Feature Articles January 2007

KANSAS CITY, Mo.—The evening of Dec. 3 at Jardine’s was an extraordinary experience. For three hours, the music, conversation and general vibes all focused on the guest of honor, although he was too ill to attend.

It was the CD release party for Russ Long’s brilliant “Time to Go,” a loving tribute to the longtime Kansas City keyboard master. (For my review of the CD click here.) The Berman Music Foundation helped make this project possible with financial support.

Gerald Spaits (left) plays bass as Paul Smith commandeers piano. [Photo by Tom Ineck] In Long’s absence, Paul Smith capably commandeered the house piano. The rest of the combo comprised the same musicians who make the CD so memorable—longtime Long sidemen Gerald Spaits on bass and Ray DeMarchi on drums, in addition to trumpeter and music director Stan Kessler, the versatile Charles Perkins on alto sax, clarinet, bass clarinet, and flute, David Chael on tenor sax and Paul McKee on trombone.

Horn players are (from left) Charles Perkins, Stan Kessler, David Chael and Paul McKee. [Photo by Tom Ineck] In faithful and soulful performances of these great Long tunes, the seven-piece ensemble generated considerable warmth on an otherwise chilly December eve. Part of that mood can be attributed to the rather cramped confines of the club. Jardine’s is a long-standing KC jazz venue that always imparts an intimate, festive atmosphere to visitors. Musicians like it for its cozy acoustics, even when audience banter becomes obtrusive.

On this particular occasion, apparent joy was mixed with regrets that Russ Long could not share in the glory of the event. “Time to Go” is a recording of which Long can be very proud and his musical associates recreated it with technical expertise and emotional commitment. If there is any justice, it will be a commercial success from coast to coast. There is no doubt it will impress the critics.

Gary Sivils, Gerald Spaits and Ray DeMarchi [Photo by Tom Ineck] The septet captured the blues feel of many Long tunes, but also brought sophistication to the original tunes, arranged in a collaborative effort by Spaits and Long for the larger ensemble. Long, Spaits and DeMarchi played for more than 20 years as a trio, but seldom have Long’s wonderful compositions been heard with this degree of instrumental enhancement—from the bluesy “E-Train” to the Miles Davis tribute “s’Miles” to the uptempo swinger “Can City” (Long’s comical contraction of Kansas City) to the extraordinary brass voicing of “Parallel.”

Gary Sivils, an old friend and bandmate of Long’s, sat in on flugelhorn for “Save That Time,” a lovely ballad of Long’s that is most familiar for vocal renditions by Karrin Allyson, Joe Williams and Kevin Mahogany. Even without the lyrics, Sivils brought a very personal perspective to the music.

Among others who came out to Jardine’s on this frigid night to pay their respects to the genius of Russ Long were KC singers Angela Hagenbach, Julie Turner and David Basse.

Stan Kessler [Photo by Tom Ineck] At the risk of sounding maudlin or corny, trumpeter Stan Kessler late in the evening paused to put into words just how special the occasion was for the musicians who so respect Long. Describing the stage as a “sacred space” and a kind of “church,” he summed up the event’s emotional wallop, which the audience could not fail to feel.

“Time to Go: The Music of Russ Long” is available

in Kansas City at Streetside Records, Borders and the Kansas City Store and on the Web at http://cdbaby.com/cd/russlong and http://passitproductions.com/.

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Photo Gallery

Musicians pay respect to Russ Long's music


Front line (from left) Charles Perkins, Stan Kessler, David Chael and Paul McKee	Gerald Spaits bears down on bass.

Paul Smith sits in for ailing Russ Long.	Bassist Gerald Spaits solos as Charles Perkins and Stan Kessler listen.

Gary Sivils (left) and Gerald Spaits share a laugh.	Charles Perkins on flute

Paul Smith with Perkins on clarinet	Perkins, Kessler and Chael blow.

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Artist Interview

KC legend finally gets the respect he deserves

By Tom Ineck

Outside of his hometown of Kansas City, recognition for Russ Long’s musical contributions and artistry has been a long time coming. Thanks to a recent recording project funded by the Berman Music Foundation and guided by KC bassist and BMF consultant Gerald Spaits, the ailing piano player, singer and composer, now in his late 60s, is finally getting the respect he deserves.

Spaits began by transcribing many of Long’s compositions, some of which had not been documented. He and Long then arranged a selection of tunes that would be recorded by a seven-piece ensemble in two studio sessions. Spaits wrote the charts, hired the musicians and shepherded the entire process to fruition. The result is “Time to Go: The Music of Russ Long.” The CD is reviewed elsewhere in this issue of the BMF newsletter.

Russ Long at Berman museum a few year ago Diabetes and multiple heart surgeries have slowed down Long in recent years, but on Oct. 5 we chatted by phone about his music and where it came from. What was it like growing up in Kansas City? How long did it take to decide that music was a lifelong calling?

“It took no time for me to make it a career,” Long replied without hesitation. “I was precocious from the standpoint that I could play piano well enough to start working in a night club when I was still 17. That does not necessarily translate to anything spectacular, but I knew from that time on that I was going to be a musician. I don’t know what happened. I just always wanted to play music.”

Trumpeter Gary Sivils, and old friend and frequent bandmate, got Long his first gig.

“When I met Gary, I still had a year to go in high school. I met him during the summer, and as a result I played a few jobs with him around town.” An opening in a band landed him a regular piano job on New Year’s Day 1957.

Living in Kansas City in the 1940s and 1950s, Long was inevitably drawn to the blues, and his music is rife with the nuances of the blues.

“It seems like the blues is everywhere,” he said. “But, it was never my intention to be a blues singer. It was just part of my repertoire, doin’ some of those good ole blues songs.” In 1960, Long immersed himself in the blues as a member of Claude “Fiddler” Williams’ Kansas City-based band, featuring the great alto saxophonist and blues singer Eddie “Cleanhead” Vinson.

“That was quite an experience,” Long recalled. “He (Vinson) was just an incredible performer. That was at the Fandango Club on 26^th and Troost. For me, it was just a brand-new world, getting to play with a band like that.” The combo also included Rusty Tucker on trumpet and Wild Bill Jones on drums. During that time, Williams eschewed his famed fiddle to play a double-necked guitar-bass. Unfortunately, the band never recorded.

“I just can’t say enough about Eddie Vinson,” Long continued. “He was a wonderful player and a wonderful singer. He was so much more than a blues singer, and yet he had made his money being a blues singer with a big band.” After a stint with the Cootie Williams Orchestra, Vinson led his own big band and had a string of r&b vocal hits, including his signature “Kidney Stew Blues.” In the early 1950s, a young John Coltrane was a member of Vinson’s band.

In tribute to his mentor, Long later adopted “Kidney Stew” for his own repertoire, singing the tune with his trademark relaxed, bluesy approach. Asked where he acquired his regional drawl, he laughs.

“I don’t know. For me, it’s just trying to do justice to the songs. Sometimes it came out that way. You can’t force something like that.”

Long journeyed elsewhere for a time, but always returned to his hometown. Throughout the 1970s, for example, he held down a regular gig fronting the house trio at a night club in Lake Geneva, Wis. It was there that he wrote his most famous composition, the touching ballad “Save That Time.” In rapid succession, three prominent jazz singers recorded the song—Karrin Allyson in 1992 (on her debut recording “I Didn’t Know About You”), Joe Williams in 1993 and Kevin Mahogany in 1994. Chicago-based singer Judy Roberts recorded an early version in 1981, and in 1995 it was recorded as an instrumental by bassist Charles Fambrough.

When asked about the genesis of “Save That Time,” Long answered with typical modesty.

“It was just one of those things. I just threw it off. I was playing at the Playboy Club in Lake Geneva. This would have been ’79 or ’80, a year or two before I came back (to Kansas City). I was foolin’ around while we were up on the stage one night. I had a little private moment there and kind of put the song together. I didn’t think about it a whole lot, and I didn’t write lyrics to it. It was a week later that I decided to write some lyrics to it. The first time we performed the song with lyrics, Joe Williams was in the audience. He liked it. He said, ‘Give me a copy of that.’ He took it back home and had his arranger make an arrangement for him.”

A few months later, Williams was in Chicago and asked Long to join him. Appropriately, the singer unveiled “Save That Time” with the composer accompanying him at the piano.

“It was quite a kick,” Long recalled. “He used the song for awhile as his evening closer. He hadn’t recorded it yet. After a period of time, I got a check from the Library of Congress. They had recorded his show, so he was on record at the Library of Congress, and to make it official they had to pay everybody.”

Russ Long Trio several years ago at Berman museum Long returned to Kansas City and formed the Russ Long Trio with Spaits and drummer Ray DeMarchi in 1982. This very compatible relationship lasted more than 20 years, until the trio’s final performance Nov. 11, 2004, as part of the Berman Jazz Series in Topeka.

In referring to the recent recording project and the many instrumental compositions that had never been documented until now, Long displayed a mix of humility and his trademark sense of humor. Had he kept any of these tunes in his repertoire in recent years?

“Not in any real sense,” he said. “They’re all jazz tunes, and nobody wants to hear jazz. There’s no girls up there.”

Indeed, both Long’s compositions and unique performance style were poorly documented until recently. His Lake Geneva trio recorded, but it’s a product he dismisses for its poor sound quality. “Never Let Me Go,” a CD released a few years ago with the financial support of the Berman Music Foundation, captures his trio sound and has a nice version of “Save That Time,” but is slight on his other compositions. That’s why “Time to Go: The Music of Russ Long” is so long overdue.

“The tunes on that album are actually pretty old,” he said. “They were written as jazz tunes, to be played with a jazz group. That was the thrill for me. It was the first time I heard my tunes performed pretty much the way they were supposed to be.”

“Meatloaf” is a tune that Long wrote in 1959, while “Woodland Park” and “Shoemaker” are circa 1963. In other words, many of these compositions have been languishing for more than 40 years without the ensemble treatment that the composer first envisioned. Aside from “Save That Time,” the only Long composition with lyrics that was included in the long list is “Out There,” a 1969 product that did not make the cut for the final recording.

Regarding the recording and two recent Long tributes at the popular Kansas City night spot Jardine’s—in August and in December—the composer again reveals his modesty and his respect for others.

“I was really flabbergasted,” he said about the first Jardine’s tribute. “It’s especially hard for me to do very much these days, and Gerald has just jumped in the breech and saved my life. He was the only one who could have done it.”

Editor’s Note: As we approached deadline for this issue, we learned of the death of Russ Long on Dec. 31. He will be greatly missed by many, though his music will live on in the form of his recordings, especially the new release "Time To Go: The Music of Russ Long," and "Never Let Me Go." The Berman Music Foundation extends its sympathy to the family, friends and many fans of Russ Long.

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Friends of BMF

Master string repairman begins new venture

By Tom Ineck

Bob Popek works on a guitar at his workbench, with plenty of natural light. [Photo by Tom Ineck] LINCOLN, Neb.—After 30 years working for Dietze Music House in Lincoln, Bob Popek decided it was time to venture out on his own. The master repairman of stringed instruments recently opened CGS Music, a combined retail and repair operation at 1244 High St.

The CGS doors officially opened in September. The business space is split nearly even, with half devoted to retail display and half devoted to repair, a clear indication of Popek’s desire to maintain a balance.

"From day one I decided that this was going to be repair and restoration oriented," he said, waving a hand toward the work area. Popek’s own work bench is positioned under a window to allow for full natural light. "People can come into the showroom and see that I’m repairing, not just waiting for the next sale."

Popek's retail showroom includes a selection of electric guitars. [Photo by Tom Ineck] When he left Dietze, he risked losing customers, but his fears were unfounded. One of his oldest customers is Butch Berman, founder of the Berman Music Foundation, whose guitars Popek has worked on for many years. Berman and many others have remained loyal to Popek since his move.

"I had a fear when I first came here," Popek admitted. "You can’t expect anything. You can hope. But as far as my big accounts that I worked with, including those that I thought I might lose because I didn’t have a road route to go get stuff, it looks to me like 100 percent participation."

One of the most difficult decisions in starting his own business was leaving his friends at Dietze, especially owner Doug Fenton.

"We did work very well together," Popek said of Fenton. "To leave was very tough. We’re still very close. Since I’ve been here, the store has sent a lot of work to me. I’ve seen it several times a week and sometimes daily, that I was referred to by the store." Popek returns the favor by referring horn work to other repairmen in town.

"I was with that company for 30 years, and I was extremely loyal in that it was very important to me that I did not seek distributors. I didn’t talk to any reps. I didn’t sign any papers for anything. I didn’t sign a lease until after I gave notice and my last day. So, it was kind of a gamble, on my part. It would have been unfair for me to work for another store and be doing things behind their back. Because of that, it created more risk."

Vicki Harris of Harris Music Studio teaches group lessons in this keyboard lab. [Photo by Tom Ineck] Popek also is working closely with Harris Music Studio, situated adjacent to CGS. It provides a variety of music lessons, making it perfectly compatible with Popek’s business. Vicki Harris serves everyone from pre-school to the elderly with instruction on keyboards, strings, percussion and other instruments. She even has contracted with a drama teacher to teach rudimentary acting techniques.

"We’re trying to provide for the whole spectrum," Popek said. "It’s not just me here getting something fixed or selling them something. It’s to continue to service them. Both of us separately had that in mind, but what we learned was that the weaknesses that I had were her strengths and it was the exact same in the other direction."

Among the instruments acquired on a consignment basis is this antique organ. [Photo by Tom Ineck] He said he is up to the challenge of operating a private business in a "box-store world." His long experience in local stringed-instrument repair work is a benefit. Most of his stock is new, though through his many contacts he also has acquired instruments for sale on a consignment basis, including a classic Chickering square grand piano and an antique organ. Several pianos came from Jim Gourley when he decided to close his O Street store after many years, but limited display space does not allow for dozens of new pianos, so Popek picks and chooses from the best.

"I have total control of what I can buy," he noted. "One of the things I started with here is the violins and violas because Vicki is so heavy over there teaching with them. I’m doing things that other stores can’t do. I can buy the instruments somewhat in pieces, new, so that I can have control of the outcome of the instrument," rather that submitting to a manufacturer’s original specifications. I can custom-make them to suit my needs, and to assure that the criteria of playability are there."

Roy Schmidt restores a player piano. [Photo by Tom Ineck] CGS is essentially a one-man operation. Restoration of player pianos is the specialty of Roy Schmidt, who has been working on a freelance basis with Popek for several years. Popek’s daughter, Jillian, does the bookkeeping.

"There will be a time when I’ll be getting employees, but right now I like to do the hands-on as much as I possibly can," he said. His low volume and specialized work gives Popek a competitive edge over the larger chains, especially those who have no local connections.

"If you become too large, then a volume sale is your key. I’ll never have 300 guitars in here like other stores do. I have to be more careful when I pick guitars out. It has to be something that I feel really good about and want to show to other people. After that, I don’t have to be concerned with looking at 25 guitars of a model that didn’t sell as expected, and having to discount them."

Bob Popek and daughter, Jillian. [Photo by Tom Ineck] Popek knows the value of the technical skills and knowledge he acquired over three decades at Dietze.

"What I’m doing requires a lot of knowledge in a lot of areas. A straight repair man would have difficulty with the retailing." On the other hand, Popek doesn’t have to turn to someone else to make repairs. By removing the "middle man," he has the best of both worlds.

The name for the business is open to interpretation—and to Popek’s sense of humor. While it could stand for Custom Guitar Shop, but that would have been too limited in scope. It also could refer to www.cgsmusic.net, a website that Popek established several years ago to sell classical guitar sheet music, or to Creating Great Sounds or to CowGirls in the Sand, a reference to the song by one of Popek’s favorite rock artists, Neil Young.

Despite all the obstacles of operating a small business, Popek says he has a long-term commitment to CGS. "This is where my real knowledge is, and my excitement."

Call CGS Music at 328-0677 or stop by the showroom at 1244 High St.

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Tomfoolery

Austin yields another memorable night

By Tom Ineck

AUSTIN, Texas—When in search of live music in New York City, Kansas City, New Orleans, San Francisco or Seattle, it’s the jazz clubs I’m most interested in, but Austin, Texas, has established a national reputation as the home of roots rock, Americana, and country music with an attitude, so that’s what draws my attention. Of course, it’s also a great place for barbecue, platter-sized chicken fried steaks, authentic Mexican cuisine and beer brews of every stripe.

While taking brief winter holidays to that marvelous city in recent years, we have enjoyed the sounds of singer Toni Price, former Merle Haggard guitarist Redd Volkaert, legendary singer-songwriter Billy Joe Shaver (cheered on by his old buddy Kinky Friedman), folksinger-songwriter Eliza Gilkyson, and former Faces keyboardist Ian McLagan, with guitarist "Scrappy" Jud Newcomb. In August 2003, we enjoyed a feast from Austin’s musical menu at the three-day Austin City Limits Festival, which that year featured Steve Earle, Lucinda Williams, Shawn Colvin, Kings of Leon, Steve Winwood, Robert Randolph, Jay Farrar, The Mavericks, Tift Merritt, Caitlin Cary, The Gourds, Yo La Tengo and many more.

On our latest sojourn to Austin, a Dec. 28 performance by Alejandro Escovedo and his band at Antone’s was our destination. Another local legend, Escovedo has made Austin his home for more than 25 years, after forming a pioneering cowpunk band called Rank and File. With his brother, Javier, he formed The True Believers, which frequently opened for Los Lobos in the 1980s. His own CDs began to arrive in the early 1990s, and he has nine recordings to his credit since 1992.

Escovedo made a comeback in recent months after suffering a bout of Hepatitis C that had put him out of commission since 2003. "The Boxing Mirror," his first CD in four years, was released in 2006 with production by John Cale of the Velvet Underground. He has formed a killer band, featuring guitarist David Pulkingham, ex-Spirit bassist Mark Andes, cellist Brian Standefer and drummer Hector Munoz. He occasionally features additional strings and keyboards, as well.

The night we saw him at Antone’s, Escovedo was accompanied by the quartet only, but what a quartet. Pulkingham is a prodigiously talented guitarist, equally adept on electric and acoustic instruments, in styles ranging from rock to blues to classical. Standefer, of course, also dabbles in the classical genre, but he is capable of going head-to-head with Pulkingham or Escovedo (or both!) in rock-style guitar-cello trades. With Pulkingham on lead, Escovedo concentrated on the rhythm role, occasionally bursting forth with slashing lead runs. Munoz kept everything tightly under control with his polyrhthmic barrage.

I’ve purposefully saved the best for last. Bassist Mark Andes, the eldest member of the band at 58, seemed as much a spiritual participant as a musical one. He entered the club carrying his bass and accompanied by a striking young blonde who could have just walked out of a late ‘60s head shop. As they passed by, he turned to us, smiled and said hello. I was taken back some 36 years, to the only time I saw Spirit in concert, a December 1970 appearance in a Riverside, Calif., high school gymnasium.

The first thing Andes did on taking the stage was give Escovedo a loving hug. He plugged in and they went to work.

From Escovedo’s new release came "Arizona," "Break This Time," "Dear Head on the Wall," "Take Your Place" and the title track. But the band also played selections from his earlier releases. Totally unexpected was a raucous version of Iggy Pop’s "I Want to Be Your Dog,"purportedly the product of a liaison between Mr. Pop and Bela Bartok.

Throughout the performance there was an urgency that perhaps comes with the recognition of mortality. Besides Escovedo’s own brush with death, Andes’ longtime Spirit bandmate and friend, keyboardist John Locke, died last August. Whatever inspired it, it made for another memorable night in Austin.

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