“PERFORMANCE” 50 years old this year
In May 1974, at Rudy Van Gelder’s studio in Englewood Cliffs NJ, Pee Wee led the session for Esther’s newest recording, having been her conductor, arranger, and producer at CTI/Kudu as well as her band-leader for several years. He put together a stellar line up of top session musicians for her, Richard Tee, Bernard Purdie, Bob James, Gordon Edwards, Steve Gadd, Mike Brecker, Pepper Adams, Hubert Laws and Jon Faddis with BV’s Patti Austin & Deniece Williams. Pee Wee even weighed in on THE CHIMES. By all accounts it was a memorable session, not least due to Esther herself, always a force to be reckoned with both on and off stage.
This Juneteenth to celebrate the 50th anniversary of this landmark recording here are some of Bernard Purdie’s recollections from the session and thoughts on Esther, ’Performance‘ and Pee Wee, from jazz singer Ian Shaw, a good friend who worked with Pee Wee closely in his last years.
Bernard Purdie remembers recording ‘PERFORMANCE’
The band was smokin’- every musician had something wonderful to offer! Pee Wee’s selection of musicians was superb. It was one of the best recording sessions I can remember! The whole recording session was exceptional…. Every musician communicated with each other and gave their best performances to this album.
Everybody was into Esther Phillips – both sound and feel. Patti Austin was phenomenal. From what I recall this was Patti’s debut as a BG singer. She was like a golden songbird!! She was only 15 or 16 and just let go and gave it her all!!!
The recording was so successful because everyone loved Esther Phillips and her sound.
Ian Shaw remembers ‘PERFORMANCE’
I was first aware of the remarkable Esther Phillips, when, as a twelve-year-old. ‘What A Difference A Day Makes’ hit the charts. It spun musical gold for me. I bought it from Woolworths for 49 pence and my dad gave me a few quid to ‘accidentally’ buy ‘Performance’ from Derek, the soul and jazz-enthusiast on Fflint market.
Fast forward to my twenties: an obsession with who played what, who produced and where. I fast realised the glory and the power of ‘Performance’ and Pee Wee’s name jumped out at me even then. Along with Thelma Houston (and Pressure Cooker) and Chaka & Co’s ‘Echoes of An Era’ my fascination with these awesome live studio gatherings was complete. It seemed that Pee Wee Ellis was a driving force – picking songs, arranging, conducting, playing – shaping many of these era defining records. Bernard Purdie marvels at Pee Wee’s knack of getting the right people together in the right room and just letting them play.
Please magic me back to the days of Pee Wee and Creed Taylor, Patti Austin, Deniece Williams, Steve Gadd, Bob James, Hubert Laws and, of course, the unique Esther Phillips; the memories of whom would bring tears of joy to my brilliant new bandleader (Pee Wee), the best boss on and off stage. ‘So what was Mike Brecker like on that sesh, boss?’ The stories poured forth PW-style: quiet fire, pin-prick memories and always, always funny.
Not in my wildest dreams did that twelve year old boy imagine that this dream world could become a reality (thanks to my Dad “Go on lad, get yourself a record!”) Almost fifty years later, on the road with the beautiful Pee Wee Ellis, effervescent China Moses and a killer line-up of European musicians, I was singing and larking about with someone who’d been a key spirit and co-creator of one of the greatest recording sessions in popular music.
Performance indeed.
IAN SHAW. PARIS. MAY 2024.
Happily, some of our conversations were captured with an audience of Pee Wee fans by Ronnie Scott’s Radio
