This article first appeared in the St. Louis Beacon: “The St. Louis Connection” showcases the depth of musical talent in this area. Led by tenor saxophonist Willie Akins, the new CD features bassist Bob DeBoo, drummer Montez Coleman, guitarist Eric Slaughter, vibraphonist Peter Schlamb and pianist Tony Suggs.
The CD captures the musicians live in the studio, recording each track without any subsequent edits.
“We decided that each track that made it to the album would be the way that it went down in the studio,” Coleman told me in a recent conversation during a break at a new monthly Tuesday night jam session at Herbie’s in the Central West End. (The next jam will take place at Herbie's on April 23.)
“We would do several takes of a tune to make sure we were happy with it. But what you hear is exactly how it went down in the studio. We didn’t edit anything. What you hear is the way it sounded to us.”
What “went down” and was captured on “The St. Louis Connection” is not only the best recording yet by Akins. It’s also one of the best examples of the deep well of talent on the St. Louis jazz scene. Recorded at Sherpa Studios on South Brentwood, the CD captures Akins and the group at a creative peak – shortly after most of the musicians performed weekend sets to an enthusiastic audience at Jazz at the Bistro last summer.
According to Coleman, plans for the recording project unfolded quickly, and the sessions themselves all took place in three days of recording.
“Brian Ryback and Nathan Gilberg at Sherpa Studios contacted me to see if Willie and I wanted to come in and use their place to record, so they could use it as a demo for the sound they could offer to potential clients,” Coleman says. “So I thought we should just go ahead and record a whole CD, especially since there wasn’t a recording of Willie with the current lineup of the band – Willie, Eric on guitar, Bob on bass, Peter on vibes and me.”
“I remember that it all just happened very fast,” Akins says during a recent phone conversation between his teaching sessions at Webster University’s jazz studies department. “Montez called me up and asked me what I was doing the next day – and if I could be at Sherpa Studios at noon for a recording session. I told him I’d be there, and we made it work. We did it all in three days.”
Once they were all assembled in the studio, the choices of songs to record happened quickly, according to Coleman.
“It was mostly Willie who picked the tunes for the CD,” says Coleman. “He brought in his briefcase with charts for about a thousand-plus songs, and we just went from there. But I did ask him to include 'Nubian Lady' by Yusef Lateef. I had heard him play that quite a few times years ago, and he recalled it. And since he didn’t have charts, he taught the cats right on the spot what to do. He played Bob the bass line on his sax, and gave Eric the guitar chords. It was amazing!”
The CD kicks off with Cedar Walton’s composition, “Firm Roots,” a favorite of Akins and a perfect fit for his burnished, soulful sax sound – and his fondness for the straight ahead, energetic jazz style that he learned coming up in the 1950s and early ’60s.
It’s a tune Akins performed frequently over the many years he played on Saturday afternoons at Spruill’s – a session that became legendary before the club moved away from live music. And it’s a tune all of the other musicians played with Akins at one point or another in their jazz apprenticeship with his band.
“I consider all these guys as my musical sons,” Akins says. “They’ve all played with me over the years, and it was a great to have the chance to finally record with them in the studio.”
It’s clear the band relished the opportunity to record with Akins as well. Slaughter’s on-the-money guitar work shines throughout, and his solos on Victor Lewis’ “Hey It’s Me You’re Talking To” and Walter boulder’s “Mr. A.T.” work seamlessly in the mix.
The latter tune is also a showcase for Coleman’s powerful, precise – and yes, melodic – drumming.
“That was a drum feature for me when I used to play with Roy Hargrove,” Coleman says. “I love playing it, and it was especially fun recording it with these guys.”
DeBoo and Schlamb also have plenty of choice moments. DeBoo’s opening bass solo on John Coltrane’s “Dahomey Dance” sets up the tune masterfully, and Schlamb’s skill on vibes is apparent throughout the CD.
A special bonus is the unexpected appearance of Tony Suggs on piano on “Firm Roots,” Errol Garner’s “Dreamy” and Wayne Shorter’s “Sleeping Dancer Sleep On.”
Suggs, who like Coleman was a part of the great East St. Louis Lincoln High School jazz program before moving on to acclaim as the pianist for the Count Basie Orchestra, happened to be in town during the recording sessions. And when Slaughter couldn’t make it to one of them, Suggs stepped in.
“The last day we had to go in the studio, Eric wasn’t feeling well,” Coleman says. “I knew Tony was in town so I called him, and he was able to make it in. So we were able to have him play on those last tunes we recorded. It was a real bonus!”
The CD release concert for “The St. Louis Connection” took place several weeks ago at Jazz at the Bistro.
“That really was an amazing thing,” Akins says. “I’ve played the Bistro quite a few times over the years, but getting standing ovations for both sets – and having sold out shows for both was really something. It really made me – and all of us – feel great.”
At this point, the new CD is only available at performances by Coleman and Akins. But according to Coleman, music fans can expect it to be available sometime this month at Vintage Vinyl and Euclid Records. And some high profile performances are coming up for the band as well.
“We’ll be returning to Jazz at the Bistro the weekend of June 14 and 15,” Coleman says “And we’ll also be playing the Whitaker Music Series at Missouri Botanical Garden on July 17. In the fall, we’re going to be headlining the University City jazz festival on Sept. 7. I’ll be out of town this spring and summer for a while playing with Houston Person and McCoy Tyner, and also doing some jazz camp things with Jim Widner of the UMSL Jazz Studies program and Reggie Thomas. But I’m hoping we can get more performances lined up with this band. I love playing with Willie and these guys!”
Willie Akins was profiled last summer in a “Generations” article that focused on both his impressive talents as a master musician on the St. Louis jazz scene – and his role as a vital mentor to young musicians learning how to navigate the live music arena in the metro area.
Subsequent articles took a look at the younger Coleman and DeBoo.