|
This Just In...
Kevin Fischer is an award-winning veteran broadcaster who has been seen and heard on Milwaukee TV and radio stations for nearly three decades.
Kevin, who is a legislative aide to state Sen. Mary Lazich (R-New Berlin), can be seen offering his views on the news on the public affairs program, “INTERchange,” on Milwaukee Public Television Channel 10. He lives with his wife, Jennifer, in Franklin.
Friday Night Live
By Kevin Fischer
Friday, Jul 25 2008, 11:30 PM
Tonight on Friday Night Live, our guests on NBC’s The Midnight Special are Weather Report and Chuck Mangione.
During those late night concert programs on Friday nights in the 70’s, the stars of the time were featured, no matter the musical genre: pop, rock, soul, disco, country, and even though it didn’t fit the target audience, jazz……..or at least the contemporary pop-chart version of jazz.
Weather Report was one of the first bands to mix jazz with rock. From airjudden.tripod.com: "Keyboardist Joe Zawinul and saxophone player Wayne Shorter formed the group in 1971. Both had spent in time in Miles Davis' group - Shorter played with the legendary 1960s quintet (along with Herbie Hancock, Ron Carter, and Tony Williams). Zawinul joined later, during the early days when Davis pioneered the fusion movement. Zawinul was one of the early masters of the synthesizer. Before joining Davis' group, he played electric piano in the Cannonball Adderly quintet. The sound so impressed Davis, that he hired Zawinul and made future keyboard players play the instrument.
In addition to forming the group and composing many of their songs, they were the two constant members in the group, as many musicians passed through. One of the most famous to pass through was bassists Jaco Pastorius. Pastorius was a pioneer on the electric bass. He took it from a rhythm instrument into an important solo instrument by playing with speed and grace, often dazzling audiences with his virtuosity during unaccompanied solos . He created a slippery effect by using a fretless bass. He has influenced countless bass players to this day. He joined Weather Report in 1976 and left in 1982, forming his own group Word of Mouth. Aside from a tremendous ego, he was alcoholic and a heroine addict. He died tragically in 1987 after he instigated a fight at a bar and suffered head injuries.
Unlike many groups, Weather Report focused on a group sound, creating complex arrangements in addition to their improvised solos, which made it more difficult to distinguish between the soloist and accompanists, because they were virtuosos on their instruments, providing awe-inspiring solos, as well as accompaniment work.”
Weather Report’s biggest hit was Birdland, a reference and tribute to the famous New York nightclub. From birdlandjazz.com:
“It was Charlie Parker, familiarly known to his fans and fellow musicians as ‘Bird,’ a contraction of Yardbird, his formal nickname, who was the dynamic creative personality and genius of the alto saxophone who served as the inspiration for Birdland.
When the original Birdland opened in December, 1949, Charlie Parker was the headliner and the club was located on Broadway, a few blocks west of 52nd Street, which was a hotbed of jazz in the 1930s and 40s.
Birdland's booking history reads like a who's who of jazz: Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie, Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Bud Powell, Stan Getz, Lester Young, Erroll Garner, and many, many others.
Considering the excitement that Birdland generated on a daily basis, it's no surprise that the club attracted its share of celebrities. Regulars to the nightly festivities included such household names as Gary Cooper, Marilyn Monroe, Frank Sinatra, Joe Louis, Marlene Dietrich, Ava Gardner, Sammy Davis, Jr. and Sugar Ray Robinson.
But as a new popular music, Rock & Roll emerged, Birdland's fortunes declined in the 60's and its doors were closed on Broadway and 52nd in 1965. After many 5 am nights, the club needed to take a nap.”
Birdland re-opened in 1986, closed again, but is now back in business having hosted such acts as Oscar Peterson, Pat Metheny, and Diana Krall.
I saw Chuck Mangione live at the Performing Arts Center when I worked there as an usher in my college days. His jovial father sold merchandise out in the lobby. Mangione still performs concerts today. His career spans five decades. From his official website:
“Mangione first attracted attention with his brother, Gap, in a mainstream jazz band, The Jazz Brothers, in which he played trumpet much like that of the man who he refers to as his musical father-Dizzy Gillespie. In fact Dizzy gave Chuck an 'updo' horn just like his own.
Chuck's years with the Jazz Brothers overlapped with his attending the Eastman School of Music and eventually resulted in his solo album debut. Chuck left home to play with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers, assuming the trumpet chair that had belonged to such great players as Clifford Brown, Kenny Dorham, Bill Hardman, Lee Morgan and Freddie Hubbard.
Another important step in Mangione's career development was his return to the Eastman School of Music as director of the school's Jazz Ensemble. His ‘Friends & Love’ concert with the Rochester Philharmonic Orchestra was recorded live and featured ‘Hill Where the Lord Hides.’ This led to a recording contract with a major label, Mercury records, and his first Grammy nomination.
Those early years with Mercury culminated in the title tune of one of Mangione's most popular albums. Land of Make Believe, another Grammy nominee, Mangione then signed with A&M Records and delivered two extremely successful releases in one year, Chase The Clouds Away, which was used as background music during the telecast of the 1976 Olympic Games; and Bellavia ("beautiful way"), named to honor his mother, which won Mangione his first Grammy award.
During the late 1970's, Chuck received more awards and accolades for his recordings. He reached new heights with his mega-hit single and album, Feels So Good. The 1980 Mangione entry in Current Biography called ‘Feels So Good’ the most recognized melody since the Beatles' ‘Michelle.’”
Thanks for watching Friday Night Live. Hope our summer series brings back some good memories. Cue the peacock....
|
|
