Thursday, May 27, 2004  

Dave Brubeck Quartet, "Take Five"
from Time Out (Columbia, 1959)
Val Bennett, "The Russians Are Coming"
from Trojan Instrumentals Box Set (Trojan, 1999; rec. 1968)
Jacob Miller, "Standing Firm"
from Meets the Fatman Riddim Section (Lagoon, 1995; rec. 1978)

Jazz gone JA, day four.

I know very little about saxophonist Lovall "Val" Bennett. I think he was leading an R&B/jazz band in the 1950s, was in Prince Buster's house band in the early '60s and later was a member of the Harry J All-Stars, who did the killer instrumental "Liquidator." Like many talented, jazz-trained Jamaican musicians, Val made his living in the recording studios once ska and reggae took off, and he does a nice rock-steady version of "Take Five," the Paul Desmond compostition that the Dave Brubeck Quartet made famous. I dunno why he or producer Bunny Lee called it "The Russians Are Coming" other than to avoid royalties. My man.

Maybe I'll find out more about Val when I see the Skatalites on Sun. May 30 at the Knitting Factory in NYC. One of Val's drummers, perhaps in the late 1950s, was Skatalites stick-man Lloyd Knibb---the man who perfected the ska beat and who introduced that ratta-tat-tat riff on a disengaged snare drum (to mimic timbales) that you still hear at the start of, oh, every reggae song ever. He's one bad muthashutyomouth of a drummer.

That man up there, Jacob Miller, is the voice of a pre-Cops & "Bad Boys" Inner Circle. Miller was in that great scene in Rockers where the wedding band is sweating it out in front of disinterested wedding guests; rastas ina marriage-day Babylon. Sadly, the big man died in a car accident in 1980, just as Inner Circle was preparing to tour with Bob Marley. You don't hear "Take Five" in "Standing Firm" at first because it starts with the chorus, but the melody clicks in on the verse.

There are at least 10 other tunes based on the "Take Five" riddim. I think Paul Desmond is smiling.

Trojan Instrumentals box set at Ernie B's. Fatman Riddim Section is out of print. Brubeck---anywhere.

WizzNutzz would be proud:
How much do I love the Pistons & Rasheed Wallace? Last night I was wearing my Washington Bullets Sheed jersey over my Detroit Pistons T-shirt. Worked like a mofo, boss.

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