Over the past three weeks I've needed to listen nearly every day to Detroit's Gene (aka Clarence) Shaw's excellent CD Breakthrough that was recently reissued by Dusty Groove America in its Essential Reissue series. Shaw's tune "Autumn Walk" caused me to think about whether there is such a phenomenon as Detroit rhythm. I think that Benny Golson's Killer Joe and Whisper Not have a certain characteristic Golson (Lee Morgan?) rhythm - let's call it Philly Rhythm. Motown connoisseurs will say Of course there's a Motown Sound and Motown Rhythm. True. But where did that (1959) Funk Brothers' sound and rhythm come from? From the Bluebird? Rouge Lounge? Kline's Show Bar? Flame Show Bar? (See Lars Bjorn & Jim Gallert's Before Motown, University of Michigan Press, 2001) As I listen it seems to me that a major element of Detroit's rhythm resides in its behind the beat motion: a Lester Young rhythmic aspect to be sure, but more regular in its pulse.
I've also been listening to Thad Jones' CDs. Detroit tenor saxophonist Billy Mitchell plays on Jones' two Blue Note discs - Detroit-New York Junction and The Magnificent Thad Jones. Listening to Billy Mitchell's playing caused me to think of Detroit tenormen Lucky Thompson and Yusef Lateef. Listening to each in turn brought out in my music-mind a rhythmic pulse in their playing that is Detroit Rhythm - 1956 Before Motown Rhythm. It also reminded me of how wonderful their playing was - each man had his own sound certainly.
Detroit poets have a rhythm laid in their songs too. Listen to Philip Levine, John Sinclair and Bill Harris.
Beethoven was certainly a rhythm-master among other musically-wicked things. Good news on this front. The Budapest String Quartet's Columbia recordings of the complete Beethoven String Quartets have been reissued on CD and are finally available at your local internet record store - eight discs for about $33.00US.
Happy Days.
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