CiTR

This famous recording put alto saxophonist/composer John Handy back on the Jazz map.After a great beginning in New York as part of The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop and pianist Randy Weston's band and his own group, John moved back to the Bay Area to complete his music degree at San Francisco State. His career was a bit in limbo after leaving New York but this Quintet came together with the addition of two great musicians from Vancouver B.C. They were bassist Don Thompson and drummer Terry Clarke. Handy's unique instrumentation on the front line was himself on alto saxophone and Michael White on violin and Jerry Hahn on guitar. Handy built the band in Vancouver and further developed it at a famous club in San Francisco called "The Both/And". They became THE leading group in San Francisco and were invited to play at the Monterey Jazz Festival in 1965. They played only two long Handy compositions but stole the show and were the talk of the festival. The set was recorded on Columbia Records and became a best-seller.We feature it tonight.....a classic!