Wyld Ryce

Auburn Hare, Ron Carter, Jazz..Or Miles Davis Isn'
The last episode of the Wyld Ryce series, we'll cover all things jazz. Talented musicians with no where to play and one spending the rest of his life behind bars.
TRANSCRIPT
>> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING
FOR WYLD RYCE IS PROVIDED BY A
GRANT FROM THE DAYTON HUDSON
FOUNDING.
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>> THIS IS THE TWIN CITIES
WEEKLY ARTS MAGAZINE.
IN THIS FINAL EDITION OF WYLD
RYCE, WE'RE GOING TO HEAR AND
SEE SOMETHING REALLY SPECIAL,
SOMETHING LIKE THIS.
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>> THAT WAS RON CARTER AND HE
WAS PLAYING JAZZ.
HE IS A MASTER MUSICIAN, ONE
OF THE BEST AROUND.
MY NAME IS DORIS HEINZE AND
I'M A SINGER.
I TRY TO BE A GOOD ONE.
I SING SHOW TUNES, GOSPEL,
SPIRITUAL, SOME BLUES AND
ESPECIALLY JAZZ.
NOW, I APPRECIATE ALL FORMS OF
MUSIC, OPERA, COUNTRY AND
WESTERN, THERE ARE MANY FORMS
OF ART, BUT I PUT JAZZ RIGHT
AT THE TOP AND I THINK A LOT
OF OTHER PEOPLE FEEL THE SAME
WAY.
BUT FOR A NUMBER OF REASONS,
THE JAZZ SCENE HERE IN THE
TWIN CITIES HAS BEEN DORMANT,
FOR SOME TIME, TOO LONG.
SOME PEOPLE HAVE HAD TUNNEL
VISION ABOUT MUSIC.
AND WHEN I WAS FIRST BOOKED
HERE, IN 1959, THERE WERE MANY
JAZZ CLUBS IN TOWN.
THERE WAS HERBS, THE PADDED
CELL, THE KEY CLUB, THE FLAME,
FREDDY'S.
FREDDY'S USED TO HAVE LIKE
ELLA FITZGERALD, SARAH WAND,
BILLY, BUT BY THE TIME THEY
CAME BACK FROM THEIR FIRST
TOUR IN JAPAN IN 1963, THEY
WERE ALL GONE.
FREDDY'S HAD TURNED INTO A
PLACE CALLED VIN VENT VAN GOGH
GOGHS, NO MORE JAZZ.
NOW IT'S BEGINNING TO COME
BACK.
JAZZ IS BEGINNING TO BECOME
ALIVE AGAIN IN THE TWIN
CITIES. IN FACT, YOU MIGHT SAY THAT
IT'S BURGEONING.
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>> IN THE TWIN CITIES, WE GET
JAZZ THAT'S BIG NAME,
ORCHESTRA HALL SIZE, AND
AVENUE ON GUARD, WALKER ARTS
CENTER SIZE.
AVON GUARD.
SINCE MORE CLUB JAZZ, LESSER
KNOWN BUT RECORDED TALENTS
COME THROUGH IOWA THAN HERE,
WE ASK LOCAL PROMOTERS ABOUT
CLUBS, ABOUT NAME TALENT, AND
ABOUT THE LOCAL SCENE.
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>> WHAT I DO IS I TRY TO BRING
IN BASICALLY CONCERT MUSIC.
PEOPLE WHO ARE WRITING CHAMBER
MUSIC IN THE 20th CENTURY.
IT'S NOT THE KIND OF MUSIC
THAT YOU GO TO A NIGHTCLUB
FOR.
IT'S MUSIC THAT YOU GO AND YOU
SIT AND LISTEN TO INTENSELY
FOR ONE HOUR TO TWO-HOUR
PERIOD.
>> ALTHOUGH THERE REMAIN MANY
PEOPLE WHO LISTEN TO JAZZ WHO
ONLY ENJOY LISTENING TO IT IN
A CLUB ATMOSPHERE, NICE, DARK,
SMOKY CLUB WHERE THEY CAN SIT
AND SIP BORBON.
>> THE LONGHORN WAS THE LAST
CLUB TO ATTEMPT JAZZ
REGULARLY.
THEY HAD PROBLEMS.
>> YOU CAN'T KEEP A ROOM OPEN
JUST FOR EVERY FOUR TO SIX
WEEKS BRINGING IN THE GUEST
ACT.
YOU KNOW, YOU HAVE TO KEEP THE
ROOM OPEN BY LOCAL SUPPORT,
FOR YOUR IN-TOWN GROUPS.
WHICH WE WEREN'T GETTING.
YOU KNOW?
AND THAT WOULD BE THE PRIMARY
REASON, I WOULD THINK.
>> HOW DID THE NATIONAL GROUPS
DO?
>> NATIONAL GROUPS DID GOOD,
YOU KNOW, BUT THEN WE STARTED
BRINGING IN THEM SOONER.
INSTEAD OF EVERY FOUR TO SIX,
EVERY, LIKE, THREE TO FOUR, OR
THREE TO FIVE.
AND THEN, WELL, WHAT HAPPENED
THEN IS IT WOULD BE TOO SOON.
>> SO YOU WERE SPLITTING YOUR
AUDIENCE TOO MUCH?
>> YEAH.
REALLY.
AND IT'S A SMALL AUDIENCE TO
BEGIN WITH.
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♪ JAZZ ♪
>> THE NUMBER OF CLUBS
FEATURING JAZZ HAS INCREASED
SINCE 1978.
THE YEAR THE LONGHORNS STOPPED
BOOKING JAZZ REGULARLY.
>> WELL, THERE'S JAZZ IN MORE
TWIN CITIES BARS, CLUBS, AND
RESTAURANTS THAN I THINK
THERE'S EVER BEEN.
SO, LOCAL JAZZ MUSICIANS ARE
PROBABLY FINDING MORE WORK
THAN THEY HAVE IN A LONG
TIMEMENT
NOW, IN MANY CASES, IT'S ONLY
ONE NIGHT A WEEK, SO I DON'T
WANT TO GIVE THE IMPRESSION
THAT -- THAT IT'S A THRIVING
KIND OF A SCENE.
JAZZ MUSICIANS ARE WORKING
CONSTANTLY.
BECAUSE I'M SURE THEY AREN'T.
>> MANY PLACES PLAY JAZZ NOW,
BUT IT'S MOSTLY A SECONDARY
THING.
ONE NIGHT A WEEK, TWO NIGHTS A
WEEK, OR THE PRIMARY PURPOSE
OF THE PLACE IS TO SERVE FOOD
OR SOMETHING ELSE.
>> THE PLACE WHERE THE MOST
JAZZ HAPPENS HAS NOT BEEN A
JAZZ CLUB IN THE AUDIENCE
SENSE.
BUT MORE A MUSIC CLUB
ATTRACTING JAZZ MUSICIANS.
>> THE RAINBOW GALLERY IS A
PLACE WHERE THE MUSICIANS CAN
COME TOGETHER AND HANG OUT,
PLAY ANY KIND OF MUSIC THEY
WANT TO.
ESPECIALLY CREATIVE.
I THINK THAT IT CAN ALSO BE AN
OPEN SET FOR OTHER THINGS TO
OCCUR.
AND IN OTHER WAYS, I THINK
IT'S JUST A SURVIVAL STUDIO.
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>> IT'S DIFFICULT TO RUN THE
PLACE IN THE WINTER BECAUSE
THEY HEAT WITH WOOD.
SO WE CLOSE DOWN IN THE
WINTER.
OTHERWISE IT'S KIND OF ALL
RIGHT, ESPECIALLY IF THE
GROUPS BRING IN THEIR OWN
PEOPLE.
THAT'S WHAT IT TAKES TO MAKE
THIS PLACE GO.
>> WHAT DO YOU MEAN, MAKE --
>> WELL, WE DON'T REALLY HAVE
A PUBLICITY MACHINERY THAT WE
COULD TURN OUT FOR EACH AND
EVERY GROUP THAT WE HAVE,
THEY'RE SO DIFFERENT.
SO EACH GROUP THAT
SUCCESSFULLY BRINGS PEOPLE IN
HERE USUALLY HAS SOME KIND OF
A NETWORK OF BRINGING THE
PEOPLE IN.
LIKE THEIR FRIENDS.
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>> I FEEL THAT JAZZ CAN MAKE
IT IN THE CITIES IF IT'S
PROMOTED RIGHT.
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>> WE HAVE ENTERTAINERS NOW
THAT WOULD GLADLY COME INTO I
CLUB LIKE THIS, DO EVERYTHING,
JUST FOR THE EXPOSURE.
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>> SOMETHING THAT LEADERS, I
THINK, GOOD LEADERS IN THIS
AREA.
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>> WHAT MAKES THIS CLUB
DIFFERENT FROM ANY CLUB IN
TOWN IS THAT WE SPECIALIZE IN
ENTERTAINMENT.
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>> ENTER THE RIVER VIEW SUPPER
CLUB.
OWNER JIM FULLER KNOWS HE'S
TAKING A RISK, BUT HE FEELS
HIS TWO MANAGERS CAN MAKE THE
CLUB WORK.
>> WE PLAN ON HAVING JAZZ IN
HERE AT LEAST FOUR NIGHTS A
WEEK, FOUR TO FIVE NIGHTS A
WEEK.
AND TO COMPLEMENT IT, WE PLAN
ON HAVING BROADWAY, BROADWAY
ENTERTAINMENT TWO NIGHTS A
WEEK.
LET'S SAY A JAZZ MUSICIAN HAS
A COUPLE ALBUMS OUT, WE KNOW
HE'S GOOD, BUT HE -- HE'S NOT
REALLY WELL-KNOWN.
>> WOULD YOU BRING HIM IN?
>> ACCORDING TO THE EXPOSURE
THAT HE'S GOT INTO THE CITY OF
MINNEAPOLIS, YOU KNOW, IN THIS
PARTICULAR AREA.
>> THE ONLY CITIES WITH A
SUCCESSFUL JAZZ SCENE WHERE
BIG NAMES COME WITH SOME
REGULARITY ARE CITIES THAT HAD
AT LEAST ONE FULL-TIME JAZZ
STATION.
>> YOU KNOW, IT SEEMS TO ME
THAT RECORD COMPANIES HAVE A
TENDENCY TO MAKE TRENDS AND
THE REALITY IS THAT WHETHER
THE RECORD HAPPENS TO
ACCIDENTALLY SELL OUT THE
RECORDS, THE REMAINING
COMPANIES IMITATE THAT SOUND
RATHER THAN TRYING TO FIND A
NEW SOUND TO -- NOT SO MUCH
COMPETE WITH THIS ALREADY
SELLING SOUND BUT TO GIVE THE
LISTENER ANOTHER VIABLE OPTION
TO TURN THE RADIO ON TO.
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>> SO THE RIVER VIEW MAY
BECOME THE TWIN CITIES JAZZ
CLUB, EVEN THOUGH THEY'LL
BRING ORCHESTRA HALL-SIZE
TALENT IN AT FIRST.
ONCE THINGS SETTLE IN, THE
AREA COULD SEE SOME NEW NAMES,
EVEN THE RAINBOW IS
CONSIDERING BRINGING IN AN
OCCASIONAL OUT-OF-TOWN TALENT
AND EVERYONE AGREES THAT THAT
WOULD BE A GOOD THING.
>> I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT TO
HAVE WELL-KNOWN, ESPECIALLY
NAMED JAZZ TALENT COMING
THROUGH THIS TOWN BECAUSE IT
BRINGS A SURGE OF ENERGY FROM
OTHER PLACES THAT THE PEOPLE
HERE CAN CONTACT WITH.
>> OH, I THINK IT'S IMPORTANT
THAT A CLUB LIKE THE RIVER
VIEW OCCASIONALLY BRING IN
NAMED JAZZ PERFORMER BECAUSE
IT GIVES THE CLUB SOME STATURE
AND THEN IT MAKES IT BETTER
FOR LOCAL MUSICIANS TO PLAY IN
THE CLUB THAT HAS SOME RENOWN.
>> IT MAKES YOU THINK THAT
YOU'RE WORKING, YOU KNOW,
YOU'RE WORKING IN A JAZZ
COMMUNITY THAT'S INTERNATIONAL
IN SCALE AND IT IS
INTERNATIONAL IN SCALE.
>> IN THE END, ONE MIGHT THINK
IT WOULDN'T MATTER MUCH
WHETHER TOURING GROUPS CAME TO
A CLUB OR A CONCERT HALL, AS
LONG AS THEY CAME.
BUT AS JAZZ BASSIST RON CARTER
POINTS OUT, A GOOD CLUB IS
WHERE THE INTERACTION IS
STRONGEST, AND WHERE THE
STANDARDS ARE SET FOR BOTH THE
MUSICIANS AND THE AUDIENCE.
>> I THINK A CLUB IS WHERE THE
REAL WORK IS REALLY DONE.
I MEAN, YOU CAN PRACTICE AT
HOME, YOUR HOT LIPS, YOUR
SCALES, YOUR MELODIES FOREVER.
BUT BEING IN THE COMPANY OF
OTHER PLAYERS, IN AN
ENVIRONMENT LIKE THIS OLD
COFFEE HOUSE, FOR EXAMPLE,
WHERE THERE'S A GROUP OF
LISTENERS WHO ARE EXPECTING A
CERTAIN LEVEL OF CREATIVE TO
TAKE PLACE ALL THE TIME, YOU
KNOW, THEY'RE NOT WILLING TO
ACCEPT AN ERROR OR MAY NOT
EVEN BE AWARE IF SOMETHING IS
NOT QUITE RIGHT BUT THEY'RE
NOT TOTALLY SATISFIED WITH
WHAT'S HAPPENING.
THIS LEVEL OF PUBLIC SCRUTINY
AND PEER GROUP PRESSURE IS
WHERE ALL THE DEVELOPMENT
REALLY START TO TAKE PLACE.
SO THAT WHEN THIS GROUP GOES
TO A CONCERT HALL WHAT YOU SEE
IS THE DIAMOND, THE NIGHTCLUB
IS WHERE IT STARTS TO GET
FORMED.
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>> I LOVE TO SEE IT COMING
BACK AGAIN.
AND THOSE PERFORMERS ARE TRULY
EXCELLENT, REAL ARTISTS.
THE PIANO PLAYER WAS CARRIE
THOMAS, TONY MORIN OWE PLAYED
DRUMS AND PAT MORIARTY SAX AND
THOSE ARE ALL LOCAL PEOPLE.
WE HAVE THE TALENT, IF WE CAN
JUST HAVE PLACES TO HEAR IT.
ANOTHER JAZZ TALENT WE HAVE IN
OUR COMMUNITY IS A MAN CALLED
ORBIN HEIR, HE IS ONE OF THE
FINEST BLUES GUITARIST WHO
EVER PLAYED.
BACK IN THE '50s HE PLAYED
WITH MUDDY WATERS AND IN THE
EARLY '60s HE WAS WITH THE MO
JO BUFORD BLUES BAND BUT FOR
THE PAST 16 YEARS, THERE
HASN'T BEEN MUCH OPPORTUNITY
TO HEAR ORBIN HEIR'S MUSIC
BECAUSE HE'S BEEN INSIDE THE
WALLS OF STILLWATER PRISON.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> AUBURN HAIR IS ONE OF THE
GREATEST LIVING BLUES GUITAR
PLAYERS.
HE GAINED HIS REPUTATION FOR
PLAYING THE BLUE BLUES AS A
SIDE MAN IN CHICAGO BARS AND
BLUES JOINTS DURING THE 1950s.
AUBURN HAIR'S AGGRESSIVE STYLE
OF GUITAR STYLE FORMED THE
UNDERPINNING OF SOME OF THE
MOST FAMOUS BLUES MUSICIANS OF
HIS TIME, WOLF, JAMES COTTON
AND MUDDY WATERS.
TODAY, AUBURN HAIR IS NEARLY
FORGOTTEN, FOR THE PAST 16
YEARS, HE HAS BEEN IN
STILLWATER PRISON SERVING A
LIFE SENTENCE FOR KILLING A
POLICE OFFICER.
[ AUDIO UNINTELLIGIBLE ]
>> SOME NEIGHBOR DECIDED THAT
SHE WANTED TO CALL THE POLICE.
I DON'T KNOW WHAT SHE TOLD
THEM.
BUT, ANYWAY, THEY COME TEARING
IN.
I GOT SHOT IN THE BACK THREE
TIMES.
YOU KNOW?
REACTION IS, YOU KNOW, YOU
CHECK YOURSELF, YOU KNOW.
THAT'S THE WAY THAT COME DOWN.
>> DAN SHELLMAN HAS ATTEMPTED
FOUR TIMES WITHOUT SUCCESS TO
SECURE AN EARLY PAROLE DATE
FOR AUBURN.
>> YOU KNOW, THE ONLY THING I
CAN CONCLUDE IS THAT IT WAS
THE NATURE OF THE OFFENSE.
SPECIFICALLY THE VICTIM.
THAT THE VICTIM WAS A
POLICEMAN.
AND, YOU KNOW, I THINK
THAT'S -- THAT'S UNFORTUNATE
AND NEVER TRIED TO MINIMIZE
THE SERIOUSNESS OF THE OFFENSE,
BUT AFTER HE'S BEEN THERE 16
YEARS NOW, HE HAS HAD TWO
MAJOR CANCER OPERATIONS, HIS
LIFE EXPECTANCY NOW IS LESS
THAN FIVE YEARS UNDER ALL
MEDICAL PROBABILITIES, HE IS
NOT REGARDED AS A THREAT TO
ANYBODY. HE'S BEEN A MODEL INMATE.
HE HAS GOT GREAT MUSICAL
TALENT.
HE CAN STILL CONTRIBUTE TO
SOCIETY WITH THAT TALENT.
>> YOU KNOW, YOU GOT A LOT OF
TIME TO DO IT SO YOU DO IT.
YOU DON'T TRY TO DO IT TWO,
THREE DAYS AT A TIME.
YOU DO IT ONE DAY AT A TIME.
YOU KNOW, JUST ONE.
TURNS OUT MUCH BETTER.
>> ALTHOUGH HE IS NOT
CONSIDERED READY FOR RELEASE,
PRISON AUTHORITIES DO
RECOGNIZE AUBURN HAIR'S
MUSICAL TALENT.
GOOD PRISON RECORD AND POOR
HEALTH.
SINCE HIS TRANSFER TO MINIMUM
SECURITY, HE HAS BEEN ALLOWED
TO PERFORM FOR AUDIENCES
OUTSIDE THE PRISON.
AUBURN HAIR HAS BEEN
REDISCOVERED.
BUT HE DOESN'T HAVE MUCH TIME
AS ONE OF THE GREATEST.
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>> HAS AUBURN, HAS HE IMPROVED
OR, IN A SENSE, BEEN REHA BILL
DATED WHILE IN PRISON?
REHABILITATED.
THE ANSWER IS YES.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PRISON DID
IT TO HIM.
I DON'T KNOW THAT PRISON
REHABILITATES ANYBODY, EXCEPT
THAT IT ISOLATE THEM AND IN
SOME CASES, IT MAKES THEM
THINK ABOUT THEIR LIVES.
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>> WHEN I'M OUT THERE, I
FORGET ABOUT HERE, YOU KNOW.
SO, THAT'S THE WAY THAT GO.
YOU KNOW?
YOU KNOW, IT'S ALL DIFFERENT
WORLD.
BUT, YOU KNOW, IT'S SOMETHING
THAT YOU HAVE TO -- YOU KNOW
YOU GOTTA COME BACK.
SO, YOU KNOW, YOU NEVER --
YOU'RE GOING AWAY TO STAY.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> AUBURN HAIR STILL PLAYS THE
BLUES AND HE IS STILL AN
INMATE WITH A LIFETIME
SENTENCE.
>> COULD BE BETTER.
COULD BE A LOT WORSE.
I'M HANGIN' IN THERE.
>> THAT MAN MAKES ME VERY VERY
HAPPY.
ON A SCALE FROM ONE TO TEN,
HE'S ABSOLUTELY TEN, TEN, TEN,
TEN, HE'S JUST GRAND.
I ONLY HOPE THAT HIS WORK IS
BEING RECORDED WHEREVER HE IS.
I CAN'T IMAGINE ANYONE WHO
LOVES MUSIC NOT BEING ABLE TO
SENSE THAT THERE'S SOMETHING
SPECIAL THERE.
JAZZ IS A FINE CLASSICAL GENRE
OF MUSIC.
LET US HEAR MORE OF IT.
LET US HEAR IT, PERIOD.
THIS PROGRAM IS THE LAST IN
THE WYLD RYCE SERIES.
IT'S BEEN FUN.
AND I HOPE YOU'VE ENJOYED IT,
TOO.
I'M DORIS HEINZE.
[ ♪♪ ]
>> Announcer: MAJOR FUNDING