Saturday 19th April, 17:00 – House of Hard Bop.
Doug Raney (1956-2016), son of Jimmy, becomes interested in rock guitarists in his teenage years – Eric Clapton, Jimi Hendrix. But by the age of 18 he has taken the right path, and plays guitar with the established bop pianist Al Haig. After that things move quickly. He is 20 when he makes a concert tour through Europe with his father Jimmy as a guitar duo. He gets stuck in Copenhagen. There, at the age of 21, he makes his recording debut: Introducing Doug Raney. Twenty years later he is in a studio in New York: Back in New York.
Introducing Doug Raney was made for SteepleChase Records, a relatively young Danish label. Raney and SteepleChase would remain faithful to each other. In the quartet line-up we hear the Americans Duke Jordan (piano), Billy Hart (drums) and the Danish bassist Hugo Rasmussen. Pianist Jordan had the most experience at a high level; in the 1940s he played with Charlie Parker and Miles Davis. Like Raney, Jordan settled in Copenhagen, and he also made many records for SteepleChase.
There is no evidence that Raney is a debutant here as a leader in a recording studio. The almost complete absence of chord playing on the guitar is striking. Actually, that is not noticeable, because his soft, rich, golden melody lines leave nothing to be desired. Pianist Jordan provides the vertical harmonies, although he unfortunately has to make do with an out-of-tune grand piano.
Mr. P.C. (John Coltrane)
Someone to Watch over Me (George Gershwin)
The End of a Love Affair (Edward Redding)
Doug Raney remained in Copenhagen until his death, and only made the crossing to the States a few times. In 1996, SteepleChase organised a recording session in New York. The occasional line-up was put together on the spot: pianist Michael Weiss, bassist Scott Colley and drummer Kenny Washington. The four are not attuned to each other, but you can’t tell. Appropriate title of the album: Back in New York.
I’m Old Fashioned (Jerome Kern)
For Heaven’s Sake (Elise Bretton)
The Touch of Your Lips (Ray Noble)
All or Nothing or Nothing at All (Arthur Altman)
Get Out of Town (Cole Porter)
House of Hard Bop – Eric Ineke
Click for the 1st broadcast of this triptych
Click for the accompanying News item
Programme maker & drummer Eric Ineke made an extensive, international tour with both Raneys in 1977. A fascinating written account of that tour can be read in Ineke’s book: “The Ultimate Sideman” (Pincio Uitgeverij). Available from the Dutch Jazz Archive (NJA).
