  Ronaldj Member Username: Ronaldj Post Number: 107 Registered: 01-2007 |
Although it was reported in this morning's Free Press. Just a note to rue the passing of a master of the Hammond B3. An undersung, underreported musical legend. 66 is a little young, I think. Keep in the groove. | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 584 Registered: 07-2008 |
Sad. He and his music will be missed. | ||
56packman Member Username: 56packman Post Number: 2430 Registered: 12-2005 |
Wow, that's sad news. He was one of the masters of the B-3 as a jazz instrument. he joins Jimmy Smith, Wild Bill Davis, Buddy Cole, Charles Earlund and Jimmy McGriff at that great Jazz club in the sky. No one ever said beng a Jazz musician was a way to longevity! | ||
Bagman Member Username: Bagman Post Number: 146 Registered: 06-2004 |
Lyman Woodard Alumni Musical Tribute Monday, March 9 @ 9 pm Cliff Bell's Jazz Club 2030 Park Ave, Detroit, MI 48226 (313)961-2543 From the Metro Times music blog: Lyman Woodard passed away (Feb. 24th) Tuesday evening at Owosso Memorial Hospital, the same hospital where he was born on March 3, 1942. Compared to the many jazz musicians from middle-class and even hardscrabble backgrounds, Woodard came from a well-off family (the wrought iron furniture business). He studied piano at the Oscar Peterson School of Contemporary Music in Toronto before hearing jazz organ pioneer Jimmy Smith in 1963 inspired him to switch instruments. By 1965, he was in Detroit and formed his first trio with guitarist Dennis Coffey and drummer Mel Davis. Later, he worked regularly in the Motown organization, including a stint at musical director for Martha & the Vandellas. He re-formed his trio in the '70s — with Ron English on guitar and Leonard King on drums — and later expanded that into the Lyman Woodard Organization with the addition of alto saxophonist Norma Jean Bell and percussionist Lorenzo Brown. Through the years, numerous musicians were involved in the organization to some extent or another, on the stage and on disc, including saxophonist Kenny Garrett, trumpeter Marcus Belgrave, guitarist Robert Lowe and drummer Renell Gonsalves. The vinyl discs of the band from that era have become collectors' items sometimes fetching hundreds of dollars. Leonard King & RJ Spangler organize a musical tribute to their longtime friend, Lyman Woodard on Monday, March 9, starting at 9 pm. This special show will feature such important people from Lyman's life as Dennis Coffee, Ron English, Renell Gonsalvez, the Sun Messengers, Robert Tye, the vocalist Royce and many, many others, including colleagues like organists Gerard Gibbs & Chris Codish. His old friend John Sinclair will also do perform emcee duties as well as read a poem. | ||
Stnfrnt Member Username: Stnfrnt Post Number: 459 Registered: 09-2008 |
The honor, privalege, and pleasure were all mine when I saw Lyman play at the old Huron Hotel in Ypsilanti. I'm an old rock n roll guy but the talent, quality and class that Lyman Woodard shared with us knows no boundry. God bless. | ||
65memories Member Username: 65memories Post Number: 457 Registered: 10-2003 |
When my wife and I were dating in the 70's, we would spend our weekends at Cobb's Corner, being mesmerized by the Lyman Woodard Organization, with Robert Lowe and Norma Jean Bell, among others. They were often Summer evenings too magical to describe, as we found ourselves awed by these legendary talents as they interpreted musical compositions with such class. Everything seemed to come together on those nights. They were eclectic evenings, with an audience that came from the streets: black, white, young, old, poor and not so poor. Whether it's the ambience of Cobb's, the wine or simply the groove that is etched in this old guy's memory, I often find myself regretting the loss of that establishment, its diversity and the aura of its musicians. I truly, truly will miss Lyman Woodard. He was one of a kind. | ||
Eastsideal Member Username: Eastsideal Post Number: 363 Registered: 10-2007 |
Sad to see this about Lyman, who I remember so well from my old days hanging out at Cobb's. I've always missed that place since Henry Normile's tragic death basically put an end to those wonderful nights that 65memories describes so well, and Lyman Woodard was a big part of that scene. Being able to go there in my late teems (thanks to 18 year old drinking) was a formative experience in my cultural and musical world, and left me a jazzhead for life. With his passing, and that of Kenn Cox a few weeks ago, a great era in Detroit's jazz history has begun to slip away from us. | ||
Jimg Member Username: Jimg Post Number: 510 Registered: 10-2003 |
Nice posts about Lyman, and Det jazz. Eastside is talkin' sense, some of our Elders are slipping away...Detroit nurtured so many fine musicians because we educated them - younger musicians learning from older musicians, the Detroit way. And though musicians leave the city and spread music 'round the globe, our rep as a fountainhead remains intact - those musicians who chose to stay, like Lyman, Johnny Allen, Kenn Cox, Walden a.o., taught the youngsters...Johnny still does, check him out at Sweet Lorraine's every other Tuesday. 90 yrs of age, elegant sound, solid Detroit piano man... I recall hearing Lyman's trio at the Grande many moons ago, $2 admiss on Sunday afternoons. I had no clue what the man was playin' but it felt oh so right. | ||
1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 924 Registered: 08-2008 |
Lyman at: Cobb's, Jay's Lounge in the Pick Fort Shelby, Baker's Keyboard, Dummy George, Sweet Lorraine's in Southfield, R.P.McMurphy's in Wyandotte, Alvin's, The Leather Bottle Inn, The Crash Landing, The Radio Tavern in Windsor, Archibald's in Birmingham, The Motor Lounge in the Book Cadillac, The Cafe Detroit, The 101 in the Tuller Hotel, The Soup Kitchen Saloon, The Bird of Paradise, Murphy's(???) in Toledo, etc, etc. Where didn't Woodard play in his long and fruitful lifetime? I'm sure I can come up with many more, if I stay up all night. He was in the audience once at Baker's when Richard 'Groove' Holmes (one of my favorites) was playing. Groove, Bobby Ward (Groove's drummer extraordinaire), Lyman and I went outside on the driveway to get a buzz. That was a ritual with Groove Holmes, his visitors and fans. I particularly remember Lyman playing the Wyandotte Art Fair on the street in front of RP's and with Norma Jean at Jay's Lounge in the Pick Fort Shelby, around the time she was touring with Zappa. I think they were the house band because they played there so much. Bigger than life he was. | ||
Ladyinabag Member Username: Ladyinabag Post Number: 582 Registered: 03-2007 |
He was the funkiest white boy that I have ever heard. What a talent and a true gentleman. There will never be another Lyman Woodard. How sad and what a loss this is to the Detroit music scene. God bless you, Lyman. | ||
1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 948 Registered: 08-2008 |
Lady, you got it! Funky, funky funky! AND groovy, groovy, groovy! | ||
Cozmikdebris Member Username: Cozmikdebris Post Number: 46 Registered: 10-2003 |
Sad news. I was recently listening to my copy of the Organization at JJ's in the Shelby that was simulcast on WDET in Oct '74 and wondering if he was still performing. I caught him at a few of the Montreux-Detroit Jazz Fests back in the day and last saw him at some outdoor thing in Greektown years ago (Chris Codish was playing, too). | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 593 Registered: 07-2008 |
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1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 953 Registered: 08-2008 |
Bobl, thanks for the photo. I always remember Lyman with his little 'stache, goattee and kinda longish hair. | ||
Rj_spangler Member Username: Rj_spangler Post Number: 119 Registered: 10-2008 |
I hope that many of you from this forum show up next Monday at Cliff Bell's. This is where I saw him for the last time in December. I played with Lyman for 6 years in the Sun Messengers and loved him very much. http://metrotimes.com/blog/mus icblahg.asp?perm=626 | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 621 Registered: 07-2008 |
Just a bump to remind all of the event tonight, in memory of Lyman Woodard. Link is above... Lyman Woodard Alumni Musical Tribute Monday, March 9 @ 9 pm Cliff Bell's Jazz Club 2030 Park Ave, Detroit, MI 48226 (313)961-2543 (Message edited by Bobl on March 09, 2009) | ||
Rj_spangler Member Username: Rj_spangler Post Number: 123 Registered: 10-2008 |
Good idea Bobl - thanks! | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 624 Registered: 07-2008 |
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Rj_spangler Member Username: Rj_spangler Post Number: 124 Registered: 10-2008 |
For those that don't know, the pic above is Lyman Woodard IV. | ||
Bagman Member Username: Bagman Post Number: 147 Registered: 06-2004 |
RJ, GREAT SHOW last night at CLIFF BELL'S. Lyman would have been proud to see the place as packed as it was. The music was Killer and the vibe could not have been better. It was nice to see the real players who turned out to show their respects. | ||
Bobl Member Username: Bobl Post Number: 626 Registered: 07-2008 |
Thanks, RJ, Leonard, and Cliff Bell's! A great tribute to a nice man. Many musicians and fans, with good music and nice stories of golden moments with Lyman. | ||
Rj_spangler Member Username: Rj_spangler Post Number: 125 Registered: 10-2008 |
We told the racier stories after the bar closed! Damn I'm gonna miss that man. | ||
Harpernottingham Member Username: Harpernottingham Post Number: 422 Registered: 04-2006 |
Used to see Lyman with the Sun Messengers at Mr. Lou's Rhythm & Blues on Detroit's east side in the early '90s (Mack and Three Mile Drive.) I didn't have a car, but I lived right down the street and would just walk up to hear that funky Hammond on a Saturday night. RIP, Lyman. And RIP, Mr. Lou's. Good times on Mack Avenue. | ||
Alley Member Username: Alley Post Number: 1054 Registered: 02-2008 |
Oh wow, I forgot about Mr. Lou's! Wasn't it also, or later, called the Blue Rose? That was one place close to the Cabbage Patch that looked past my fake ID! RIP Lyman Woodard (Message edited by alley on March 11, 2009) | ||
1kielsondrive Member Username: 1kielsondrive Post Number: 1071 Registered: 08-2008 |
See Lyman Woodard Memorial/Wake photos on Gar Wood link here at DY. Posted about 03-11 or 03-12. |
