Matt Smith's Grandfather/1978 ABC Special

[mattsmith]

Hello Everyone,

Every once in a while I share a video of one of my relatives, but this one is special because today was the first time I had ever seen this. It's my grandfather playing trombone on a 1978 ABC variety show hosted by Hal Linden/ who was Barney Miller/ and the Captain and Tenille. Linden was apparently a great clarinet player, and the band itself was Murphy Campo's Jazz saints, often regarded as the best of this kind back in the 1970s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedkZEcIo-I

The drummer here is the legendary Milton Rich, who was said to have laid down the best traditional jazz grooves of that era. This club was called Crazy Shirley's and was one of the familiar haunts of my dad in his college days. In fact he's supposedly in the crowd.

Seeing it from today's perspective, it's a really corny show. The opening bit with Hal Linden and the Captain and Tenille is barely tolerable, and those 70s clothes are hilarious. But the quality of the playing is very, very high.

[Chazz]

Hey Matt,

You must be really proud of your relatives...
I thought it was Very Entertaining and enjoyable & in good quality.
Your Grandfather did a great job!


Best,
Chazz

[Steamer]

Thanks for sharing that with us. That was fun Matt!

[Paul Quin]

great stuff!! who knew about Hal Linden? Great clip and wonderful to have such a clip of your grandfather.

Thanks for sharing

Paul

[GRUNTERSDAD]

Great stuff Matt, Nothing like a trombone to spice up the Dixieland sound.

[joshisaces]

Why do you speak in 3rd person all the time?

[mattsmith]

Hello Everyone,

Every once in a while I share a video of one of my relatives, but this one is special because today was the first time I had ever seen this. It's my grandfather playing trombone on a 1978 ABC variety show hosted by Hal Linden/ who was Barney Miller/ and the Captain and Tenille. Linden was apparently a great clarinet player, and the band itself was Murphy Campo's Jazz Saints, often regarded as the best of this kind back in the 1970s.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bedkZEcIo-I

The drummer here is the legendary Milton Rich, who was said to have laid down the best traditional jazz grooves of that era. This club was called Crazy Shirley's and was one of the familiar haunts of my dad in his college days. In fact he's supposedly in the crowd.

Seeing it from today's perspective, it's a really corny show. The opening bit with Hal Linden and the Captain and Tenille is barely tolerable, and those 70s clothes are hilarious. But the quality of the playing is very, very high.



Why do you speak in 3rd person all the time?


There was no third person man. Play nice dude. I'm just trying to showcase my grandfather.

[joshisaces]

There was no third person man. Play nice dude. I'm just trying to showcase my grandfather.

It wasn't meant to be offensive. I was just wondering is all. Sorry, haha

[Whitedrummer]

It wasn't meant to be offensive. I was just wondering is all. Sorry, haha

Wondering? Can you do that? Just wondering.

[mattsmith]

It wasn't meant to be offensive. I was just wondering is all. Sorry, haha

Thanks for the clarification man. No offense at all. If you're talking about the third person titles, that's just to identify my videos. There are usually a handful who are interested on one side of the fence or the other. How about you? Are you going to put up any new videos soon?

[Fishnmusicn]

That one break in the song sounds just like the melody from Country Joe and the Fish at Woodstock, 1,2,3 what are we fighting for? and so on... Nice musicianship.

Fishnmusicn

http://mysite.verizon.net/vzevwfbf/fishnmusicnproductions/

[michael drums]

Wow,


Thanks for sharing that, Matt! ;-)


Very cool. Grandpa did awesome.


:-)

[joshisaces]

Thanks for the clarification man. No offense at all. If you're talking about the third person titles, that's just to identify my videos. There are usually a handful who are interested on one side of the fence or the other. How about you? Are you going to put up any new videos soon?

Yes! Hopefully this week, along with a new drum tour :)

[aydee]

Barney Miller playing clarinet! Who whudda thought...

Fishnmusicn, yes that tune sounded like Country Joe's Vietnam song in large parts.. the melody, the changes...

Matt, something about your grandad reminds me of Bob Newhart... dont know why...

The band sounded tight, rehearsed, and swung people off their chairs..

I think its great that you share your grandad's legacy with others and feel the need to do so. It really is something I respect & admire. A nod & an appreciation to what has been is to not only respect their contribution but to oneself as a musician.

Great stuff!

( I always hated Captain & Tennille, though.. ; )

[mattsmith]

( I always hated Captain & Tennille, though.. ; )
I'm with you on that. Those guys were a huge gap in my music education. Until this week, I had never heard of the Captain and Tenille. I of course had seen Barney Miller on TV Land network, and had already heard that Linden had many talents. But it had to be explained to me that C&T was one of the single most dominant pop acts of the 1970s, and that the hideous Love Will Keep Us Together had not only been a #1 song, but had stayed #1 for an entire year.

I had another song where Tenille was singing Dr. Jazz with the band, but I just couldn't post it. It sounded like dinner theater with all these fake growls etc, so its just not happening. She reminds of very light Celine Dion, but without the chops. Now the Captain guy seems to have it going on and was obviously the brains behind the operation. Gruntersdad was nice enough to pm me and explain that he had been a major contributor to numerous early rock and roll recordings, and that's easy to see on another song where he's playing a piano duet with Fats Domino/ minus the jazz band/. But it's just not enough to compensate for the other 50% of the act.

The 70s have always seemed to me a decade of huge musical disparities, where the best and the worst seemed to coexist side by side on a level seldom if ever seen in popular music. Amazing r&b horn bands walked alongside disco, Zepplin/ Emerson Lake and Palmer/Yes shared the charts with REO Speedwagon, while Captain and Tenille and the Starland Vocal Band faced off regularly with prime Stevie Wonder and Steely Dan. Of course we have those widely shifting quality levels now. Still, it just seemed like the 70s was the widest decade of all.

But, at a time when we were still a couple of years away from cable, a show like this could draw an audience of 20 million in the three network world. These days you can find ratings like that on 2 or three fingers.

[Drummer Karl]

Matt,

thanks a lot for sharing this and thank you for the message! It really must be awesome to watch the grandfather laying down some great great music.
In fact, I enjoyed it so much!

One day your grandchildren may post your videos in a forum? Well, we never know. ;-)

Karl

[drumhead61]

Matt,

Thanks for sharing Dude, that was great stuff; I knew about Hal and his playing for sometime, its hilarious to me that you had not heard of C&T, but then you were not MISSING A THING!!! OH, the misery of reliving the thought of all the songs they bombarded my childhood with...UGH.

[mattsmith]

Thanks for all these nice comments. They are very much appreciated.

Aydee, this band sounds rehearsed because they were together 5 hours a night, six nights a week for three years. I've heard the available tapes of this group and they were actually even better than this. They knew hundreds of tunes and technically could do just about anything. I doubt the rehearsal for this segment was more than 15 minutes to a half hour tops. The regular clarinetist Oscar Davis was a phenom, one of the greatest traditional jazz clarinetists of all time, and the regular pianist Phil Morgan was a virtuoso of this kind of music in every regard. So even with Linden and Captain's strong contributions, the band took a dip to make this program. That's how good they were. With that said, it's no surprise to me that during this era, this was the only band Buddy Rich regularly sat in with when he was in New Orleans. Rich asked Grand Dad to join his band a month before this taping, but he turned him down. Grand Dad hated the road, and as he said it didn't want to hang out with a bunch of college kids. My dad /who was a college kid/ then joined Rich off and on a couple of years later.

[aydee]

Thanks for all these nice comments. They are very much appreciated.

Aydee, this band sounds rehearsed because they were together 5 hours a night, six nights a week for three years. I've heard the available tapes of this group and they were actually even better than this. They knew hundreds of tunes and technically could do just about anything. I doubt the rehearsal for this segment was more than 15 minutes to a half hour tops. The regular clarinetist Oscar Davis was a phenom, one of the greatest traditional jazz clarinetists of all time, and the regular pianist Phil Morgan was a virtuoso of this kind of music in every regard. So even with Linden and Captain's strong contributions, the band took a dip to make this program. That's how good they were. With that said, it's no surprise to me that during this era, this was the only band Buddy Rich regularly sat in with when he was in New Orleans. Rich asked Grand Dad to join his band a month before this taping, but he turned him down. Grand Dad hated the road, and as he said it didn't want to hang out with a bunch of college kids. My dad /who was a college kid/ then joined Rich off and on a couple of years later.

Yes, I guess it was a time that marked the of beginning of the extinction of the great bands.

The early 80s is when I heard the Blakey, Hampton, & the Dizzy bands, and even though that was a time well past their hey-days, right away one heard just a different level of musicianship and a chemistry which could only come from having played those charts a million times together with each other on the road.

Since then I've seen great players, good sight readers, slap things together and play great gigs and everybody is raving...but that stuff was in a league of its own.You know exactly what I mean.

One just cant recreate or shortcut that music any more. Too bad.

Would be interesting to know what your grandad thinks of larger ensemble playing today compared to back in his day?

[mattsmith]

Yes, I guess it was a time that marked the of beginning of the extinction of the great bands.

That was certainly true of New Orleans' Bourbon St. that according to family hosted over 20 permanent mostly jazz clubs, lights on 24 hours a day, with the doors wide open. By 1980, there were only 2 or 3 left. Bandleaders kept their spots at those places for years at a time, while personnel rarely changed. Bourbon St. in the 60s-70s was supposedly the largest collection of round the clock jazz clubs since the 1930s Kansas City days. Dad says it was 1940s era 57th St. on steroids.

The early 80s is when I heard the Blakey, Hampton, & the Dizzy bands, and even though that was a time well past their hey-days, right away one heard just a different level of musicianship and a chemistry which could only come from having played those charts a million times together with each other on the road.

Since then I've seen great players, good sight readers, slap things together and play great gigs and everybody is raving...but that stuff was in a league of its own.You know exactly what I mean. One just cant recreate or shortcut that music any more. Too bad.
Agreed. There just seems to be nothing that can beat regular guys together all the time. Just check out the chemistry of this big band that my dad led continuously for 7 years. This was the same band Louis Bellson often worked with, and as is seen here, often served as Clark Terry's back up band, when he couldn't afford to keep a regular New York band together.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F86N6fpQPu0&feature=channel_page

You just can't match this kind of chemistry. It just sounds different, that's all.

Would be interesting to know what your grandad thinks of larger ensemble playing today compared to back in his day?

Grand Dad feels that in his day there weren't as many solid players then as today, because of the years of jazz education that started in the 60s. But he feels that the truly great players back then were better than anything that's out there now. To him sight reading today is especially better, but that swing issues only reach the highest level from having the same people together for a long time. So to him these solid, but throw together big bands feel cold. But I wasn't around of course, so I have no 1st hand info to say if he's right or wrong.

[aydee]

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=F86N6fpQPu0&feature=channel_page

You just can't match this kind of chemistry. It just sounds different, that's all.



Grand Dad feels that in his day there weren't as many solid players then as today, because of the years of jazz education that started in the 60s. But he feels that the truly great players back then were better than anything that's out there now. To him sight reading today is especially better, but that swing issues only reach the highest level from having the same people together for a long time. So to him these solid, but throw together big bands feel cold. But I wasn't around of course, so I have no 1st hand info to say if he's right or wrong.

Ah, the Professor! Wow, thats your dad's band? Clark Terry sitting in on this gig? ( Didn't the great Ed Soph play a lot with Terry's band? Did he play with your dad?)

Its the dynamics that are so incredible in this band. You cannot cut/paste this stuff.

Thanks for asking your grandad, Matt. It makes sense what he says..theres a wider pool of trained players, but they don't have the playing situations and musical opportunities as those back then, which threw up more great ones as a consequence. ( These guys would go up to the Poconos for 2 months at a stretch! That is a long long tour in the life of a jazz band )

[chrisclick]

Wow, I mean wow, your grandaddy is spectacular.

[Thunderhoof]

That was awesome man! Thanks for sharing. I think it would actually be a good time to play something like that.

[Dannyc]

Hi Matt,

My name is Danny Campo, a cousin of the late Murphy Campo. I just wanted to thank you for posting the info on your grandfather and of course cousin Murph's music. I have been searching for a few years now for something on tape of one of Murph's performances and this is the first I have found.

I too am a musician and have had the privilege to play a few gigs with my very talented cousin. I have also had the opportunity to meet all of the Jazz Saints (but never played a tune with them) over the years, including your grandfather but he probably won't remember as I was just one of the audience who spoke to the band in between sets or after a gig most of the time.

Not sure if you ever met Murphy's younger brother Phil Campo, also a very good trumpet man and does just as well on drums. He, like me, is still playing music in South Louisiana.

Thanks again for the postings and as I am new here I will be catching up on some of your past postings.

Later,

Danny C.

[Pollyanna]

Matt, I really enjoyed the band's class and energy. A very easy listen. Wow, there's just a couple of degrees of separation between you and Captain and Tenille - who'd have thunk it? :)

BTW, just had a look at your band's Massive Attack cover via the YouTube link ... love your band. Great playing, great music.

[keep it simple]

Growing young together over a million road miles. Organic communication of the most wholesome kind. You're right to be proud.

[mattsmith]

Hi Matt,

My name is Danny Campo, a cousin of the late Murphy Campo. I just wanted to thank you for posting the info on your grandfather and of course cousin Murph's music. I have been searching for a few years now for something on tape of one of Murph's performances and this is the first I have found.

I too am a musician and have had the privilege to play a few gigs with my very talented cousin. I have also had the opportunity to meet all of the Jazz Saints (but never played a tune with them) over the years, including your grandfather but he probably won't remember as I was just one of the audience who spoke to the band in between sets or after a gig most of the time.

Not sure if you ever met Murphy's younger brother Phil Campo, also a very good trumpet man and does just as well on drums. He, like me, is still playing music in South Louisiana.

Thanks again for the postings and as I am new here I will be catching up on some of your past postings.

Later,

Danny C.
Hi Danny. This is a pleasure and I will tell my Grandad about your letter. I know that he really loved your cousin's playing. No I never met Phil and have only been to New Orleans for brief visitis, unlike the rest of family who knew pre Katrina New Orleans very well.


BTW, just had a look at your band's Massive Attack cover via the YouTube link ... love your band. Great playing, great music.
Polly, that was from a television show a couple of months ago. Fortunately they are better now. Personally I thought the project was a little uneven back then. However, after a lot of time back to the drawing board that band is now 100% originals and is recording their first serious video and EP on Tuesday. I wasn't sure about the project when I first joined up, and I didn't want it to get in the way of the jazz projects, especially a Hammond B3 band I'm doing festivals with. But in the end the Daybreak band has become a lot of fun.

[Pollyanna]

Polly, that was from a television show a couple of months ago. Fortunately they are better now. Personally I thought the project was a little uneven back then. However, after a lot of time back to the drawing board that band is now 100% originals and is recording their first serious video and EP on Tuesday. I wasn't sure about the project when I first joined up, and I didn't want it to get in the way of the jazz projects, especially a Hammond B3 band I'm doing festivals with. But in the end the Daybreak band has become a lot of fun.

Great to see a band like this with a tasty, organic sound getting somewhere. It's way better but, in terms of style, it's not miles from what my group aspires to. Not wanting to hijack the thread (too much :) but I'm curious about why you went in that direction.

[mattsmith]

Great to see a band like this with a tasty, organic sound getting somewhere. It's way better but, in terms of style, it's not miles from what my group aspires to. Not wanting to hijack the thread (too much :) but I'm curious about why you went in that direction.

Well, it's not really so much a new direction as another kind of music to play. I've never wanted to specialize and never have, although I get the jazz tag because of pedigree, and I have no problem with that. Daybreak does seem to have something to it and people really like it. But as of yet it's hard to put your finger on it.

Right now if someone calls and the project is interesting, I want to do it. I'm too new at this to be turning down work. Funny you ask about this band because it has been taking off lately. In fact I just came off one of their shows a couple of hours ago. The manager of Daybreak is sort of seeing it wrong with youtube and the originals. I think that we should release a couple from time to time and see the reaction/ past the usual obvious trolls/. You can use youtube for focus group stuff in clever ways without exposing yourself to a bunch of the crazy stuff. Besides stuff like the drum forums seeing this stuff helps with the industry folks, who I know for a fact lurk DW forums all the time. I think being smart about the USA thing is the only way to go.

Nobody is going to steal the songs of a clawing its way to the middle band on youtube.

[bobdadruma]

I found your Granddad's vid when I was googling my musical idols, The Captan and Tennille! LOL!
What do you mean by corny? What was corny about The Captan and Tennille? And don't ever use the word Corny and Barney Miller in the same sentence again !%@#$^&*(@
I loved that show!
I still have a poster of Abe Vidgoda! He was cooler than Kojak!
"Who Loves Ya Baby!"

[Nodiggie]

Great stuff Matt,

Wish I had some clips of my grand dad. My favorite story of his in short goes:

His orchestra was hired to play a wedding reception back in the 30's. They met at a location, the band was blind folded and transported (a 45min ride or so). After the huge party they were blindfolded again and returned to their first meeting point. Some mob boss got married. Good times.

[Pollyanna]

Well, it's not really so much a new direction as another kind of music to play. I've never wanted to specialize and never have, although I get the jazz tag because of pedigree, and I have no problem with that. Daybreak does seem to have something to it and people really like it. But as of yet it's hard to put your finger on it.

Right now if someone calls and the project is interesting, I want to do it.

... Funny you ask about this band because it has been taking off lately. In fact I just came off one of their shows a couple of hours ago. The manager of Daybreak is sort of seeing it wrong with youtube and the originals. I think that we should release a couple from time to time and see the reaction/ past the usual obvious trolls/. You can use youtube for focus group stuff in clever ways without exposing yourself to a bunch of the crazy stuff. Besides stuff like the drum forums seeing this stuff helps with the industry folks, who I know for a fact lurk DW forums all the time. I think being smart about the USA thing is the only way to go.

Nobody is going to steal the songs of a clawing its way to the middle band on youtube.

Ok, I geddit. Cheers. That's a very quotable quote BWT "... a clawing its way to the middle band" :)

Interested to see how Lutz's and your band get on. Quality acts IMO. I'd love to see bands with natural-sounding instrumentation making a dent in the scene.