Last night the Emil Viklický Trio appeared at the small Seattle club Lucid, following up the film screening described in yesterday’s post. Lucid has the intimacy, camaraderie and absence of a cover charge reminiscent of jazz clubs in the 1950s and ‘60s. One significant difference from those days; at Lucid, as at many clubs today, the pianist must supply his own instrument, the kind that plugs into the wall. In the first set, Viklický, bassist Clipper Anderson and drummer Don Kinney concentrated on the pianist’s compositions from his recent Sinfonieta album and others inspired by his admiration for the Czech composer Leoš Janáček.
The second set sitters-in included solo vocalist Berenika Kohoutova from Prague and three other actors from Rhythm On My Heels, the motion picture discussed in the previous exhibit. The music ranged from standards by Victor Young, Hoagy Carmichael and Sonny Rollins to “Bim-Bam,” a Czech popular song from 1941 that is a highlight of the movie. Thanks to photographer Stacey Jehlik for these shots of the festivities.
The west coast tour over, on his way home to the Czech Republic Viklický will play Monday night at Dizzy’s Club in New York City’s Lincoln Center. He, bassist George Mraz, drummer Billy Hart and the Czech singer and screen star Iva Bittová will reprise music from Mraz’s album Moravian Gems.
The nonagenarian pianist presented de Barros with every biographer’s hope, unrestricted access to his subject’s personal papers and nearly unrestricted access to her private thoughts. He made the most of it, turning exhaustive research and hundreds of hours of interviews into a true story with the sweep of a novel. From the early discovery of McPartland’s musical gift through her wartime service, her ecstatic and stormy marriage to Jimmy McPartland, her growth as a pianist, her deep affair with Joe Morello, and the radio show that made her a national figure, she has had a fascinating life. It makes a splendid read.
Mulligan’s Concert Jazz Band had three fewer musicians than most big jazz outfits. Its size permitted precision, flexibility and subtlety, yet the band had the power of sprung steel. In this concert from a half century ago, the CJB is as fresh as yesterday. Arrangements by Mulligan, Bob Brookmeyer, Al Cohn and Johnny Mandel set standards to which big band writers still aspire. Bassist Buddy Clark and drummer Mel Lewis inspired Mulligan, Brookmeyer, Conte Candoli, Gene Quill and Zoot Sims to some of the best soloing of their careers. This beautifully produced issue of the complete concert is a basic repertoire item.
Has the Rifftides staff identified that trumpeter yet? Looks vaguely familiar…………….
We may never know.
I guess there was no opportunity to show off all the woodshedding you did with your plunger mute…