André Previn Plays

   Any attempt to comprehend his achievements at a glance leads to the conclusion, André Previn is a rare phenomenon. As the one of most versatile musicians ever, André Previn is a perfect example of an artist combining creativity and great competence in remote areas of musical activity. He is perfect crossover artist. As a pianist, conductor and composer he achieved successes on many fields of artistic and popular music. He was awarded 4 times with Academy Award for movie scores and 11 times with Grammy Awards including 2010 Grammy Lifetime Achievement Award.

   André Previn was born in Berlin in the family of lawyers and musicians in 1929 or 1930. The year of his birth is unsure.  There are also unconfirmed reports he is distant relative of Gustav Mahler. In 1939 his family fled from Germany and settled in Los Angeles where five years later he became naturalized US citizen. He completed his education in Beverly Hills and taking private lessons of conducting from Pierre Monteux. In mid 50’s he became his career as a jazz pianist, performing and recording successfully with many popular musicians. The same time he started writing music for cinema. As he started to compose as a student one decade earlier, his pieces were astonishingly fresh and mature. 

André Previn Plays (1970)

   In his twentieths André Previn was active as performing and recording jazz pianist. He was active in West Coast area and this milieu gave his music special, smooth characteristic. Easy listening kind of jazz became popular yet before the be-bop era. It was not defined as the style, it was rather the answer for demands of wide circle of listeners. The hotter was dominant style; more listeners were tended to buy jazz with popular music touch. Reaction for be-bop was cool jazz style, so after free jazz and hard-bop came fusion and funky was balanced by soul music. And when fusion became too hot, smooth jazz was the rest for many. This process made Previn’s old recordings re-editions almost permanently alive.

   In June 24, 1953 André Previn recorded some pieces of Fats Waller. Pianist was performing in trio with Buddy Clark on double-bass and Shelly Manne on drums. These recordings were published in 1958 by Tops Records (L 1593). Probably material of 1953 sessions was joined together with pieces recorded in other terms and locations. This is probably why there are no informations on musicians, time and places. Only in liner notes it was closed in one statement: “Supported by an excellent bassist and drummer in this swinging tribute to Fats Waller, Previn is wholly at ease with the songs of the master”.

   In 1964 album was reedit and published as André Previn Plays by Fidelio label (ATL 4118). Sequence of songs was the same with only one piece withdrawn – Steeling Apples. Fat Waller’s name was omitted in title and in credits. Six years later in 1970, this album was republished by Crown label (CRS 2004). Complete set of Previn’s Waller recordings was published in 1982 on compact cassette by Orchid Music. The performance is perfect, worth more than four stars and the whole album is nice to listen. Although these recordings didn’t push jazz to a new direction, it is still worth to remember. Overall I’m giving three and a half star.

Elek Bacsik – Bird & Dizzy

Violin was never typical jazz instrument. It was present in every style of jazz music, but in most cases rather as a margin than mainstream. This was despite the fact that the violin is an instrument for the full possibilities of improvisation. The typical spectrum of jazz instruments and bands sound has been created at a time when jazz was dance music and the subtle, soft sound of the violin did not always corresponded to the expected level of expression of jazz instruments. In early jazz most famous were Snoozer Quinn guitarist and violinist known of being member of Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Joe Venuti known for his prolific recordings of his New York period in twentieth and thirties. In pre-war Paris played Eddie South and Stephane Grappelli streaming European jazz in alternate direction. This time in USA started Stuff Smith, the first violinist who amplified his instrument and first who played violin in the way opposite to classical style. He was known in swing era, but became very active in bop style. And this was the moment for violin to become more and more jazzy.
Elek Bacsik was born 1926 in Budapest family of Romani ethnicity. He started to play violin and studied in Budapest Conservatory. Later he made some musical journeys to Lebanon, Portugal, Spain and Italy. He was known as a cousin of Django Reinhardt, but trifling this relation saying “We Gypsies are all related”. In Switzerland he heard records of bee-bop and this changed his point of view. Interviewed by Leonard Feather he said: “I was fascinated by this music. I bought the whole series – everything I could find by Dizzy and Bird. Finally, in Italy in 1954, I got to meet Dizzy”. He just switched to guitar and begun to play jazz. He was recording as sideman with Dizzy Gillespie on first two of his Phillips albums – Dizzy on the French Riviera (1962) and New Wave (1963), with Serge Gainsbourg – Gainsbourg Confidentiel (1963) and some other French artists. In early sixties he recorded his own four records as guitarist for Phillips and Fontana labels.

Elek Bacsik – Bird & Dizzy – A Musical Tribute (1975)

In 1966 Elek Bacsik went to USA and since 1967 he lived in Las Vegas playing in casinos like Riviera, Hilton, Sahara and many other but he was unable to express himself, willing to play in jazz clubs and festivals. In 1974, playing violin and violectra, he recorded his first American album I Love You for Bob Thiele label. The same year Elek Bacsik played with Dizzy Gillespie in Newport Jazz Festival. And in 1975 Flying Dutchman label published his last album Bird & Dizzy – A Musical Tribute. This record is worth to keep in memory. The level of professional merit can be noticed since the very first bars of this album. Charlie Parker’s Ko-Ko theme and original Parker’s solo transcribed by Bacsik was recorded one layer after another first violin and then octave lower on violectra. The results are astonishing. The sound is thick, intense and expressive but still soft and warm. This warm violin gives the power for beautiful solo in Parker’s Mood. The Night in Tunisia Bacsik introduces playing in Arabic scale, then theme plays trumpetist Oscar Brashear and then Med Flory on alto sax, Mike Wofford on piano and Elek Bacsik on electric violin play solos.

Theme Moose the Mooche is played by Elek Bacsik in unison with Oscar Brashear and Warne Marsh who are are improvising. Warne Marsh is especially worth paying attention. He was a great improviser and one of pillars in Supersax group, though his solos can be heard on very rare recordings. Album consists of great job made by two bass players Chuck Domanico and Buddy Clark and drummer Shelly Mane. Whole material was arranged and conducted by Oliver Nelson, jet another great musician. This tribute record was intended also as a kind of comeback to mainstream of jazz scene. Kind-hearted back cover essay by Leonard Feather and whole edition produced by Bob Thiele occurred miscalculation. Record went virtually unnoticed what was artist's personal failure. He died 18 years later, leaving no more recordings. Time has changed the market and only well established names has their places in public mind. And once more artistic quality has nothing to do with the market.