Remembering Australian vibraphonist Alan Lee on his birthday

Remembering Aussie vibes ace Alan Lee on his birthday with a few of his swingin' tunes kindly recirculated by Jazzman Records.

Alan Lee – An Australian Jazz Anthology (Jazzman)

There are few Australian originals in jazz, though vibraphonist Alan Lee surely ranks alongside the best. Australian jazz is and always will be an interpretation of the American art form, but throughout his long career Lee has ploughed his furrow undaunted, What I want is the fire! Whether it's John Coltrane's Blues Minor from Africa Brass or Backwater Blues by Leadbelly, I want the emotion, the gut wrenching pain, the cry from within!

These are uninhibited words. A musician and bandleader who cut a number of jazz sides for small independent Melbourne labels from the early 1960s to the mid-1970s, Lee has always searched for this fire, evident in the broad styles he's covered throughout his career, and which we have attempted to explore here, the first and only collection of music from Alan Lee. 

From '60s soul jazz, to the deep modal sounds of the early '70s and cross-genre experiments exhibited in his chamber jazz, Lee's personal life has been as varied and explorative as his music, a journey that has taken him beyond the thresholds of jazz improvisation and spiritual awareness.

The tracks that feature on this anthology were recorded by various incarnations of Lee's band and are taken from across three albums recorded between 1973 and 1974. These albums represent the sole output in LP format that can be credited to Lee as band leader, and all are collectors' items in their own right. The deep modal version of Love Song and Freddie Hubbard's perennial spiritual jazz standard Little Sunflower are both taken from the self-titled LP 'Alan Lee Jazz Quartet'. 

The album 'Gallery Concerts 1973', which was recorded for Bruce Clarke's jazz sub-label Cumquat Records, provides us with a fierce electric-jazz version of Igor Stravinsky's The Rite Of Spring: Dance Of The Adolescents plus the plaintive chamber jazz of John Lewis' Sketch as well two tracks featuring vocalist Jeannie Lewis; Bachianas Brasileiras No.5 and the beautiful Bailero in which Lee exchanges the vibraphone for the conductors role in presiding over a jazz trio accompanied by a seven piece concert ensemble. Completing this compendium is a track taken from the 1974 follow-up recording for Jazznote, the album titled 'The Smilor'; included is a cover of the Milt Jackson-penned Enchanted Lady.

What you are hearing on this album is the story of one man's travels, a journey within a foreign art form but also a journey within himself. Illustrated in the stories Lee shares, such as his correspondence with fellow vibraphone player Gary Burton on how to achieve advanced extended techniques for the vibraphone (resulting in pages of technical diagrams) or travelling across the US to purchase an original 1940s Deagan Imperial Vibraphone from the Chicago Symphony Orchestra 'Just to get that Milt Jackson sound'. There are moments of deep introspection and intellect in Lee's playing, emotional music that contains and shares a common spiritual oneness, seeking the thrill he experienced after first listening to Lionel Hampton and the Benny Goodman Quartet. The emotion, the gut wrenching pain, the cry from within. 

Get a copy of Jazzman's Alan Lee collection An Australian Jazz Anthology via Bandcamp right here. Listen to a few tracks below. 

 

Jazzman returns to uncovering rarities with Spiritual Jazz 14: Private

Rather than continue recirculating already reissued familiar classics, Jazzman focuses on private press gems for Spiritual Jazz 14   

Here's the scoop...

“Private Press: A custom-made record that is produced and released by the artists themselves, or their close associates. Not to be confused with indie labels who are in the business of releasing other people's music.” 

While the string of legendary independent labels, from Blue Note and Prestige to Steeplechase and Impulse! loom large in our Spiritual Jazz catalogue, our latest instalment concerns the brave and innovative souls who acted ‘privately’, recording and releasing their music without the aid or involvement of a bona fide record company. 

Making a custom, private press record on your own, without the backing, status and business acumen of an established record company to help out is no mean feat, but it never really was difficult - it’s just a matter of spending money. And there has never been a shortage of studios & pressing plants willing to take your money! Easy done if you have funding in place of course, but the tricky bit, which remains to this day, is what to do exactly with a pallet load of vinyl that’s just been delivered to your door? 

You will find a variety of tracks from a selection of privately pressed jazz records released in the US between 1964 and 1987. One of the most interesting things I’ve found while researching this album is the variety of reasons behind coming up with a self-released record. No two stories are the same; some were done purely out of altruism to further the musical direction of students, others were trying to make it big. But one solid truth remains that binds together each and every selection here – the artists didn’t just make their music for the fun of it, they believed in their art so much that they took whatever steps they had available to them at the time to get their music heard. 

Spiritual Jazz 14: Private Press 2LP set with hand-printed sleeve, 180g vinyl, extensive liner notes & pics. Get a copy via Bandcamp – while the platform still exists – right here. 

Percussion boss Carmello Garcia, trumpeter Cullen Knight and keyboardist Radam Schawartz are featured on Spiritual Jazz 14

Spiritual Jazz 14: Private

1. Erni Clark - By the Grace of God, I Am 3:15

2. Elysian Spring - Lotus 8:04

3. Radam Schwartz - Middle Eastern Fantasy 6:01

4. Mary Lou Williams - Communion Song: The World 1:25

5. Carmelo Garcia - Ethiopia 4:25

6. Black Is - Themes & Variations 3:31

7. Cullen Knight - A'Keem (Brother) 5:29

8. Don Menza - Spanish Boots 9:04

9. Belair - Morning Rainwalk 6:29

10. Andrew McPherson - Delilah 7:17

11. Almanac - Symbiosis 5:29

12. Owen Marshall - Evolove (previously unreleased full length version) 5:40

13. Bobby Jackson - Desiree Song 4:22

14. Compass - Pharoahs Thing 7:25

One For The Weekend: Muriel Grossmann Quartet

Here's saxophonist Muriel Grossmann and crew performing "Elevation," the studio version of which is out today on Jazzman Records.   

You can mail order a copy of Muriel's new Elevation album via Red Eye Records UK right here. 

Nat Birchall salutes John Coltrane with new Jazzman single

Check out the Nat Birchall Quintet's update of Billy Gault's Mode For Trane off their new single with art by Emma Davis. 

Saxophonist Nat Birchall ventures further out with Cosmic Language

UK jazz explorer Nat Birchall is bolstering his sound with harmonium and percussion for Cosmic Language out March 9. 

"Our new album Cosmic Language is set for release on Jazzman Records on March 9th! Featuring the very wonderful Adam Fairhall on (his very own) Indian harmonium, Michael Bardon on bass, Andy Hay on drums and percussion and special guest Chris Cruiks on additional percussion. Vinyl, CD and download. Healing vibrations to soothe the nations." – Nat Birchall

Listen to song clips from Cosmic Language right here. Watch the Nat Birchall Quintet perform "Divine Light" back in March followed by a discussion of his formative influences.