I love every tenor player that played with Blakey. Each one had a thang, and a special place in jazz. History has documented them well.
I'd like to draw some attention and kudos to Bill Pierce.
The depth of really ..being in touch...with his playing and also pacing set him apart from the crowd of tenor players spoke of daily on SOTW and in jazz.
As a player and teacher he is one of the most influential musicians of his era. You can hear influences abounding in many younger guys, from Bill's direction.
He always plays very inspired. Also- his ability to play with Tony Williams as well states my case in notes and fact. As always his fingering is precise,no repeating, his melodic lines fluid and complex yet deeply swinging. And the fact that he displayed..his own space on the James Williams CD with Joe Henderson and George Coleman is the icing on the cake.
I always found his style personal and natural, and the space he uses is something very important. Check the CD with Roy Haynes- there is the quality that is totally B.P.
I always thought his playing was flawless yet totally spontaneous. There is a sense on the one hand that Pierce has spent many nights on stage, but also approaching this music with humility, and respect. He shows up on time, always is dressed well, knows what he's gonna do and plays his brains out all night. The hallmark of a real Art Blakey grad !! You never hear any jazz diva storys about Pierce not showing or being glazed out etc- THIS GUY IMHO is one of the most seriously aware players in this era. He also records great tunes, and plays soprano beautiful.
In short, he is someone that if Prez were alive, Prez would love.
Bill Pierce is an asset to this art form in more ways than you can think of.
That said- Why doesn't someone record Shorter and Golson???
Have they ever recorded together??? I would enjoy that.
Good job, Tim. I was trying to get some words together to honor Bill Pierce, but you did it better than I could have. Long live Billy Pierce!
Side C...Thanks. Pierce is one of the masters of the horn. Quiet as It's kept, he also has done some very important educating and fostering of students to players. Ditto long live Bill.
ALSO, I might add I'm a huge Frank Mitchell fan. The Blakey recording with him and Keith and Chuck is one of the most outstanding things . Frank Mitchell is on some Lee Morgan stuff , and in the 60's I saw him come thru ( of all places Reading Pa :shock:with Al Grey/ The band also had a 18 year old vibes player named Bobby Hutchinson.) In any case, FWIW Steve Grossman mentioned many times that Frank Mitchell was someone he dug. There is the roots thing/ there's a LOT more in Steve than just Trane/Sonny but it's roots. And the history.
Another Blakey-ite I always loved was Barney Wilen!!! even though he was only there breifly. That recording with Art Blakey, the rare dutch original LP "Paris jam session" on Fontana 885500 w/ Barney Wilen, Wayne Shorter, Bud Powell, Walter Davis, Jimmy Meritt, always impressed me. Even to this day!!
Speaking of guys that played with Miles at 18!!! There was Barney-musician who at age 18 was already playing with Miles Davis, and whom many called the "greatest European saxophonist." Later he exiled to Zanzibar in the 70s where he lived, a hero of Loustal's cult comic book
La Note bleue. Archie Shepp knew him well, and was really into talking about him when I brought up his name. Shepp seemed to dig the romance Wilen had, and kept saying how Wilen knew ALL the Bud Powell, Monk and everything. Those sessions with Wilen and Shorter and Art are just so important.
I could always imagine Cuber with Blakey. That would of raised the roof!!
Anyhow- Wilen, Mitchell and all are players people need to hear.
