– Lenox School of Jazz Concert – August 29, 1959 – Gordon Skene Sound Collection
One of those All-Star occasions; a celebration of the Lenox School of Jazz featuring a virtual who’s who in the Jazz world, all crammed into the Music Barn at Tanglewood in the Berkshires in Massachusetts.
Luckily, the goings-on were recorded for posterity, and have been widely circulated among collectors and small labels ever since. But some of you may have missed this one, so I’m offering it here as the reminder of a milestone event 55 years ago.
Since none of the numbers or players are announced, I’m including the lineups and what’s being played below, so you get some idea the magnitude of the luminaries taking part:
THE THIRD ANNUAL BENEFIT CONCERT
August 29, 1959
BERKSHIRE MUSIC BARN, LENOX, MASSACHUSETTS (USA)
Max Roach, John Lewis Ensemble: Don Cherry-tpt; Ornette Coleman-asx; Kent McGarity-tbn, btpt; Steve Kuhn, Ron Brown-p; Larry Ridley-b; Barry Greenspan-d
1. THE SPHINX (Ornette Coleman)
2. INN TUNE (Margo Guryan)
Kenny Dorham Ensemble: Peter Farmer, Kenny Dorham-tpt; Sture Swenson-bsx, tsx; Paul Dunyhower-tbn; David Lahm, Ran Blake-p; Walter Bernard-b; John Bergamo-d
3. D. C. SPECIAL (Kenny Dorham)
Bill Evans, Jim Hall, Connie Kay Ensemble: Al Kiger-tpt; Ted Casher-tsx; Dick Wright-tbn; Gary McFarland-vbs; Attilla Zoller-g; Dizzy Sal-p; Doug McLaughlin-b; Bill Sharfman-d
4. MONK’S SPHERE (Gary McFarland)
5. JINGLES (Wes Montgomery, arr. Al Kiger)
Jimmy Giuffre F. & M. Schaefer Scholarship Ensemble: Tony Greenwald-tpt; Jimmy Giuffre-ww; Ian Underwood-f; Lenny Popkin-asx; Herb Gardner-tbn; David Mackay-p; John Keyser-b; Paul Cohen-d
6. STRATUSPHUNK (George Russell)
7. RAY’S TIME (Jimmy Giuffre)
Gunther Schuller Ensemble: Perry Robinson-cl; John Eckert-tpt; Don Stewart-tsx; David Baker-btbn; Gunther Schuller-fr hn; Sandy Schmidt, Nico Bunink-p; Mona Neves-b; Bob Fuhlrodt-d
8. LONE RANGER AND THE GREAT HORACE SILVER (David Baker)
Herb Pomeroy Ensemble: Tony Greenwald, Al Kiger, 2 unknown-tpt; Ornette Coleman, Lenny Popkin-asx; Ian Underwood-f, asx; Ted Casher-tsx; Sture Swenson-bsx?; Herb Gardner, Paul Dunyhower?-tbn; David Baker-btbn; Gary McFarland-vibes; David Mackay-p; John Keyser-b; Paul Cohen-d; Herb Pomeroy-cond
9. TO THEE, O ASPHODEL (Bobby Freedman)
10. PAUL’S PAL (Sonny Rollins)
11. BLUE GRASS (Danny Kent)
Looking over the participants, it’s a mixture of Students and Teachers. Among the students (many of whom went on to their own careers) is Ian Underwood, who many of you might recognize as a future member of The Mothers Of Invention, as well as future celebrated composer/writer/arranger Margo Guryan. Yep, quite an assembly for one afternoon in August.
Enjoy.
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