Impulse! Records, the storied label that featured innovative music by John Coltrane, Ray Charles, and other jazz luminaries in the sixties, had been dormant for years. Recently, it was revived, and this week the label released “Viper’s Drag,” an album by the pianist and singer Henry Butler, the trumpeter and arranger Steven Bernstein, and their band, the Hot 9.
The two musicians have a long history. “I first heard Henry in 1984, at the Vancouver Folk Festival playing solo piano and became a fan,” Bernstein said. “In 1996, we were touring with the Kansas City Band, playing the music from Robert Altman’s film ‘Kansas City,’ and, at Hal Willner’s suggestion, we hired Henry for the tour. Henry and I hit it off, and we knew that someday we would work together again.” They did meet up again, at a one-off for the 2011 Lowdown Hudson Blues Festival, and once more, a year later, for a run at the Jazz Standard. They started working on the material on “Viper’s Drag” during those shows. Early last year, they recorded the album, bringing in the drummer Herlin Riley and the bassist Reginald Veal. “Viper’s Drag” seems to have come about quite recently, but the genesis of their collaboration is much older. “A few months ago, I found a bulletin board from sixteen years back,” Bernstein said. “There was an index card with the idea for a Jelly Roll Morton project with Henry Butler. So this has been a while in the making.”
“Viper’s Drag” is full of Jelly Roll Morton and Fats Waller tunes, but the approach is all twenty-first century. “We were inventing a new sound using all of our influences,” Bernstein said. “Jelly Roll, Sun Ra, Sly Stone, Louis Armstrong, Jack Nitzsche, Allen Toussaint, Fats Waller, Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus, James Booker, Charles Stepney—that’s my short list.”
The album is a fitting addition to the Impulse! catalogue, which was known for its avant-garde offerings. “The label has a rich history of innovation, which is the jazz tradition,” Bernstein added. “The blues has always been part of that, whether it’s the blues of Coltrane’s ‘Africa,’ Ray Charles, Roswell Rudd playing ‘We Shall Overcome,’ or Clark Terry playing ‘In a Mist.’ For my heart and ears, this is humanity at its finest.”
Butler, Bernstein, and their band are at the Cutting Room tonight to celebrate the release of “Viper’s Drag.” Here are Bernstein’s favorite Impulse! tracks from over the years. “It would be easy to pick ten pieces by Coltrane,” he said, “but I decided to choose one piece by ten different artists.”
John Coltrane, “Africa” (from “Africa Brass”). I’ve always loved this from the first time I heard it … a beautiful melody, and Coltrane’s “cry” is in full effect.… Everyone in the quartet gets a piece, and the orchestrations are wild.
Gil Evans, “Where Flamingos Fly” (from “Out of the Cool”). It’s hard to pick one song from this amazing album … but speaking of “cry,” Jimmy Knepper’s playing on this is heartbreaking, and, of course, Gil’s writing is sublime.
Charlie Haden, “We Shall Overcome” (from “Liberation Orchestra”). This performance changed my life.… I heard this when I was sixteen and Roswell Rudd’s sound went deep. Roswell became a good friend, and when I was stuck on the out chorus of my arrangement of “Wolverine Blues” for Butler/Bernstein, I spoke to Roswell and he helped illuminate the melodic path.
Charles Mingus, “Black Saint and the Sinner Lady.” I didn’t hear this until the late nineties, and it changed the way I heard everything. Mingus’s orchestration on this inspired the instrumentation for the Millennial Territory Orchestra … both the size of the band and Jerome Richardson’s baritone-sax/soprano-sax doubling.
Yusef Lateef, “See-See Rider” (from “Live at Pep’s”). Another song from my youth.… Yusef playing the blues on the oboe, with Richard (Notes) Williams and James Black. This was a staple on KJAZ when I was growing up in Berkeley. Yusef is a huge inspiration for me sonically and soulfully.
Archie Shepp, “Mama Too Tight” (from “Mama Too Tight”). Talk about my youth… For my bar mitzvah, a very hip temple member and family friend named Larry Levine gave me a three-L.P. set called “Impulse Energy Essentials.” Berkeley was like that. This track was on it, and it always pulled my ears. Archie’s arrangement is so human, really beyond notes in the greatest way, and the song and performance just grooves so hard.
Cecil Taylor, “Pots” (from “Gil Evans Into the Hot”). While on the subject of Archie Shepp and human-sounding arrangements, Cecil’s horn arrangement on this composition is pure magic, and the Ellington influence is in full effect … a golden combination of mysticism and science.
Clark Terry, “In a Mist” (from “The Happy Horns of Clark Terry”). Speaking of Ellington, this L.P. features the great Ben Webster. This performance almost seems through-composed, and it’s so beautiful to hear Clark’s unique interpretation of this iconic Bix Beiderbecke composition.… Truly timeless. For those who don’t know, Clark Terry is the greatest brass player on the planet, and we all bow down to him.
Oliver Nelson, “Teenie’s Blues” (from “Blues and the Abstract Truth”). Talking about iconic … Freddie Hubbard, Eric Dolphy, Bill Evans, Paul Chambers, and Roy Haynes.… This is another record I’ve been listening to for close to forty years, every song/arrangement/performance is sublime. Bob Thiele was a champion of the great Oliver Nelson, and I’ve always loved the sweet-and-sour orchestration on this piece. For the record, Oliver’s arrangements on a later Bob Thiele record had a big influence on my writing for the Hot 9.
Ray Charles, “I’ve Got News For You” (from “Genius + Soul = Jazz”). What can I say, America is a beautiful place when you listen to all this incredible music.
