Complete Bee Hive Sessions

The late 1970s was a weird time for acoustic jazz. The profitability of rock and soul in the late 1960s and early '70s had drained the talent in jazz departments at all record labels. If you worked on the jazz side and hadn't made the leap to producing rock and soul artists, you were most likely fired or you left in disgust. With the diminished standing of the jazz producer during this period, musicians were left to self-produce in many cases, and the results were dismal. Even in cases where there were producers, they were often asleep at the switch, making few demands on track lists or better takes.

Other than fusion—with its emphasis on rock, electronic instruments, psychedelic mysticism and lengthy solos—jazz had little new to say acoustically that hadn't been said before and often much better.

In 1977, Jim and Susan Neumann started Bee Hive Records in their Evanston, Ill., home outside of Chicago. They were fully aware that the jazz landscape had become littered with legends staggering around in shock, unsure what had happened to their careers and whether audiences would ever care about their music again .

They also knew the risks they were facing. Like Coast Guard operations late to a disaster, theirs was a recovery mission, not a bid to rescue or resurrect the music, which had been already doomed by market forces and demographic shifts. Over the course of seven years, the Neumanns recorded 16 bop and post-bop albums. While just shy of perfect, much of the Bee Hive catalog captured great artists delivering magnificent works. For this, all jazz fans owe the Neumanns a debt of gratitude.

Now, Mosaic Records is celebrating this overlooked late '70s period and label with The Complete Bee Hive Sessions, a 12-CD box that features 16 albums via 110 tracks, plus six tracks released only on a rare sampler and three tracks previously unissued. [Above, New York's Soho in the 1970s, which was home to many jazz clubs and reflected the decay of the acoustic art form]

For me, the fundamental question with sets like this one isn't the act of jazz being preserved but whether the music holds up. Plenty of jazz was recorded in the 1970s and '80s that may have seemed like a good idea at the time but simply isn't worthwhile any longer. Fortunately, most of the Bee Hive box is pure gold.

Let's dig in:

Nick Brignola—Baritone Madness (1977), featuring trumpeter Ted Curson, baritone saxophonists Nick Brignola and Pepper Adams, with drummer Roy Haynes in the rhythm section. Heart-racing third-rail excitement by two brawling bop saxophonists who tear up song after song with basement-level aggression and endurance.

Nick Brignola—Burn Brigade (1979), featuring Brignola paired with baritone saxophonists Ronnie Cuber and Cecil Payne. Tracks like Busy B's are hair-raising and remarkable, reminding listeners how vital and energetic these guys were even as jazz became less viable as a way to earn a living.

Sal Nistico—Neo Nistico (1978), with Curson, tenor saxophonist Sal Nistico and Brignola. The band's reading of Anthropology will send your head spinning and Nistico's mid-tempo take of Be My Love is precious and loaded with Sonny Rollins influence.

Curtis Fuller—Fire and Filigree (1978) unites trombonist Curtis Fuller and Nistico, resulting in powerful contrasts—Fuller's mellow ripeness against Nistico's motorcycle attack.

Dizzy Reese—Manhattan Project (1978). Trumpeter Reese squares off with tenor saxophonists Clifford Jordan and Charles Davis. This album was among my least favorite. It just feels overly wrought and aimless in places.

Clifford Jordan—Hyde Park After Dark (1983). Jordan is featured with Curson and tenor saxophonist Von Freeman. Ballads such as You're Blase, I'm Glad There Is You and I Waited for You are glorious. The rest, feels a bit scorched and uneven.

Clifford Jordan—Dr. Chicago (1984). Trumpeter Red Rodney joins Jordan with a rhythm section that includes Jaki Byard on piano and Vernel Fournier on drums. This peppery album derives much of its jucie from Byard's inventive keyboard playing.

Johnny Hartman—Once in Every Life (1980). This was singer Hartman's second to last album and it's a gem. Hartman was accompanied by Joe Wilder (tp,flhrn), Frank Wess (ts,fl), Billy Taylor (p), Al Gafa (g), Victor Gaskin (b) and Keith Copeland (d). Hartman, who would die in 1983, is in perfect form on a wide range of songs, from Easy Living to Wave, and he aces them all with his soft, hip baritone.

Sal Salvador—Starfingers (1978). The Stan Kenton guitarist joins Brignola and trombonist Eddie Bert, with drummer Mel Lewis in the rhythm section. Standing out with guys like Eddie and Brignola really takes some doing, but Salvador was more than up to the task. Dig Nica's Dream and Blues in the Closet.

Sal Salvador—Juicy Lucy (1978). Salvador fronts a superb trio—Billy Taylor (p), Art Davis (b) and Joe Morello (d). They cover songs like Horace Silver's Juicy Lucy and Taylor's Daddy-O. One wishes this group made four more albums while they were in the studio.

Ronnie Mathews—Roots, Branches & Dances (1978). Pianist Mathews backs tenor saxophonist Frank Foster. Mathews had a strong commanding attack and was much more than a rhythm section keyboard player. Superb phrasing and ideas on tracks such as Hi-Fly and Susanita. Mathews and Foster together produced a great sound.

Ronnie Mathews—Legacy (1979). Here, Mathews backs trumpeter Bill Hardman and tenor saxophonist Ricky Ford. The arrangements are top notch, particularly on Once I Loved, Suicide Is Painless (Theme from M*A*S*H) and A Child Is Born.

Roland Hanna—The New York Jazz Quartet in Chicago (1981). This noted quartet consisted of Frank Wess (ts, fl), Roland Hanna (p), George Mraz (b) and Ben Riley (d). I never cared much for the New York Jazz Quartet. Too fractured and overly ambitious.

Dick Katz—In High Profile (1984). Pianist and arranger Dick Katz supports trombonist Jimmy Knepper and Wess on tenor sax and flute. This album was well thought out and delightful from start to finish. Plus, we have an opportunity to hear Dick again, who seems to have faded a bit from the collective jazz memory today. Dig No Matter What, But Not For Me and Cousin Mary. Dick had a marvelous way with notes and time.

Junior Mance—Truckin' and Trakin' (1983). Pianist Mance backs David “Fathead" Newman on tenor saxophone, and it's a perfect pairing. Mance has a lighter, churcy-y feel than most jazz pianists while Fathead was all soul. They ace tracks like Truckin' and Mean Old Amtrack. And you can only imagine how they lean on Birk's Works.

Arnett Cobb—Keep on Pushin' (1984). Tough tenor saxophonist Cobb takes trumpeter Joe Newman and trombonist Al Grey along for a ride, with Junior Mance (p), George Duvivier (b) and Panama Francis (d). It's all deep gravy—from Blues For Lisette, Indiana to Cheatin' on Me. And brace yourself for an exquisite Stardust. On this album, you hear what made Cobb special and why Duvivier was in such studio demand.

By 1985, the Bee Hive adventure was over and the Neumanns moved on. A worthy box that captures a jazz age when the acoustic form was in decline but the musicians still had something to say.

JazzWax clips: Here are three tracks from the set:

Here's Nick Brignola, Ronnie Cuber and Cecil Payne playing Busy B's.

Here's Sal Nistico, Ted Caurson and Nick Brignola playing Wayne Shorter's Fee-Fi-Fo-Fum, with Ronnie Mathews on piano.

And here's Arnett Cobb playing Stardust.