Creed Taylor Produced

I recently came across this article by Bernard Lairet in the Cleveland Press and filed it away for future use. Early this morning I heard about the passing of Roberta Flack ^[1]https://www.npr.org/2025/02/24/834223765/roberta-flack-killing-me-softly-dead and searched my archive for something interesting. This article came up. As you can see from the original cutting, you could see Roberta Flack in concert on February 19th, 1972 at Case Western University in the Emerson Gym.

I’d always thought of the CTI All-Stars more as a supergroup, but as Lairet notes, they could be considered a more recent and commercial follow-on from the Jazz At The Philharmonic tours, discussed in brief in my recent Jack Teagarden biographical sketch ^[2]http://ctproduced.com/jack-teagarden-and-the-verve-records-era-of-creed-taylor/.

A few other things to note: Tickets were $4.50, $5.50 and $6.50; The reference to Freddie Hubbard introducing himself as “one of the greatest trumpet players in the world” came not from a regular Dick Cavett show, but from the 1970 Jazz And People’s Movement show I wrote about back in 2023 ^[3]http://ctproduced.com/freddie-jazz-and-people-movement/. Without further ado, the article is reproduced in full is accurately as I could. It may contain transcription or punctuation errors not found in the original. No other changes or corrections have been made. (And yes I had to lookup heteroclite).

Bj Bernard Lairet

There are only a few men who, like Norman Granz, have made their fortune with jazz. His numerous JATP- (Jazz At The Philharmonic) concerts, heteroclite gatherings of musicians, sustained world-wide success during the 50’s.

Even if there were too many endless solos, with rare moments of superior quality, these events represented valid initiation to jazz, and brought to light many great instrumentalists.

That is why I welcome the Winter Jazz Concert, which will be presented at Music Hall —next Friday, Feb. 25, 8 p.m. — under the auspices of CTI Records and its subsidiary label Kudu.

The success of the similar Summer Jazz Concert, held last July at the Hollywood Palladium (which drew 5,000 spectators), proves that the JATP formula is still viable.

FOLLOWING the Norman Granz tradition, Creed Taylor (CTI stands for Creed Taylor Inc.), after recording the event, has released a double album, the most recent addition to his remarkably well-produced series of records.

The major intent of the Winter Jazz Concert is probably to promote this series. The concert will blend the talents of 11 jazz stars, a few of whom will surely shine more brightly.

Freddie Hubbard, who introduced himself, quite immodestly, during a Dick Cavett show, as “one of the greatest trumpet players in the world”, in fact certainly deserves the qualification.

He is superb of technique and facility. Hubbard is comfortable in any setting, and was most particularly noteworthy during his three years with the Jazz Messengers.

THE FLUTIST Hubert Laws, has a warm and delicate sonority. He is apparently divided between classical music and jazz, but he succeeds with originality in a merger which he defines as Afro-classic.

George Benson, a guitar player who is still evolving steadily, deserves more recognition. I hope his artistry will never be killed by the same commercial demands that sterilized the creativity of the late Wes Montgomery.

Saxophonists Stanley Turrentine and Hank Crawford could offer some well executed jazz, clearly expressed, without real surprises—nothing more, but never nothing less.

RON CARTER, one of the great bass men, and Brazilian percussionist Airto Moreira, with his curious instruments and unusual sounds, are former soloists with | Miles Davis, who knows how to select his men. With a drummer such as the ubiquitous Bernard “Pretty” Purdie, they should make a solid and vivid rhythm section.

Organist Johnny “Hammond” Smith, saxophonist Grover Washington Jr. and singer Esther Phillips will complete the reunion — an experiment not to be missed.

Tickets at $4.50, 5.50 and 6.50 are available by mail orders from CTI Records 1220 E. Sixth St.

My detailed write-up on the CTI All-Stars can be found here ^[4]http://ctproduced.com/the-story-of-the-cti-all-stars-live/