Dazzling Coe-Horler version of 'Night and Day' ups the anticipation level still further ahead of Dancing in the Dark

As previously reported exclusively in these pages Dancing in the Dark by a giant of jazz clarinet Tony Coe in duo with pianist John Horler on a live recording dating back to a church location in the Cumbrian town of Appleby in 2007 is to be …

Published: 14 Jul 2021. Updated: 2 years.

As previously reported exclusively in these pages Dancing in the Dark by a giant of jazz clarinet Tony Coe in duo with pianist John Horler on a live recording dating back to a church location in the Cumbrian town of Appleby in 2007 is to be released this summer. The duo's immaculate version of 'Night and Day' is now streaming. A clarinet-piano jazz duo for the ages. If you are an Artie Shaw fan, and who isn't if deep into jazz clarinet and the song, then this is a must but and yet what Coe does is radically different without reinventing the wheel even bearing in mind that his and Horler's version is not orthodox swing like Shaw's and yet like Shaw Coe injects personality and huge character while Horler with no orchestra in sight is oblique and thoughtful in all the right places.

The Andy Cleyndert-produced album includes a treatment of Bill Evans' 'Re:Person I Knew'. Coe recorded the piece on his classic late-1980s album Canterbury Song with pianist Horace Parlan, bassist Jimmy Woode and drummer Idris Muhammed. Cole Porter's 'Night and Day', Horler's 'Piece for Poppy', which was streaming first ahead of the Gearbox album's 13 August release, and Coe's 'Autumn Leaves' contrafact (a new melody composed to the standard's chords) called 'Some Other Autumn' are among the tracks.

The title track is the Howard Dietz and Arthur Schwartz classic 1930s song 'Dancing in the Dark' first recorded by Jacques Renard and his Orchestra and covered by many down the years including famously Frank Sinatra on Come Dance With Me (1959). Horler has released a version of 'Piece for Poppy' with guitarist Phil Lee on the Hi-Hat Records album Unity. Coe and Horler have worked together extensively over the years. Final word on 'Night and Day'

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Bassist Juini Booth known for his work with the Sun Ra Arkestra, McCoy Tyner and Gary Bartz has died

A long time Sun Ra Arkestra bassist Juini Booth has died. He was 73. No cause of death is known. Tributes online include this from guitarist Kurt Ronsenwinkel: ''We hung out a lot in NY and Berlin. He was such [a] cool dude and a great musician, …

Published: 14 Jul 2021. Updated: 2 years.

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A long time Sun Ra Arkestra bassist Juini Booth has died. He was 73. No cause of death is known. Tributes online include this from guitarist Kurt Ronsenwinkel: ''We hung out a lot in NY and Berlin. He was such [a] cool dude and a great musician, his spirit was so positive and full of love and grace. I always felt grateful to know him and will carry his smile within my heart.''

Spike Wilner of Smalls writes evocatively on Facebook that ''The news about bassist Juini Booth passing… kind of took the wind out of my sails. I've known Juini since I was a young man and he was always very kind to me. I remember the first time I'd ever even heard of Juini Booth was when I was 18 years old and knew the McCoy Tyner Live at Montreux with Juini Booth on bass. He gets a long and rhapsodic bass solo interlude between McCoy's expansive compositions. Playing with a beautiful tone and soulful melody - it's one of those solos that has stayed inside me all my musical life. The first time I met him on the streets of the East Village, at some session in some dive bar, I couldn't believe I was meeting him. I sang his solo for him note for note. He looked pleased and smiled. From that time we were always friends and he always called me "Michael" rather than my more familiar nickname, Spike. As I developed over the years we were friendly and did play together on occasion. When I took over Smalls I began to book his groups through the years. He always had a friendly and affectionate "hello, Michael", whenever I saw him. More recently I saw him during the blur that was COVID. He came by the club when New York was deserted and offered words of encouragement. His peaceful and gentle demeanor and slender frame - with beboppers heart and the soul of the warrior musician. I will miss this person and another window in the rapidly fading old New York.''

Booth's early career work included with Chuck Mangione in the mid-1960s and later Art Blakey, Freddie Hubbard, Gary Bartz, Tony Williams' Lifetime, McCoy Tyner and touring in Japan with Masabumi Kikuchi.