Archives for June 14, 2013

Bert Wilson was an undersung musician and an extraordinary man who died earlier this month. An underground hero of saxophonists far beyond the Pacific Northwest where he lived, he was so unusual and so little recognized that Rifftides is departing from our policy of not publishing verbatim announcements from elsewhere. Here is Jim Wilke’s alert to a special broadcast this weekend devoted to Wilson’s music.

Bert Wilson was an inspiration, mentor, and brilliant saxophonist who passed on June 6 in Olympia at age 73. Some of his large output of music will be featured on Jazz Northwest on Sunday June 16 at 2 PM PDT on 88.5 KPLU and kplu.org. Although not widely known to the jazz public, he was sought out by saxophonists who regarded him as a guru of improvisation, extended techniques and the history of the instrument.

Bert Wilson (1939-2013)

He lived and worked in New York, LA and Berkeley before he settled in Olympia (Washington) in 1979 where his home with flutist Nancy Curtis became the center of the jazz community. It was the site of private lessons, informal jams and public concerts. Struck by polio at the age of 4, Bert Wilson spent the rest of his life in a wheelchair (he became known as “Dr.Wheelz”) but he said discovering Charlie Parker had a larger impact on his life. He also said playing the saxophone was a necessary exercise in strengthening his lungs. There will be a musical celebration of his life at the Olympia Ballroom on June 30.

Also on this week’s program, music by Randy Halberstadt, Steve Treseler, Larry Goldings, Cory Weeds and Pearl Django, and updates on best bets for live jazz in the coming week. Next week’s program will feature a concert recorded at the Seattle Art Museum by the Eric Verlinde Quartet featuring Thomas Marriott.

Jazz Northwest is recorded and produced exclusively for 88.5 KPLU by Jim Wilke. It is also available as a podcast at kplu.org following the broadcast.

Fellow saxophonist Jeff Coffin posted this video of Wilson playing his tenor saxophone:

There has been a civic outpouring of affection for bassist Ben Tucker, who died on June 4 in his adopted hometown, Savannah, Georgia. Tucker was killed when a car smashed into his golf cart. He was 82. He moved to Georgia four decades ago after establishing himself as a valuable sideman in Los Angeles, then New York. Tucker worked with pianists Carl Perkins, Billy Taylor and Marian McPartland, among many other leading jazz artists. He is on record with Bob Dorough, Herbie Mann, Grant Green, Lou Donaldson, Gil Evans, Art Pepper and Kenny Dorham, to name a few of his colleagues. This article in the online edition of the Athens, Georgia, Banner-Herald recalls his involvement in the life of Savannah and includes a video of the public viewing that preceded his funeral.

In the aftermath of their father’s memorial service, Dave Brubeck’s sons are maintaining the family tradition of extensive travel and performance. Darius, Chris, Dan (pictured, l to r) and guest saxophonist Dan O’Higgins are touring the British Isles, headed toward several nights at Ronnie Scott’s club in London, with many stops along the way. So far, they’ve been in Devon, Kent, Suffolk, Pembrokeshire and the jazz hotbed of Chipping Norton. For the full schedule, see Darius’s website.

Blogging at Rifftides is slightly in arrears while I work on a Zoot Sims project whose nature will be disclosed in due time. Meanwhile, in anticipation of the official change of season in the northern hemisphere—less than a week away—here are Zoot and four of his closest friends.