The Uses of Jazz DiscographyAuthor(s): James PatrickSource: Notes, Second Series, Vol. 29, No. 1 (Sep., 1972), pp. 17-23Published by: Music Library AssociationStable URL: http://www.jstor.org/stable/896254 .

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THE USES OF JAZZ DISCOGRAPHY By JAMES PATRICK

The central problem with most writing about jazz is that it rarely combines musical understanding and a knowledge of jazz repertory with the methods of professional scholarship. Since trained music scholars have largely ignored the field of "popular" music, the job has been left to journalists who are often musically illiterate, musicians who are not scholars, and scholars who are not musicians. Thus, biographical, anec- dotal, and historical information is plentiful, but musical analysis, tran- scription, and style criticism are rare. Within this voluminous and often redundant literature, discography enjoys the special obscurity of being viewed as an esoteric bibliographic quirk of a small band of monomania- cal jazz collectors. Unquestionably, there is more than a little truth in this. Yet the discographers have provided a wealth of source information that has been neglected far too long. Even the very best studies of jazz, such as Gunther Schuller's Early Jazz, are frequently marred by the failure to provide adequate discographical data.

The scope and standards of jazz discography will come as a surprise to many. Ideally, the complete jazz discography should list every jazz performance ever recorded (whether or not it was eventually released), along with information on dates, personnel, matrix numbers, original catalogue numbers, catalogue numbers of all subsequent concordant re- issues, and other pertinent inforination such as multiple titles for a single piece, or the same title for several different pieces. Jazz Records, 1897- 1942 (two volumes) by Brian Rust, and Jazz Records, 1942-1962 (eleven volumes) by Jorgen Grunnet Jepsen are both models of detail as measured against this ideal. In addition to these general discographies, there are numerous specialized discographies dealing with individual recording companies, blues, gospel, "free jazz", etc., bands, arrangers, and per- formers, as well as several periodicals devoted to discographical problems. The importance of this work cannot be overemphasized for the study of a music that makes only minimal use of musical notation and for which, therefore, phonograph records are the primary sources.

The brief history of jazz discography1 is an example of the possibilities of friendly cooperation among amateur scholars. At Dresent. there are

'See pages 68-79 of Donald Kennington's The Literature of Jazz, Chicago, 1971; also Paul Sheatsley's "A Quarter Century of Jazz Discography", Record Research, No. 58, Feb. 1964, pp. 3-6. Readers are referred to Studies in Jazz Discography I, New Brunswick, N.J., Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies, 1971.

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few substantial institutional collections of jazz records. Even The Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies' 30,000-disc collection is small in comparison with those of many private libraries. Thus, the task of cataloguing the mass of jazz records lhas fallen to the collectors, the only persons with access to the bulk of the material. Projects such as the Rust and Jepsen volumes have been possible only with the cooperation of a world-wide network of jazz collectors.

Unfortunately, the discographical literature is either unknown or un- used. One does not have to look far for confusions and distortions that could have been avoided by the use of discographical materials and methods. The examples below are taken from the recorded work of Charlie Parker and illustrate routine problems that arise in the complex Parker source situation.2

Perhaps the most common oversights result from the failure to refer to matrix numbers. Simply put, a matrix is the negative mold made by applying several layers of metal to the original positive master record. The process is executed twice, yielding first a negative mold of the matrix (the "mother") and finally a positive copy of the matrix (the stamper). Recording companies conventionally assign a number to every recording. This number is etched into the original disc or the matrix and eventually appears on copies of the disc, usually in the space be- tween the label and the last groove, or beneath the label. It was a com- mercial fact of life in the pre-microgroove and pre-magnetic era of recording that most titles must be limited to one side of a ten-inch 78rpm disc. Thus, given one matrix and one title for each side of a 78rpm disc, we have (in most cases) a distinct matrix number for each recorded performance.

Sadly, modern long-playing records do not allow such precision. Al- though individual takes mastered from tape recordings are assigned company file numbers, these numbers do not systematically correspond to the serial numbres that appear on the final discs or to the catalogue numbers.3 John Coltrane's "Ascension" is one continuous piece occupy- ing two sides of an LP disc. Actually, two versions of the piece were recorded on the same date and were assigned the file numbers 90321 and 90322. The second of these versions bears a serial number on each side, AS-95A-1 and AS-95B-1, which corresponds to the catalogue num-

2Most of the data are taken from Jepsen's discographical monograph, Discography of Charlie Parker, Copenhagen, 1968.

3Teo Macero of Columbia records explains the procedure used in producing a Miles Davis record: there are no takes one, two, three ". . because there's something new that pops into the music every time... we don't stop the tape machines like we used to in the old days-they run until the group stops playing. Then we go back, listen, and decide between us what should be tacked to what-it becomes a search-and-find routine, and finally it's all there, it's just a matter of putting it all together." See Chris Albertson, "The Unmasking of Miles Davis", Saturday Review, November 27, 1971.

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ber, but not to the file number. Here, in contrast to the 78rpm number- ing, we have two numbers for one piece. To further confuse matters, the two versions have been released with identical catalogue numbers.

MIatrix data are useful in the following ways: 1. MIatrix numbers identify a specific piece in cases where there are multiple versions of the same title recorded at the same recording session. Charlie Parker recorded two versions of "Klactoveedsedstene" on No- vember 4, 1947. The two versions cannot be distinguished by date alone. These pieces were originally released by Dial records with the catalogue numbers 1040 and LP 904 and carry the matrix mxD 1112 A and mxD 11 12 B.4 One may ask why the original catalogue numbers are not sufficient to distinguish these two pieces. In this case, they are suffi- cient. In many cases they are not. As above, such cases involve the recording of multiple versions of the same title on the same date. How- ever, it frequently happens that many of these multiple versions were not released as singles on 78rpm but were later released together on the same 33rpm disc. Of the five versions of "Billie's Bounce" recorded on November 26, 1945, three first appeared on the LP Savoy MG 12079. Thus, in this case, the original catalogue number is not sufficient to distinguish any one piece from the others. Therefore, it is advisable to include matrix information whenever possible.

An example of a case in which discographical data might have been used is Andre Hodeir's chapter on Parker in Jazz: Its Evolution and Essence (New York, 1956) and the subsequent influence of this work on later writing about Parker. Hodeir remarks about "Klactoveedsedstene":

To cite another contribution, Parker definitely seems to have been the first to bring off the feat of the introducing into jazz a certain melodic dis- continuity that yet avoids incoherence... astonishing is the beginning of the solo of "Klactoveedsedstene", which is made up of snatches of phrases that sound completely disconnected, even though they follow an implacable logic. (pages 104, 105)

The melodic discontinuity that we have observed in some of Charlie Parker's choruses is occasionally matched by an equally remarkable rhythmic dis- continuity. .. The chorus of "Klactoveedsedstene" is an excellent example of this approach, in which a rest, becoming part of the phrase's contour, takes on new meaning. (page 110)

Nowhere in his discussion does Hodeir provide the least bit of source information or musical illustration of the piece. We are given only the title and (in an appended discography) the name of the record company.

Nine years later in a Parker memorial issue of Down Beat (March 12, 1965), Don Heckman echoed some of Hodeir's remarks:

4The abbreviation "mx" will be used to indicate "matrix" and should not be considered part of the matrix number proper.

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"Klactoveedsedstene" (recorded in 1947) is one of the best examples of Parker's fragmentation of an improvised line.... All phrases are short ... remarkably they all come together in a superb succession of sounds and silences. (page 23)

Heckman offers the following transcription as an illustration (I cite the first ten measures-the first eight measures of the solo preceded by a two-measure pick-up):

Q , I ,J T1 JLL1-

jiI1 - i _ ? ' - T * - I -

Example 1: Dial mxD 1112 B

Dial mxD 1112 B is hardly a paragon of fragmentation or the manipula- tion of silence. If anything, it is an example of a moderately continuous Parker line. It would seem that Heckman was unaware that there arc two versions of the piece, for Dial mxD 1112 A is quite another matter (Ex. 2). The first ten measures are almost entirely constructed of three very short ideas separated by rests of varying durationi. These figures are first presented in measures A through 3: (1) a descending fourth f-c; (2) an ascending figure of three conjunct eighth notes; and (3) a six- note figure (starting last note, m. 2) of two ascending conjunct notes, a descending third, and a three-note chromatic ascent. These figures are then combined (m. 4), transposed (mm. 6 and 7), and ornamented and combined (m. 8). Throughout, the silences separating these figures or constituent elements of them are subtly varied. It is clear that Hodeir was discussing this version. The following transcription illustrates those structural features that Hodeir (and Heckman) refer to:

R,_ 1 IF I F 1 i . ih I-1-- A.1

Example 2: Dial mxD 1112 A

Admittedly, suclh confusions are often unavoidable witlhout access to the original discs. Record companies seem to show less interest in pro- viding discograpliical data than jazz writers. Nonetlheless, every attempt should be made to provide precise ascriptions for record sources. The

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common failure to do so frequently results in a vagueness that would be considered ludicrous elsewhere. To simply say "Klactoveedsedstene" is comparable to saying "The Leonore Overture". 2. Matrix numbers may in some cases identify different titles for the same piece. "Cool Blues", appearing on Jazztone J 1214 and Baronet B 107, and "Hot Blues", appearing on Swing 406, Jazz Selection JSL 702, Vogue (English) LDE 004, LAE 12002, and V 2244, and Vogue (French) LD 057 and LDM 30067, are both identical with the performance orig- inally released as "Blow Top Blues" on Dial LP 901. It was recorded February 19, 1947 and carries the matrix number mxB 1054 B. Its companion take-Dial mxB 1054 A-involves similar problems. Unfor- tunately, record companies rarely indicate the original matrix numbers in their re-issue programs. Such information, however, is conveniently found in the discographical literature. 3. Matrix numbers may in some cases, when supported by internal musical evidence, be a guide to "compositional process". "KoKo", one of Parker's most famous solos, was recorded on November 26, 1945. The last and only complete version recorded that day, Savoy mx 5853-2, originally appeared on Savoy 597. This final version proceeds as follows:

Introduction Solo (sax) Coda uinison trumpet sax uLnison unison trumpet sax uinison

(composed) (improvised) (composed) A A B A A A B A (drums) (composed) (improvised) (composed) 8 8 8 8 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 16 8 8 8 8

The introduction and coda are not thematically related to the solo; the internal choruses are based on the chord sequence of Ray Noble's "Cher- okee". Two earlier takes indicate that this final version was not as spontaneously concocted as it may seem. The take that immediatelv precedes the final version mx 5853-1, begins, like that of mx 5853-2, with an introductory exchange between saxophone and trumpet. How- ever, after the introduction is completed, the saxophone and trumpet begin a unison statement of "Cherokee". After eight measures this idea is discarded and the take comes to an abrupt halt. The reason for this is simple and practical. "Cherokee" is an unusually long tune, sixty-four rather than the usual thirty-two or twelve measures. Had Parker followed the normal practice of stating the theme both at the beginning and the end of the piece, there would have been no time-that is, maximum clock time allowed by one side of a 78rpm disc-for even one solo improvised chorus. Thus, the theme was discarded in the final versioni, allowing time for two solo choruses. In its final form, "KoKo" is one of the earliest Parker examples of harmonic variation with no theme.

In addition, an earlier take, "Warmin' Up a Riff" (mx 5849-1), was recorded on the same date. The fact that the recording balance is quite different from that of the rest of the session, and that it has no beginning

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or end, suggests that someone in the engineering booth turned on the microphones while the band was rehearsing.5 Significantly, this take pre- serves several solo choruses of Parker improvising on the chord sequence of "Cherokee". Here we find several details, particularly sequential figures, that are more fully realized in the final version.

There are, however, situations in which matrix and catalogue data must be accompanied by additional information: 1. Pieces with different titles that are variant versions of a single piece recorded on the same date: "Bird Lore" (Dial mxD 1012-3) is actually an alternate take on "Ornithology" (mxD 1012-1 and mxD 1012-4)- all recorded on March 28, 1946. Here the four-digit matrix number 1012, with appended take numbers (1, 3, and 4), supplies a clue that these three pieces are in fact different versions of the same piece. Unfortunate- ly, matrix annotations are not always this systematic. Therefore, the additional information concerning variant titles is needed. An interesting example is provided by Frank Tirro's perpetuation of Leonard Feather's original confusion of these two titles. Tirro in "The Silent Theme Tra- dition in Jazz",6 like Feather before him in Inside Be Bop (New York, 1949), lists several jazz tunes that are based on the chord progressions of popular songs. Both "Bird Lore" and "Ornithology" are given as re- compositions of "How High the Moon", thus listing the same composi- tion twice. 2. Pieces with different titles that are variant versions of a single piece recorded on different dates: "Drifting on a Reed": Dial mx 1151 B, mx 1151 D, and mx 1151 E are all variant takes of a single piece recorded on November 17, 1947. "Big Foot", one of numerous clandestine "live" recordings made on December 11, 1948, is another version of the piece originally titled "Drifting on a Reed". Unfortunately, the cross indexing required to clarify these situations is rarely provided. 3. Where original matrix numbers are lacking: the lack occurs for pieces originally recorded for microgroove and amateur disc, wire, and tape recordings of "live" or broadcast performances. Here the date and original catalogue number (if any) must suffice.

Recent events in discographical circles and the topics of recent Rutgers Institute of Jazz Studies annual conferences on discographical research suggest several immediate goals for jazz discography. In November, 1969,

5This purely discographical deduction is corroborated by the testimony of Sadik Hakim (Argonne Thornton), one of the pianists for this date: "...'Warmin' Up a Riff' (based on what we later did as 'Koko') was just that, a warm-up we didn't know was being taken down." See Sadik Hakim. "The Charlie Parker KoKo Date," Jazz Review, II, No. 3, February 1959, page 1 1.

"The Musical Quarterly, LIII, No. 3, July 1967, pp. 313-333.

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The International Discographers Association was formed in London. The declared aims of the Association are7:

1. To assist all discographers in research by means of an advisory body which can co-ordinate material and avoid senseless duplication of effort and published material. 2. To establish a standardized list of abbreviations and terminology. 3. To organize the up-dating and revision of existing standard discographies. 4. To assist record companies in organizing re-issue programs with complete discographical information as part of the sleeve notes.

Old disputes between professional librarians and discographers seem to be resolving, but adequate funding and staffing of institutional col- lections remains a critical problem. All these efforts will result in in- creased access to jazz material and more intelligent understanding of it.

7See IDA News, May 1970, printed in Jepsen's Jazz Records, Volumes 4C and 4D.

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