Cedar Walton
Cedar Walton is one of the last great jazz pianists of the hard bop era. His compositions have been recorded by many masters of jazz — past and present — often with Walton providing his lustrous, clear-as-cut-glass piano style.
Moving to New York in the late 1950s, Walton's articulate, sublimely melodic piano playing and intellectually stimulating compositions found their way onto the bandstands and recordings of the top hard boppers of that fevered age. Walton worked with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers (cutting his “Mosaic” and “Ugetsu”), John Coltrane (on his landmark Giant Steps), Joe Henderson (recording Cedar's “Mode for Joe” and “Black”), Freddie Hubbard (“Plexus”), Lee Morgan, Hank Mobley and Dexter Gordon — his work as a session pianist is equally important and voluminous. Walton recorded his Prestige debut, Cedar!, in 1967, followed by a handful of gems (50-plus solo albums in all) including his personal favorites, Composer, Roots, and Piano Solos.
Walton co-led the collective group Eastern Rebellion with drummer Billy Higgins, bassist Sam Jones and tenor saxophonist Clifford Jordan, operating a revolving line-up until their last album, 2003's Eastern Rebellion 2. Most recently, Walton recorded Seasoned Wood, documenting his elegant style for the High Note label. Walton's artistry continues to inspire a younger generation of jazz musicians, including The Blue Note 7 on Mosaic: A Celebration, and trumpeter Roy Hargrove, who recorded Walton's “I'm Not So Sure” as the opening track of his 2008 release, EarFood.
Walton recorded a new album this past May for High Note, tentatively titled Voices Deep Within. eMusic took the opportunity to play him music by some of his peers and various collaborators.
Red Garland “Little Girl Blue”
I know Red. He's the only one who would attempt something that damn slow! You've got to have nerve to do that. I had a friend who saw Red once on the first night of a week-long gig playing his style — those block chords, they sounded dissonant. After two or three nights, they came together. Red was that fearless. He would just go into some shit. It was always a work in progress. But of course, if Red was working like they were with Miles Davis, playing every night, he'd get it together. With Red, his is not a studied, conservatory approach. It's just from him. Only he can even figure out those block chords because he doesn't even know what they are! He doesn't have to know. It reminds you of theatre improvisation. Red's just making up the script. His sound is so distinctive and so personal. Many people were surprised when Miles picked him [to play in his classic 1950s quintet] for Cookin', Relaxin,'Workin' and Milestones — which is a considerable credit to Miles'ability to choose people who fit with him.
Bud Powell worked at a high level of improvisation. His concept was strictly bebop compared to the swing era, which was represented by the likes of Teddy Wilson or Earl Fatha Hines. By the time I came to New York and met Bud in the late '50s he'd had shock treatments, but he could still play his repertoire. That movie, Round Midnight, was based on Bud's life, but the movie people changed it to saxophone [and Dexter Gordon]. Bud, Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie all played bebop, but they didn't develop in the same place. Charlie Parker was brought up in blues bands, but he was ahead of his time. Walter Davis told me that Bud could always play, that he never ran out of ideas, even compared to Charlie Parker.
That is a Bud Powell composition. That could be Barry Harris but I've never heard him play up that high. No, it's gotta be Kenny Barron. Couldn't be Benny Green? Oh, it is! You can't help but like that material, Bud Powell and Benny Green. I like the music ’cause that is the music of my generation, the music that I grew up listening to and enjoying. It's just natural, how can you not like that if you're me? The composition is extraordinary, the bass player sounds extraordinary too. Benny is very skillful. I didn't know that era or recording of his. He just plays so well. He will be joining me for a trip to Japan for a yearly thing we do as part of 100 Golden Fingers. Kenny Barron, Junior Mance, Benny Green, me, it's all pianists.
Salvatore Tranchini “Mode for Joe”
This is one of my compositions, “Mode for Joe,” but who's playing it remains to be seen. I love these musicians though. Everybody sounds great. Don't misquote me. They might not be great. They might have just robbed a bank. But they sound great. But oh man, this is an excellent version of my composition. They are totally professional. Sometimes it's unfortunate if musicians are from Europe, as these are. Only a few musicians from Europe actually squeak through and get recognition. The first that comes to mind is Joe Zawinul, or Dave Holland.
When we recorded this for Blue Note with Joe Henderson, Alfred Lion (Blue Note co-founder) liked it because of what Joe played in between the opening piano chords, those avant garde notes he played in the midst of a not so avant garde piece. “Oh yes, Joe! Yes Joe!” he liked that. I wrote this song specifically for Joe. I might have been influenced by his personality or the way he played his horn. I was constantly trying to develop but I don't think my playing had changed that much. This track was sort of modal, it didn't move around a lot harmonically. That gave me an idea for the title, “Mode for Joe.” I was a pretty good title-er. The first recording I did for Art Blakey they named the album after my song, “Mosaic.” And now there is The Blue Note 7 group, they covered “Mosaic.”
That is very Tatum-esque, and if it's not Tatum it may be Adam Mackowicz. Very few people can come up with the left hand like that. Non-stop wizardry. Tatum has a way of taking chances with the tempo and then resuming, falling right back in. The sheer wizardry of Tatum's approach is mind-boggling to me as a musician. Tatum's style doesn't fit that well with a rhythm section. He just didn't need one. He's so interesting without the bass and drums. Ahmad Jamal, by comparison, totally utilizes the rhythm section. He has a lot of space in his playing. Tatum has no space in his playing. He's percolating, so to speak, throughout the rendition. And still the melody is always right in sight. The only way to follow Tatum is to get as much technique as you can; someone like Oscar Peterson has done some wonderful solo work too. Nothing wrong with Peterson, but Tatum is for me, along with Fats Waller, the god of the piano. Adam Mackowicz plays a lot like Tatum, but I don't know what happened to him.
I've recorded this song three times, once with Art Blakey, then with Freddie Hubbard, and this one. I don't recall consciously trying to redo this newer version in any way. I often find something different to play, but not always. I'm in the company of totally different musicians now. And everybody's got their own bag. But this had a nice swing to it. Though, I didn't particularly like my playing on this one as I did on the previous versions. I sounded better, fresher, I was younger. We recorded this on a super rainy day, a monsoon day at Englewood Cliffs with Rudy Van Gelder.
When I recorded this with Freddie and with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers I was at my writing peak. I wrote “Mosaic” in ten minutes. Ever since I played piano at my parent's house — they wouldn't turn on the heat until we had company — I would just make up stuff. Sometimes it's best if you don't know what you are doing; when I was a kid I didn't even know to put stems on the notes. Then I went to school and learned how to notate. At that time, to take piano lessons meant being influenced and playing classical music, so I was exposed to Beethoven, Wagner, Debussy, Brahms. Playing their music is how you learned to move your fingers. And I was influenced by the music of the 40s: Nat King Cole, Louis Jordan, Woody Herman. Later, when I was playing the circuit, I played at Lil’s in Denver, where Charlie Parker sat in. He played about three songs before he drifted off to sleep. He wasn't up to his peak level on that night; I think he'd consumed a whole bottle of scotch. But he was still so great.
The first player that comes to mind is Bill Evans. But it could be two or three other people. But the style of playing, the chord voicings, the piano touch, it sounds like Bill Evans. He found his own voice. There are a lot of successors to Bill Evans, but not many predecessors. Ahmad Jamal incorporates something similar to this but it's his, it's not Bill Evans. He has many categories he uses, whereas Bill Evans has just the one, but that's enough. He certainly was different, he was original. Evans's touch combined with his harmonic concept and an almost introverted approach as opposed to a more outgoing approach like Tatum or Peterson. He was quiet and introverted.
Eastern Rebellion “Fantasy in D”
Eastern Rebellion was a cooperative band, no leader. Just the like Modern Jazz Quartet. We recorded five albums, but when Bob Berg died, we couldn't find anyone to replace him until Ralph Moore came along. Then he went to LA to play in The Tonight Show Band and we couldn't find anyone who fit in, that is the best way I can describe it, non-musically. But we kept playing trio with Billy Higgins and David Williams.
