One of the first records I bought as a kid (yes, I was into bebop even then) and it stands the test of time. Bless Mingus for having the forethought to bring his recorder, a miracle it captured the concert as well as it did. It could be said the entire venture was miraculous. You set the stage perfectly, Bret. Thanks.
Thanks for this. Found it, and I'll give it a listen. My fave for years has been The Giants of Jazz, mc'd by Diz. I had the vinyl, but of course I gave everything away in the switch to cd's. (Idiot.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giants_of_Jazz_(album)
I still remember the first time I heard a track from this album. It was about 30 years ago on a jazz radio show I was listening to with the guy who got me into contemporary jazz. We were both tired of all the presenter had been offering and were about to go and do something else when the track came on: it sounded so fresh and inventive that we were both gobsmacked to discover that it came from the 50s. I still find the whole thing fresh and inventive and I’ve listened to the album many, many times since then. I never tire of it. Best jazz concert album ever? That’s a yes from me!
What strikes me most about this story is what it says about the relationship between pressure and greatness. Parker on a borrowed plastic horn, Gillespie barely speaking to his old partner, a hall two-thirds empty because a boxing match was on television — and somehow all of that became fuel rather than friction. Bebop was always music made against the grain, music that demanded you pay attention on its own terms rather than yours. Massey Hall is just the most dramatic example of what those musicians had been doing all along.
It's also a reminder that the greatest artists are always doing two things at once — honoring what came before while reaching hard toward something that didn't exist yet. Parker and Gillespie had transformed jazz from popular entertainment into an art form. They were standing on the shoulders of everyone who came before them, and simultaneously making it impossible for anyone who came after to ignore what they'd done. That's the through-line in American music, from the Delta to CBGB, from New Orleans to Massey Hall.
One of the first records I bought as a kid (yes, I was into bebop even then) and it stands the test of time. Bless Mingus for having the forethought to bring his recorder, a miracle it captured the concert as well as it did. It could be said the entire venture was miraculous. You set the stage perfectly, Bret. Thanks.
Another nice bit on jazz history of a serendipitous and extraordinary event. Gracias!
Thanks for the background, most of which is new to me. Have listened to the album hundreds of times!
Great writing as usual..But is it really thye greatest Jazz Concert Ever? Great yes..Greatest..I guess its subjective
One the greatest. There really is no greatest. But to get people's attention, I need titles like this.
😂
Great writing on great music to make a great start to a day. Thanks, again and again.
Bret, I’m still lying in bed, but with your piece. I’m getting UP. It brings some of the most to-the-point writing I’ve seen in a long time time.
Thanks for this. Found it, and I'll give it a listen. My fave for years has been The Giants of Jazz, mc'd by Diz. I had the vinyl, but of course I gave everything away in the switch to cd's. (Idiot.) https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/The_Giants_of_Jazz_(album)
There's a book about this, and a less heralded Montreal concert from the same year. https://harbourpublishing.com/products/9780889711198
I still remember the first time I heard a track from this album. It was about 30 years ago on a jazz radio show I was listening to with the guy who got me into contemporary jazz. We were both tired of all the presenter had been offering and were about to go and do something else when the track came on: it sounded so fresh and inventive that we were both gobsmacked to discover that it came from the 50s. I still find the whole thing fresh and inventive and I’ve listened to the album many, many times since then. I never tire of it. Best jazz concert album ever? That’s a yes from me!
Wonderful story and an amazing record! Dizzy Gillespie bought me a Heineken on my birthday at the Nice Jazz Festival.
I love hearing the stories behind how things happen and the personal nuances. The subtext of the music brings to life even more. Great post
Nothing beats 💓 provenance...
Um saxofone de plástico branco emprestado de uma loja. A sala quase vazia porque tinha boxe na televisão. Os dois não se falavam.
E tocaram assim.
Conheço esse mecanismo. Não pelo talento — pelo desespero produtivo. Quando não tem condição, você para de se preocupar com a condição.
Marseille, oitenta e dois. Doze músicos sem documento, sem ensaio, sem equipamento decente. Tocamos para pagar o alojamento.
Ficou gravado. Ainda não sei bem o que fazer com isso.
B.
Hair raising. Thank you!!
I just listened to it yesterday . A friend asked me to play some Charlie Parker .It was a double LP released as “ The greatest Jazz Concert Ever “
The second record is the Bud Powell Trio . Also fantastic
What strikes me most about this story is what it says about the relationship between pressure and greatness. Parker on a borrowed plastic horn, Gillespie barely speaking to his old partner, a hall two-thirds empty because a boxing match was on television — and somehow all of that became fuel rather than friction. Bebop was always music made against the grain, music that demanded you pay attention on its own terms rather than yours. Massey Hall is just the most dramatic example of what those musicians had been doing all along.
It's also a reminder that the greatest artists are always doing two things at once — honoring what came before while reaching hard toward something that didn't exist yet. Parker and Gillespie had transformed jazz from popular entertainment into an art form. They were standing on the shoulders of everyone who came before them, and simultaneously making it impossible for anyone who came after to ignore what they'd done. That's the through-line in American music, from the Delta to CBGB, from New Orleans to Massey Hall.
— Joe, American Song Podcast
I love listening to Soul Jazz radio on Pandora and the talent is amazing!