“Desi always says that we’ve been married for 15 years but she’s only known me for seven because I’m on the road so often,” says Wess “Warmdaddy” Anderson. Now, the saxophonist will be seeing more of his wife and blowing more around town having resigned from his 17-year association with trumpeter Wynton Marsalis as well as his position with the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra, a spot he has held since its inception in 1994. His last official date with Marsalis was July 29, 2005. As it happens, Marsalis’ long-time drummer, Herlin Riley, also left both organizations, making his last date with the trumpeter at France’s Marciac Jazz Festival in early August.
“It was a coincidence that it happened at the same time,” says Anderson adding with a laugh, “It wasn’t a mutiny. Actually, we’re trying to keep each other employed.”
Anderson’s reason was simply to spend more time with his family in Baton Rouge and focus his attention on his career as a leader.
“My son is a teenager now and I just needed to stay home more,” explains Anderson, “and I also wanted to start working on some more solo projects. Wynton and I have been talking it over for the last year. He said, ‘Well, you should try it. You’re not getting any younger. You always have a home. If it doesn’t work, you can always come back.’ So I decided, ‘Why not?’”
“We’re like a family,” says Marsalis of both Anderson and Riley. “We were together for almost 20 years. I support their development in whatever they want to do. I’m just grateful that we had that much time to play together and listen to that quality of musicians.”
New Orleans has already felt the impact of having Anderson back on scene. He played a fine set at the Satchmo Club Strut and added fresh texture to drummer Shannon Powell’s super record release party at Donna’s on a crowded stage with vibraphonist Jason Marsalis, bassist Roland Guerin, pianist Larry Sieberth and guitarist Steve Masakowsi. Guerin and Sieberth plus drummer Mark Gulley will be on hand at Snug Harbor on September 17 as Anderson quickly jumps into his own career celebrating the release of his new album, Space. (Herlin Riley also makes an appearance leading his quartet at Snug on September 3.)
Anderson’s ensemble at the Snug Harbor, where he’ll be blowing his custom-made Manning alto from the brand new Warmdaddy line, will be composed of the same musicians brightening his album of all original material. He refers to these guys, with whom he’s often shared bandstands as his Southern quartet. They provide both astute support as well as individualistic statements on a disc that puts the saxophonist center stage. Throughout the album, Warmdaddy lives up to his moniker as well as his reputation as a player who loves to swing. He’s all over the horn on “Warm It Up! Warmdaddy.” It’s a tune that screams that this player is—as he has long been—ready to take on the world.
“These are tunes I’ve been working on for the last year now—each one has its own personality. It [the album] explores more of my original writing. There are about three tunes that are based on standards—because at first it was gonna be a standards record—and then I said, ‘Let me see if I can have some fun.’ Like one of them is based on ‘I’ll Remember April’ and it’s called ‘I’ll Forget May.’”
Anderson also heads a touring ensemble that he dubs the East Coast quartet with pianist Marc Carey, and bassist Kengo Nakamura and drummer Joe Blax. “He’s 21,” says Anderson of Blax. “I like the youngsters. I’m in the 40s club now, and all the older musicians always gave me a chance so I like to give the young musicians a chance to play and develop.”
Anderson will also be heading out of town as he has taken the position of professor of jazz saxophone at Michigan State University. He’ll travel north to teach saxophone and jazz ensemble classes about eight days a month.
“I’ll have time to do gigs,” assures Anderson, who will fly back and forth. “They’ve been wanting me for the last four or five years,” explains the saxophonist, who enjoys many connections with the university’s music department. Anderson met and became friends with the department’s dean when he performed at the school. His old friend and music associate, bassist Rodney Whittaker, heads the jazz studies department that was inaugurated by saxophonist Branford Marsalis. “It wasn’t like the offer all of a sudden popped up.”
While looking forward to the changes that lie before him, Anderson says he will miss the camaraderie of playing with the same musicians with whom he’s spent so many years. “That’s kind of a loss—with that big band you’re used to being with a large group of people, so now you feel kind of empty. We all grew up together basically. We were all in our 20s and now we’re in our 40s. It was like a big family you’re used to being around all the time. That great swinging and every night we knew what each other was going to do but it was very competitive—I miss that. Now I have to listen to my own self play every night.”
HERBERT G. TAYLOR, JR. 1940-2005
“I pretty much do it all,” the versatile Herb Taylor declared several years ago. In recent times, the New Orleans-born drummer, who died on August 5 at the age of 65, was best known on the traditional jazz scene though bebopping remained close to his heart and a vital part of his resume. While classic jazz fans came to know Taylor’s sensitive touch on gigs clarinetist Joe Torregano and trumpeter John Brunious, in the 1960s he was swinging with trumpeter Porgy Jones and later laying down the rhythms for the late great saxophonist Alvin “Red” Tyler.
Most of these jobs, however, were limited to the weekends. Taylor, who studied with the noted Yvonne Busch at Joseph S. Clark High School, graduated from Southern University of Baton Rouge and received a masters from Tulane University, spent 31 teaching English and social studies, primarily at Warren Easton High School. The Vietnam veteran also taught at Southern University of New Orleans and was an adjunct professor of music at Dillard University.
A “do it all” musician, Taylor was also an original member of the brass band that first played on the sidelines at the Saints’ games. With a smile in his voice, he recalled great nights in the 1960s and ’70s behind the drums at now-defunct nightspots like Big Time Crip’s, Sylvia’s and Maison’s Las Vegas Strip swinging on modern jazz with bassist Chuck Badie, saxophonist Nat Perrilliat, pianist Ed Frank and vocalist Germaine Bazzle.
“Music is a universal language that doesn’t have to be spoken but it must be felt,” the music-loving Taylor once avowed. His spirit will be missed.
