Kenny Clarke’s album “Bohemia after Dark” was one of eight albums recorded in the forgotten Cafe Bohemia and which was located on 15 Barrow Street in the West Village section of Manhattan. It was the earliest recording of Cannonball Adderley and featured an all-star cast (check names on album cover), I will eventually feature them all. I featured Charles Mingus’ recording and wrote a post about it here. Check the schedule link for play times. Here’s an interesting anecdote on how Cannonball Adderley was discovered:
On 19 June 1955 Julian and Nat Adderley arrived in New York on a trip for the former to work on his Master’s Degree at New York University. That first night in the city the brothers went to the Café Bohemia to hear the Oscar Pettiford band, which was the club’s house band at the time. Jerome Richardson, who was the group’s regular saxophonist was unavailable that evening due to a recording session. Pettiford asked Charlie Rouse – who was in the audience – if he would sit in, however Rouse did not have his saxophone with him. Pettiford then noticed another audience member, Adderley, who had a saxophone case with him and told Rouse to ask this unknown man if he could borrow his horn. Instead of lending the horn Adderley asked if he could sit in with the group. Reluctantly, the leader complied and allowed Adderley to play. Overnight Adderley rose to prominence on the New York jazz scene. On 21 June he officially played his first night at the Bohemia; on 28 June he made his first recording with Pettiford’s group; on 14 July he recorded his first album as a leader. By October 1957 he was a member of the Miles Davis Sextet.
About this Album:
Bohemia After Dark album by Cannonball Adderley / Kenny Clarke was released Feb 11, 2003 on the Savoy Jazz label. Along with Max Roach, Kenny Clarke was one of the definitive drummers of jazz’s original bebop movement. By the time of the BOHEMIA AFTER DARK sessions (in June 1955), Clarke was firmly established as a bandleader. He probably didn’t know it at the time but Clarke also made jazz history here……..Learn More
