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Last of the tribe

A seminal jazz fusion group makes its Prague debut

By Tony Ozuna
For The Prague Post
February 28th, 2007 issue

COURTESY PHOTO
From left, Mike Clark, Bill Summers and Paul Jackson are keeping the original funk groove cookin'.
Percussionist Bill Summers and drummer Mike Clark carry the torch for the Headhunters, a group formed in the early 1970s by Herbie Hancock, and one of jazz’s most successful and visionary acts ever. Its upcoming appearance will be the band’s first show ever in Prague, as well as the leadoff act of this year’s Agharta Jazz Festival.
At the beginning of the ’70s, jazz was at a critical peak of popularity — and, at the same time, on the brink of self-destruction. The leading jazzman of the time, Miles Davis, was on a radically experimental funky binge, infuriating jazz purists to no end. But all the musicians in Miles’ circle, including Hancock, were inspired to similarly forge new directions in jazz, exploring rhythm and space.
It was in this climate that the Headhunters, led by Hancock, released an eponymous debut LP in 1972, turning the jazz world on its head. The Headhunters’ mélange of groove, funk, African, Afro-Caribbean, electronica and improvisation mainly puzzled older jazz fans. But it bridged the genre to the rising rock ’n’ roll generation perhaps more than any other jazz group has since.
The Headhunters’ debut is the largest-selling jazz album ever, yet it is still overlooked and misunderstood by some jazz historians. For instance, the band’s take on “Watermelon Man” was so far ahead of its time that it took 20 years to find a place in the jazz scheme. It begins with luscious pygmy music, played by Summers blowing into a beer bottle. Then, with a slow and sly groove, the song catapults into the future — specifically, the 1990s postmodern acid jazz and hip-hop DJ scenes of New York City and London.
With the release of a second album, Thrust, in 1974, the Headhunters helped set the path for classic jazz fusion, though the sound remained deeply soaked in the funk — an original funky fusion (without electric guitar) set by the formidable rhythm section of Clark on drums and Paul Jackson on bass.
Headhunters

When: Thursday, March 1, at 9
Where: Lucerna Music Bar
Tickets: 300 Kč through Ticketpro and at the venue

Clark’s drumming on Thrust has become among the most sampled of beats in hip-hop for its funky grooves, yet he says that he never liked being typecast as a funk drummer. “I was more like a post-bop drummer, and always have been,” insists Clark, listing Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach and his biggest hero, Elvin Jones, as his main drummer influences.
Hancock, Jackson and original saxophonist Bennie Maupin are long gone. The Headhunters’ current lineup includes Jerry Z on keyboards, Charles Fambrough on bass and Donald Harrison, an outstanding saxophonist and group leader in his own right. “Donald plays with us quite a bit, and he is my favorite musician since Herbie,” says Clark. “We tour about four times a year with this combination of players.”
While only the drummer and percussionist remain from the original Headhunters, this is an irreplaceable core, especially since Summers and Clark have been playing together for over 30 years. “I love playing with Bill,” says Clark. “He has taught me many things about African-rooted music and rhythm. And he’s told me many things about being an African-American in today’s society.”
Summers, who studied ethnomusicology, specializing in African music, is the one who brought all of the innovative percussion concepts from African and Latin music into the group’s sound. And he hasn’t stopped being an innovative musician. He runs the Summers Multi Ethnic Institute of the Arts in New Orleans, and his current Latin jazz group, Los Hombres Calientes, is on most Latino and jazz DJ playlists internationally.
It seems Summers is an inveterate teacher out of school as well. Clark says this about his music partner: “I have learned about business, perseverance and friendship [from him], and how to keep moving in the direction of your dream no matter what. We made history together, and I consider Bill one of my closest friends.”
Musicians this tight are gold, so don’t miss this special night with the last of the Headhunters.

Tony Ozuna can be reached at features@praguepost.com


Other articles in Night & Day (28/02/2007):

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