Take a gloomy night in May 1981, plus a room not meant for recording, plus a piano destined for the "keyboard cemetery", plus a sound engineer unfamiliar with the finer aspects of recording and add to this three talented jazz artists playing original material and you have a strange concoction indeed. If sound quality is all you want in a jazz recordings, please DO NOT listen to this album. But, if you are a curious adventurous soul willing to look and listen past the technical imperfections of the recorded production on the underlying artistic talent and unique content of these improvised vehicles patterned after '50s-'60s "classic" jazz genre, then this is for you to review and hopefully enjoy!!
The Bob Szajner Triad II The Lost Tapes
Label: RMS007 Records, 2008 (1980) Catalogue No: CD07TA8104 Format: CD with 6-Page Booklet in slim jewel box
Audio Clips / Musical Downloads:
Tracks:
Unreal McCoy 5:49
Nice "N" Elzy 6:38
Class Conscious 5:07
Just a Touch Up 5:42
Green Bananas 4:49
Pause for Hawes 8:35
For Evans Sake 7:03
The Next Time 6:11
All music by Bob Szajner
Performed by:
Bob Szajner - piano Ed Pickens - bass Frank Isola - drums
Recorded:
May 1981 at the Detroit Jazz Center, Detroit, MI
THUMBNAIL BIOGRAPHICAL SKETCH BOB SZAJNER
Everyone has a story to tell, here is mine, hopefully interesting to the reader.
Born on September 12, 1938, I grew up listening to many talented relatives playing various instruments. My mother taught me the basics of music and how to play piano at a very early age. In 1948, (or there about), I won first prize in the "Frankie Carle Piano Contest". This entitled me to one weeks performance at the Fox Theater in Detroit. I was one of the opening acts on the bill (a vaudeville theme) for Billie Holiday along with a comedian and an acrobatic duo. I enjoyed listening to the style of music and accompaniment for her. This was the beginning of my quest for my own personal style.
Ten years later (or there about), for at least ten years, I started writing and performing "Modern Jazz" later known as Bebop and then later as Hard Bop. I performed with many musicians from the "Detroit Jazz" scene at various sessions, venues and jazz clubs throughout the Detroit Metropolitan Area. I worked with Donald Byrd, Charlie McPherson, Lonnie Hillyer, Roy Brooks, Yuseff Lateef, Pepper Adams, Frank Isola and others as a backup piano player.
For the next ten years, I wrote some tunes, but really became quite dismayed and disappointed with the business of music, especially, the lack of audience. Then on October 8, 1978 (my 18th wedding anniversary), I recorded an album with my old school friend, drummer Roy Brooks and his bassman Ray McKinney. "The Bob Szajner Triad" was a three record set of my original compositions. A twenty-seven tune recording session performing original music never played before or rehearsed, with no second takes. This was the "Triad" concept. This lead to performances at "The Cafe Detroit", "The Detroit Jazz Center" and the "Montreux Detroit Jazz Festival 1981". "The lost tapes" CD07TA8104 and "center\\\cuts" CD07TA8106, on RMS007 Records were recorded in 1981 at "The Detroit Jazz Center".
They are released twenty-six years later as my historical tribute to my former musician friends.
About:
Take a gloomy night in May 1981, plus a room not meant for recording, plus a piano destined for the "keyboard cemetery", plus a sound engineer unfamiliar with the finer aspects of recording and add to this three talented jazz artists playing original material and you have a strange concoction indeed. If sound quality is all you want in a jazz recordings, please DO NOT listen to this album. But, if you are a curious adventurous soul willing to look and listen past the technical imperfections of the recorded production on the underlying artistic talent and unique content of these improvised vehicles patterned after '50s-'60s "classic" jazz genre, then this is for you to review and hopefully enjoy!!
Review:
Recorded in 1981, this disc is a behind the scenes recording session: raw and real. (Veronica Timpanelli)
