Cameron Brown

CAMERON BROWN

BIOGRAPHY	DISCOGRAPHY	PRESS	CONTACT

Jazz bassist, composer and educator Cameron Brown began his career in the mid-sixties, recording in Europe with George Russell and Don Cherry. These two wonderful musicians remain life-long influences and inspirations.

Mr. Brown anchored some of the most important groups of the seventies, eighties and nineties, beginning in 1975. Sheila Jordan, Roswell Rudd, Archie Shepp and Beaver Harris were his mentors and bandleaders then. He has enjoyed special relationships with master drummers: Art Blakey, Dannie Richmond, Philly Joe Jones, Edward Blackwell, Idris Muhammad and Joe Chambers, as well as Mr. Harris. The Don Pullen/George Adams Quartet, featuring Dannie Richmond, developed into an intense and rewarding partnership, which lasted nearly ten years. In addition to this quartet, Beaver Harrisís 360 Degree Music Experience, Art Blakeyís Jazz Messengers, the Sextet and Big Bands of George Russell, and various groups led by Mr. Shepp, Mr. Cherry, Mr. Rudd and Mr. Richmond, Mr. Brown has performed and/or recorded with Donald Byrd, Booker Ervin, Ted Curson, Lee Konitz, Dewey Redman, Chet Baker, Terumasa Hino, Betty Carter and the John Hicks Trio, and Jane Ira Bloom.

Heís helped young people around the world to nurture their interest in and passion for jazz from North Carolina to Norway, to New York, to Hong Kong and Taiwan, and, most recently, on the faculty of the summer workshop near Venice, Italy co-sponsored by the Manhattan School of Music.

At present, in addition to freelance work, Mr. Brown performs and/or records with Joe Lovano, Sheila Jordan, Archie Shepp, Dave Ballou, the Cartwright/Oppenheim Quintet, Lou Donaldson, Houston Person and Etta Jones, Marc Copland and Salvatore Bonafede, as well as his own ensemble, Cameron Brown and the Hear and Now. He has appeared on more than hundred recordings.

SELECTED DISCOGRAPHY

Cameron Brown and the Hear and Now - Here And How! (Omnitone/Jazzíhalo)

Recorded during the Jazzíhalo Music Days 1997

Please check out http://www.omnitone.com/hereandhow/index.htm for interview and more

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Donít Lose Control (Soul Note)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - All That Funk (Palcoscenico)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - More Funk (Palcoscenico)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Earth Beams (Timeless)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Life Line (Timeless)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - City Gates (Timeless)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Live At The Village Vanguard (Soul Note)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Live At The Village Vanguard volume 2 (Soul Note)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Decisions (Timeless)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Live At Montmartre (with John Scofield) (Timeless)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Breakthrough (Blue Note)

George Adams/Don Pullen Quartet - Song Everlasting (Blue Note)

Greg Alper - My Time ( ? )

David Ballou - Volition (SteepleChase)

David Ballou - Rothko (SteepleChase)

Bernie Bierman - The Other Half Of Me ( ? )

Ed Blackwell & Dewey Redman - Walls ñ Bridges (Black Saint)

Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers - Artís Break (unpaid bootleg on Orizzonte Lotus)

Blue Brass Connection - Cool Affairs (PAO)

Michael Bocian - Reverence (enja)

Salvatore Bonafede - Actor ñActress (Ken Music) with Joe Lovano & Adam Nussbaum

Salvatore Bonafede - Plays Gershwin ( ? )

Katchie Cartwright - Live! At The Deer Head Inn (The Orchard)

Stephen Christian - Call Me Christian (Lightyear) > only backing vocals

Bill Cosby - A House Full Of Love ñ Music From The Bill Cosby Show (Columbia) feat. Grover Washington Jr.

Connie Crothers/Lenny Popkin Quartet - Love Energy (New Artists)

Connie Crothers/Lenny Popkin Quartet - New York Night (New Artists)

Connie Crothers/Lenny Popkin Quartet - In Motion (New Artists)

Connie Crothers/Lenny Popkin Quartet - Jazz Spring (New Artists)

Connie Crothers/Lenny Popkin Quartet - Session (The Orchard)

Bob Degen Quartet featuring Terumasa Hino - Children Of The Night (enja)

David Durrah - The Durrah Quartet (Z 1A)

Antonio Farao - Viaggio Ignota (DDD)

Della Griffin - Traveliní Light ( ? )

Neal Haiduck - Modern Jazz ( ? )

Beaver Harris and the 360 Degree Music Experience - Beautiful Africa (Soul Note)

including Camís composition Baby Suite

Beaver Harris and the 360 Degree Music Experience - Safe (Red Record)

Beaver Harris and the 360 Degree Music Experience - Live At Nyon (Cadence Jazz)

Beaver Harris and the 360 Degree Music Experience - Negcaumongus (Cadence Jazz)

Emil Hess - The Great Bridge ( ? )

Gilbert Isbin - Spring Cleaning (Jazzíhalo)

Sheila Jordan - Confirmation (East Wind)

Sheila Jordan - Iíve Grown Accustomed To The Bass (Jazzíhalo/Highnote)

Chris Joris - Bihogo (Jazzíhalo)

Karin Krog/Archie Shepp - Hi Fly (Compendium)

David Lahm - Real Jazz For Folks Who Feel Jazz (Palo Alto)

David Lahm - Be Somebody ( ? )

Mary LaRose and Ledhead - Walking Woman (GM Recordings)

Mike Longo - Explosion (Cap Records)

Nathalie Loriers - Dance Or Die (Igloo)

Joe Lovano - Flights Of Fancy ñ Trio Fascination, Vol. 2 (Blue Note)

Joe Lovano/Greg Osby - Friendly Fire (Blue Note)

Jon Lucien - Mindís Eye (RCA)

Jon Lucien - Song For My Lady (Columbia)

Bob Magnuson - Into The Sunlight ( ? )

Jim McNeely Tentet - Group Therapy (Omnitone)

Larry Nocella/Dannie Richmond - Everything Happens To Me (Red Record)

Luciano Pavarotti ñ Ti Adoro ( ? )

Charli Persip/Gerry LaFurn "Superband" - Superband (Stash)

Houston Person - Christmas With Houston Person And Friends (Savoy Jazz) > vocals

Dewey Redman - Living On The Edge (Black Saint) with Gerri Allen & Eddie Moore

Dewey Redman - Choices (enja) with Joshua Redman

Dewey Redman - In London (Palmetto)

Lisa Rich - Listen Here (Tritone)

Dannie Richmond Quintet - The Last Mingus Band (Dannie Richmond Plays Charles Mingus) (Timeless)

Dannie Richmond Quintet - The Dannie Richmond Quintet (Gatemouth)

Dannie Richmond Quintet - Dionysius (Red Record)

Dannie Richmond Quintet - Three Of Four Shades Of Dannie Richmond (Tutu)

George Russell Sextet At Beethoven Hall (MPS 2 LPís) featuring Don Cherry

George Russell - New York Big Band (Soul Note)

George Russell Sextet At Beethoven Hall (The Complete Recordings)

Archie Shepp - Montreux One (Arista Freedom)

Archie Shepp - Montreux Two (Arista Freedom)

Archie Shepp - A Sea Of Faces (Black Saint)

Archie Shepp - Shepp A Massy ñ U-Jaama (Uniteledis 2 LPís)

Archie Shepp - Steam (enja)

Archie Shepp - A Touch Of The Blues (Fluid)

Archie Shepp - The Rising Sun Collection ( ? )

Archie Shepp - Parisian Concert volume 1 (Sun Impro)

Archie Shepp - Parisian Concert volume 2 (Sun Impro)

Archie Shepp - The Tradition (Horo 2 LPís)

Steve Slagle - Reincarnation (SteeplChase)

Steve Slagle - New New York (Omnitone)

Lisa Sokolov ñ Presence (Laughing Horse Records) with Gerry Hemingway & John DiMartino

Richard Tabnik - In The Moment (New Artists)

Grady Tate - Feeling Free ( ? )

Mickey Tucker - Doublet (Dan)

Massimo Urbani/Beaver Harris - 360 Degree Aeutopia (Red Record)

Various Artists - Jazz Ballads With a Blue Feeling (Highnote)

Various Artists - Jazz Singing (Universal/Verve)

Various Artists - Palmetto Records 2001 (Palmetto)

Various Artists - Lennie Tristano Memorial Concert ( ? )

Various Artists - Songs of Love, Peace, Understanding and a Little Heartache ( ? )

Various Artists - Criticís Picks vol. 1 (Black Saint/Soul Note)

Various Artists - In Case You Missed It, Vol. 1: 15th Anniversary Sampler (Timeless)

Various Artists - The Other Side Of Standards (Palmetto)

Various Artists - Saxophone Heroes (Jazz Fest)

Tom Varner - Swimming (Omnitone)

Tom Varner - Second Communion (Omnitone)

Mal Waldron - Moods (enja)

Dan Wall - Off The Wall (Antelope ñ unreleased master)

Jack Walrath Group - Revenge Of The Fat People (Stash)

Grover Washington, Jr.: House Full of Love (Music from "The Cosby Show")

George Adams – Gentleman’s Agreement (Soul Note) Luca Bonvini – The Mystic Trumpeter (Splash)
Cartwright/Oppenheim – La Faute De La Musique: Songs Of John Cage (Harriton Carved Wax)
Don Cherry – Scandinavian Radio Sessions 1965-1971 (no label)
Lainie Cooke – Here’s To Life (Cage Free Records)
Russ DeFilippis Trio – Calculations (Woodstock CD)
Artt Frank Quartet – Live At The Aldrich Museum (Sweetheart Records)
Cannon Heath Down – Heart-Throb Companion (Bongo Sunrise)
Sheila Jordan/Cameron Brown – Celebration: Live At The Triad (Highnote)
Kryon – Blue Gold (CNI)
Michael Musillami Octet – Spirits (Playscape Recordings)
Don Pullen – Mosaic Select (Mosaic)
Archie Shepp – Tomorrow Will Be Another Day (PAO)

DVD

Archie Shepp Quartet Live from Teatro Alfieri Turin VOL. 1 (concert recording 14/10/1977 – 61’ – TDK)
Archie Shepp Quartet Live from Teatro Alfieri Turin VOL. 2 (concert recording 14/10/1977 – 68’ – TDK)
Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers –Umbria Jazz Festival (concert recording July 1976 – 61’ – TDK)

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SOME PRESS

"Brown exhibited a very individual melodic mind and superb technique in his delightful solo. He was so impressive that the bulk of the audience (a group usually indifferent to bass solos) literally cried for more."

Michael Cuscuna, Downbeat

"Ö Brown, a bassist of stunning tone, exemplary time and taste Ö"

Richard Sudhalter, New York Post

"Ö Widely recognized as one of the finest bassists on the current jazz scene Ö"

Citizenís Voice, Wilkes-Barre, PA

"Ö Cameron Brown plays bass with confident authority Ö"

Robert Palmer, New York Time

"Brown, an inventive bassist who never rests on simple walking lines or fluttery clichÈs, added level after level of fascinating rhythm to the multi-layered music."

Derek Richardson, The San Francisco Bay Guardian

"In fact, between Dannie Richmond and the prodigiously skilled Cameron Brown on bass, it all seems to be happening with the rhythm section Ö"

Anthony Hopkins, Times of London

"Ö and Cameron Brown proved again that he may be the cityís most underrecognized bassist, his thick sound and authoritative lines recalling Dave Holland. The quartet swung hard as nails Ö"

Steve Futterman, Village Voice

"Ö, et surtout, ý la basse, un Cameron Brown quíon retrouvait avec díautant plus de plaisir quíil ne nous avait plus ëvisitÈsí depuis des annÈes (Ö). Cameron, imberbe, fit comme toujours passer sa musique sur son visage, ajoutant au plaisir des oreilles celui des yeux, et se montra ý líaise dans les climats les plus variÈs. "

Jazz in Time (Belgium)

Cameron Brown: Iíve grown accustomed to my bass

By Sim Simons (first published in Jazz’halo 1998 (# 3 & # 4)

Sheila Jordan sang it as the encore to the closing concert of Jazzíhalo Music Days in De Werf in Bruges on November 11, 1997. It was a duo performance with string bass player Cameron Brown ñ "Cam" as Sheila and others call him ñ their first live concert together. An old dream turned reality: the recording may be released on the Jazzíhalo label next year.

For Cameron Brown (born 21.12.1945), this annual music event was his debut as bandleader.

THE MISUNDERSTANDINGS

Cameron is very dexterous, but especially with his left hand.

"There is a lot of misinformation about me but that one I never heard before. If you want to play lefthanded you have to change round all the strings, so that the G-string, for example, is where the E-string normally is. Once, in Sweden, I did meet a left-handed bassist" ñ he no longer remembers his name ñ "who hadnít adapted his bass. But just like my father, Iím a little bit ambidextrous. You actually have to be. If you play a string instrument like bass or guitar, both your hands do just as much work."

Cameron worked with the Mingus Dynasty.

"Another one of those publicity stunts. I never played with them or under that name. One evening I did play as a substitute with the Mingus Big Band, but that is a (chronological) step further on, the next memorial project by Sue Mingus, who was going to sue us for using that name. There was a third ex-Mingus band member in the quartet of George Adams and Don Puffen (see below) ñ drummer Dannie Richmond. As a bassist it was pretty logical that I never played with Charles. I did collaborate on Dannieís "Plays Charles Mingus" record from 1980 (with Jack Walrath ñ trumpet, Ricky Ford ñ tenor sax and Bob Neloms ñ piano, all Mingus alumni). I also recorded "The Last Mingus Band" for Timeless with Ricky. All those associations with the earlier Mingus bands and so soon before his death (05.01/1979) made Sue suspicious. She thought that we would pocket part of her rights by using the name "Mingus Dynasty". George tried to convince Sue of his and our innocence and that it was the organizers who hoped to see higher ticket sales by sowing confusion about Charlieís name."

Oscar Pettiford was Camerons greatest influence.

"I heard him as a young man (the recording is from Dec. 23, 1956) on Monkís Brillant Corners record, where Oscar plays a beautiful solo on that bluesnumber (it takes a little before we manage to find the right name ñ "Ba-lu Bolivar Ba-Lues-Are". I use that solo in my teaching. But actuallyÖ I was very strongly influenced by two other bassists at that time: Mingus and Paul Chambers ñ Paul mainly. He is somewhat underrated., the real modern swing feeling for me was his teaming with drummer Philly Joe Jones, even before the arrival of Tony Williams."

WITHOUT MISSING A BEAT: THE TIN CAN BASS

By degrees you are more on your guard ñ but nevertheless you risk one more new misunderstanding or half-truth: did Cameron really buy his first bass in Sweden?

Cam, grinning: "True. True. Oh yes, thatís true. And thatís a funny story ñ maybe too long, but anyhow. I was born in 1945, so in 1959 I was in high school. At that time it still wasnít the usual thing for school dances to be livened up by rock and roll bands. In Detroit (the town where he was born and grew up) they still had all those little-ten-piece-trying-to-be-Glenn-Miller bands. In my school all the bass players were girls, but it wasnít the done thing to have a female bassist in a dance orchestra."

Not even by 1960?

"No. The boys hung around with the boys and the girls with the girls. Now someone had a bass ñ the body was in brown painted sheet iron ñ a tin can bass, in fact. Only the neck was wooden. No resonance ñ you couldnít really hear the notes. You did get a pretty bonk ñ toum, toum, toum," Cam demonstrates. "I had a gentle character and when a volunteer bassist was wanted, I was put forward and eventually convinced. Which didnít stop me feeling very attracted by the bass. At first I played clarinet, but they gave me this tin can bass. I took it home and taught myself how to play it, at the expense of damaged and bleeding fingers. But after a month I played along at a New Yearís bash. Thatís how it all started."

For the next two years Cameron played with the big band at school dances. Then, as a senior, he played bass in the band and clarinet in the classical orchestra, gaining a great deal, and a wide range, of experience. In addition, the school did have some quality double basses. And Cameron graduated.

"When I graduated I went to Sweden ñ I was an exchange student for a year. The problem was that I didnít own a bass, but I had saved a couple of hundred dollars and I bought a German instrument for $300. After a year I went back to New York, to Columbia University, as a freshman.

To start with I stayed there from summer 1963 to summer 1964. Then I dropped out for a while, though I would end up completing my studies later on. The opportunity that presented itself was way too tempting."

Don Cherry © Nina Contini Melis

GEORGE RUSSELL AND DON CHERRY

The George Russell recording "At Beethoven Hall" (31.08.1965) ñ the concert hall in Stuttgart ñ was a milestone in Cameron Brownís career and, in retrospect, also in jazz history. Alongside Russell and Brown, the George Russell sextet included drummer Al Heath, trumpeter Bertil L–wgren, trombonist Brian Trentham, tenor saxophonist Ray Pitts and guest Don Cherry.

"I was 19 at the time, and to me Cherry was awe-inspiring, magic, and he had an approach to music that was entirely new for me. In the spring of 1966 I took the place of Jean-Francois Jenny Clark in Donís quintet. Gato Berbieri, Karl Berger and Aldo Romano were also in the band. We did two weeks in the old Montmartre Jazzhus in Copenhagen. This was just an unbelievably exciting band. It played everything from Charlie Parker tunes to Ornette Coleman tunes to Albert Ayler tunes ñ we played bossa nova, standards and bebop. You heard snippets of all of these in a single set, and the interaction between the band members was so phenomenal that everyone knew where to go at any given moment. In those days Coltrane played 40-minute solos; with us that time-span meant a set of short solos full of surprising transitions, a spontaneous montage of the highlights from the second half of jazz history. Miles did something similar: he also made collages and medleys, but he used his own music."

Later, in the United States, Cameron had the opportunity to play twice a week in the Village Vanguard with Don Cherry. The first time (1985) it was with a variety of settings, with players including tenor saxophonist Jim Pepper (one of the few Indian jazz musicians), the second time was with a quartet: Don, himself, Carlos Ward. There are recordings of these sessions that have not yet been released.

The Beethoven Hall recordings mentioned above were initially released on two LPís (MPS/Saba 15059 and 15060). They were recently re-released by Polygram on one CD (MPS 539 084-2) as "At Beethoven Hall / Complete Recordings". They do not include any additional material. However, we are now slightly ahead of ourselves on the Brown story.

In the spring of 1965, Cameron met trombonist Brian Trentham from Indianapolis. The summer before he had played with George Russell at the Newport Festival. That was during the afternoon concert on July 3, 1964, under the title "New Faces in Jazz". It was a strong group, with Thad Jones, John Gilmore, Steve Swallow and Albert Heath alongside Russell and Trentham. And a vocalist. Photographer Burt Goldblatt was an attentive listener: "George Russellís sextet was outstanding, from ëOuter Viewí to ëStratusphunkí, ëD.C.í and ëDivertimentoí. Then Sheila Jordan joined them for the old country music standard, written by the former governor or Texas, Jimmie Davis: ëYou Are My Sunshineí. Her singing was brilliant and vital."

LYDIA IN SWEDEN

"In autumn 1964, George (who had already recorded "New York, N.Y.", "Jazz in the Space Age", "Ezzthetics" and "The Stratus Seekers") went to Europe and became seriously ill in Stockholm. He was bedridden in hospital for about six months ñ I thought that he had caught tuberculosis. But when he recovered he was offered a lot of work in Sweden ñ also for the radio, where he was given carte blanche for a series of larger works.

"George stayed in Sweden until 1969, and Brian Trentham came over for a year in 1965. And I played in the Cascall Mountains in a band in a country club. Lew Soloff was the trumpeter thereñ he laughs ñ just as crazy as he is now ñ wonderful guyÖ

"Then there was a telegram from Brian in Sweden. He had recommended to George Russell that he have me come over for the summer of í65. I wasnít even twenty, I wasnít ready for it. We went to the M–lde festival ñ you could only get there with a Hovercraft at that time ñ and there was only one bass at the festival: the one belonging to Niels-Henning ÿrsted Pedersen. Niels was then already one heck of a lot more advanced than I was ñ even though he was five months youngerÖ He played with Lars Gullin and others, and I worked with Donal Byrd, Booker Ervin and George. I also had the opportunity to play with Albert Heath ñ a dream. I donít know if he was so excited to play with meÖ."

And then came Beethoven Hall.

"Russell didnít perform a great deal. He had decided on a set fee, and there was no point in people asking him if they could not pay that much. The radio paid well."

In those days Russell also played a concert in the PSK in Brussels, without Cameron, but with L–wgren, Eje Thelir ñ trombone, Bernt Rosengren ñ tenor sax, the Polish bassist Roman Dylag and Tootie Heath on drums. This was on the occasion of the BRT broadcasting companyís XIVth Jazz Panorama (1966).

Still in Sweden, Brown worked with the tenor saxophonist Bill Barron. Back in the United States, they would make a recording for Savoy. Bill had already recorded three LPís for the label, including two with Ted Curson in 1961 and one with Booker Ervin a year later. But ñ the drummer didnít turn up and the session was cancelled.

LARGELY TRUE OR A LITTLE FICTITIOUS?

Cameron Brown had been in the recording studio with Cherry and Russell, but the Hall of Fame was still a long way off. He plays a lot, has interesting gigs, and during his process of maturation meets a number of musicians who you would not so readily associate with each other, or who are not well known to us, or completely unknown.

What then is the encyclopedic truth?

Cameron Brown worked with Dave Liebman and Randy Brecker.

"No I didnít play that much with them. I was in Daveís very first band and so was Randy. We made a demo, played some gigs ñ we even won a competition ñ nothing more. That was in 1968. I had already met Randy because he knew Brian (Trantham) well."

Ted Curson?

"End sixties there was a funny little club on the corner of 69th Street and Broadway called ëLa BohËmeí. Nobody ever went there and I formed the house rhythm section with drummer Jimmy Lovelace. We played there in a trio with Booker Ervin, with Ted Curson. Once when I was free ñ it was after midnight ñ I got a phone call from there. Lee Konitz was there with Lovelace. They had sent that eveningís bassist home and asked me to come and play the last set. There was one customer and even then he fell asleep in the middle of a number. This is completely undocumented history."

Who was Barry Miles?

"How do you know all this ancient history? Barry was a pianist (and also a drummer on his first record) who had various bands over the years and recorded with them. There were also some famous cats: Duke Jordan , Then Lew Soloff, Robin Kenyatta, Lew Tabackin (along with Pat Martino and John Abercrombie), Harvey Swartz, Vic Juris, Ö There was also an unbelievable drummer ñ Don Perutio, who played in our band for a number of school dances, but never wanted to be a professional player.

"Barry MilesÖ I think he is now musical director for Roberta Flack. Michael Cuscuna once wrote a review of a concert we played ñ Wesleyan College in Connecticut I think. At that time Sam Rivers and Robin Kenyatta were on horns. That was the first time that my name appeared in the ëCaught in the Actí column in Down Beat."

Three years ago you stepped out of the music business.

"In 1969 I finished college ñ it had taken me six years including that break in Sweden. Everyone who graduated then went straight to Vietnam ñ at least if you were a man. In April we had all considered the question: ëWhich of you really wants to go to Vietnam?í However, the mayor of New York had an agreement with the army recruitment service that whoever taught in NYC would be exempt from military service. But none of us had a teaching diploma. In the summer the city organized an intensive course and that was our salvation. I taught in the South Bronx for three years ñ quite an experience! I did try to play a couple of weekends, but I was continually exhausted by those kids. If you wake up at five in the morning in a cold sweat thinking: ëWhat am I gonna do with those kids today?í ñ there is little energy left to play. Teaching is one of the most difficult jobs in the world. And even trickier in a junior school in the worst district in the whole of the country!"

After his school adventure, in 1972, Cameron formed a ëband on the roadí with friends, with performances including an appearance in the ëBlues Brothersí film.

"We earned the money to get a van, sound equipment, a Fender-Rhodes piano. We were no longer dependent on what the organizer had ëon offerí. In 1974 our pianist Mitchell Cupper had a job with a singer, John Lucian, who had an underground hit on RCA-Victor, "Rasheeda", which sold 50,000 singles without any promotion whatsoever. John was ëa very sexy singerí from the Virgin Islands. I worked with him in a club on the top floor above the Village Gate ñ thirteen weeks in a space filled to capacity. Of course that wasnít jazz; more Latin-based. I recorded "Mindís Eye" with him for RCA ñ a collectorís item and the only recorded example of my work on electric bass!"

with Sheila Jordan © Jos Knaepen

SHEILA

"In 1974 I met Sheilañ Sheila Jordan. She arranged a gig on Long Island where we performed every Wednesday with a pianist ñ Johnny Napp. Meanwhile, she was preparing a recording with Roswell Rudd that he was going to record for Arista ("Flexible Flyer" ñ Arista AL1006 ñ now out on CD on Black Lion BLCD760215 ñ March 1974). His pianist ñ Hod OíBrien ñ had come into some money, and opened a club on the corner where 7th Avenue South used to be and Leroy Street. It was a very difficult year with disasters such as a water level that rose to one meter during a flood ñ not so good for the piano. But for a period of six months Hod, Beaver Harris and myself formed the house rhythm section for the soloists we hiredñ not such a normal set-up for the New York club scene then. Or now. Zoot Sims, Al Cohn, Charlie Rouse, Pepper Adams, Chet Baker and Bob Mover played with us two days a week ñ in other words Downtown. At weekends they played Uptown with their own group.

"A year later (July 12-13, 1975) "Confirmation" was recorded with Sheila (East Wind EW 8024) in the Vanguard Studios on 23rd Street, where Joe Lovano lives these days. It was a nice big studio and the sound engineer was David Baker, who is now doing the engineering for these Jazzíhalo Music Days recordings. Beaver Harris was the drummer."

SHEPP

"I didnít work with Shepp for so long, but we recorded a lot relatively speaking. Jimmy Garrison was really sick, so Beaver Harris suggested me as a stand-in to Archie. He invited the then Shepp backing to the ëSt. James Infirmaryí ñ Hodís club. And the summer of 1975 was immediately a ëboomí for me: it was as if I had stepped out of obscurity. I flew with Archie to Europe ñ straight to Montreux, where we recorded two records for Arista, which was really a big jazz label then, simply titled "Montreux One" and "Montreux Two" (July 18, 1978) (Arista AL-1029/Black Lion 741027CD ñ vol. 1 / Arista AL-1034 ñ vol. 2).

At the time the band included trombonist Charles Greenlee, pianist Dave Burrell, myself and drummer Beaver Harris. Michael Cuscuna had also flown over as producer. That summer I spent a month or so with Shepp. We also recorded "A Sea of Faces" in Milan (August 4-5 ñ Black Saint BSR0002), but I also had a number of gigs with Roswell Rudd and the same rhythm section and then we did "That Laren-Middelheim thing" (with Rudd as well as Sheila Jordan) in August.

"Shepp was very popular in France and when we returned we recorded during the Massy festival (Uniteledis UNI22975YX2 ñ October 24, 1975) with the Montreux line-up.

"We went back in January í76 ñ they flew us all over France ñ all the big cities. But we also did Germany: we recorded "Steam" in Nuremberg (May 14, 1976) with Shepp and Beaver in a trio setting. It was a festival with musicians from Eastern Europe too (the East-West Festival) (Enja CD 2076), and a month later we were in Oslo with the Norwegian singer Karin Krog (Compendium/Meantime MR3 ñ June 23, 1976). I play on just one piece with the Norwegian bassist Arild Andersen.

"In the summer Shepp came trotting along with a three-month Euro-Rail Pass for each of us. Now, that was a bit much, Shepp didnít have so much more work for us, but he thought that we could fill in our free time travelling around Europe. But I had a family to feed, and I could hardly spend my cents on unnecessary hotel bills. And that was when I met Blakey."

ART AND BACK TO ARCHIE

"Blakey had had to leave his rhythm duo behind in London. Pianist Mickey Tucker and bassist Chris Amberger were arrested (incorrectly, it turned out) for possession of cocaine. It was the band with Bill Hardman and Dave Schnitter. He signed me for the rest of the tour plus a Dutch pianist. He had wanted to have me before: I heard about you ñ I want you in the band."

After a month they had to go to New York for a festival, returning immediately: Perugia, Nice, Ö Cameron stayed with Art.

"In the beginning I was eating brown rice, at the end I was drinking cognac and eating steak. I stayed with the band six months ñ also back in the USA: a week in Chicago, a week in Detroit, a week in Montreal, five weeks in Japan ñ even in New York there was no time for the family. After that half year non-stop I was completely washed out, and I left Blakey at the end of 1976."

The Doublet Jazz History, a record including versions of "Come Sunday" and "My Favorite Things", was made just before this.

"That was a funny story ñ I have millions of themÖ There was always a quarrel between Bill (Herdman) and Mickey (Tucker) on the one hand, and Blakey on the other. We were on tour in Japan and we made this recording with Mickey and a Japanese drummer (Toshio Oshumi). Mickey was so mad with Art that he wanted to leave the group. So, Blakey wakes up in the morning and finds a letter: ëIím leaving, Bu.í Bu(haina) couldnít believe it. That evening we had to play the most important concert of the whole tour, but Mickey really had gone. There was no pianist that evening ñ Blakey was furious. ëDonít no one monkey stop no show!í (Cameron roars with laughter). And he played as if there was a pianist ñ he didnít change the song arrangements whatsoever. For the last three concerts of the tour we had a Japanese pianist. Then I called Shepp and he had another tour arranged for January 1977. So I went along, and I stayed with him till the beginning of 1976."

In October he made three records with Shepp in a week: October 12 ñ "The Tradition" with Clifford Jarvis (Rome) ñ Horo HDP 13/14 ñ LP; October 18 ñ "Parisian Concert 1/2" with Siegfried Kessler ñ Sun SR114 & SR117, and on October 19 "Touch of the Blues" with singer Joe Lee Wilson and Kessler (Paris) ñ Fluid 102.

Earlier that year there was also the "Rising Sun Collection" (RSC 0005) including Charlie Persip on drums, and others (April 12, 1977).

JUST KEEP ON TOURING

In the summer of í78 there is another tour, this time with Terumasa Hino. Matthias Winckelmann (Enja) made two recordings ñ under Mal Waldronís name and with Hino and Steve Lacy ñ "Moods" (enja ENJ3021) (May 6, 1978) ñ and with Bob Degen and the Hinoís (Terumasa and his brother Motohiko on drums) ñ "Children of the Night" (enja ENJ3027) (May 16, 1978). Hino was also with Cameron back in New York, and with others, including Lew Soloff, Gary Valente, Ricky Ford and Marty Ehrlich on George Russellís "New York Big Band" recording (Soul Note SN 1039 ñ August 16, 1978). He also made "The Last Mingus Band" with Ford (Timeless).

"In 1979 I made the big summer tour with Beaver. First there was a memorial concert for Lennie Tristano, where I worked with Sheila and Harold Danko. And then Beaver. With Grachan Moncur III, Ken McIntyre, Beaver and myself. We made five records in a few days ñ one was never released. There was "Live at Nyon" (Cadence CJR 1002 ñ June 14, 1979), two for Red Records ("360 Aeutopia" ñ with Massimo Urbani ñ Red VPA-148 ñ June 20, 1979) and "Safe" (Red VPA-151 ñ June 22, 1979) and one more for Soul Note, "Beautiful Africa" (Soul Note SN1002 ñ June 23/25, 1979), canned in Milan, as with the Red LPís. The pianist on the first two is the not so well known Ron Burton.

"In his 360 Degrees Experience, Beaver also used Don Pullen. Pullen wanted to play more freely and Beaver liked that too. Since I had gained experience and practiced a lot with both of them, a new opportunity fell out of the sky. Pullen got a phone call from Vim Vickt (Wim Wigt Ö) to set up a quartet with George Adams. Dannie Richmond was the drummer, but there wasnít a bassist straight off. A recommendation from Don sorted out the problem Ö I thought it was for a tour but it turned out to be a very intense project, which would last almost ten years."

ADAMS ñ PULLEN

Adams-Pullen-Brown-Richmond ñ that was a success formula. During this decade, Cameron Brown is often surrounded by ex-members of the group of the now deceased Charlie Mingus (see above).

They did not make recordings for Timeless straight away, but the first clues to their existence were put down in Milan for the labels Palcoscenico ("Funk" ñ November 2, 1979 ñ PAL 15002 and "More Funk" ñ November 3, 1979 ñ PAL 15003) and Soul Note (November 2/3, 1979 ñ "Donít Lose Control" ñ SN1004). Another stay in Italy led to his meeting with Larry Nocella.

"Larry was a very good Italian saxophonist, a very sad fellow with his addiction problem, but a very fine saxophonist. Red Records wanted Dannieís rhythm section in order to make a recording with him. It took place in a church. It was very cold and damp, a very strange affair. I was sitting there with the pianist Bob Nelome next to Dannie ñ I thought the title was entirely appropriate: "Everything Happens To Me" (Red VPA-167 ñ November 1980)."

In the meantime, Wim has "turned it over" and works for both the quarter (*) and with the Dannie Richmond quintet (**) (with Brown ñ bass, Jack Walrath ñ trumpet, Ricky Ford ñ saxophones and Bob Nelome ñ piano). This resulted in the following sessions:

3/5.8.1980 * Earth Beams ñ Timeless SJP 147

18.8.1980 ** Plays Charlie Mingus ñ Timeless SJP 148

24.9.1980 ** Dannie Richmond Quintet (Gatemouth 1004)

5/6.4.1981 * Life Line ñ Timeless SJP 154

23.5.1981 * Jack Walrath ñ Revenge Of The Fat People (Stash ST221 IMS)

28.3.1983 * City Gates ñ Timeless SJP 181

30.5.1983 ** Dyonisus (Red VPA 161)

19.8.1983 * Live at the Village Vanguard (Soul Note SN1084: vol. 1 & 121144-2: vol. 2)

2/3.2.1984 * Decisions ñ Timeless SPJ 205

4/5.4.1985 * Live at Montmartre ñ Timeless SJP 210 (with John Scofield)

Labels other than Timeless are listed between brackets. There are two sessions with Cameron Brown that stand alone: with the Charlie Persip Super Band from 1980 (Stash ST221 IMS with Bob Stewart on tuba, the young Gary Smulyan and Mingus-people Jack Walrath and Bill Saxton). The pianist Michael Cochrane plays on the Jack Walrath record ñ recently to be heard on "Cutting Edge", a SteepleChase CD (SCCD 31430) under his own name. The day after Dyonisus (May 31/June 1, 1983), Cameron played on a session with vocalist Lisa Rich (Discovery DS908).

The George Adams-Don Pullen combination carried on with Blue Note with "Breakthrough" (April 30, 1986 ñ BN 46314) and "Song Everlasting" (April 21, 1987 ñ BN 46907). There are two numbers from each LP/CD on the recent compilation "The Best of Don Pullen" (BN 23513).

"Everything went well with the quartet until Dannieís death (March 15, 1988), even though there were differences of opinion between Don and George, and Don would have preferred to go and do something else. Another problem was that we had not recorded so much on Blue Note, and the label, partly because of the success of the CD, had restarted its jazz production and its re-releases. We fell between the devil and the deep blue sea ñ there was more of us on other labels ñ and we were getting hardly any promotion, especially not in Europe. It was frustrating being unable to find our recordings anywhere when on tour in Europe. It was insane and so disappointing.

"We still had a heck of a lot of bookings, including an extensive festival tour in Europe and the Mount Fuji festival in Japan in August 1988 and 1989. We trusted Dannieís place to Lewis Nash. George started to record for the Something Else label ñ the Japanese equivalent of Blue Note. Don Pullen made a trio record with Gary Peacock and Tony Williams with the label. Then Dewey Redman called."

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DEWEY REDMAN

"Iíve now been in Deweyís band for about eight years. It started in the spring of 1988 with a really hectic tour ñ Geri Allen and drummer Eddie Moore were the other two members. We made a recording in the autumn of that year ("Living On The Edge" ñ NYC, September 13/14, 1989 ñ Soul Note 120123-2).

"Dewey? Heís a marvelous and supportive bandleader. He never forces you to do anything, or how long you have to play, he encourages you and selects the musicians that fit him perfectly. That has had some brilliant results, as you can hear on the recordings from Ronnie Scottís Club from early October 1996 for a small American label Palmetto, with Rita Marcotulli and Matt Wilson.

That was a few months before Ronnie gave up over Christmas. The CD has now been released under the title "In London" (Palmetto PM-2030). We can probably best characterize Redman with a soul-searching verse he wrote in 1974 that you can also find in the CD booklet:

MUSIC the most elegant of travelers

living in living

spanning infinite reincarnations ñ

pacifying agnostic and pious alike

MUSIC mastermaker of the body ñ intimate

with the soul ñ laying to shame

all explanations

MUSIC true God of the universe?

Cam and Dewey Redman were reunited under the name of drummer Ed Blackwell ("Walls-Bridges" ñ February 27, 1992 ñ Black Saint 120153) and they also played on "Choices" later that year with Deweyís son Joshua Redman and Leon Parker ñ a combination that existed for more than a year (July 28/30, 1992 ñ enja cd 7073-2).

"Michael Boolan is a hell of a guitar player. Together with Dewey and drummer Skip Hadden we cut "Reverance" on September 22nd and 23rd ñ the latter being Traneís birthday (enja ENJ 8096-2 ñ 1994)."

Cameron attaches less importance to his summery recording that same year withÖ Christmas songs (Christmas with Houston Person). He can be heard on 6 numbers with pianist Benny Green, guitarist Melvin Sparks and drummer Winand Harper in the rhythm section (July 29, 1994).
But as a lustrum in time to just before Christmas 1989.

POPKIN, BONAFEDE AND BELGIUM

Cameron Brownís interest for a more cerebral approach to jazz led him to Lennie Tristano and brought him to the Connie Crothers-Lenny Popkin quartet with daughter Carol Tristano on the drums with albums such as "Love Energy" (April 14/21, 1988 ñ New Artists NA 1005 CD), "In Motion" (November 23/25, 1989 ñ NA 1013 CD ñ recorded in Belgium, partly in De Werf), one with the then BRTN broadcasting company, "New York Night" (December 4, 1989 ñ NA 1008 CD ñ just after in the Blue Note in New York) and, more than three years later, "Jazz Spring" (March 26, 1993 ñ NA 1017 CD), CDís with booklets bulging with a complete lack of information.

Meanwhile Sal Bonafede had appeared on the scene.

"Sal is one of my favorite musicians in the whole world. I made that recording with him and with Joe Lovano and Adam Nussbaum. It was recorded on Broadway, between 19th and 20th Streets." ("Actor Actress" ñ Ken Music 660 56004).

It is strange that a number of tracks were given the name of a musician: "Motian", "Joe Lovano", "Paul Bley", "Mel Lewis", Ö

"He simply gave the names of those people to his own compositions. I think that he is a phenomenal composer ñ in a whole variety of musical styles. I would jump at the chance to work with him again, but he moved back to Palermo two or three years ago. But luckily he is still part of the international scene ñ he was on the European summer tour (1997) with Joe Lovano when we did Sinatra. (But not on the CD "Celebrating Sinatra" ñ Blue Note 37718, which was recorded a year earlier, July 2/3, 1996).

Then Tonesetters-vkh brought Cameron Brown to Belgium for the recording of the CD "Spring Cleaning" (TS002 ñ May 19/20, 1992) along with Steve Houben, John Ruocco and Chris Joris, who were already on "Songs for Mbizo" (TS001). A promotional tour was set up with Isbin, John and Chris, which, among other things, led to Chris Joris hiring Cam for his new CD "Bihogo" with Pierre VaÔana and a number of guests including the British trombonist Annie Whitehead (November 24, 1992 / 20/21/31 July 1993 ñ TS006). In between times, they made the recordings for "Dance or Die" by Nathalie Loriers with Jeroen Van Herzeele and Rick Hollander (June 1993 ñ Igloo IGL-105).

"Then I made that record with Steve (Slagle) for SteepleChase in October 1994 (SCCD-1367)."

In Denmark?

"No, not at all. That bloke ñ Nils Winther (boss of the Danish label) ñ comes to New York twice a year and then records material for 10 to 20 records.

Just like Gerry Teekens for his Criss Cross label. He is always there around Christmas time.

"They do very quick sessions ñ itís not the best artistic conditions. You play and Nils thinks itís OK. If you then suggest doing another take, Nils asks: ëWhy? Letís go ñ this is OK, good enough.í It is best for him if you immediately start on the next theme. He works in the way that is most economical for him."

Sales are not exactly tremendous.

"Perhaps not ñ in the beginning it was different. I remember that duo recording with the bassists Sam Jones and Niels-Henning ÿrsted Pedersen on SteepleChase. Now, as far as the record with Steve is concerned ñ he was an old friend. If you live in New York for thirty years then you already know quite a few people and you have played with practically all the musicians. So Steve called me and brought along Kenny Drew Jr. and Jeff Hirshfield.

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THE COMPOSER, THE BANDLEADER

On November 9, 1997, a visibly pleased Cameron Brown prepares for that eveningís concert, as part of the Jazzíhalo Music Days. Sheila Jordan, Leon Parker, trumpeter Dave Ballou (born April 22, 1963 ñ one week before Coltrane recorded "After The Rain" and other tracks for Impulse). Ballou is the least famous musician in the line-up, but he would turn out to be a great surprise! A less pleasant surprise was Dewey pulling out, just a day after playing with them in Gouvy.

Sheila Jordan pops in arrange some new dates. The highpoint of the Music Days is still to come: the first concert of the last evening, her duo with Cameron (November 11)

"I havenít done much composing. Everything is on these CDís."

The titles of some of Cameronís compositions are: "For Dad and Dannie", "Babies, Children", "Rileyís Bounce" and "Lullabye for George, Don and Dannie". The first CD will be released in the autumn.

"I hope to do something about this, but my wife and I have two children ñ aged 11 and 7 ñ and we teach them at home. When Iím not on tour, I also want to take on my responsibilities. That means that I am very busy and donít get round to composing. When I do have a free moment, I prefer to relax, read something, cut loose.

"In 1988 both my father and Dannie Richmond passed on. I wrote "For Dad and Dannie" for them, but I was never happy with it, even though I have regularly rewritten it over the last ten years. Until this summer (1997), when I was at last able to develop my idea properly. I am too much of a perfectionist."

A new challenge awaited Cameron during the Jazzíhalo Music Days. We will sketch the scenario using the titles of the numbers from the final concert with Sheila, just as we started: he grew accustomed to his bass, but now he wanted to know if he was suited to be a bandleader, a role that Jos Demol had deliberately set aside for him. Instead of being "Good Morning Heartache" it was "Better Than Anything".

CONTACT: e-mail: cambirddiz@aol.com

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