Kenny Burrell toured Japan in 1976 with an excellent pickup band comprised of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano, Isao Suzuki on contrabass, and Donald Bailey, who was a resident of Japan at the time. I saw them in Hiroshima with a girl I liked. Kenny had just released "Sky Street," and the quartet opened the show with the album's centerpiece, a Jerome Richardson composition titled '3000 Miles From Home." Bailey played this lovely, loping backbeat tune with bells attached to his sticks, and his performance was riveting. The girl quietly took my hand before the end of the song. That was 49 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday.
I very much appreciate “a dream hiding in the everyday.” And so much else about this thoughtful appraisal. You may be aware, but another young musician who benefited directly from Bailey’s time in the Bay Area was Vijay Iyer.
Funny to see that George Braith album get mentioned! At SIM in 2019, Gerald Cleaver had us listen to the 13-minute cut "Braith-A-Way", talking about the magic Bailey was creating throughout it. He talked a lot about Bailey, and also how coming up in Detroit (and probably other US cities) there was a real tradition of the connection between organists and drummers, interesting to think of Bailey's origins in that way.
You got it Erez, that's exactly the lines I was thinking along-- Bailey and George Braith to the organ/drums connection, to Gerald Cleaver and SIM. Thanks for reading!
Thanks for this great piece, Vinnie. Your love of drums and drummers comes across in every piece you write, like your great remembrance of Anthony Pinciotti (who appears posthumously on the new Spike Wilner CD I just got in the mail last week) and this one. Mike Clark talks about Donald Bailey in his upcoming memoirs, which I helped write. Stay tuned for that!
I was fortunate to play with Donald “Duck” Bailey in San Francisco from ~ 2009-2011 at a few different low key venues. Everyone called him Duck. He played mostly chromatic harmonic, others in the group told me he wasn’t physically up for playing much drums those days. He SMOKED on harmonica playing very complex bebop lines and taking it out. He told me he learned to play chromatic harp on the bus when he was touring with Jimmy Smith doing 300+ gigs a year. He did play drums at one gig and I was barely able to play it was so deep. He had a saying that he would say all the time that I’m sure he would say to you, Vinny: “keep on swingin!”
Back in 2007 in a conversation I was having with Joey Baron after a promotion I was involved with in Leeds U.K., Donald Bailey’s name came up. I was thrilled to learn of JB’s enthusiasm for a drummer whose idiosyncratic playing had always fascinated me but was also someone on whom there appeared to be not much information and who I knew little about. It was fascinating to hear JB’s anecdotes about his encounters with the drummer, including the side-hustle Bailey apparently had involving his own brand of perfume!
Thank you so much for this. There always seems to be more about Philadelphia's musicial history. The story when I was coming up was that Edger was the first to break up the triplet figures between the kick and snare against the ride.
Kenny Burrell toured Japan in 1976 with an excellent pickup band comprised of Tsuyoshi Yamamoto on piano, Isao Suzuki on contrabass, and Donald Bailey, who was a resident of Japan at the time. I saw them in Hiroshima with a girl I liked. Kenny had just released "Sky Street," and the quartet opened the show with the album's centerpiece, a Jerome Richardson composition titled '3000 Miles From Home." Bailey played this lovely, loping backbeat tune with bells attached to his sticks, and his performance was riveting. The girl quietly took my hand before the end of the song. That was 49 years ago, but I remember it like yesterday.
Best story ever. These are the things human care about, everything else is arranged in order of descending importance. Thank you Mark!
I very much appreciate “a dream hiding in the everyday.” And so much else about this thoughtful appraisal. You may be aware, but another young musician who benefited directly from Bailey’s time in the Bay Area was Vijay Iyer.
Right! Great reminder Nate; I had heard that Mr. Iyer was a Bailey acolyte— I think it’s in your book! Thanks for reading, and all you do!
Funny to see that George Braith album get mentioned! At SIM in 2019, Gerald Cleaver had us listen to the 13-minute cut "Braith-A-Way", talking about the magic Bailey was creating throughout it. He talked a lot about Bailey, and also how coming up in Detroit (and probably other US cities) there was a real tradition of the connection between organists and drummers, interesting to think of Bailey's origins in that way.
You got it Erez, that's exactly the lines I was thinking along-- Bailey and George Braith to the organ/drums connection, to Gerald Cleaver and SIM. Thanks for reading!
This CD's 2nd disc has Donald Bailey & Larry together with Johnny Coles (also from Philly)
https://www.discogs.com/release/12887829-Frank-Wess-Johnny-Coles-Two-At-The-Top
Larry was only 21 years old :)
Thank you Phil! I’ll track it down. Got a nice video of Larry and Donald cued up for Part Two
Far out. Didn't know he was in the Bay Area or at Stanford Jazz Workshop. Somebody should do a post about all the heavies who retired to the Bay Area!
Yeah Jacob! Thanks for reading! Why don’t you do that one?
Thanks for this great piece, Vinnie. Your love of drums and drummers comes across in every piece you write, like your great remembrance of Anthony Pinciotti (who appears posthumously on the new Spike Wilner CD I just got in the mail last week) and this one. Mike Clark talks about Donald Bailey in his upcoming memoirs, which I helped write. Stay tuned for that!
Thank you Bill! I’ve been reading you for decades— thanks for your hard work and great to hear from you.
I was fortunate to play with Donald “Duck” Bailey in San Francisco from ~ 2009-2011 at a few different low key venues. Everyone called him Duck. He played mostly chromatic harmonic, others in the group told me he wasn’t physically up for playing much drums those days. He SMOKED on harmonica playing very complex bebop lines and taking it out. He told me he learned to play chromatic harp on the bus when he was touring with Jimmy Smith doing 300+ gigs a year. He did play drums at one gig and I was barely able to play it was so deep. He had a saying that he would say all the time that I’m sure he would say to you, Vinny: “keep on swingin!”
Beautiful memories Joel, thanks for sharing them with us! This is what it’s all about…
I would love to hear the Trane/Smith bootleg! Was there supposed to be a link?
Just realized you were talking about Trane/Bailey, not Trane/Smith w/Bailey
Thanks for reading Robert..
Right! Its on Ethan’s page, linked in the second paragraph…
Wonderful history lesson! I learned so much- thank you Vinnie!
Thank you David!
Back in 2007 in a conversation I was having with Joey Baron after a promotion I was involved with in Leeds U.K., Donald Bailey’s name came up. I was thrilled to learn of JB’s enthusiasm for a drummer whose idiosyncratic playing had always fascinated me but was also someone on whom there appeared to be not much information and who I knew little about. It was fascinating to hear JB’s anecdotes about his encounters with the drummer, including the side-hustle Bailey apparently had involving his own brand of perfume!
Great to hear from you and best wishes…
Incredible! Thanks Bill…perfume?? No end to Bailey’s originality!
Great!
🙏
Thank you so much for this. There always seems to be more about Philadelphia's musicial history. The story when I was coming up was that Edger was the first to break up the triplet figures between the kick and snare against the ride.
Thanks Jim! That’s the most specific info on Bateman yet. There will be an essay on Edgar. The Philly drummers speak of him in hushed tones.