The recordings sessions for Bennie Maupin’s new CD on Cryptogramophone are over, and I must say they have been some of the most inspiring experiences of my life. What an honor to be in the presence of such great musicians, and such inspired music-making.
As things started to wind down, everyone relaxed a bit, and began to let their guards down. When I mentioned to Bennie that Sunday would be John Coltrane’s birthday (which he knew of course), he started opening up and sharing some stories I had never heard before. For instance, he used to jam frequently at a home in Detroit where Coltrane would also jam whenever he was in town. Bennie met and played with Coltrane many times in this way, and each time he felt he learned something, and came away with a new way of looking at music.
Bennie also said that he had gone to high school with Alice Coltrane (then Alice McCloud), and that she had been one of his primary music teachers. Bennie says that he feels the influence and presence of John Coltrane every time he picks up the saxophone, and that it was no coincidence that these recording sessions were scheduled around Coltrane’s birthday.
While the influence of Coltrane is undeniable, Maupin is probably more closely identified with Eric Dolphy, as the most accomplished living exponent of the bass clarinet. Bennie told me this week about an upcoming project for ECM that will be a tribute to Dolphy on what would have been his 80th birthday. That project will also include James Newton, Billy Hart, Darek Oles, and Jay Hoggard.
Our own recording sessions ended on an inspiring note, with a piece called “The Spirits of Tatras,” which featured Bennie’s Polish Quartet and singer Hania Chowaniec-Rybka. I’m hoping that this piece will end the CD, as it trails off with some beautiful breathy overtones on the alto flute. After that piece was finished, we all shared a glass of wine and toasted each other, while Bennie expressed his gratitude to the musicians and the production staff for what he called, “a very important musical experience.”
Thanks to everyone who has followed these blog posts. Thanks also to everyone at Sound and More recording studio in Warsaw. It has been a great honor to have been associated with this project. I have come away full of inspiration, and respect for all of these musicians, and especially for one of the living masters of creative improvised music, Mr. Bennie Maupin. –Jeff Gauthier
