Electronic Jazz, Part 2: Gadgets and Modifiers

Episode 14

Electronic Jazz, Part 2: Gadgets and Modifiers

Electrifying the jazz instrument.

 

Playlist:

1. Sonny Stitt, “What’s New” from the album What’s New!!! Varitone tenor saxophone by Selmer. 1966. Players:

• Baritone Saxophone - George Berg
• Bass - George Duvivier, Jan Arnet
• Drums - Walter Perkins
• Guitar - Les Span
• Organ - Ernie Hayes
• Piano - Ellis Larkins
• Saxophone [Varitone] - Sonny Stitt
• Tenor Saxophone - Illinois Jacquet
• Trombone - J.J. Johnson
• Trumpet - Eddie Preston, Joe Wilder
• Vibraphone - Mike Mainieri

2. Buddy Terry, “Electric Soul,” from the album Electric Soul, Varitone tenor sax. 1967. Players:

• Bass - Ron Carter
• Drums - Freddie Waits
• Electric Piano - Harols Maber Jr.
• Flugelhorn - Jimmy Owens
• Tenor Saxophone - Edlin "Buddy" Terry
• Trumpet - Jimmy Owens

3. Clark Terry, “Electric Mumbles” from the album It’s What’s Happening. Varitone trumpet. 1967.

• Bass - George Duvivier
• Drums - Dave Bailey
• Piano - Don Friedman
• Trumpet [Varitone] - Clark Terry

4. The Cannonball Adderly Quintet, “Gumba Gumba” from Accent On Africa, Selmer Varitone saxophone. 1968.

• Alto Varitone saxophone --Cannonball Adderley,
• Cornet --Nat Adderley –
• Drums --Earl Palmer - drums
• Brass, reeds and vocals, piano, harpsichord, guitar, bass-- Uncredited

5. Melvin Jackson, “Funky Skull” from the album Funky Skull. String bass modified with: Maestro G-2 filter box for guitar, Boomerang and Echo-Plex and Ampeg amplifier. 1969.

• Acoustic Bass, Effects – Melvin Jackson
• Alto Saxophone, Bass Saxophone, Flute – Roscoe Mitchell
• Baritone Saxophone – Tobie Wynn
• Drums – Billy Hart, Morris Jennings
• Guitar – Pete Cosey
• Lead Guitar, Rhythm Guitar, Bass [Fender] – Phil Upchurch
• Piano, Organ [Hammond], Effects [Echo Plex] – Jodie Christian
• Tenor Saxophone – James Tatum
• Tenor Saxophone, Flute – Byron Bowie
• Tenor Saxophone, Soloist [Solos] – Bobby Pittman
• Trombone – Steve Galloway
• Trumpet – Donald Towns, Tom Hall
• Trumpet, Flugelhorn – Lester Bowie, Leo Smith
• Vocals – The Sound of Feeling

6. Eddie Harris, “Electric Ballad,” from the album Silver Cycles. Maestro amplifier and Echoplex, 1969.

• Bass – Melvin Jackson
• Drums – Bruno Carr
• Percussion – Marcelino Valdes
• Tenor Sax (Maestro, Echoplex)—Eddie Harris

7. John Klemmer, “Excursion #2” from Blowin’ Gold, 1969, horn effects begin at about 1:11 into the track, probably the Conn-Multivider. Also some interesting effects added on Hey Jude, a excerpt which is also played.

• Bass - Phil Upchurch
• Drums - Morris Jennings
• Guitar - Pete Cosey
• Piano, Organ - Richard Thompson
• Tenor Saxophone, Other [Electronic Horn Effects] - John Klemmer

8. John McLaughlin, “Marbles” from the album Devotion. Echoplex and guitar distortion effects. 1970.

• Bass – Billy Rich
• Drums, Percussion – Buddy Miles
• Organ, Electric Piano – Larry Young
• Guitar – John McLaughlin

9. Miles Davis, “Bitches Brew” (opening) from Bitches Brew. Amplified trumpet with Maestro ring modulator and Echoplex. 1970.

• Bass – Dave Holland
• Bass [Fender] – Harvey Brooks
• Bass Clarinet – Bennie Maupin
• Trumpet[amplified] – Miles Davis
• Drums – Don Alias, Jack DeJohnette, Lenny White
• Electric Guitar – John McLaughlin
• Electric Piano – Chick Corea, Joe Zawinul
• Percussion – Jim Riley
• Soprano Saxophone – Wayne Shorter

10. Miles Davis, “Nem Um Talvez” from the album Live-Evil. Echoplex and percussion. 1971.

• Bass –Ron Carter
• Drums –Jack DeJohnette
• Keyboards –Herbie Hancock, Keith Jarrett
• Saxophone –Steve Grossman
• Trumpet – Miles Davis
• Vocals – Hermeto Pascoal

 

11. Gil Melle, “The Love Song” from the album Waterbirds. Handmade electronic instruments plus echo, fuzz, and other effects. 1970

• Bass [Fender] – Dave Parlato
• Soprano Saxophone, Other [Special Electronic Musical Instruments] – Gil Mellé
• Drums – Fred C. Stofflet
• Electric Piano [Fender] – Pete Robinson
• Guitar – Art Johnson, Joe Cinderella

12. The Fourth Way, “Spacefunk” from the album Werwolf. Fender Rhodes electric piano using an Oberheim ring modulator, Recorded live at the Montreux Jazz Festival, June 19, 1970.

• Drums – Eddie Marshall (2)
• Electric Bass – Ron McClure
• Electric Piano [Fender Rhodes Electric Piano], Effects [Oberheim Ring Modulator] – Mike Nock
• Electric Violin – Michael White

 

13. Don Ellis, “Hey Jude” (opening), from Live at the Fillmore, 4-valve, quarter tone electric trumpet, Echoplex, Conn-Multivider, Oberheim ring modulator– Don Ellis. 1970.

• Bass - Dennis Parker
• Bass Trombone - Don Switzer
• Congas - Lee Pastora
• Drums - Ralph Humphrey
• Guitar - Jay Graydon
• Percussion, Drums - Ron Dunn
• Piano - Tom Garvin
• Saxophone - Fred Selden, John Klemmer, Jon Clarke, Lonnie Shetter, Sam Falzone
• Trombone - Ernie Carlson, Glenn Ferris
• Trombone, Contrabass, Tuba - Doug Bixby
• Trumpet - Glenn Stuart, Jack Coan, John Rosenberg, Stu Blumberg
• Trumpet, Drums - Don Ellis

14. Eddie Harris, Why Don’t You Quit, from the album Eddie Harris ‎– Come On Down! In 1970. Used the Hammond Innovex Condor SSM guitar synthesizer with the tenor saxophone.

• Bass – Donald "Duck" Dunn
• Drums – Tubby Ziegler*
• Guitar – Cornell Dupree (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B3), Jimmy O'Rourke (tracks: A1, A2, B1 to B3), Joseph Diorio* (tracks: A3)
• Organ – Billy Carter
• Piano – Dave Crawford
• Tenor Saxophone [Electric] – Eddie Harris
• Trumpet – Ira Sullivan

 

 

 

The Archive Mix in which I play two additional tracks at the same time to see what happens. Here are two additional tracks of electronic jazz and amplified instruments:

 

1. Moe Koffman, “Funky Monkey” from the album Turned On. Varitone flute and Varitone dual alto saxophones. 1968
2. Miles Davis, “Stuff” (excerpt) from Miles in the Sky, 1968.

• Bass – Ron Carter
• Drums – Tony Williams*
• Piano, Electric Piano – Herbie Hancock
• Tenor Saxophone – Wayne Shorter
• Trumpet – Miles Davis

 

Read my book: Electronic and Experimental Music (sixth edition), by Thom Holmes (Routledge 2020).

 

Also see my paper, Thom Holmes (2018): The Roots of Electronic Jazz, 1950–1970, in  Jazz Perspectives