DownBeat August 20, 1970 [antikvár]

August 20, 1970 LOUIS NIGHT SPARKS SUCCESSFUL NEWPORT The 17th Annual Newport Jazz Festival, threatened by an unfavorable weather prognosis and the hangover from last year's rock debacle, emerged under relatively clear skies, and the forecast for the future Don Byas: Outstanding of the daddy of all jazz festivals is bright. The attendance of 38,000, if not striking, was very good considering the change of date (held from July 10-12, this was the first Newport not taking place on the 4th of July weekend) and the dropping of the traditional Thursday night evening and Friday afternoon shows. Unquestionably, the highlight of the festival was the Friday night tribute to Louis Armstrong. The ever-threatening rain did not materialize until the very end, when a brief but torrential downpour sent amazingly few of the 7,500 in attendance scurrying for the exits. But by then, the warm vibrations from the stage had turned the program into a love-in for Satchmo, as great a night as we can recall in 14 years of attending Newport. Among the stars that shone brightly were Mahalia Jackson, the Eureka Brass Band and Preservation Hall Jazz Band from New Orleans, tributing trumpeters Bobby Hackett, Dizzy Gillespie, Joe Newman, Ray Nance, Jimmy Owens and Wild Bill Davison, each of whom had something warm and special to say and play, and of course, the celebrant himself, who was genuinely moved by it all, and in turn moved all the movers. A detailed review of all the festival happenings will appear in our next issue. For now, let us note that Tina Turner, Dizzy, and Roberta Flack were among those who broke it up, while expatriate tenor giants Don Byas and Dexter Gordon though neither was playing under optimum circumstance and Ray Nance and Jean-Luc Ponty provided, aside from the Louis Night, some of the prime musical moments of the weekend. Producer George Weln announced that next year's festival will again be a four-nighter held on the customary July 4 dates, adding that he personally would have liked to see some rock representation this year. This was made impossible by a Newport City Council edict issued in 1969, but this year's smooth sailing (though at least 15% of the audience was visually indistinguishable from last year's crowd) may have cleared the way for a return of at least moderate ecumenicism. As it was, the 1970 Newport menu included blues, rb, gospel, soul and rock-jazz in liberal doses. But it was the New Orleans electricity that gave jazz at Newport the needed creative spark to continue a grand tradition. Morgenstern KENNEDY CENTER PICKS JAZZ ADVISORY PANEL Cannonball Adderley, Clark Terry, John Lewis, David Baker, along with producer Topper Carew, critic Stanley Dance, jazz-man-turned-sociologist Julian Euell, and Voice of America senior producer Tahir Sur, have been selected as members of the Jazz Advisory Panel for the John F. Kennedy Center for the Performing Arts. In addition. Voice of America's Willis Conover will serve as a consultant for the Center's jazz programs. In making the announcements, George London, artistic administrator for the Kennedy Center, said: "Representing both the local and national scene, the panel will advise the Trustees on all aspects of jazz programming with emphasis not only on artistic policy but also on the development of programs that will stimulate the support of a broad spectrum of the national population." Currently under construction, the Kennedy Center will house, in a single structure, a concert hall (where most jazz programs will be presented), an opera house, the Eisenhower Theatre for drama, and a film theatre. The opening is planned for September, 1971. BOCK LEAVES LIBERTY TO FORM OWN COMPANY World Pacific Records has been phased out by its parent company, Liberty/UA, Inc. Former general manager of World Pacific, Dick Bock, will return to independent production with his newly formed Aura Productions in Hollywood. Bock will continue to produce some of the World Pacific artists for another Liberty division. Pacific Jazz. Among them are: The Buddy Rich Orchestra, Ravi Shankar, Ernie Watts, Craig Hundley, George Duke, Jean-Luc Ponty and Groove Holmes. "The rest of the artists," according to Bock, "will either go to other labels and make deals for themselves, or else Liberty will make decisions about their futures." Bock has influenced a number of futures himself since he created the Pacific Jazz label in 1952. He recorded the first Wes Montgomery sides (when Wes was with his brothers Monk and Buddy in a group called the Mastersounds); he introduced on record the Don Ellis Orchestra the original Gerry Mulligan-Chet Baker Quartet, the Bud Shank-Laurindo Almeida Quartet (which added fuel to the controversy over who introduced bossa nova to the United States), the Chico Hamilton Quartet, Les McCann's trio, the Jazz Crusaders, the Gerald Wilson Orchestra, trumpeter Bobby Bryant, and jazz prodigy Craig Hundley. In 1965, Bock sold his Pacific Jazz label to Liberty and became general manager of Pacific Jazz, World Pacific division. His five-year contract expired this summer, coinciding with a corporate decision to "alter the division concept." As Bock told down bcal: "I'm looking forward to 'indie' production. I'll be a lot freer, and I'll have no administrative headaches." FINAL BAR Bassist John Lathan, 52, died July 12 in New York City of a stroke. Best known for his work with James Moody's fine little band of the early '50s, Lathan was born in Cleveland, Ohio. Feb. 8, 1918, and was with the Gay Crosse band in that city at the same time as John Coltrane. He was discovered by Moody on 52nd St. in New York. Bad news doesn't always travel fast.