Don Ellis - Monterey 1967 & Antibes 1977

Here are two short bits by the great Don Ellis!

It took me a while and several emails with two friends to figure out all the details. Hope I got it all right, in the end!

Read more about Ellis here:
Wikipedia Entry
1968 Interviews, with Ron Simmonds and Les Tomkins
(there are a few more links there!)
Jeff Sultanoff's Remembering Don Ellis from jazz.com: pt. 1 & pt. 2

And by all means, do look for some of Ellis' official releases! The early small group albums are excellent (I think I'd recommend Essence first, it has been brought out on CD at last by Mighty Quinn), and his two Pacific Jazz albums with the orchestra - Live at Monterey and Live in 3 2/3 /4 Time - are among the most exciting big band jazz you'll ever hear! Then, there's Electric Bath, recorded for Columbia, and the great 1971 album for Atlantic, Tears of Joy (CD reissue by Wounded Bird). Several other albums were reissued by Wounded Bird, and Soaring, one of Ellis' MPS albums, was recently reissued by Universal Europe in their cheapo "Jazz Club" series.

The first of these two tracks, New Horizons, comes from shortly before Ellis took the band to the studio to record his Electric Bath album.

The second track comes from fairly late in the game and is incomplete, alas, but it provides another worthwhile glimpse of Ellis at work.



Don Ellis - Big Band
Monterey, CA (USA)
September 1967

Don Ellis, Glenn Stuart, Alan Weight, Ed Warren, Bob Harmon - trumpet
Ron Myers, Dave Sanchez - trombone
Terry Woodson - bass trombone
Ruben Leon, Joe Roccisano - alto sax, flute, soprano sax
Ira Schulman - tenor sax, flute, piccolo, clarinet
Ron Starr - tenor sax, flute, clarinet
John Magruder - baritone sax, flute, bass clarinet
Mike Lang - piano, clavinet
Ray Neapolitan - bass, sitar
Dave Parlato - bass
Steve Bohannon - drums
Chino Valdes - congas, bongos
Mark Stevens - timbales, vibes, misc. percussion
Alan Estes - misc. percussion

1. New Horizons (Don Ellis) 12:03

Sound: A-/B+
Source: tv broadcast
Lineage: tv > ? > CDR in trade (jazzrita) > EAC (secure, log) > Cool Edit Pro > FLAC (8,asb,verify)


:: ubu note ::

This came as from Monterey, CA (USA), Jazz Festival, dated as August 13, 1968.
This actually comes from the 1967 Monterey Jazz festival.

Personnel taken from the "Electric Bath" album which was recorded shortly after the MJF took place (Sept 19 & 20, 1967).



Don Ellis - Big Band
Antibes/Juan-les-Pins (France), Jazz Festival
July 17, 1977

Don Ellis, Glenn Stuart, Gilman Rathel, Jack Coan - trumpet
Alan Kaplan, Richard Bullock - trombone
Sidney Muldrow - french horn
Jim Self - tuba
Ann Patterson - alto & soprano sax, oboe, flute, piccolo
Ted Nash - alto sax, flute, clarinet
James Coile - tenor sax, flute, clarinet
James Snodgrass - baritone sax, piccolo, flute, oboe, bass clarinet
Randy Kerber - piano ,electric piano, clavinet, synthesizer
Darrell Clayborn - bass
Dave Crigger, Mike Englander - drums
Chino Valdes, Ruth Ritchie - percussion
Pam Tompkins, Laurie Badessa - violin
Jimbo Ross - viola
Paula Hochhalter - violoncello

1. Niner Two (Don Ellis) 16:41 [inc, fade-out]

Sound: A-
Source: radio broadcast (ORTF)
Lineage: rb > ? > CDR in trade (jazzrita) > EAC (secure, log) > Cool Edit Pro > FLAC (8,asb,verify)


:: ubu note ::

#7 came as "Minor Two" and the year as 1970.
This was broadcast in 1977 by ORTF, the personnel also reflects the year.
Lean Gaer - electric bass, synthesizer was also listed, but he did not make the 1977 European tour.
His playing was added to the Montreux album under the supervision of Don Ellis in the editing/re-mastering process.