Customer Reviews

Old Man Time

5 star:		(5)
4 star:		(0)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(0)

 

 

Many may not know the name Milt Hinton, but to jazz afficianados, he is a legend. "The Judge" has played with every major jazz star of his time including Cab Calloway, Dizzy Gillespie, Lionel Hampton, Count Baise, Clark Terry and many, many more. This CD is the ultimate tribute to his seventy-plus years in the music buisness. It was recorded over a years time beginning March 28th of 1989 and ending exactly one year later in 1990. Milt, his lovely wife Mona and producer Hank O'Neal brought together many of the giants of jazz for this project including Lionel Hampton on Vibes; Ralph Sutton, John Bunch, Red Richards and Derek Smith on piano; trumpeters Clark Terry and Doc Cheatham ; Bob Rosengarden and Gus Johnson on drums; vocalists Joe Williams and Cab Calloway as well as other incredible sidemen including Flip Phillips on clarinet, Buddy Tate on tenor sax and Eddie Barefield on alto and tenor sax. This double CD is filled with treats including Milt's signature tune "Old Man Time", classics like "Four or Five Times", "Mama Don't Allow" and and incredible performance featuring Dizzy Gillespie on his and Milt's collaboration "This Time It's Us" The best part of the CD however are the two sections entitled "Jazzspeak" which feature a conversation between Milt, his mentor Cab Calloway, and longtime friends Doc Cheatham and Eddie Barefield as they remenised about their lives as jazz musicians in Cabs band in the 1930's.

This double CD contains over 100 minutes of music and nearly an hour of conversation by these jazz greats as well as exceptional liner notes, tributes and photographs. Several years ago, I had the great fortune to sit down to lunch with Milt and another great bass player, Ray Brown. They argued for several minutes over who the best bass player was. Milt would say "You're better than I am." and Ray Brown would say "No, you're better than me." The argument was settled when they finally agreed that it was Major Holly, who had passed away earlier that year was better than both of them. This story is a tribute to Milt's humility and professionalism. He believes himself truely blessed to have lived the life he has lived. This CD is a tribute to that exceptional life. Milt turns 90 in June of this year. Some of those that performed with him are gone now, but Milt continues to play whenever he is asked. He is an inspiriation to musicians everywhere.

to a universally loved human being and a consummate professional bassist whose career spanned more than seventy years. What I didn't know was his talent as a photographer in taking more than 60,000 photographs documenting his journey.

This double cd is really a collector's item, not because of monetary value, but because of the stories and anecdotes, the musicians who participated, and the music itself. This was recorded at various times in 1989-90 when "The Judge" was 78 or 79 years old............and he hadn't lost anything! He kept the art of slap bass alive and there are a few examples of this on the cd. Milt Hinton has probably appeared on more recordings than any other musician in the world...........everything from Jackie Gleason mood music and polka bands to commercials and to Buck Clayton jam sessions.

The first seven selections have "time" in the title. The first four are in a trio setting with the versatile and elegant Derek Smith on the piano. Bobby Rosengarden on drums, known for his subtlety and restraint, is a natural fit to this group.

The next two selections feature trumpeter Clark Terry, Al Grey on trombone, Flip Phillips on clarinet with Joe Williams doing the vocal on "Four or Five Times".

The late classic jazz pianist Ralph Sutton leads a trio with Milt and Gus Johnson on drums doing "Time On My Hands".

This was my introduction to Danny Barker, the humorous New Orleans jazz guitarist who has played with such well known musicians as Benny Carter, Sidney Bechet, and Cab Calloway. On three selections , he and Milt reminisce and accomplish some fine duo work both instrumentally and vocally. "Mama Don't Allow It" has some more slap bass by Milt.

Dizzy Gillespie is front and center on the next couple of selections along with pianist John Bunch and drummer Jackie Williams. Some great blues are heard on "This Time It's Us".

Milt Hinton was with the Cab Calloway band from 1936 to 1951. They are reunited on "Good Time Charlie" with Calloway, famous for "Minnie The Moocher" back about 1940, or earlier, doing the strong vocals. This cat had to be in his early 80's at the time. Even more amazing is the trumpet playing of Doc Cheatham, age 85. I will consider myself fortunate to be breathing at that age........the trumpet playing is astounding. These guys (The Survivors), minimum age of 75, perform several other tunes arranged and conducted by the famous Buck Clayton.

Can't leave out mentioning the three trio cuts with Milt and the great Lionel Hampton on vibes.

Finally there are two fine "Jazzspeak Sessions" which gives one a real good feel for what it was like back in the early days.

Any jazz fan will certainly enjoy the music and the playing of the musicians appearing in this set. Kudos to the Chiaroscuro label for this timely recording of these jazz giants.

It's hard to imagine anything smoother and more soulful than this all-star collection, with the great Milt Hinton at the center of it. This is jazz, this is history. The reminiscences of Milt and Danny Barker about playing in Cab Calloway's band are priceless, and their playing together ices it. Everything else on the double album is just as good.

Milt "the Judge" Hinton may be, as many bios assert, the most recorded musician in history. I know I've got my share of recordings by him (none under his name as leader) as well as jazz calendars (he was a prolific photographer). If Sinatra's unflinchingly direct and candid expression of the anguish of aging and dying ("September of My Years") is occasionally a bit hard to take, the antidote is a simple but delightful song, "Old Man Time." No one has sung it (that's right, "sung") better than Milt Hinton, who manages to convey his very character, his very being and personality on this single tune.

I heard Milt Hinton a number of times in person between Chicago and New York, meeting him once at Chicago's O'Hare, where we both took the same plane to New York City. Often bass players are the most temperamental of musicians, overly sensitive about the their relegation to "mere" supportive status. Not Milt: he was perfectly happy to serve for whomever was in need of a pulse, or any like-minded musician who believed swing was the thing. Come to think of it, the only musician who came close to him as an affable, unselfish human being among the high-profile musicians I've talked to was bassist Joe Benjamin (with Dave Brubeck, Sarah Vaughan, and finally Duke Ellington) and, of course, the Duke himself.

An equally touching version of the title tune is the one recorded by Jimmy Durante.

This is a daily requirement. Milt was the best even though there is a huge list of bass geiuses out there.