January 26, 2009
Discovering Jazz in 1971
When my family moved to Chamblee GA about '69 or '70 I was 16 years old and in the 11th grade in high school. This was around this time I was really feeling compelled to learn to play guitar and even beginning to get interested in jazz.
West Chester PA 1969. At a jam session playing a bass.
Chamblee GA 1973 "Unit Structure" Dan, Keith Runfola and Chuck Harvey
Here is a collection of interesting photos from a person who was working for the local underground newspaper in those days, called the "Great Speckled Bird" a.k.a. 'the Bird'. It's mostly the Atlanta hippie scene in those days ncluding some images of the Strip (10th & Peachtree streets) but also has many band photos from Peidmont Park, the Pop Festival, The Sports Arena, Lake Spivey (Check out the young ZZ-Top opening for Ike and Tina Turner photo) and local Atlanta bands Radar, Hydra, Hampton Grease Band and Chakra. There is even a photo of Joe Roman at the 12th Gate.
Twelfth gate owner, Robin, and manager, Joe, changed my life when they brought top NY jazz artists there in '71. It was there that I had close encounters with Elvin Jones, McCoy Tyner, Bill Evans, Pharaoh Sanders, Gary Bartz, Weather Report (Wayne Shorter, Zawinul, Miroslav, Airto and Alphonse Mouzon) and Oregon w/Ralph Towner. Other notable jazz performances from the early 70's included Chick Corea (RTF w/Bill Conners), Larry Coryell (w/Randy Brecker), Roland Kirk, Pat Martino, Modern Jazz Quartet, Joe Pass, Count Basie, Ella Fitzgerald, Ray Brown, Oscar Peterson and more.