July 2009

Being torn between disciplines and an acceptable place which to call home, Marzette Watts, for all intents and purposes, has become a lost figure in the early free jazz scene coalescing in and around New York during the ‘60s. Barely recording as a sideman and even more infrequently as a leader, Watts often devoted huge amounts of time to his painting, which like his music is not only scarce, but apparently an acquired taste. Fed up with his lack of recognition on the art scene, Watts actually destroyed a great deal of his work – with only a sparse number of canvases being saved as a result of being stored at a girlfriend’s parent’s home.

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Splitting time between working with Herbie Mann and recording under his own name, self taught vibes-man Dave Pike has remained a relative unknown in the world of jazz – there are of course the voracious soul jazz collectors who are more than familiar with him, but not too many folks outside of that register his existence. During the ‘60s and into the ‘70s as jazz took on an ever expansive aural palette, Pike was there along with ever other player that could and or should be considered influential. He even claims to be the first vibes player to mic his instrument. And while that remains difficult to substantiate, Pikes’ performances are undeniable proof of his creativity.

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Gabor Szabo – regardless of his unfortunate lack of commercial success – is really a story about music and the possibilities that America can hold. Being born in a problematic time in Hungry, Szabor left Budapest after spending about 20 years there – 6 of them performing at dinner clubs and the like. As he made his way to California, no doubt drawn there by ‘60s idealism, he probably was unaware of what the future held for him. And while he doggedly stuck to those idealistic notions that brought him to the State’s West Coast, the guitarist would basically watch all of that melt away as he continually strove for acceptance in the jazz community.

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Harold Land’s family moved around a bit when he was a kid, eventually winding up in San Diego. While not known as a bastion of jazz, during the ‘40s Land picked up a saxophone and was soon working locally around his hometown. He would eventually tour with an RnB band, as sax players were wont to do at the time – Ornette Coleman for example. But after that brief foray into more hard edged territory, Land relocated to Los Angeles. By this date, that Southern California destination, while still tied to cool styles, had a burgeoning bop and post-bop scene going on, regardless of how long Miles saw fit to hang around town.

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