George Braith: Extensions

George Braith 

The soon to be octogenerian multi-saxophonist George Braith (née Braithwaite, NYC, 1939) is one of the very few reedmen to follow in the footsteps of the inimitable Rahsaan Roland Kirk (1935-1977). In his sadly limited discography, Braith reveals himself to also be uniquely eccentric talent in his approach to blowing multiple horns both individually and simultaneously, as well as in his composing. As a composer, Braith runs the gamut from soul jazz, to challenging “squirrelly” changes (as John Patton called them), to Caribbean influenced themes, to more atmospheric pieces. He eventually patented his unique soprano/alto hybrid, the braithophone, that is joined at the bell. The bulk of Braith’s reputation stems from the four recordings he appeared on for Blue Note and two more on Prestige, all recorded in a short span between 1963 and 1967. Though he has been active as a live performer in New York on and off since, has also been involved in educational projects and released a few more recordings in Japan and on his own.

Braith and his Braith-o-phone

Braith’s first sessions for Blue Note were as a sideman for organist Big John Patton (1935-2002) for the July and August 1963 sessions that produced Blue John (Blue Note 84143). The sessions had masters picked and even received an issue number with a cover design from the label. Although its thumbnail image appeared on later Patton records in the 60s, it was not released until 1986. It has remained largely out of print since, with another reissue coming in 1995 and then an expanded edition in Japan in 2015 containing what is, ostensibly, an entire unreleased record’s worth of material. Braith contributes three compositions to the sessions. The first is “Hot Sauce,” a playful track which he would record again three years later for his own Laughing Soul (Prestige 7474, 1966) that also included bandmates from this session, Patton’s working trio which also included guitarist Grant Green (1935-1979) and drummer Ben Dixon (b. 1934). The second, “Bermuda Clay House,” which is the first track included here, is a classic minor key straight ahead soul jazz groover that has one of Braith’s finest solos on record, displaying his unfettered facility on straight alto (known as the stritch) for a chorus before bringing in the soprano to end this solo with rhythmic section-like shouts and for the tag leading into the closing head. A third, “Chunky Cheeks,” would remain unissued until 2015, but a later recording of the track was also done for Laughing Soul.

Braith was soon recording as a leader for the label, recording Two Souls In One (Blue Note 84148) in September, 1963 and Soul Stream (Blue Note 84161) in December of that same year. He did one last recording for Blue Note, the one we’ll focus on here, Extension (Blue Note 84171), in March of 1964. For all of his Blue Note records, Braith employed the standard organ trio plus horn line-up that is so prevalent in soul jazz records of the era, though the material deviates far from what you’d hear on,say, a record by other organists like Patton at that point in his career or Freddie Roach. The organist on these sessions, Billy Gardner, had been active and recording as a pianist in New York since at least 1960, appearing on sessions led by drummer Dave Bailey, saxophonist Charlie Rouse and an early Grant Green session from 1961. Gardner’s discography is also quite limited, appearing only on a couple of sessions for Lou Donaldson, one for Houston Person and a small band session for Johnny Hodges. His style, while steeped in the deep blues and soul necessary for any organist of the era, also reveals an exploratory bent, unusual tones, an ear for navigating Braith’s unusual changes and a profound sensitivity on the more atmospheric tracks. Green is present on all these sessions as well, among the many, many that he appeared on for Blue Note both as leader and sideman from 1961-1966. Green has one of the most immediately recognizable, singing sounds in jazz guitar and despite at times being prone to falling back on some of his standard licks, the material, particularly on Extension, reveals some of Green’s most adventurous playing on record. A shifting line-up of drummers (Donald Bailey, a veteran of organist Jimmy Smith’s groups, the unfortunately under-recorded Hugh Walker, and underground legend Clarence Johnston) completes the cast on these records, all displaying consummate professionalism, swing, groove and taste navigating the wide range of composition and arrangements Braith brought to the sessions.  

Braith himself is a remarkable soloist, with an unfettered facility as I mentioned before on both the stritch and the soprano individually, a muscular tone on tenor and a diverse, rhythmic approach to playing the double-horn parts that spices up arrangements of standards, comps for bandmates, creates unusual textures on the atmospheric compositions and ballads and pushes the envelope on his own solos.

From Two Souls In One, Braith’s appropriation of “Mary Had A Little Lamb” is an unabashed soul jazz swinger with Gardner’s driving bass line and drummer Donald Bailey pushing the band to their limit every step of the way. Braith’s approach to rearranging more well-known material for his two-horn attack is on full display here, along with his playful, yet aggressive soloing that continuously builds tension throughout. Green is also in fine form here, reaching a boiling point before giving way to soulful, screaming solo from Gardner, here sounding reminiscent of his contemporary John Patton, but still very much his own man.

The title track from Soul Stream is an atmospheric track with an unusual chord structure that seemingly finds no resolution until finally settling in one tonal area towards the very end. Gardner conjures different colors and textures for Braith’s melancholic lines, the track opening up as it fades out. To these ears, this track foreshadows Eddie Harris’ atmospheric explorations from later in the decade, sans echoplex of course, and is a true outlier in the sounds one “expects” from an organ combo from 1963. It is also a clear precursor to the “Ethlyn’s Love,” the ballad on Extension.

Gardner’s tough, minor key groover “Boop Bop Bing Bash” from this session is an often compiled track and deservedly so. Braith contrasts his deep toned solo with double-horn punches behind the soloists, Gardner showing himself at the vanguard of jazz organ circa 1964 with echoes of Larry Young in his eloquent phrases, his bass lines interacting and connecting beautifully with Walker’s superb drumming.

Extension is perhaps Braith’s most fully realized record for Blue Note. Recorded over the course of several days in March, 1964, it includes five Braith compositions and a very Braith-ian arrangement of Cole Porter’s “Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye.” Due to having to record on borrowed horns because of the unfortunate robbery of his horns before the session, Braith focuses more on single horn playing, with more tenor than on any other recording of his. Braith’s dark tone on tenor is somewhere in the territory straddling old and new that Yusef Lateef had been so beautifully staking claim to since the late 50s with some Sonny Rollins gruffness thrown in for good measure. Extension is also an unconventional record for Blue Note for the period, eschewing an emerging formula on the label that would be cemented into place for the next several years with the success of Lee Morgan’s Sidewinder (Blue Note 84157). This formula consisted of a groovy blues to open the record, typically followed by either a ballad or more challenging composition and a side-ending latin-oriented piece; the second side opened typically with another cooker, followed by perhaps a second ballad and a mid-tempo piece, often a standard, to close the record. What can you say…it works to great effect and a good chunk of the classic Blue Note releases from the second half of the 60s have this template in place. Here, on the other hand, we open with the intricate 6/8 dance of “Nut City,” sporting a Flamenco-ish chord movement in the A sections before giving way to a more typical release. The soloists benefit wonderfully from the rhythmic juxtapositions in the form, with Green and Braith working in a plethora of dynamic motifs. Gardner’s tone on this record is more personal than on any of the other recordings on which he can be almost confused with Patton at times (or perhaps the other way around, who knows?). Not so here as a more delicate, dark tone permeates the backgrounds, laying the groundwork for the aforementioned ballad “Ethlyn’s Love,” a more fully elaborated expression of some of the unorthodox chord movements in “Soul Stream.” The tracks that follow, “Out Here” and “Extension” again show Braith’s penchant for said harmonies, use of whole tone scale, stacked 4ths and augmented lines in the melodies, unconventional resolutions and compositions. They meld the harmonic and rhythmic sequences in a way that brings us in and out of familiar and unfamiliar territory in unexpected ways and paint a portrait of one of jazz’s most singular and practically forgotten personalities. “Out Here” builds off of an augmented motif, more recognizable as a turnaround (which was indeed employed by the seminal blues guitarist T-Bone Walker) before placing us on a path with unforeseen twists and turns. Grant Green’s playing here is of particular note in contrast to virtually all his recordings. stepping outside of his usual comfort zone, exploring this new terrain with a cautious aplomb. Braith’s tenor takes a different path into the exploration of 4ths than Eddie Harris, along with many other melodic leaps, weaving a tapestry of ideas tastefully cradled by the sympathetic comping of Gardner and Johnston. Gardner is also notable again, his embellishments of the harmonies during his solos making the eccentricity of said harmonies shine. Many of these compositions are an evolutionary expression of Monkish harmonic and melodic sensibilities ("Sweetville"), though once again Braith’s own personality is what is most evident, a tributary voice within jazz’s evolutive continuum. Extension’s title track incorporates the main melodic motif of Clifford Brown’s “Daahoud” into a wider palette. A challenging piece with a tight arrangement, tenor with echoes of Sonny Rollins and impeccably placed two-horn shouts,  it also has, once again, Grant Green finding a new context for his familiar voice, digging in to the changes with a no-nonsense directness that highlights the virtues of his harmonic approach.

With Larry Young and Roy Haynes, 1964

There are other stories and photos of Braith from the era that place him in the best company possible in jazz in the mid-60s, with icons (Coltrane), underground legends (bassist Albert Stinson) emerging stars (Roy Ayers) beyond his recording companions, among others. His mohawk hairdo, another nod to Rollins, sharing the stage with Larry Young and Roy Haynes is a fitting snapshot of what Braith embodied musically at the time: a unique musician searching, pushing the envelope with like-minded musicians who are also conscious of their place within the evolving art of jazz.  Braith would record only two more records in the era: the aforementioned, and ultimately disappointing, Laughing Soul and the more exploratory Musart, which we will revisit at a later date on this blog. His Musart studio predates and grows into the 70s loft scene, more notably recognized in Sam Rivers’ Studio Rivbea and the Wildflowers recordings on Douglas.

 Los Angeles, 1965: (L-R) Albert Stinson, John Houston, George Braith, Roy Ayers, Donald Dean

Braith’s long recording silence following his output in the 60s prods the imagination as to where things went, though Musart perhaps maps at least some of that ground. Nonetheless, his Blue Note recordings are yet another example of the almost endless well of chromatic hues and explosive, unique and often eccentric creativity that so many now almost-forgotten figures had to offer. So it goes…

jg

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All tracks composed by George Braith, except as noted.

From John Patton Blue John (Blue Note 84143)

Rec. August 2, 1963

George Braith- stritch, soprano sax; Grant Green- guitar; John Patton- organ; Ben Dixon- drums.

1. Bermuda Clay House

From Two Souls In One (Blue Note 84148)

Recorded September 4, 1963

George Braith- stritch, soprano sax; Grant Green- guitar; Billy Gardner- organ; Donald Bailey- drums

2. Mary Had A Little Lamb (trad.)

From Soul Stream (Blue Note 84161)

Recorded December 16, 1963

Personnel as above, except Hugh Walker replaces Bailey on drums.

3. Soul Stream

4. Boop, Bop, Bing, Bash (Billy Gardner)

Extension (Blue Note 84171)

Recorded March 24-27, 1964

Personnel as above, except Clarence Johnston is on drums.

5. Nutville

6. Ethlyn’s Love

7. Out Here

8. Extension

9. Sweetville

10. Ev’ry Time We Say Goodbye (Cole Porter)