). A drinking problem also made him difficult to deal with at times.

He suffered a stroke a few years before his death that affected his facial muscles and forced him to stop playing.

He died December 20, 2000, in Philadelphia. Don't know the cause of death. His brother took the body back to Harrisburg.

Marco Bertoli ha detto...

Grazie Luca (per i nuovi lettori: «MJ» è il direttore di «Musica Jazz», Luca Conti, come si vede un erudito del jazz).

Il jazz, ma in realtà la vita, è purtroppo pieno di storie così sfortunate.