"First Take" was one of 10 records Ron Carter singled out in 2016 when I asked him to choose his most memorable sessions. Here's what he said about it in the interview that ran in the Detroit Free Press.
Carter: She got discovered by Les McCann in Washington D.C., and they decided to make this record. As I got the story later, her working trio came to New York and they spent a couple of days trying to make this record. For whatever reasons, it didn't work out, so I got a call to come by and do this record with a young singer named Roberta Flack playing with this New York band. Ray Lucas on drums — an incredible drummer — Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and some wonderful arrangements. That record put her on the map.
Stryker: Who came up with the bass line on "Compared to What"?
Carter: That was her idea, and it was my job to make it work. The bass lines were some of her choices and some of my choices. She's also a wonderful piano player. When singers ask how to get better I say listen to singers who play piano — Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn, Roberta Flack, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie.
Eugene McDaniels is such an interesting figure. In the early sixties, as Gene McDaniels, he was a singer in style of Brook Benton, Jerry Butler (RIP), etc. and then did a huge 180. His follow-up to Outlaw, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse, is a funky, dark masterpiece with, among others, Miroslav Vitous and Alophose Mouzon.
I found Gene because I am a Bacharacholic. I admit this to my higher power do not try to fight this condition.
Gene's "Another Tear Falls" is a particular favorite, and the fact that he mimed it in a beautifully photographed scene from the film "It's Trad, Dad!" is icing on the cake.
well I dunno, BUT the Billy Hart memoir is coming out in July. I'm very proud of it, it is quite technical and musically detailed (compared to most jazz memoirs). Thank you~
This has been a special late night album for me since I first heard it in the mid-70s. The laid back vibe and the intimacy of her vocals grip me still after all these years. While she continued to create great music, this album remains the most special, imo.
Thanks for all this! And as I commented today on Nate Chinen’s post (and if you’re not already hip to it), Roberta’s 1994 “Roberta” album has 3 standards (isn’t it romantic, angel eyes, and tenderly) recorded with the rhythm section of Ben Riley, Ray Drummond, and Kenny, and they’re marvelous.
Love this record. To my ears Ron is doing an acoustic version of James Jamerson who is doing an electric version of Ray Brown.
Also there's a parallel with Roberta covering Leonard Cohen and "Odetta Sings Dylan" from 1965. The producers having the soulful black singer cover the young trendy white songwriter. Interesting marketing tactic (and great musical results).
Reading all these comments makes me feel like a musical ignoramus. Why? Because I didn't know much about Roberta Flack besides the big hits. Then I heard "I Told Jesus" during a moving moment of the TV show The Americans and looked up who it was. That sent me off on a deep dive appreciation of Ms. Flack. I am forever grateful to the music supervisor of that show.
Thanks for another great and insightful post. And William Fischer was all over the shop back in the day - I believe he conducted the strings on McCoy's "Fly Like the Wind" on Milestone.
It's also great to read nice comments about drummer Ray Lucas, a mainstay of King Curtis' group in the 1960s. Drummer Jim Payne interviewed him and wrote the only profile in Modern Drumming magazine, July 2012. Unfortunately Ray passed away a few years ago (before the pandemic), almost unnoticed except for a brief mention by Payne.
Here are comments about Ray Lucas from Bernard Purdie & Chuck Rainey:
Well I don't know, but I feel like we have lived through a few cycles of political art that were entirely ineffectual. Almost every artist had their anti-Trump thing. They tried, and the Trumpians didn't care, and they still don't care. Sad to say.
Interestingly, the co-composer of Ms. Flack's hit Killing Me Softly is Charles Fox who had a long career as a composer for film, tv and generally anything requiring music. His memoir, Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music is a fascinating survey of his career, including the most detailed account of his study with Nadia Boulanger that I've seen.
"First Take" was one of 10 records Ron Carter singled out in 2016 when I asked him to choose his most memorable sessions. Here's what he said about it in the interview that ran in the Detroit Free Press.
Carter: She got discovered by Les McCann in Washington D.C., and they decided to make this record. As I got the story later, her working trio came to New York and they spent a couple of days trying to make this record. For whatever reasons, it didn't work out, so I got a call to come by and do this record with a young singer named Roberta Flack playing with this New York band. Ray Lucas on drums — an incredible drummer — Bucky Pizzarelli on guitar and some wonderful arrangements. That record put her on the map.
Stryker: Who came up with the bass line on "Compared to What"?
Carter: That was her idea, and it was my job to make it work. The bass lines were some of her choices and some of my choices. She's also a wonderful piano player. When singers ask how to get better I say listen to singers who play piano — Carmen McRae, Shirley Horn, Roberta Flack, Sarah Vaughan, Blossom Dearie.
amazing stuff! Thanks Mark!
The recorded bass sound on this is great. Maybe a peak before the 70s started getting worse?
Eugene McDaniels is such an interesting figure. In the early sixties, as Gene McDaniels, he was a singer in style of Brook Benton, Jerry Butler (RIP), etc. and then did a huge 180. His follow-up to Outlaw, Headless Heroes of the Apocalypse, is a funky, dark masterpiece with, among others, Miroslav Vitous and Alophose Mouzon.
Right on
Testify! The man was a veritable Tower of Strength.
I found Gene because I am a Bacharacholic. I admit this to my higher power do not try to fight this condition.
Gene's "Another Tear Falls" is a particular favorite, and the fact that he mimed it in a beautifully photographed scene from the film "It's Trad, Dad!" is icing on the cake.
When will you be writing the definitive jazz book. You’re a genius of information.
well I dunno, BUT the Billy Hart memoir is coming out in July. I'm very proud of it, it is quite technical and musically detailed (compared to most jazz memoirs). Thank you~
This has been a special late night album for me since I first heard it in the mid-70s. The laid back vibe and the intimacy of her vocals grip me still after all these years. While she continued to create great music, this album remains the most special, imo.
Thanks for all this! And as I commented today on Nate Chinen’s post (and if you’re not already hip to it), Roberta’s 1994 “Roberta” album has 3 standards (isn’t it romantic, angel eyes, and tenderly) recorded with the rhythm section of Ben Riley, Ray Drummond, and Kenny, and they’re marvelous.
http://noahjazz.com/top-10-favorite-roberta-flack-tracks/
New to me, thanks!
The 50th Anniversary Deluxe edition has a second disc that is every bit as good as the official release.
I will have to listen!
https://monoskop.org/images/f/f1/125POETRYBOOKINSERT.pdf
7th page of this pdf (page 10 of the journal, Au Contraire) features Caroline Bergvall's poem celebrating "Compared to What" from First Take.
nice find!
Love this record. To my ears Ron is doing an acoustic version of James Jamerson who is doing an electric version of Ray Brown.
Also there's a parallel with Roberta covering Leonard Cohen and "Odetta Sings Dylan" from 1965. The producers having the soulful black singer cover the young trendy white songwriter. Interesting marketing tactic (and great musical results).
Yeah. They are trying to hit almost every market with this eclectic playlist
Spinning this now after not having heard it for a quite a while - Man does RC lay it down on "Compared to What."
Reading all these comments makes me feel like a musical ignoramus. Why? Because I didn't know much about Roberta Flack besides the big hits. Then I heard "I Told Jesus" during a moving moment of the TV show The Americans and looked up who it was. That sent me off on a deep dive appreciation of Ms. Flack. I am forever grateful to the music supervisor of that show.
Thanks for another great and insightful post. And William Fischer was all over the shop back in the day - I believe he conducted the strings on McCoy's "Fly Like the Wind" on Milestone.
if someone here is active on Wikipedia, it would be good to get William S. Fischer's page updated. He passed away on May 22, 2023. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/William_S._Fischer
Bret Sjerven is the world's expert on William S. Fischer, and on this IG post he announced that Mr. Fischer is no longer with us.
https://www.instagram.com/whocanbphresh/p/CtCeUkeJD56/?locale=ko-KR&hl=af
It's also great to read nice comments about drummer Ray Lucas, a mainstay of King Curtis' group in the 1960s. Drummer Jim Payne interviewed him and wrote the only profile in Modern Drumming magazine, July 2012. Unfortunately Ray passed away a few years ago (before the pandemic), almost unnoticed except for a brief mention by Payne.
Here are comments about Ray Lucas from Bernard Purdie & Chuck Rainey:
https://www.moderndrummer.com/2012/05/drumming-legend-ray-lucas/?srsltid=AfmBOoqK3BvbsKPdQVH1lgNx9YFTQmnkcW8yfwt_IUJYuwMwb_Ea7m2_
Oh sorry to hear. The wiki is not updated yet with a death date, I will try to address that myself.
wow, just reading about Fischer, sounds like an amazing figure. And another connection with Walter Sear. Walter Sear was everywhere!
Ethan: The music on this album is powerful but so are the lyrics. In today’s fraught political time, who is singing lyrics with the direct impact of:
The President, he's got his war
Folks don't know just what it's for
Nobody gives us rhyme or reason
Have one doubt, they call it treason
We're chicken-feathers, all without one gut (God damn it)
Tryin' to make it real, compared to what?
I’d value guidance on who are the young artists today bringing that kind of political bravery.
Many thanks.
Well I don't know, but I feel like we have lived through a few cycles of political art that were entirely ineffectual. Almost every artist had their anti-Trump thing. They tried, and the Trumpians didn't care, and they still don't care. Sad to say.
I look forward to seeing you at Regattabar in Cambridge later this month.
Interestingly, the co-composer of Ms. Flack's hit Killing Me Softly is Charles Fox who had a long career as a composer for film, tv and generally anything requiring music. His memoir, Killing Me Softly: My Life in Music is a fascinating survey of his career, including the most detailed account of his study with Nadia Boulanger that I've seen.
and he's still alive and active!