Greg Masters: Pick of the Week [ed. Terence Winch]

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Greg Masters. Photo by Kate Previte

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At 20 minutes, 37 seconds

 

At 20 minutes, 37 seconds

into track one of a box-set

reissue of the Miles Davis Quintet

recording “Freedom Jazz Dance,”

a previously unissued rehearsal take,

the raspy-voiced bandleader instructs

drummer Tony Williams to play triplets.

Up to this point in the ensemble’s

working out of the tune, he’d,

uncharacteristically, 

been lagging, playing as if he were

still with Jackie McLean,

accompanying with a ring-a-ding-ding

on the ride cymbal.

But after first working out a bass part for

Ron Carter and a few run-throughs—

Wayne Shorter certainly had the head down

and Herbie Hancock seemed assured

with splashes of chords—

Miles instructs his teenaged drummer

to lay down a triplet pattern and, after a

few attempts, he hits on the pulsating

underlying momentum that, still,

50-plus years after recording,

transforms the seven-minute

master track into a miracle.

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Greg Masters co-edited the poetry magazine Mag City from 1977–85. In 1977–78, along with a crew of poet comrades, he produced a cable TV show, Public Access Poetry. From 1980–83, he edited The Poetry Project Newsletter. Over the past decade, he has issued 10 books of his writing from his imprint Crony Books. “At 20 minutes, 37 seconds” is from It Wasn’t Supposed to Be Like This (Crony Books, 2020).

[To hear the track referred to in the poem, go here.]

[For more on Tony Williams, click here.]

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Comments

[Greg Masters]

Thank you, Terence, for including me on this blog. It's an honor and thrill. Just earlier this morning I emailed radio station WKCR, a great radio station out of Columbia that plays a lot of jazz and runs all-day, sometimes multi-day festivals for various artists: Trane, Duke, Kim Gordon, Bach, etc. BUT no Miles. I asked why no Miles festival. The station manager actually just responded to my message explaining that when they did run a Miles day in the 80s, Miles called in and bitched about it, so to honor his wishes, or something, they never ran another one. But they invited me to lobby for one. Sending them my argument in favor of a fest, along with a link to this poem on your marvelous blog, just might do the trick.

[Greg Masters]

All in favor of a Miles Davis Festival on WKCR, please send your advocations to Schuyler, Station Manager at WKCR: stationmanager@wkcr.org

[Grace Cavalieri]

Love Terence's weekly "picks" as they bring back old friends I have not heard from in a long time.
Will write WKCR!
Miles is the theme music on my radio/podcast series. Everyone loves him. Perfect for poetry energy.

[Sandra Rottmann]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1MvCnQIAQNM

Simply brilliant!

[David Lehman]

Greg, you're miles ahead. Phil Schaap at WKCR heroically championed Bird, Mingus, Milt Jackson, Ellington, all those guys. And if memory serves, when Miles died in September 1991, WKCR played wall-to-wall Miles for seven straight days!
Great to have your masterly work on our blog, Mr. Masters.
And, oh yes, I second what Grace said about Terence's picks..

[Terence Winch]

Thanks, Grace. (And I love your comments.)

[lally]

been a big fan of greg's poetry and other writing for many decades, so happy to see this brilliantly insightful poem in this illustrious series of yours, terence

[Terence Winch]

Michael: thank you for reminding me to read Greg's new book.

[Greg Masters]

Thank you for the lovely responses, Michael, Sandra, David, Terence, Grace.

[Don Berger]

Hey, Greg Masters masters an historical recounting of this Olympian moment, while setting his own musical beauty next to that of the players. It's so nice to hear what this careful listener follows, notes and feels and thinks.

[Anne Harding Woodworth]

I listened at 20:37. I’d never heard it. What a delight. I can still hear the triplets. And it’s one of those days of coincidence—the Sunday NY Times crossword puzzle was looking for bassist Carter’s first name. I’m so happy 20:37 is locked into a poem for another 50-plus.

[Robert McDowell]

This anecdotal poem manages to transport one right into the session and the music. One feels it. A remarkable achievement for which I'm delighted and grateful. Thanks, Terence. Thanks, Greg, & thanks Miles & Co.

[Greg Masters]

I am grateful for all the comments here. Thank you for your support.

[Terence Winch]

Robert: Thanks for that comment.

[Bill Nevins]

https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=5LBIlePFV-k

The first Miles album I bought--from the Columbia Record Club--featured a live concert in France which opened with an announcer saying, "avec le jeune Tony Williams". I wore that LP out!

Fine poem, thanks!

[clarinda]

Thanks for this arressting nostalgia trip. I have heard in person all the folks mentioned, if my (dazzled) memory serves--the dear great gone Famous Ballroom Sunday afternoon concerts, filling the vast space with great jazz and joyful people. I feel re-blessed by this poem!

[Cliff Fyman]

Greg, I say this poem is a MIRACLE!

[Dr. Earle Hitchner]

B.B. King supposedly said: “When I make a mistake once, it’s a mistake. When I make a mistake twice, it’s genius.” In his poem Greg Masters illuminates what might be called mistakes by a band “working out” ideas for playing a tune that ultimately showcase genius in its creative studio process. From the 23-minute track in the box set to the 7-minute finish found on MILES SMILES in 1967, Eddie Harris’s tune “Freedom Jazz Dance” was reborn and nurtured as sui generis sound by Miles Davis on trumpet, Wayne Shorter on tenor sax, Herbie Hancock on piano, Tony Williams on drums, and my favorite jazz bassist, Ron Carter. (Ron’s recordings with tenor titan Houston Person never fail to enthrall me.) Greg’s poem evokes that Miles Davis Quintet’s performative evolution as if Greg were in the studio with them. And, in a visceral sense, he was. We can’t help wanting to learn what Greg himself hears and “sees.” It is poetic mimesis at its best: his words inspired and mirrored by their music. Greg’s poem would surely have made Miles smile.

[Peter Kearney]

Even though I'm taking only my first steps in listening to jazz, I was encouraged to hear a bit of Tony Williams's drumming resemble the sound of my Irish drum (bodhran), which I learned years ago, Terence, from your brother Jesse, whose encouragement to keep going with it I am now following. Maybe a little Irish jazz someday?

[Terence Winch]

Thanks for the comment, Peter. You can hear jazz influence on Irish music going back as far
as the great Flanagan Brothers in the 1930s.

[Greg Masters]

Such a responsive, erudite and, likely, good-looking audience. Thank you for your comments.

[Joan Retallack]

Just catching up with this brilliant poetry/music in the making kit. Every part of it thrilling & deeply moving. Thank you Greg and Terence for this experience.

[Terence Winch]

Thanks, Joan. I'm glad you liked it.

[Rachelle Bijou]

Greg!

Happy to read At 20 Minutes, 37 Seconds this morning--so lyrical and precise at the same time. Looking forward to reading your new book, too.

All the best,
Rachelle

[Vincent Katz]

Just checking this out now. Glad it came in on my BAP radar. Listening to the session reel now. I'm at 12:04. I thought I knew everything of Miles, especially the fusion period, which is my favorite. I think it's only in recent years, with many more releases of complete sessions, that a wider audience is coming to appreciate the density and complexity of the fusion work. This rehearsal though is a goldmine! Scholars and fans everywhere will pore over this recording and others like it. Your poem brings all this to light, but that's an ancillary function. In essence, your poem is a miracle, as it transcribes the listening experience. It is really in the moment, a New York School work for sure, and also one of more Black Mountain like investigative poetry. Writing that makes me think of how important Miles was to Robert Creeley, among others. Creeley said he learned a lot from Miles's pauses. So Kudos to Greg! Thanks to Terence. And thank you for alerting me to the egregious lack of a Miles festival at WKCR. I've just written in support of the cause!