Claire Daly
I first met Claire Daly in my day gig slinging reeds at the late Sam Ash in NYC. We had a vibe from the first note. She invited me to a session at her spot not far from the store soon after. I noticed the paintings and art that were everywhere. She had a book of tunes for sessions and we got into it. After my first solo she looked at me and said “I get it, you’re a free player but your really melodic.” We had a ball that day and not long after that she joined my 12 Houses Orchestra. What an incredible gift that was. The more I got to know Claire, she became what I call an ally in swing. We’re open musically, but at the core, we swing. Even when we play free we swing. We can’t turn it off-it’s just the way it is..it’s nature. In the 12 Houses I now had a whole new spectrum of swing that said Claire, a whole new room opened up. I let the music tell me what to do, and now my music would tell me directly “This one is for Claire, give this one to Claire.” The music was always right. I have a moment like this on record. Check out how Claire sails over an ocean of blues here at 8 minutes on Crop Circle 6.
The more we got to know each other we found out that we both were directly inspired by George Garzone. Claire got it in it’s purest form, hearing the Fringe every week for 3 years where she was tending bar in Boston in her Berklee days. Years later in my one semester at Berklee an encounter with George and Frank Tiberi changed my life forever, it was the first time I saw music that open played live. Claire would invite me to go hear George when he was in NYC, which was always a ball. She was very happy with her last recording as a leader that she did with George, VuVu for Frances. We listened to it in her car after she drove us back to the city not that long ago. Check out the driving Sweet Georgia Bright! Claire and I also loved and got to spend time with OC. She pointed out to me that even Ornette’s pool technique was unusual: He never pulled his arm back making a shot.
After Claire was in the 12 Houses for awhile she agreed to join me on my crazy Facebook Live show called The Bridge Sessions , for episode 9. This hour long live interview/session proved to be very enlightening. I learned she had studied with Joe Viola, and Danny Bank. Joe had told her that the Baritone “held everything up,” which gave insight into the special role the Baritone sax plays in big bands, as well as perspective on bari sax playing itself. I learned that Danny Bank subbed for Harry Carney with Duke occasionally. Claire now stands tall herself among the baritone sax greats in jazz history.
When I asked Claire about where it all started she told me a story about watching television when Paul McCartney said he was “listening to this guy Albert Ayler!” In her younger years she loved the Beatles and Albert. It was a unifier and a gateway, what I call a signpost. Claire told Bret Primack more about her earliest days, specifically that hearing Buddy Rich live playing Norwegian Wood sealed the deal for her. She named Serge Chaloff and Ronnie Cuber as inspirations on the baritone saxophone, which chooses you as she said. In both interviews Claire mentions Rahsaan Roland Kirk’s album Return of the 5,000 Pound Man as having deep impact on her. She also says the word fun multiple times. An essential read on Claire is also an interview she did with Andrea Wolper, that has a focus on Claire’s wonderful Mary Joyce Project.
The year 1985 was defining for her. She had been making a living playing tenor, alto, and soprano when she found her voice on baritone. As it turned out she ended up owning Howard Johnson’s first bari sax given to him by his mother which she still played! Horns are funny that way, they somehow always end up with who they are supposed to. A few months ago Claire gave me her bass clarinet and gave her friend and student James a bari. I was shook by this but used it immediately and sent her a video from a recent concert.
Claire has 11 records she made on her Bandcamp Page. They are all so well thought out and professionally done. I’ve listened to them all, each one totally unique. Highlights abound but Heaven Help Us All and In Heaven are undeniably poignant. After all, that’s where she lives now.
Throughout the stories on her records she has such tremendous patience and timing- so intrinsic to real musical and human communication. That was the heart of her gift and message to me. I feel that in most cases many years of playing are needed to reach this level. My favorite example of this is Claire’s solo here with me on Church in Chinatown, where she supported my playing the alto clarinet. Her solo is so in the moment, with a clear beginning, middle, high point with band interaction, and finish. All she had to work with was a short hymn, and a short story about what we were playing about and who for (Daniel Carter). In this way Claire could make complete statements in a only a few choruses or a few minutes. This my friends, is the highest level of what jazz is..to me anyway. That’s just it..Claire Daly was everything that jazz is, right down to the core. She was absolutely herself in every honest note. At the heart of jazz is the ability to allow and bring the listener in, to feel what it’s like to be you for a moment. We can bring you into our inner worlds and share joy, sadness, and a whole other spectrum of complex and very personal emotions. In jazz we share our humanity, and at this Claire was a master. It was all just no natural for her. She played exactly like the person she was. Her personality and playing were one and the same.
When Claire revealed that she was fighting Cancer, it was a new chapter in her story that had many of us very concerned. She has such a large tent with family, friends, students, and fans. She was rolling with it and staying positive. At a certain point it was becoming clear that this was going to be the end of her story. The last time we spoke she told me she had stopped playing to focus on healing, but at the same time she had nothing left to prove. She had played everything she had to play. The vibe was not unlike the one we played together here in the last two minutes of Azure.
We still kept it bright though and said BIG LOVE to each other. Love is what Claire was all about, and there is so much love for her now from so many people! My real last words to her were over at Caring Bridge:
Hey Claire....every week James comes through so we can get into alto clarinet but the first 10 minutes or so are always the same: How's our girl Claire? I need to thank you for your openness, trust and willingness to give so much musically. When we met at Sam Ash we vibed right away and then you became the low note in the 12 Houses family. We bonded on swing (no matter what was swirling around us), and then beyond to sessions at your spot, 2 Covid sessions, and even the Bridge sessions! I was so happy that you received a painting, it was meant for you. The music we made together will be here forever. We played together enough that I can feel the essence of your swing if I close my eyes...the core of how music flows through you and from you..it was there in that shared space where we truly musically and spiritually joined in a way that is eternal. That's were I'll be, and where we will be down the road
Claire Daly, has now become her sound.
BIG Love to you Claire.
Now, and forever..
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