Harry Lookofsky (1 October 1913 – 8 June 1998) was an American jazz violinist who bridged the technical rigors of classical music with the phrasing and rhythms of bebop to create Stringsville, one of the truly singular jazz recordings of its era. He is also known to contemporary audiences as the father of Michael Brown, the creative force behind the pioneering orchestral pop group the Left Banke.
Lookofsky joined the St. Louis Symphony Orchestra in 1933, remaining a member of their ranks for five years before relocating to New York City to sign on with famed conductor Arturo Toscanini's NBC Symphony Orchestra. He served in the U S. Merchant Marines and the U S. Navy Reserve, and performed with the Navy Band during World War II. Although classical music continued paying his bills, Lookofsky frequently returned to his jazz roots, emerging as one of the bebop era's first and most accomplished violinists -- at times he even played tenor violin, an instrument he cited for its tonal similarities to the tenor saxophone.
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| Lookofsky & Toscanini |
In 1954, when Toscanini retired, Lookofsky moved over to ABC, where he served for years as concertmaster -- by this time, he was also a fixture on New York City jazz sessions, recording in support of Coleman Hawkins, Sarah Vaughan, Ben Webster, and Donald Byrd.
Backed by bassist Oscar Pettiford and drummer Charlie Swift, Lookofsky headlined the Epic session Miracle with Strings, the first recording to feature his signature overdub aesthetic, a technique that enabled him to play multiple instruments at once. These studio innovations reached their apex on the 1958 Atlantic date Stringsville.
Recorded in collaboration with arrangers Bob Brookmeyer and Hank Jones as well as bassist Milt Hinton and drummer Elvin Jones, the album captures some of the most remarkably lyrical and imaginative bowing ever recorded. But because Lookofsky's overdubbed violin and viola solos are so carefully composed, in direct contrast to the improvisational ethos so dominant in bebop theory, Stringsville was effectively written out of the official history of jazz, never earning the acclaim it richly deserves.
Over the years, his many jazz collaborators included Quincy Jones, Jaco Pastorius, Sarah Vaughan, George Benson, and Freddie Hubbard. Lookofsky remained an in-demand studio player throughout the '60s, backing everyone from Tony Bennett to Wes Montgomery to Gil Evans. In 1966, he also produced the sessions that yielded the Left Banke's pop classic "Walk Away Renee," negotiating the group's contract with Smash Records as well.
Lookofsky spent the autumn of his career focusing on television jingles, but remained an active session contributor through the mid-'80s. He died at his home in York, York County, Pennsylvania of prostate cancer on June 8, 1998 at the age of 85.
(Edited mainly from AllMusic)
Un genio sin duda. Gracias.
ReplyDeleteFor “Harry Lookofsky – Stringsville Plus” go here:
ReplyDeletehttps://www.upload.ee/files/13514859/Harry_Lookofsky_Strinsville_Plus.rar.html
Stringsville (Atlantic 1959)
1. Round Midnight
2. Moose The Mooche
3. I Let A Song Go Out Of My Heart
4. Little Willie Leaps
5. Move
6. Champagne Blues
7. Give Me The Simple Life
8. Dancing On The Grave BONUS TRACKS
9. The Little Bandmaster
10. Leaky Faucet
11. Swingin 'till the girls come home
12. Fiddle Mambo
Bass – Milt Hinton (tracks: 1,3, 5), Paul Chambers (3) (tracks: 2, 4, 6 to 8)
Drums – Elvin Jones
Piano – Hank Jones
Trombone – Bob Brookmeyer (tracks: 2, 6, 8)
Violin, Viola, Violin [Tenor] – Harry Lookofsky
Tracks 9 to 12 taken from 1954 Epic EP Miracle in Strings
Acoustic Bass – Oscar Pettiford
Percussion – Charlie Smith
Piano – Billy Taylor
Violin, Viola – Harry Lookofsky
Arranged By – Quincy Jones
Stringsville challenges the essential rules and definitions of bebop like few records before or since -- not only does Harry Lookofsky wield as his weapons violins and violas, but his music hinges as much on technological innovation as it does on technical prowess. Lookofsky transcends contemporaries like Stuff Smith and Stéphane Grappelli for sheer artistry, conjuring remarkably athletic solos rooted in the traditions of classical music but with the creative phrasing and rhythmic intensity of bop -- his performances boast a dark, dramatic edge that pushes the violin into a bold new dimension. No less revelatory is Lookofsky's mastery of tape manipulation: for each track he contributes multiple layers of accompaniment that further establish Stringsville as a truly singular proposition. But it's an approach that by definition runs counter to jazz's improvisational ethos, posing myriad questions about the nature of music and the merits of a critical hierarchy that favours following the rules over breaking them. (AllMusic)
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ReplyDeleteRegards, Bob