James Tatum - 1974 - Contemporary Jazz Mass

James Tatum

1974

Contemporary Jazz Mass

01. Introduction / Lord Have Mercy 6:17

02. Glory To God 3:54

03. Alleluia 3:59

04. Offertory 4:36

05. Holy, Holy, Holy 2:42

06. Amen 2:17

07. The Lord's Prayer 3:45

08. Rite Of Peace 3:17

09. Lamb Of God 2:20

10. Communion 6:23

Bass – Joe Williams

Piano – James Tatum

Congas, Bongos – Ronald Stewart

Percussion – Bert Myrick

Soprano Saxophone – Theodore Buckner

Tenor Saxophone, Alto Saxophone – Louis Barnett

Trombone – Norman O'Gara

Trumpet – Judge Gray

Vocals – Conwell Carrington (tracks: A1, A2, B5)

Vocals – Ursula Walker (tracks: A2, B1, B3)

Recorded live at St. Cecilia, Detroit, Michigan.

The labels credit the group as James Tatum Trio Plus.

James Tatum was born in Mineola, Texas, in a home that encouraged him to play the piano. He was educated receiving both a Bachelor of Arts degree from Prairie View A&M University and a Master's degree in Music from the University of Michigan. After receiving his degrees, he moved to Detroit and was hired as a teacher in the Music & Fine Arts Department in the Detroit Public School System and became a department head at Murray Wright High School

Mr. Tatum became involved with music and jazz education in the Detroit public schools, local colleges and universities including Wayne County Community College District, Oakland University, Oakland Community College, and Macomb Community College. He was recognized for his mastery and became a member of several leading music organizations, the International Association of Jazz Educators, the National Committee of the Black Jazz Caucus, the Music Educators National Conference, and the International American Federation of Musicians. Mr. Tatum dedicated his life to the arts and has been an educator, jazz pianist, composer, a music lecturer, a philanthropist and a patron of the arts. He is distinguished in the world of classical music education and jazz. In his role as educator and lecturer he presents a variety of music subjects in a lecturer format including "The History of Jazz," "How to Listen to Jazz," and "Elements and Improvisation of Jazz Expressions." Tatum has composed many compositions: “Contemporary Jazz Mass," "Jubilee Jazz Suite," "The Return of Joshua,” “Great Detroit Renaissance" and many others. His CD recording called “A Tribute to Nelson Mandela" was released in 2013.Twenty nine years ago, James Tatum founded the James Tatum Foundation for the Arts, Inc. when he was divinely guided to create a way to help talented youth pursue their dreams. As part of the foundation, he created the following programs; the Scholarship Program, the Jazz Lecture Performance Program, the Give-A-Toot Program, the Annual Classical/Jazz Concert, and the Volunteer Recognition Awards Ceremony. He has diligently worked to keep his vision alive for decades by providing scholarships to talented youth in the arts. To date, the foundation has given over $377,000 in scholarships to over 500 graduating local and metropolitan area high school students. Over 95% of past James Tatum Foundation for the Arts recipients have received their college degrees. From 2004 to 2006, Tatum was a weekly talk show host of Tune into Artistry on WDTR-FM 90.9 FM. In 2005, Tatum was the first jazz musician to receive the People Choice Michigan Artist Award presented by the Governor of Michigan Jennifer Granholm and sponsored by Arts Serve of Michigan. And, in 2006, James Tatum Trio Plus performed on Wayne State University's WDET.FM National Public Radio Destination Jazz Show, hosted by Ed Love. He has also performed with jazz legend Billy Taylor and many others at the 21s Annual Jazz Forum and Concert hosted by Honourable John Conyers, Jr. in Washington, D.C. on September 22,2005.In 2009, he was interviewed on National CNN Headlines Newsmaker. In the same year he was inducted into the First Historical Museum in his hometown of Mineola, Texas. The Mayor, City Council, Museum Board of Director and many civic leaders honoured Mr. Tatum. His memoirs of his lifetime achievements are on display. In 2010, Tatum received the highest Humanitarian Award from the University President Dr. George C. Wright of the Prairie View A& M University, because of his distinguished alumnus. In 2012, James Tatum was honoured twice. He was invited to Grenada, West Indies to perform in a Jazz Lecture Performance Celebration Festival, sponsored by the U.S. Embassy and Grenada Music Film Industry. Tatum shared the Jazz Education performance with a wide audience on two television stations. Thousands of Grenadians were able to see James Tatum perform and lecture on a special 30-minute show. Mr. Tatum received the Spirit of Detroit Award given to the James Tatum Foundation by the Mayor and City Council of Detroit. In 2015, Mr. Tatum performed at the Tuesday Musicale of Detroit Second Annual Classical to Jazz Concert at the Congregational Church of Birmingham in Bloomfield Hills, Michigan. He also signed a five-year contract with Jazzman Records LTD of London UK, reissuing two of his LP recordings: "The Contemporary Jazz Mass" (74) and the "Spiritualotta Jazz Suite (81)

Owning a copy of the original Contemporary Jazz Mass LP takes time, effort and money. Depending on condition, getting hold of a copy will probably set you back somewhere in the region of £200 – £300 and may take several months of searching online.

For those of you who don’t want to wait or spend the heightened price tag then fortunately Jazzman Records have re-issued Contemporary Jazz Mass on Vinyl, Digital and CD. The latter includes Tatum’s second album, ”Live at Orchestra Hall & the Paradise Theater” as well.

I have a fairly pragmatic approach to re-issues; providing the sound quality is good enough then I’m prepared to accept the compromise. Of course, Jazzman has a proven track record when it comes to these types of releases, providing detailed liner notes to help contextualise the artist and the release as well as the music itself.

Tatum was commissioned by St Cecilia’s Roman Catholic Church, Detroit to compose the Mass. His inspiration came from Duke Ellington’s Sacred Concerts performed some years earlier. At the time Ellington’s Concerts were quite controversial. Whilst they contained scriptural references they did not follow liturgical form and whilst Ellington did not intend this religious conservatives responded poorly to what they saw as a syncretistic amalgamation of faith and jazz. Broadly speaking however the Concerts were received positively and in the following years a number of similar projects combined elements of liturgical structure and/or content with jazz. Examples include Paul Horn and Lalo Schifrin’s “Jazz Suite on the Mass Texts”, Mary Lou Williams’ “Mary Lou’s Mass” and “Black Christ of the Andes”, but gospel/choral influences are also evident in work by others – Donald Byrd, Archie Shepp, Andrew Hill and Max Roach, for example.

Tatum’s Mass avoided the controversy of these quasi-religious compositions by sticking to the liturgical text.

The Mass was first performed at St Cecilia’s in May 1973, and released as an album on Tatum’s own JTTP Record label in 1974. The band comprised of Tatum’s regular trio plus additional local Detroit musicians drafted in for the occasion. Conwell Carrington and Ursula Walker provided vocals with choral support.

Music helps create and heighten the tone of ceremony and ritual. It’s important to understand that this music was written for a church service, but nonetheless this tone, and the emotional response it evokes, can resonate in the secular world as well, whether we call it Spiritual or Gospel Jazz.

The opening bars of “Introduction/Lord Have Mercy” are solemn, with horns calling the listener to attention and acting as a clarion call. The track has a distinct, dramatic quality, signifying the transformation from the mundane to the spiritual. When Carrington’s voice first enters, towards the end of the composition, it instills a slightly unnerving sense of foreboding in his passionate baritone.

“Lord Have Mercy” aside the rest of the album has a lighter tone, a mixture of songs and instrumentals, rich in melody and harmony.

For me the vocal roles are quite defined and both are equally appealing. Carrington’s style is worldly, knowing, paternal even, Walker’s no less powerful but filled with optimism. These different means of expression are most apparent on the devotional “Gloria” which features both leads. “Holy, Holy, Holy” is mellifluously light and uplifting, and “The Lord’s Prayer”, well we all know the lyrics, don’t we?

Tracks like “Amen” and “Alleluia” feature the 13-piece choir, The Motif. The latter opens slowly, with a deliberate pulse-like rhythm lifted by soft harmonies and Tatum’s embellishments on keys. This meditative calm is dispelled when the tempo picks up and the musicians come to the fore, not in an act of ego, but to exult the congregation.

Throughout, the intention of the music is not to showcase the virtuosity of the musicians involved, but at different times to stimulate contemplation, devotion and praise. The results are both reverent and enriching. Taylor’s delightfully meandering lines on the electric piano lift the melodies; take my favourite instrumental track, “Communion” for example.

As much as the music arouses an emotional response centred in the spiritual sound and messages, for me it is also conjures up the structure it is was performed in as well. The sound is wonderfully open, to the extent that you can imagine it reverberating around the expanse of the church.

A gem of independent Detroit jazz, reissued for the first time. James Tatum's stunning, spiritualized Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded during its first-ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on Tatum's own private label in 1974. A professional music educator and jazz composer, Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he began teaching music to local children in St Cecilia's. The church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians. Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz -- nourishment for the spirit and soul, brought back to you by Jazzman Records as part of its esteemed Holy Grail Series. The CD version also includes Tatum's independent second release, Live at the Orchestra Hall & Paradise Theater (1980). Another breathtaking long-form vocal jazz composition, it was conceived as a trip through the deep history of African-American music, expressing the spirit and sound of the past through the medium of jazz music and song.

James Tatum's stunning, spiritualised Contemporary Jazz Mass is one of the only true jazz masses ever released. Inspired by Duke Ellington's Sacred Concerts, Tatum's masterwork was recorded on its first ever performance at St Cecilia Church in Detroit, and released on his own private label in 1974. Professional music educator and jazz composer Tatum had been working as a teacher in Detroit, and in the long aftermath of the 1967 riots he had started to instruct local children music in St Cecilia's. The Church commissioned the mass in 1972, and Tatum put together an ensemble of singers from within the church, backed by his own trio and local jazz musicians.

Looking toward the great sacred works of Ellington, but with lyrics drawn straight from liturgy, the Contemporary Jazz Mass is a unique work of sanctified vocal jazz - nourishment for the spirit and soul.