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 | Herbie SpanierAnthology 1962-93Label: Justin Time | Jazz | October 11, 1993Format UPC Order # Unit Price |
Credits Brian Barley tenor saxophone (on track 09) Charlie Biddle bass (on track 09) Neil Chotem piano (on tracks 04, 05 and 06) Joe Christie alto saxophone (on tracks 04, 05 and 06) Brian Dickinson piano (on tracks 01, 02 and 03) Michel Donato - do not use bass (on tracks 07, 08, 10 and 11) Dave Field bass (on tracks 01, 02 and 03) Gordie Fleming piano (on track 07) Michel Lambert drums (on tracks 01, 02 and 03) Yvan Landry vibes (on tracks 04 and 06) Pierre Leduc piano (on track 09) Ron Paige drums (on track 07) Alvin Pall tenor saxophone (on tracks 08, 10 and 11) Claude Ranger drums (on tracks 08, 09, 10 and 11) Bernie Senensky piano (on tracks 08, 10 and 11) Herbie Spanier flugelhorn Calder Spanier saxophone (on tracks 01, 02 and 03) Herbie Spanier trumpet Production Credits | TracksNo Title Duration Excerpts 04 Mellow Mood 00:02:48 05 Saints Alive 00:03:01 06 Northland Blues 00:06:05 07 Modulations 00:03:40 08 Précis En Bleu 00:06:22 09 Ooshekeelala 00:12:10 10 Waltz No.4 00:11:06 11 Rapido 00:04:24 Liner NotesHerbie SpanierAnthology 1962-93 Open Door, (composed in Montreal in 1961) Ballad For Helen, (written in Regina in 1987) and Canon For Quintet (Toronto, 1989) were all recorded in November 1993 at Unity Studio, with Herbie's son, Calder, on soprano and alto saxophones, Brian Dickinson on piano, Dave Field on bass, and Michel Lambert on drums. Mellow Mood, Saints Alive, and Northland Blues were recorded at the Hermitage in Montreal in 1965; the collaboration between Herbie and Edmund Assaly proved fruitful indeed. Joe Christie was on alto and flute, Yvan Landry on vibraphone and Neil Chotem on piano. Ten string players, harp and celeste rounded out the session. Modulations, recorded in Montreal with Gordie Flemming on piano, Michel Donato on bass, and Ron Paige on drums, was a throwaway blues they decided to tape in 1962. Précis en Bleu is a chart which in essence synthesizes the harmonic and linear content of the conventional 12 bar blues. Recorded in Toronto in 1985, it features Alvin Pall on tenor sax, Bernie Senensky on piano, Claude Ranger on drums, and Michel Donato on bass. Waltz No. 4 was also recorded at this session. Ooshekeelala was recorded live in Montreal in 1963 and it features Brian Barley on tenor sax, pianist Pierre Leduc, bassist Charles Biddle and Claude Ranger on drums. Rapido was written on the train of the same name on the way to Montreal from Toronto to commemorate the session. It features Alvin Pall on sax, Bernie Senensky on piano, Michel Donato on bass and Claude Ranger on drums. Herbie Spanier has enjoyed an international reputation for many years and has just recently received an award for his unique contribution to Canadian music as a performer, arranger and composer. A recording entitled "Catuor" received an award in 1970 in Madrid. This recording featured Gordie Flemming on piano, Michel Donato on bass, Claude Ranger on drums and of course Herbie on the thematic sequences. Many of his innovative, harmonic and melodic nuances were displayed with Paul Bley, Arthur Phipps, and Al Levit at Copa City, Birdland, Carnegie Hall in New York City and the Hillcrest Club in Los Angeles with Charlie Haden and Billy Higgins. In New York, Herbie jammed with Cannonball and Nat Adderley, Jackie Mclean and Lee Konitz. In Los Angeles he could be found with Ornette Coleman and Don Cherry. At this time, (in the mid 1950s), he went on the road with Claude Thornhill and Hal McIntyre. In 1954, on the way to Toronto from Regina, Herbie stopped in Chicago and sat in at the High Note where Stan Getz was playing. To pay the rent for this temporary sojourn, Herbie worked the strip joints on West Division Street. In Toronto Herbie set the town on fire. He recorded brilliant solos with Phil Nimmons on "Atlantic Suite" and 'Transformations', and also performed with the Boss Brass. On CBC television in Toronto, he enjoyed a session with Toots Thielemans. On CBC in Montreal in 1965, he was featured with Michel Legrand. Around this time, David Amram courted Herbie's talent and featured him on an album entitled "Summer Nights, Winter Rain". A collaboration with Galt MacDermot in Montreal produced the original version of African Waltz. Musically, although Spanier is well-versed in diatonicism, he has leaned towards single tonic centers, where one can move freely from close to distant relationships in the cycle of fifths. He is equally at home in atonality, and uses the 12-tone serial technique. Believing that the harmonic and formal intent of his compositions evolve, in time, from one session to the next, he transforms the tenor of his works (live or recorded) right in the session. In the late 1960s, Miles Davis played at the Colonial Tavern in Toronto and urged Spanier to the stand to play, giving him his trumpet. The previous night, Miles had attended another club on Yonge Street that featured Herbie's own group, and Miles was enthusiastically pushing him back to play. Herbie also visited Miles in New York City. Around this time Dizzy also appeared at the Colonial, without a bass player. Needing the work, Spanier acquired a bass and showed up at the gig. After Herbie's fingers started bruising, a bass player came up and relieved him. Herbie's trumpet playing thoroughly delighted Dizzy, who was quite amazed at the whole scene. The International Association of Jazz Record Collectors has a few expositions of Herbie Spanier on tape (by request) and have regarded his reputation as legendary. Many others have attested to this legendary character, and stories and anecdotes abound. Herbie dismisses many of these as fantasies, exaggerations, and skirting about the truth. Mark Miller however, jazz critic for The Globe and Mail in Toronto, documented a performance at Massey Hall where Herbie was called upon to sub for Freddie Hubbard with the Ray Brown All-Stars. Alongside Stanley Turrentine, Slide Hampton, Cedar Walton, Mickey Roker, Milt Jackson and of course Ray Brown, Herbie played inspiringly, Miller wrote in the subsequent review. Fortunately, D. B. Hawkes of C.I.U.T. Radio (University of Toronto), captured a whole video of that memorable night in June of 1985. At the time of this writing, Herbie Spanier is composing new works and performing some of them in the many avenues for expression in Toronto. These include the Music Gallery, The Capriccio, The Pilot Tavern, Clinton's and the Rex Hotel. Plans for two more recordings are in the works. Anthony Charles |
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