The colorful preservationist label Yazoo Records founded by Nick Perls in the mid 1960’s featured vintage blues, early jazz, country and other rural genres. Rounder records, as previously profiled in our pages took the ball and ran with it as well. Here are samples from three giants of stringed instrument traditions.
The legendary Hawaiian player Gabby Pahinui
poet William Notter
“Wyoming Highways
by William Notter
Most of the traffic is pickup trucks
caked in bentonite from the methane roads,
or one-ton flatbeds with dually axles
and blue heelers balancing on the back.
But the blacktop slicing through rabbit brush flats
and weather the color of heated steel is perfect
for opening up a highway-geared American car
from the days of cubic inches and metal.
You could wind that Detroit iron up
to a sweet spot well above the posted limit,
where torque will casually pull the grades.
The car would rock on the springs, and growl
from deep in the carburetor throat
yanked wide open, gobbling down pure light.
”
Mexican American guitarist Lydia Mendoza
“Gato Barbieri
Sam Rivers Trio
Keith Jarrett Quartet
U Mass Amherst
November 11, 1973
Sam Rivers Gato Barbieri Keith Jarrett
In the early 70’s, Impulse records packaged tours of its’ artists and brought them to colleges and concert halls. From October 21st through November 16th of 1973 Jarrett’s quartet performed as the opener for Gato Barbieri at Carnegie Hall, Detroit, Bowdoin, Symphony Hall, Yale, U Mass Amherst and the Kennedy Center.
I was midway among the near full house when Keith walked on stage, played a few notes and said something like: “This is not a piano. No classical pianist would play it.” And then he walked off stage. I understand that drummer Paul Motian and bassist Charlie Haden went and dragged him back - grumbling. Saxophonist Dewey Redman did not leave the stage.
Despite the sub par piano, the quartet that had been together for the better part of two years performed to a very receptive and appreciative audience. Fortunately it wasn’t a solo performance, as Keith most likely would not have played.
Sam Rivers, as recounted by those that knew him, was a very nice gentleman. He was always gracious with his time and constantly working on his craft. His trio of Cecil McBee on bass and Norman Connors on drums was exemplary. Sam, as always, played an assortment of instruments, but mainly tenor saxophone and flute. Rick Lopez has just finished an almost 800 page volume documenting every session that Sam Rivers took part in. http://www.bb10k.com/RIVERS.disc.html
I have no idea of the musicians that played with Gato Barbieri. His recordings from 1973 feature a large ensemble of Latin players and my guess is that a scaled down version was on this tour. Gato’s tenor saxophone playing was incredible.
Sadly, both Sam Rivers (2011) and Gato Barbieri (2016) passed away from pneumonia. Keith Jarrett suffered two strokes in 2018 and has been paralyzed and unable to play since.
These artists created many wonderful recordings. Some of my favorites:
Jarrett – Facing You, Belonging
Barbieri – Confluence, The Third World
Rivers – Streams, Crystals
”
Art which adorns the 13th Floor Elevators first record. It is among the most distinguished covers of the 1960’s psych o delic era.
Mr. Erickson
