[Dixielandjazz] Rudd and Richards

[Ed Danielson]

Steve Barbone asks:
Who remembers Roswell Rudd?

I had a copy of  “Eli’s Chosen Six” many years ago – it was on Golden Crest, 
the same label that recorded Doc Souchon.  It was a very good band.

In 2003, Rudd put out an album on Sunnyside – “Malicool” – featuring his 
trombone accompanied by West African musicians playing traditional African 
instruments – the kora, the balofone, and the ngone, said to be a prototype 
of the banjo.  The timbre was interesting for a while, but it ultimately 
became reminiscent of Emil Richards’ Microtonal Blues Band.

Does anyone else remember Richards’ album from 1968 called “Journey to 
Bliss” on Impulse?  (The band’s second album, “Spirit of 1976,” wasn’t 
nearly as good.)  Richards – a Connecticut native, like Rudd – played with 
Stan Kenton in his neophonic orchestra, and worked at one time or another 
with Bobby Hackett, George Shearing, the Beach Boys, Don Ellis, Frank 
Sinatra, George Harrison and Frank Zappa – and hundreds of others.  Side one 
of “Journey to Bliss” is very interesting – unusual time signatures and 
instrumentation, odd (to western ears) timbres, but the music is very 
melodic and it actually swings.  (Side two has a very long, very 
stoned-sounding poetic tribute to the Maharishi Mahesh Yogi and is entirely 
forgettable.)

Richards is still active – he plays on a Queen Latifah album (!) issued just 
last month.  His website is http://www.emilrichards.com/home.html .  He 
still cites Lionel Hampton as his main influence.

Ed Danielson

_________________________________________________________________
Express yourself instantly with MSN Messenger! Download today - it's FREE! 
http://messenger.msn.click-url.com/go/onm00200471ave/direct/01/