"Bud"

[Numero Cinco]

To me, one of the more haunting songs in the TJB repertoire is "Bud," the fifth track on Herb Alpert's Ninth. Mr. Alpert's liner notes indicate that the song was offered in affectionate memory of Ervan Coleman—who, if my memory serves, is credited as its composer.

Can the aficionados on this thread tell the rest of us anything of the background for this song?

 

[thetijuanataxi]

The track was done as a tribute to Ervan "Bud" Coleman who died earlier that year from surgery complications. I believe his wife, Eleanor wrote or co-wrote the song. Ervan was the composer of "Tijuana Taxi", "The Wall Street Rag", "Freckles" and other TJB songs.

David,
remembering another talented musician who was taken from us way too soon......

 

[Steve Sidoruk]

And for those who might not know or remember, Bud Coleman played lead guitar and mandolin for Julius Wechter & The Baja Marimba Band. (Stepping into his shoes was Charlie Chiarenza.) As I recall, his death was quite untimely in that it shouldn't have occurred related to the surgery involved. Also, an article appeared in either Time or Newsweek, which I believe attributed medical malpractice.

 

[DAN BOLTON]

I thought I read someplace that it was supposed to be a routine gall-bladder surgery that went wrong, somehow.

Did Ervan play the guitar on the song, or was it someone else, maybe Tommy Tedesco? The song has to be one of the most beautiful that Mr. Coleman ever wrote.


Dan

 

[LPJim]

It was either gall bladder or a routine appendectomy I think. He received an overdose of anesthetic and just didn't wake up. Needless to say, there was a malpractice suit which was settled for an undisclosed sum.
JB

 

[Jay Maynes/Juan Oskar]

I also heard that he was a very religious man.

 

[Mr Bill]

The story his widow Eleanor told us at the Wechter tributer was that he had two songs half finished for Herb. Then he went into the hospital and we know the rest. Herb and Julius (with Coleman's widow) worked the two unfinished tunes into "Bud." At least that's how I remember the story. I think the working titles for the two tunes were "Blue" and "Green" as Bud gave simple working titles until he could hear the entire piece, at which time a "real" title would hit him like a "Tijuana Taxi"!!!

--Mr Bill

 

[Phil Fox]

"Bud" has long been one of my favorite songs in all of the TJB repertoire.

A year or so ago, I made a compilation CD for each of the key TJB composers (Sol Lake, Ervan Coleman, Julius Wechter, Herb, and John Pisano). While Sol Lake's is by far my favorite of the CDs, the Ervan Coleman disk points out two things -- how good his music was and how little there was of it.

I have long thought about how to have Bud and Jerusalem played at my own funeral -- hopefully a few decades away still -- because of their beauty and hopefulness despite their melancholy.

Phil

 

[Numero Cinco]

Steve Sidoruk: And for those who might not know or remember, Bud Coleman played lead guitar and mandolin for Julius Wechter & The Baja Marimba Band.

Yes, I do remember reading this. Isn't he pictured on the cover of BMB's Watch Out?

Did Ervan Coleman play mandolin on any of the TJB tracks? There's quite a lot of mandolin on the album South of the Border; I've wondered if any of it is Mr. Coleman's.

 

[thetijuanataxi]

Yes. Bud Coleman was used on the TJB albums, I believe right up through WHAT NOW MY LOVE. I don't recall any mandolin on SRO or SOUNDS LIKE, someone correct me if I'm wrong, but for the first 6 TJB LPs, Bud was the primary if not only mandolin player.

David,
whose favorite song is Bud Coleman's "Tijuana Taxi".......

 

[Brasil_Nut]

The story his widow Eleanor told us at the Wechter tributer was that he had two songs half finished for Herb. Then he went into the hospital and we know the rest. Herb and Julius (with Coleman's widow) worked the two unfinished tunes into "Bud." At least that's how I remember the story.

That evening, when Shirley Wilson introduced me to Mrs. Coleman during Intermission, she shared the same story with us. The two songs Bill mentioned were combined into one following Mr. Coleman's death.

She was a lovely, gracious lady. Very nice talking with her.

Jon

 

[Mr Bill]

As the first few LPs were ALL by studio musicians and the subsequent ones were largely studio people as well, I was long under the impression that mandolins, guitars and the like were either Tommy Tedesco, Bud Coleman or John Pisano. After the familiar line up we recognize as the TJB was set, Pisano was one of a few who not only was a member of the touring TJB but contributed on record as well. In the studio Herb would use musicians that gave him the sound he wanted, whether they were a "TJB member" or " a "studio muisician." I trust the liner notes on the re-releases will spell this out better so the unsung heroes may get credit at long last (and hopefully fans won't think less of the other musicians who were strictly "for the road")

--Mr Bill

 

[Gary910]

It was either gall bladder or a routine appendectomy I think. He received an overdose of anesthetic and just didn't wake up. Needless to say, there was a malpractice suit which was settled for an undisclosed sum.
JB

He actually had a problem with his ear. This is the story I have been told. My Grandmother was very good friends with Eleanor (his widow). She was always very nice to me too, as a child. I have been told also that Bud held me on his lap one time when I was a very small, unfortunately I don't remember this.[/quote]

 

[LPJim]

Thanks for the clarification and sharing the memories. I was maybe 12 when this happened, and there actually was a small blib in the newspaper about it. Seems like it was in the Spring of '68 - about the time of Wes Montgomery's passing.
It was difficult then (as now) to see so many highly regarded music people go before their time.
JB

 

[thetijuanataxi]

It was spring of 1967 because he died before HERB ALPERT'S NINTH was released. I also read that he died from "complications from surgery" and I do remember it being a routine appendectomy and so the anesthesia story, I believe, is accurate.

David,
wishing Mr. Coleman had lived to write many more TJB tunes

 

[Gary910]

The anesthesia part is totally correct. It is just the operation was not an appendectomy. As I stated it was an operation on his ear.

 

[Tom]

My sincere thanks to all of you who have written here about Bud Coleman. Like all of the musicians Herb chose to surround himself and play with, Bud Coleman was an extraordinary talent both as a song writer and mandolin player. My favorite of his tunes is the timeless, fresh, toe tapping "Tijuana Taxi". One of my other favorites has always been "Bud" because of it's touching melody. It's very pretty. It is Bud Coleman's playing that led me to love mandolin. From time to time, as I have done from the beginning, I find myself turning down the left channel so I can concentrate on Bud's extraordinary mandolin playing on the right channel. If ya haven't done it, please do yourself the pleasure of concentrating on his mandolin. It's extraordinarily gorgeous.

Bud Coleman is another reason we all love the sound of TjB.

My best to Bud's lovely widow Eleanor.

Tom