Underground Composer Meets King of Vanity Press

This is a survivor from my 2nd record collection - one of the 20 or so I grabbed to take with me when I moved to Brooklyn from Selden. Most of the others had water/mildew damage (half of the ones I salvaged had to come sans jackets). This was perhaps the only one I chose not for sentimental or musical reasons, but for it's possible value: on the back is an autograph by the composer.

I picked this up before I was 20, and did not have an ear for modern composition. I was also presumptuous and narrow-minded, and thought this must have belonged to the composer himself (or his most devoted fan)... since there was all this extra typewritten material inside with press reviews of the album. I was not the pointiest sharpie in the pencil cup back then. All I needed to do was read the autograph.

"To Ed Uhlan - maybe he'll publish me some day?! All my best wishes, Richard Yardumian Dec '66"

While perusing through my modest vinyl collection the other day - I thought I'd give Mr. Yardumian another go, since my tastes and understanding have come a ways in the last 10 years. When I absorbed the autograph, and considered the 11 pages of press and analysis, I became a little alarmed. Had I intercepted this attempt by the composer to get his music to the masses? No - the date clears me of that crime. Also, if Yardumian had any knowledge of what type of publisher Uhlan was, then he might have saved  the press material for a better occasion.

Just who was Ed Uhlan? I had to find out! A quick google revealed him to be owner of Exposition Press, one of the 4 largest vanity publishers in the world. (In case you didn't know - vanity publishers print your book at your expense, and in most cases - that's about it. It seems that Uhlan went the extra mile and promoted it, and also printed it up to industry standards, and put effort into the design and craft). For a classical composer with 13 children, this was no contact at all - but more of a stinging letdown.

Nonetheless - the autograph (I still have no concept of it's value - although the album itself is going for a saucy $60 on ebay) introduced me to a couple of intriguing characters in the arts...and in Uhlan's case - a fascinating life story.

He grew up in Hell's Kitchen, the son of Ukrainian immigrants, becoming a bookbinder. His boss and job went under during the Great Depression. An industrious youth, Uhlan took the knowledge he picked up at the publisher's and went to the NYC Public Library. He found 600 poets who had recently been published and got their addresses. He then contacted them asking if they wanted to be a part of an anthology he was publishing. Inclusion meant they had to purchase a copy at $3. For $5.50 they could get 2 copies and their name on the cover in gold. This brilliance and intrepidity paid off - the poets were very happy with the book, and 6 years later Uhlan had 6 companies running. Pretty cool.

Yardumian, a much mellower man of Armenian descent, was fairly popular for a time, and received much support from Eugene Ormandy. He seems to have slipped into relative obscurity, his music being somewhere between Schoenberg, Bloch and Stravinsky - and at times, very unique. Luckily - I have some fine press material to help us out!

"Yardumian uses a 12-tone idiom that he has created for himself. The system permeates all aspects of his music, so that the result is personal, stylistically unified and formally sturdy. Although there are dissonances in the writing, there is a modal base that gives it a sense of tonality and keeps it free from extreme contemporaneity." - New York Times

That is a very astute summation of his sound. I kind of like it, but I can see where others more entrenched in classical aesthetics would not like it's rhapsodic, neo-romantic aspects. Snobs. lol  His music is more often than not God-centered, not always a popular stance in the 20th century highbrow circles. Yardumian later became involved with and composed for a branch of Christianity which adds (and insists upon) a 3rd testament. I doubt this helped him make headway in popularity (even with me). Still, the critics were raving about this particular album. The Music Journal goes as far to say he "may be the new Bach". Wow. Well, that didn't happen (yet, anyway) but it sure looks nice in your press kit!

There are 2 albums available for download at Amazon, most of his vinyl will fetch a fairly steep sum. Here is an excerpt from my copy of the 1st Symphony. According to Yardumian, the work is inspired by Noah and the Flood, and describes "travails experienced by everyone at some time or other" and that the story of the flood is "something in which we are all involved".

As far as the larger-than-life Ed Uhlan goes, there's plenty on the internet about him. Here is an extremely fascinating interview . He's quite a character and it's very fun reading. - KM

Drugstore Soul-Jazz

Pickwick SPC-3290
(1971)

(extracted and updated from an older, deleted blog...)

As a youngster with an insatiable appetite for music and usually less than $5 in his pocket - Woolworths, local drugstores and a store called Masters (now Modells) were indispensable and invaluable destinations. I beefed up my classical collection with Masters' sizable selection of Nonesuch cutouts. On rare occasions they'd have a big washing machine box filled with 45's for 10 cents each.

If I had to guess I'd say this one came from Nichol's Drugstore in Selden (now a hero joint). I'm not sure who dropped the $2.99 - my brother, me or my mom. Either way it became 'mine'. (This is not my original copy, tho' - see this post for explanation.)

Pickwick records made their living putting out knock-offs like "Shaft", and by picking up unwanted budget releases/artists from other labels. The silver label usually meant you were in for iffy performances, a low count on actual audio time, poor vinyl quality, an off center pressing etc.; this album being a major exception in the performance department. I had a collection peppered with Pickwick releases. Here's the pickwick wiki (fun to say!) and here's another site about them - although it's been "under construction" for months (or maybe years); there are links to Pickwick subsidiaries which are very interesting reads if you're into such things.

Haha love the movie mockup artwork by Ken Beckles!

After comparing track by track Mr. Hayes' version with Soul Mann and the Brothers - I'm of the opinion that the Pickwick release is rawer (in part due to a slightly pared down instrumentation), looser and funkier.  There is no banter in the title track. Soul Mann is actually Sy Mann*, and "the brothers" were mostly a bunch of white dudes, including Will Lee on bass. The musicianship is outstanding; track lengths and tempos vary from the Bar-Kays performances, always for the better.

I won't often be posting audio files from other artists - but since this is so tasty (and out of print) here's Bumpy's Blues with a sly flugelhorn solo by one of my favs Lew Soloff. Just so nice! - KM


* - the last sentence on the spaceagepop page about only 2 tracks being from Isaac Hayes' soundtrack is untrue - all of the tracks are from the movie. I've notified the editor.

Limited Edition CD being released! Pre-orders only!

There's a new cd coming out! It's a limited edition (pressing of 500) ep with 6 new tracks. It's a fairly long ep, timing in around 37 minutes, and it's packed with awesome performances by lineups from the last 2 albums (including Shenole Latimer) and one new lineup with Nathan Peck and Chris Higginbottom. In addition the tracks are mixed by grammy-nominated engineer Dan Grigsby. I got the masters back today from Chris Bauer in Germany and they sound great! Because it's a limited pressing and most of them are going out to radio stations (no critics this time :p) it's only going to be for sale for a short time, pre-orders only!! Whatever is left over, if any, will be sold at shows. So if you want a copy - as Charlie Parker said - "Now's the Time". $6.99 does it! Thank you for your support! - KM

The Jazz People of Ormond Beach

I love this new gig at La Crepe en Haut in Ormond Beach. We've been playing there since November, but just took over the 1st Friday spot last month. There's a lot to love - grand piano, plush vibe, friendly staff, delicious food etc. Tina the owner is exceptionally cool and is always going out of her way to make us relaxed and comfortable.

KMT @ La Crepe en Haut 2-18-11 photo by Gloria Mariash

What's really been a blast are the people listening. Ormond Beach seems to have a lot of folks just "passin' through". It was a smaller, intimate crowd last night, but in that select number was a self-taught piano enthusiast from Youngstown OH; a man from Mississipi (forgot the town) who promptly instructed me on where the blues is really from and why, accompanied by his lady friend from Buffalo NY; 2 local psychologists, one who just happens to be a jazz pianist from Philly, and a sweetheart of a guy. I didn't get to everyone, but I'm sure they were interesting.

I tend to give everything of myself on every gig. I'm useless mentally (and otherwise) the day after. I also have mush for brains in between sets. Mixed with my relatively new habit of chatting up the patrons, it makes for some interesting moments. :)

Last night we played some resurrected numbers composed over a decade ago - "Could You Imagine" (formerly called "Nikki", you can hear a recording of it here) and "Moved" - the nascent jazz effort from our  first NYC recording session; (a tune that will appear in a new version on the next release). Both came off without a hitch, thanks to drummer Scott - who drives 90 miles to play this gig, and John on bass - who was nursing a bad cold but played his backside off anyhow.

Scott's wife Gloria shot some good video of us at La Crepe back in February, playing a slinky version of "Chinny Chin Chin". I'll post it soon! Looking forward to the next time. Peace & Love - Kenny

the attraction of oddball cd packaging

As I write this - I'm listening to one of the most annoying cd's ever made. It's an album of bombastic music by Handel, performed by Anthony Newman and the New York Trumpet Ensemble. That is to say, there are 5 trumpets, 2 drummers/timpanists and a pipe organ playing, very loudly. It's called "The Heroick Mr. Handel" and if it sounds like a sonic nightmare to you, it is; although I'm sure there are those that think it's the cat's pajamas, and a handful who include it on their desert island list. That's the nature of music.

There is only one reason I even own this disc: it is an MMG/Vox Prima CD-Wallet. It's all about the packaging. At the relative beginning of the life of cds, the budget classical label began issuing these predecessors to the digipack; handsomely designed cardboard cases that opened up twice into a large parallelogram, not quite the size of a 10" album jacket, where there hid 4 squares of text and pictures; with 2 pockets, one of which held the cd. The cd itself was wrapped in a soft felt envelope.

There was immediately something fantastically alluring and special about these cd-wallets to me. I was working at Record World at the time, and knew every inch of the classical section. Back then I was all about sacred choral music. When I saw blue-ish cardboard in the Schubert section with the words "Mass No. 6 in Eb" my eyes came out of their sockets in the shape of hearts like they do in cartoons. It no longer mattered that that awful Love and Rockets cd was blasting again. (That was then - I'd probably be prone to liking them now). The Mass turned out to be really good, and a love affair was born. I didn't buy any more - that one was special enough.

Over the last few years, however, when it's become clear that cds on smaller labels and in unusual pressings or packaging are about to become things of the past, my fascination with them has escalated. I scored big last year with a 'lot' of cd-wallets on ebay - I payed something like $10 for five of them. The artwork is often exquisite - although the artist is not credited on the jacket. The music is what I've come to expect from Vox, older, modestly good-sounding recordings that tend to be mastered hot, with performances that have a lot of heart. The Handel disc is an exception - it's awfulness was recorded in 1985 specifically for cd-wallet release, and the artwork is ghastly. But it's still in that cool packaging, so I love it.

So I don't really care for or about Beethoven's Creatures of Prometheus. So I didn't need a third version of the Peer Gynt suites. I'm a weirdo and I love having them. Sometimes the little stupid things really do make you a little bit happier.

When I'm not hunting more of these down, I'll be trying to find some of those cds from Joel Dorn's 32 Jazz label. You know, the ones in the funky black plastic and paper jewel cases? - KM

Three Record Collections

I've always had obsessive tendencies when it comes to audio mediums. When very young I collected anything and everything available I could get my little paws on. At around age 10, on one self-realizing day, I tired of the poor quality of both the music I'd amassed and it's physical condition. I marched all items (about 150 albums and 200 singles) a few houses away and threw them down into the storm drain; to the bewilderment of a few neighbors, and the consternation and (understandable) silent anger of my father who'd gone to good lengths to help me collect them. I was making a statement to myself - I wouldn't settle for crap anymore.

About 20 years later I had to abandon my 2nd collection (about 300 albums) when I moved from Selden to Brooklyn. CDs were the new medium of choice, and most of my vinyl (stored in the basement) had fallen victim to moisture and mold damage (along with a Rhodes Mark I). I took a handful of token representatives (including Lene Lovich's "New Toy" and Missing Persons "Give" 12 inch single), and a few I couldn't do without including 3 albums given to me as a birthday gift from a music teacher - music that opened up new worlds to me. Also rescued were a few that couldn't be replaced, like Walter Murphy's "Rhapsody in Blue" - an incredible melding of expert playing, fine arrangements/composing and rampant (charming?) 1970's cheesiness; and "Song of Joy" by Captain and Tennille - an album from which I learned so much about arranging, pop sensibilities and keyboard playing.

You couldn't have told me back then that in 10 more years, cds themselves would be endangered. Record stores like Tower, Virgin and Borders were like fortresses you could always run to any late night you were feeling musically anemic. No more. An obsessive music collector takes no real pleasure in albums and singles which can't be held in the hand or viewed away from a digital screen (although some might be amused or amazed at the structure and sub-structures of the mp3 collection in my desktop). I watch stunned as the price of items I once had all the time in the world to pick up skyrocket to unattainable and unwarranted heights. There's also this feeling of angst in knowing there might soon be a time when physical production will cease entirely. Book lovers I know express similar apprehensions.

There are, for now, up sides. Music that was simply a legend on someone's lips is now available for, pardon the pun, a song. "Out-of-print" could feasibly become an antiquated word, as (what's left of) record companies can rake in the smallest of profits from an obscure low-seller simply by hosting a 100 mb file on Amazon's ginormous servers. Musicians like myself can release online-only material and still get radio play and new online friends and fans.

But, based on personal sentiments, I don't believe collectors will ever be satisfied with anything less than a huge pile of plastic, or cardboard with plastic in it, taking up more room then we have, reminding us of all the hours of pleasure we've taken in - with them or because of them; gazing at the artwork, pouring over the liner notes printed in the tiniest of fonts. I like to consider myself someone with 'forever eyes' - trying to think more of the next world than this, but when it comes to music I'm a ridiculous hoarder - and there always seems to be that "right" album for the "right" moment or mood. My solution and my suggestion to all of this? Keep art alive - buy a new cd, or for some of you - a book. - KM

new pics and new support page

A bunch of new pictures have been added to the inventively named Pictures page, from our recent gig in Jacksonville's European Street Café Listening Room. Some very nice shots from Killer Photography's Cameron Kline. There's also an abundance of fine looking video from this gig shot by Scott's wife Gloria that needs to be edited - soon! Also up are some studio shots from the album cover session taken by Frank Cooper, including a few not used.

Also up is a new fan support page. We are hopping aboard the fan-funding train in hopes of meeting some objectives: namely professionally remastering the tracks from KMT II and releasing it worldwide, as well as getting some new material recorded with the Florida trio. If you are interested in helping us - please visit the page - there are 4 different ways of support to choose from!

Last night we performed at La Crepe en Haut in Ormond Beach. Scott was late so Marc Koblick joined us on trumpet and flugelhorn (and what he jokingly refers to as his 'main instrument' - the cabasa). In case you didn't know - I'm madly in love with the flugelhorn, so I was in musical hog heaven. When Scott arrived we were a very cool sounding quartet! My night was capped off with a delicious lite salad, and some seriously tasty bread with olive oil. C'est magnifique! Oh and Gloria also shot footage of this gig! Can't wait to show you. Thanks for stopping by! Lord bless - KM