Daily dose of dope
Special for tpot
One of the doses a ways back mentioned Dusty Groove
In 2012, for my birthday, Tati got me a DG gift certificate, with one condition
It had to be used all on one record
The idea being, it should be the type of thing that I would normally never buy myself. I love searching for the raers but never actually pony up retail for them
Same reason I avoid hard drugs:
I really don’t trust my own willpower
So, this meant that I had to decide on a single piece of wax where I’d cash it in
It had to be a record that is worth a lot, but also one I particularly love and covet
I’m sure it comes as a great shock to all who know me that it’s Two Thousand and fucking Twenty and I still haven’t used the gift certificate
But there have been a couple times I’ve come close
One was last year when a near mint condition original of Roy Meriwether’s Nubian Lady popped up
(ultimately decided against it, figuring I should save my one big chip for an LP or 45 that’s never been reissued)
Roy Meriwether was born in Dayton, Ohio (home of The First Four!) in the middle of the second world war
He started out on the keys young
Like, real young
His own bio claims he was playing at 3, and composing at 4!
Hey, you gonna call him on it?
Before kindergarten, he was in his daddy’s church catching wreck on the organ
By high school, he was all over Dayton, playing with church choirs, bands, at hotels and social events
He had a gig playing the General Motors convention at Dayton’s Memorial Hall
Which allowed him to put the down payment on the family’s first Cadillac!
At 18 he turned pro
And not on some podunk Midwestern labels either
Put out 3 albums on Columbia, and 2 on Capitol
Lot of standards
All solid
Special mention to the album cover of one of his early sides for Columbia
Piano superhero!
But it’s what came after that got him on the wall at Dusty Groove
In 73, he did a live trio set at The Magic Carpet in downtown Dayton
Billy Jackson on drums, Bill Conway on bass
It was recorded and released on a small indy label
And featured a 20 minute title track (luckily recorded with crowd response)
https://youtu.be/sTWTh_DgGYM
It really hits that sweet spot between funky and spiritual
I saw a review of Meriwether’s playing that mentioned how he stands apart from today’s whiz kids with frenetic right hands
That he shows a lot of balance, even if not necessarily the most sheer prowess or originality
You can hear that driving left hand providing plenty of balance–and soul–here
There’s lots more to dig
Conway delivers an unusual and damn free solo with a bow on the double bass
And Jackson’s drums are a boom-bapper’s wet dream
Drum solo will snap multiple necks
Though it all, Meriwether delivers a patiently phrased melody and super jamming
It’s about the only 20-minute cut I can stomach
(in addition to being anxious and indecisive, I’m also very distracted and impatient)
The live, small setting and energy–on the stage and in the crowd–seeps through
Because it was issued on tiny Stinger Records from Indiana, and because the groove is so deep it’s attracted heavy love from hip hop producers and beat heads over the years, it became a much sought-after classic
Reissued a couple times more recently, which has brought OG prices down to less ludicrous levels that would fit on a birthday present
Shortly after the Magic Carpet date, he was commissioned to write a multi-part suite honoring the black american experience
The 21-part result, entitled “Black Snow” was performed at a commemoration of the US’ Bicentennial
That year (76) he moved to NYC for good
And remained a regular sight on The City’s jazz scene
Plenty gigs at Smalls in the Village, e.g.
With his basis in the gospel and blues of his upbringing, he’s a paragon of so-called soul jazz…with large doses of hard bop
Far from stuffy
In 1999 (appropriately enough) he even did a Prince cover
From Purple Rain
https://youtu.be/2KZqMyaU_vA
He may not be a whiz kid like Mike McDermott
A flashy hustler like Worm or kingpin like Teddy KGB
He’s more like the Joey Knish of the piano
Grinding it out as a pro’s pro over many years
