Teo Macero — Impressions of Charles Mingus

★★★✰

   Albums issued on vinyl records can tell the complex story of music, performances and artists, trends and ideas, composers, instrumentalists, vocalists and lots of people being a part of the recording industry. Professional position of creative producer in the era of vinyl records was significantly higher than any time before and after. Those were the times of records as subjects of value, pieces of art and complete product. In the digital era, the ease of recording, simplicity of studio processing, cheap manufacturing of discs and possibility to download music in any format were the factors that rapidly changed the world of the musical industry. The compromise between quality of cutting the matrix and the length of the music recorded on one side of the record with worsening quality of sound with every overtime minute was the real technical problem and a symbolic frame for artistic freedom in all types of recording. The other side of the problem was audience demand and expectations. The role of any producer was to seek a balance between these factors and artists’ creative freedom.

Teo Macero — Impressions of Charles Mingus (1983)

   One of legendary producers was Teo Macero (1925-2008), professional musician himself, who sacrificed to support the careers and artistic development of many musicians of jazz and other genres. As composer and saxophonist he was one of these jazzmen who built professional positions in a narrow circle of insiders only. For the wide public he was producer of dozens of jazz albums, but among musicians he was recognized as a competent and creative artist, composer, arranger and saxophonist. Thank to his professional competences he was able to help artists to realize such cornerstone albums as Monk’s Dream and Underground by Thelonious Monk, Mingus Ah Um and Let My Children Hear Music by Charles Mingus, Time Out by Dave Brubeck, but above all groundbreaking fusion albums In a Silent Way and Beaches Brew by Miles Davis. He was producer of most Davis albums published by Columbia Records and his role was so prominent, Davis’ biographer Paul Tingen in book Beyond Miles stated, his role was similar to what George Martin was to The Beatles. Macero was also real friend for many musicians. Miles Davis dedicated him composition Teo (1961). The same did Thelonious Monk with his composition Teo (1964) and Maynard Ferguson with composition Teonova (1973).

Teo Macero — Impressions of Charles Mingus (1983)

   

   Born in Glens Falls, NY, Macero studied composition in Julliard School of Music. Active musician in the field of jazz, he was successful playing his own formations as well as a sideman recording with many others.  Beyond jazz he was producer of over one hundred classical music records. In post-war avantgarde movement he acted as performer and as a composer. He became famous as Columbia record producer taking part in most significant recording sessions. First of them was Kind of Blue (1959) recording session where he was not credited but already coworking with main producer Irving Townsend. From Sketches of Spain (1960) Teo Macero was constantly Miles Davis producer. As producer of groundbreaking works for many artists Teo Macero acted as an art curator – he was prolific as creative. Phenomenon of his work consisted in skillfully convincing artists of the value of artistic priorities. He was trusted for his professional musician competence and for artistic intuition, both in dynamic musical equilibrium. His own music, as is often the case, was overshadowed by production achievements. And this is why the album Impressions of Charles Mingus is as much significant. Listening to this gives the artist a chance for justice.

Michael Franks – Objects of Desire

★★★✰

   The jazz culture from the very beginning was a phenomenon rising on popular dance and song models, functioning and developing as a popular music in particular social environment, then established as an artistic quality in specific circumstances of modern change of the western civilization. Popular song melodies were among most active elements of early jazz. Melodic shape, textual references and some pure musical meanings associated with rhythmic patterns and harmonic changes were usual base for improvisation. Even modern jazz drew its energy of popular songs and melodies. For many of the post jazz generation it was real sensation some standard themes, before used in improvised music, were popular songs and hits of earlier decades.
   When in late seventies era of fusion was about to end and the period of neo classical jazz was not clearly visible, many musicians were trying to find some new inspiration in popular and artistic song. One of singers of this period was Michael Franks, musician from southern California (born in La Jolla, Sept. 18th, 1944). He became famous as one of most active songwriters in pop and jazz crossover, recorded by dozens and esteemed for his own albums with leading musicians of jazz and smooth jazz, Joe Sample, Larry Carlton, Michael and Randy Brecker, Wilton Felder, David Sanborn and many more. His songs were recorded by jazz and popular artists, The Manhattan Transfer, The Carpenters, Diana Krall, Shirley Basey and Ringo Star. Over a dozen albums (recorded mostly for Warner Bros. Records) is coherent series documenting the development of Michael Franks songwriting and performance as a very individual jazz style.

Michael Franks – Objects of Desire (1982)

   Michael Franks’ discography can be seen as a kind of timeline for the progress of his songwriting and performing possibilities, but first of all these consecutively created albums are a beautiful collection of great songs, well written and performed, ready to give satisfaction even to a demanding listener. In this consequently build collection seventh album is somehow unique. Michael Franks’ Objects of Desire was written and recorded in 1981. Warner Bros. Records published it in 1982 simultaneously in US, Canada, Japan, Germany, Spain and RPA and on various carriers LP, CD and Compact Cassette. It looks like this one was intended to be a blockbuster. The number of musicians was bigger than ever and album was built in series of sessions in different studios. And the results were encouraging.
   This Objects of Desire is somehow a concept album. It shows nine songs about values and desire, but as these desired objects may be different. It’s like the picture from the cover, Two Tahitian Women by Paul Gauguin, which shows man’s objects of desire and can be considered as the object of desire itself. Emotional relations from love to jealousy show the space for Franks’ songs. They have outstanding musical setting. Natural melodic lines economically correspond with lyrics, and its soft jazz arrangements open wide space for great solos. Many perfect saxophone solos played by Michael Brecker (Laughing Gas), David Sanborn (Tahitian Moon, Love Duet), Lawrence Feldman (Flirtation), and few dozens of great session musicians gave this album lot of space. The same with singing performances: Bonnie Raitt’s voice in Ladies’ Nite is electrifying and finds its reflection in Franks’ vocal. One another example of great voice communication is Love Duet where Franks sings with Renee Diggs. Such culture of sound was always domain of professional artists only. Here it starts to be art for itself. Four and half of stars for perfect creative work.