JazzPortraits

Danilo Perez & Claus Ogerman - Across the Crystal Sea

2008-10-13T18:54:00.000-07:00

It's often said that there aren't that many really impressive new recordings being made today in jazz, at least compared to the "golden era" of the music. I generally agree with that statement. It's likely something to do with the quantity over quality issue - the number of new jazz recordings has exploded over the past 20 years, but in most cases, the music isn't all that memorable.

A big exception to all of that is Beyond the Crystal Sea - a new record by pianist Danilo Perez which finds him working with arranger and conductor Claus Ogerman. This is simply a beautiful record, and I saw without hesitation the best that I have heard in 2009. Perez and Ogerman are perhaps an unlikely pair at first thought, but it works wonderfully. In fact, I think it's a more satisfying project than the similar record Claus did with Bill Evans back in the 60's, which like Crystal Sea, also deals with jazz adaptations of classical themes. Al Schmitt recorded it, so you also know it's a sonic gem too. I'd be shocked if this one doesn't walk away with numerous awards at the end of the year. It deserves them.

Jazz Dynamics

2007-12-22T00:12:00.000-08:00

One of the things that impressed me the most after hearing pianist Ahmad Jamal's trio several years ago was the use of dynamics. The group could go from a whisper to a roar, often quiet quickly. It added an element that I often find lacking in many jazz groups both live and on cd.

Creative use of dynamics is another color in the musical pallete. So why do so many jazz musicians play like they only know two volume levels - on and off? I suspect a lot of it has to do with the way bands are mixed, both live and on record. Musicians often aren't in the loop - the mix is often the responsibility of the sound guy, who quiet often isn't the most musical person in the room. Groups today don't really worry about how they blend as a group naturally - because its all "in the mix". Most CDs are dynamically compressed (altered so that the loud parts quieter and the quiet parts louder) some so much so that the whole recording is all of one volume! Once you realize what's actually going on and what a good less, or moderately compressed recording can sound - it really becomes annoying.

IT'S KIND OF LIKE READING SOMETHING IN ALL CAPS!

That said there are some jazz artists today who understand the power of dynamics, and that quiet can be as intense as loud. Just looking through my top 10 list of 2007 a couple of the CDs stand out as excellent examples. Bill Charlap's trio is a great example of the creative use of dynamics in a small group which can be heard to great effect on his new live at the village vanguard cd. For a large group there is no one better at exploiting the dynamic range of a big band than Maria Schneider (though John Clayton comes close). Her new cd Sky Blue is likewise a fine example of that - she uses dynamics almost as another instrument in her arrangements. And while I wasn't specifically thinking about dynamics when I selected these two as part of my ten best CDs of 2007, I can't help but think it's not just a coincidence that they rose to the top partly because of their use of dynamics.

Best jazz musician you haven't heard of - Anat Cohen?

2007-06-11T20:38:00.000-07:00

I can think of several nominations for this award, but the first one that comes to mind right now is saxophonist & clarinetist Anat Cohen. She has three new records out this year (two under her own name) and I'm really excited by all of them, as they're all very memorable.

Born in Tel Aviv, and now a New York resident, Anat started out like many musicians do on clarinet, and has great chops and a rich, full tone on that most difficult of woodwinds. The same can be said of her work on saxophone. Her tenor playing (tenor seems to be her predominant horn) is both lush and muscular, full of inventive ideas, highly lyrical, and remarkably refreshing, in the way it stands out from the cookie cutter tenor players that are all over jazz today. And while she is clearly informed by everyone from Ben Webster to Sonny Rollins, but her sound is totally contemporary. She also is very well versed in everything from Brazilian choro to Argentine tango rhythms, and she incorporates those influences into her work, as well as some hints of her own heritage and her early exposure to Dixieland. Her brother Avishai (not the bass player) is also a first rate jazz trumpet player in New York.

I first took note of her playing a couple of years ago with her excellent debut Place and Time. It had a poise and presence that I'm not used to hearing. We got so many records at the station, from big names to unknowns, and it's rare for one to really stand out of that pile of "unknowns" and make a big impact. Early this year, Anat returned with two new records in her own name. Poetica is a showcase for her clarinet work, an has echoes of classical music, Brazilian, and even a eye opening version of Coltrane's "Lonnie's Lament."

The other record, Noir, is a large group showcase ("big band" isn't perhaps the right label), again, with similar themes, but a totally different sound, and more focus on her tenor playing. Together they make a nice set, showing the musical development and diverse interests of a talented young player. Anat's tenor playing has evolved a bit from her first CD. Her sound seems even bigger, and now has perhaps a bit more edge than before. I sense she's more willing to take (more) musical risks and expand her palette as an improviser now.

Then last week, I came across another CD, which eventually inspired me to write this post. I briefly glanced at the two disc set, which didn't seem to catch my interest at first. The "Waverly Seven" was the band, Yo Bobby the title. It seemed to be some kind of two disc tribute to Bobby Darrin, complete with Vegas-esque CD artwork. I get a lot of these. They usually aren't worth a listen. After I turned the CD over and saw the personnel, (Anat, Avishai, Joel Frahm, Jason Linder, etc) it piqued my interest. I took the CD with me and listening to it on the way home I was hooked.

What could have been a terribly cheesy concept is actually a REALLY hard swinging, retro-yet-fresh showcase for Anat's tenor, and fellow tenor Joel Frahm, playing songs associated with Darrin, in fresh, "wow, that's cool" arrangements. Think of Tadd Dameron charts, with some B-3, Wurlitzer, Moog, and guitar mixed in, all with a incessant uptempo swing feel. Most of all, it's a lot of fun, and proof that you don't need to water down jazz to make it fun for listeners. At times, like on the barn burner "Artificial Flowers", which closes disc one, Cohen and Frahm go at it in a classic tenor duel that would make Dexter Gordon, Wardell Gray, Gene Ammons, Sonny Stitt, Johnny Griffin proud. I could help but crank up the CD player to the max and roll down the windows, head bobbing up and down on two and four. I was really prepared NOT to like this record, but I can't stop listening to it. Something most of Anat Choen's albums tend to do.

Most articles in the jazz mags about Anat Cohen will likely spend a good deal of time talking about her Israeli heritage, the fact that she's a female tenor player in jazz, etc. That's great, good story lines for a journalist looking for an angle, but it's missing the point. And that of course is, she's REALLY good. If you're tired of listening to those cookie cutter tenor players who all must be playing the same licks, and trying to rip off Chris Potter, Michael Brecker, or Mark Turner, listen to Cohen.

Jazz Audience Part II: Jazz and Youth Soccer?

2007-06-09T20:44:00.000-07:00

I was listening to sports talk radio the other day, and the topic was how no one really cares about the Stanley Cup Finals. (I'm not here to argue either way on that one) The conversation continued to other sports that don't get much TV attention, and thus big fan bases here in the US. Lacrosse was mentioned, and so was soccer. We all know that soccer has grown in popularity here in the US over the past few decades, but it hasn't truly taken off. And much of the growth can be attributed to a changing population, and changing demographics, with new immigrants who are already futbol fans.

Then one of the hosts brought up the disconnect between of the number of kids playing soccer, versus the size of the adult soccer audience. It's hugely popular, right up there with basketball, and baseball, and has been for some time. Millions of kids are in soccer leagues. I drive past a major soccer complex often on the freeway, and it's always PACKED at night with various teams playing, hundreds if not thousands of people. But despite the HUGE numbers of kids playing soccer, most don't go on to be soccer fans. This CNN Money article (a bit old, from 2002) talks about this issue. This of course is of concern to many in soccer, and presumably to the MLS, which is hoping its product will catch on and be as mainstream as baseball or football someday (with the revenues that follow).

How does this relate to jazz? Well, we always talk about building the next generation of jazz listeners and focusing on getting kids in jazz bands (good thing for a lot of reasons, I'm not questioning that). But the problem is those kids aren't becoming LISTENERS! They may be in the program out of coercion. They may like playing an instrument, or the social aspect of being in the band, but as they mature they aren't seeking out jazz events, or recordings. Now, of course, the kids in the band are more likely than those the average student population to become jazz fans (a guess, but I think it's a safe one). But still, the numbers aren't very good. How else can you explain the explosion of jazz education of the last 30 years, compared with the simultaneous decline in the jazz audience, jazz venues, jazz record sales.

Jazz faces the same issue as soccer. If we only rely on youth participatory programs to generate next generation audiences, we're not going to grow the audience as we think we would. We need to take a serious look at audience development, how we can make jazz relevant to new generations of listeners, and find out what interests them. I'm not talking about watering down music. I'm talking about taking a moment and saying "what's going on here?" To be continued.

Update: Yoshi's pulls CD

2007-06-02T12:20:00.000-07:00

Yesterday I mentioned the controversy surrounding a new 10th anniversary CD from the venerable Oakland jazz club Yoshi's - a CD that didn't include any music by black artists. Well, in today's San Francisco Chronicle, word comes that the club has decided to pull the CD, and is working on putting together a more diverse compilation. They had sold about 500 of the 1000 CDs printed, before they decided to pull them from their website and club store.

As I pointed out in my post yesterday, and as Peter Williams of Yoshi's explained in The Chronicle tooday, Yoshi's simply went through the Concord Records archives (a label formerly based in the Bay Area, and still with some Bay Area ties through the Fantasy Studios and archives) and selected tracks by Concord artists who had been recorded live at Yoshi's. Two additional tracks (Madeleine Peyroux and Robben Ford) were added from broadcast airchecks from San Francisco radio station KFOG.

In the same article Orrin Keepnews chimes in with the following insult to all of the artists on the CD:

"With all due respect to the venerable Marian McPartland, whom I love and have always loved, there's nobody on that record of major current importance," said Keepnews. "The club put out an anniversary record that was thoughtless and not very well put together. They limited themselves to material recorded live at the club. You have a half-dozen things here that don't have the making of a significant or representative record, regardless of what color anybody is.'

Questioning why a "Live at Yoshi's" CD would only include performances recorded at the club, makes one wonder what sort of relevance Keepnews has in today's record industry. Of COURSE they limited themselves to material recorded at the club - that was the concept of the album. And it's nice of Keepnews to insult musicians like Poncho Sanchez (jazz snobs will always look down upon any music that actually encourages people to dance) and Joey DeFrancesco as not being of "major current importance." (whatever that means - Keepnews must have a direct line to the jazz police).

Bottom line: Yoshi's should have tried to include recordings from other labels as part of their CD. But they went with Concord, and it just so happened that the artists on Concord who recorded at Yoshi's weren't as diverse as Yoshi's normal lineup. But Yoshi's lineup IS diverse, always has been, and I'm sure will continue to be.

However, in the jazz world, there are still problems of diversity in many areas. The world of institutionalized jazz education is much less diverse than jazz as a whole. There are several record labels that I can think of (mostly small ones though, as almost all jazz labels are small) that don't feature any, or maybe only one or two releases by artists of color.

When I'm on the air, I don't pay attention to the race of the musician in selecting what I play. On occasion I'll look back at a playlist, and I'll notice that it was a pretty diverse mix. Other times, I'll say "wow, in this hour, I didn't play any music by white musicians," or "wow, in this hour, I didn't play any music by black musicians," or "wow, in this hour I didn't play any music by Latino musicians." I think this is what happened with the Yoshi's CD. I think it was an honest omission, (not a mistake) but an omission, and given Yoshi's track record in booking diversity, I think they should be given the benefit of the doubt.

This matter does bring up a larger issue which needs to be addressed, however. At the same time that jazz is growing in popularity around the world, and in some ways is thus growing more diverse, here at home, jazz is losing its traditional African American audience. And are as many young African American musicians going into jazz? Do they have the same opportunities to participate in the jazz education system as white musicians? The situation reminds me a lot of the issues facing Major League Baseball, which is facing a steep drop in the number of African American players. Maybe this Yoshi's controversy, which is a little overblown, if you ask me, will shed some light on the more significant issues of race in jazz. It's a big, important, and complex topic, that warrants more discussion than I can provide right now, but I'll try to revisit it soon.

Jazz and Race - Yoshis 10th Anniversary CD controversy

2007-06-01T11:30:00.000-07:00

California's premier jazz venue, Yoshi's at Jack London Square in Oakland, just celebrated its 10th anniversary at its current location, and released a CD to go along with the celebration. The CD has tracks by Poncho Sanchez, Marian McPartland, Joe Pass, Joey DeFrancesco, Robben Ford, and Madeleine Peyroux. Sounds good, right? The problem - no black artists. This has many in the Bay Area jazz community concerned, according to the San Francisco Chronicle (link). Yoshi's has apologized for the oversight. But then last week another issue came up: the Berkeley Downtown Jazz Festival, which presents music at a number of venues, didn't have any black artists performing at one of their venues, Anna's Jazz Island, though a number of black artists are performing at other BDJF venues.

I don't have time to weigh in too much on the whole issue, other than to make a few comments, first about this particular situation and then the issue at large.

1) I see that most of the artists on the Yoshi's CD have other commercially available "Live at Yoshi's" albums available. Peter Williams mentioned the recording rights issue with the Chronicle, and I imagine this played a big role in who wound up on the CD. However, just off the top of my head, Mulgrew Miller, Dee Dee Bridgewater, also have "Live at Yoshi's" discs. Both are African-American artists.

2) With the exception of Madeleine Peyroux and Robben Ford, all of the other artists on the Yoshi's 10th anniversary CD are affiliated with Concord Records. It might have been an issue where Concord was easy to negotiate with regarding these tracks, other labels weren't, and these tracks and artists were chosen accordingly.

3) I don't think anyone has any justification to question Yoshi's overall booking policy and artist lineup based on race. I've seen many other jazz venues which seem to present only white artists, but not Yoshi's.

4) I don't think it so much applies in the BDJF case, as they do have a diverse artist roster, just not at the festival events at Anna's Jazz Island.

5) I think this is a legitimate issue which jazz presenters and educators need to pay attention to. Maybe this incident will spark some further discussion on this issue in the jazz community, even if the criticism in these cases isn't entirely justified.

Aging audience?

2007-05-28T11:09:00.000-07:00

Mark Sandow has an interesting piece on his blog about the aging audience for classical music, and the various reactions people often have, such as denial. It's a major issue that faces almost all arts organizations to some extent, but really is not even an arts issue any more - overall our population is again. Teachers, government officials, corporate types - just thumb through any national publication and you'll likely see articles about how some remarkably high percentage of the population of _______ is aging, about to retire, not being replaced by new workers, etc.

But classical music is especially challenged in this area. Jazz is too. Just go to a jazz concert or a festival, and observe the audience. It's not the most youthful group. Thankfully, the jazz audience isn't quite as old as the classical audience, and it's certainly more diverse. A recent study (2006) by the Jazz Alliance International (PDF download) says that 41 percent of the jazz audience is under 39 year old, which quite frankly surprised me. Another 37 percent are between 40 and 55. I had expected the numbers to be much older.

Now let's think about those numbers and ages for a moment. Those 41 percent of people under 39 years old, did not grow up in a world where jazz was popular music. And most of those in the 40-55 age group didn't either. These are children of the rock and roll generation. They obviously came to find out about, or enjoy jazz at some point - but when? And how? This is the information I'd like to find out. I often ask people who become members of the station how they found out about the station, and how they got into jazz. Some have stories of growing up listening to mom and dad play records by Dave Brubeck and Shelly Manne, or going to see the CTI All Stars at the Warnors Theatre as teenagers. But most of them seem to have stumbled across the music as adults. And I say "stumbled" because it often seems more like an accident, as opposed to "seeking out" the music. They happen across the radio station, like the music, and get become "jazz fans". Maybe they had some early exposure to the music at home, but most of them probably (my conjecture here) we're active jazz fans in their teens or twenties.

If true, this dispels the myth that jazz has no future if it's not "pop" music. Pop is targeted to a teen audience, and if yesterdays teens of the (1960's and 70's) are becoming jazz fans in their 30s or 40s. It also dispels the myth that adults musical tastes are set in stone by the time they reach adulthood.

It also raises some interesting questions, such as: If most jazz fans become jazz fans as adults, and most are doing so in some sort of accidental manner, how can we "nudge fate" a bit and make things a little less accidental, and do some real audience development? Another interesting stat: 41 percent said that the reason they don't attend more jazz events is... inconvenient location. Again, not what I expected.

Sandow also raises another issue that I've been thinking about, and I'm not sure if I agree with him. He says there is a ray of hope, because the number of young people PLAYING classical music has stayed the same over the years. Conventional wisdom would lead one to believe that those student musicians would then become the next generation of classical fans. First, if this was the case, wouldn't we see less of an overall "aging" of the classical audience, if all those young students from 20 years ago are now active in the classical "audience?" Second, and more important, I'm not sure that most young people who are in a jazz band, or classical ensemble are interested in the music itself. I had a discussion with a local high school band director a few days ago. Keep in mind, this is a school with a very distinguished music program in both classical and jazz. I asked him how many of his students in his jazz band would be jazz listeners in 10 years. He said maybe three or four. Now that's certainly higher than the average high school population, but it's still not great. The same goes for the kids in their classical ensembles. They may play Mussorgsky or Holst, but they have no interest in going home and listening to classical music, or going to hear an orchestra or chamber ensemble perform.

Also, another question that turns conventional wisdom on its ear: Are jazz musicians part of the jazz audience in a significant way? I always remark at the relatively small number of musicians I see at local jazz events. Maybe they all have gigs on those nights, but I doubt it.

All of this, to me, points to the need and importance of a strategic effort at audience development for jazz. It can target young kids, the pre-teens who don't yet have closed minds to something that sounds "weird." It can also target adults who might someday "accidentally" find out about jazz. But instead of waiting for fate, it can be proactive, and get in front of them, in an accessible, yet not "watered down" way. It can show them that jazz is something they already like, and enjoy, they just don't know it. It can show them that jazz doesn't have to be dry, boring or stuffy. It can show them that jazz is relevant and a lot of fun. But as long as the majority of our effort at jazz education is focused on attempting to crank out the "next" John Coltrane, we might be missing the point. Of course traditional jazz education is VERY important. But we have more musicians today than ever before, a record number of jazz CDs released every year, and fewer and fewer venues and listeners to support them.

Now, I'll admit there might be some problems with my conclusions. The jazz radio audience, the jazz purchasing audience and the jazz event audience aren't necessarily the same audience. The JAI survey was apparently some sort of web survey, so I don't know how accurate it is. Nor are my anecdotal observations reliable in any sort of statistical method. But at the very least, I think this is an issue that needs to be discussed some more. We need some reliable research on where jazz listeners come from, when they become jazz listeners, and why. I've only begun looking into this issue, so I'll keep you up to date with anything else I come up with.

Latin jazz vs. the jazz establishment?

2007-05-26T14:42:00.000-07:00

Latin jazz bandleader Pete Escovedo performed last night at Fresno's Arte Americas, a local Latino cultural arts center. Every Memorial Day weekend, they kick off their summer long Friday Night concert series with a Latin jazz headliner. Last year, it was Poncho Sanchez, the year before that it was Eddie Palmieri, before that the Spanish Harlem Orchestra, etc. It's always a fun event, with great music, food, people dancing, and all of that stuff. It was a good concert, maybe not as good at the Palmieri or Sanchez shows, but it was without question a good time, and the very diverse crowd loved it. Latin jazz seems like a good entry point into the world of jazz for a lot of people, and I think presenters and radio should keep this in mind, especially with the growing Hispanic population in the US.

Too often, jazz venues and promoters and radio treat Latin jazz as a stepchild to "real" jazz. I had a promoter the other day react in shock (in a positive way) when I told him our station would be playing the new Spanish Harlem Orchestra CD quite a bit. He said he wasn't sure how radio would respond to it, or if stations would even play it (it's a pretty straight ahead Latin jazz/salsa album, with one odd track featuring Paul Simon tacked on the end of the CD). It's not the first time I've heard this sort of thing from promoters. I guess this is because a lot of radio stations just won't play it, especially if it has Spanish lyrics. A few artists have been able to break through. Arturo Sandoval always gets good airplay on jazz radio, and Poncho Sanchez, through relentless touring and a string of well produced CDs that have crossover appeal (and guest stars), gets good airplay.

But overall, I don't see the jazz establishment embracing Latin jazz. In 2002, Jazz at Lincoln Center founded at Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra, led by pianist Arturo O'Farrill (son of legendary band leader, composer and arranger Chico O'Farrill). A couple of years ago, the group released a fine album of Latin jazz big band classics, Una Noche Inolvidable, on Palmetto Records. But just this April, it was announced that J@LC was cutting its ties to the band. (NY Post Article) According to another article on the website NY1.com, it came down to money.

“A year or two ago we all sensed a diminishing lack of resources for the orchestra,” said O’Farrill.

He says about a month and half ago he sat down with JALC Artistic Director Wynton Marsalis.

“He said that that he loved us,” said O’Farrill. “That he was sorry that it wasn't enough of a platform on which to continue the orchestra.”

But this doesn't mean that ALJO is no more. Instead, O'Farrill is going to forge out on his own, and try to become its own institution. And for now, it's forging ahead, with a fall season at Symphony Space, starting in September. I wish Arturo and his band the best of luck, perhaps they'll come out of this as a stronger band, and with an enhanced image. I can't imagine ANYONE in jazz attempting to lead a big band at J@LC, trying to get publicity and recognition while basking in Wynton Marsalis's shadow. I must admit I was surprised when they created the ALJO, but I wasn't nearly as surprised when they parted ways. Such is often the case when the jazz "establishment" deals with Latin jazz.

Abbey Lincoln's songs

2007-05-26T12:28:00.000-07:00

Abbey Lincoln has a new record out, "Abbey Sings Abbey" with guitar-centric remakes of many of her most well know original songs. Some might say it's not really a jazz album, or at least the sort of jazz album we've come to expect from Abbey Lincoln over the past 15 years or so in her affiliation with Gitanes/Verve Records. Most of those were straight ahead affairs with the likes of Stan Getz, Hank Jones, Charlie Haden and co. This one is mining the musical terrain most often occupied by people like Cassandra Wilson, in a jazz/roots/folk sort of sound, with pedal steel, dobro/resonator guitar, accordion, etc.

Nate Chenin of the New York Times points out that this new setting makes sense, as Lincoln's songs often follow the verse-chorus-verse structure we associate with folk music. But to my ears, more than form, it's also Lincoln's melodies that have a strong folk element to them. They most often have very simple and predictable melodies, with a sort of "singsong" quality to them. They usually take one short melodic fragment, and then develop it through the song, either ascending or descending through the chords (Throw It Away, Down Here Below, Bird Alone, etc). If I could level one complaint at Lincoln's compositions, it's that they have a tendency to sound the same, to draw upon the same melodic ideas and similar chord progressions. In some ways, I think they work a better in this new context. The first time I played this new version of "Throw It Away" the phones lit up with people wanting to know who and what it was that played, so perhaps "Abbey Sings Abbey" will bring her talents to a new, larger audience. I know I appreciate her music in a different way now, after hearing this album.

Bill Charlap - Live at the Village Vanguard

2007-05-23T18:51:00.000-07:00

You'd think that in 2007 it would be hard for a jazz pianist, working in a standard trio format, playing primarily standards and tunes by well known jazz composers, in a largely conventional manner, to find a new niche in the sonic landscape, a personal sound. Well, Bill Charlap certainly has done that. It may not have been easy, Charlap is just now finally enjoying the kind of acclaim that many lesser pianists got in the 1990's "young lion" era, and Bill is doing it at a much older age.

There's something fresh about Bill's playing; his fleet right hand lines that would make Bud Powell (at his best) proud, and the percussive attack of his left hand that brings to mind everyone from Monk to Silver to Brubeck, while sounding like none of them. And then there's his trio, Peter and Kenny Washington, bass and drums, both understated masters, maybe the best of their generation at what they do, as tight of a rhythm section as you'll find.

Unlike many of those "young lions" who got the big record deals, magazine covers and Brooks Brothers contracts in the 90's, Charlap never sounds like he's ripping off the style of any of the master pianists who he certainly is a big fan of. He truly has a personal sound, and this new CD captures it as well as I've heard on any of his records. The Village Vangaurd may not have been made to be the defintive recording spot for the top piano/bass/drums trios in jazz, but it sure has become just that. Add Charlap's name to the lofty list of excellent trio recordings to come out of the famed basement jazz venue.

Tony Bennett called Charlap "the next Bill Evans." That's high praise, especially coming from Tony, who worked with Bill and knows a thing or two about piano players. Maybe it's unfair to Charlap, in the same way that the critics who said Cannonball was "the next Bird" were being unfair. But if you look at it as a vote of confidence in Charlap's musicality and talent, it makes sense.

RIYL: Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones, Bill Evans, Oscar Peterson, Barry Harris, Bud Powell

The Joyce Hatto Scandal and Jazz?

2007-05-22T20:05:00.001-07:00

By now, you've probably heard about the big Joyce Hatto scandal in the world of classical piano recordings. If you haven't, Newsweek has a nice rundown of the tale. Basically, Hatto's record label (run by her husband) sold and marketed other commercially available recordings by other pianists (without any permission) as Hatto's. Some tracks got a little bit of EQ here and there, a boost to the low end, some were cleverly stitched together in the editing process, others were resampled, to speed up the performance, without changing the pitch.

All of this got me thinking about if anything like this has gone on in the jazz world, and how might it be dealt with. The thing about this that amazes me the most is that thee vaunted classical critics who praised Hatto's playing didn't notice that it was someone else earlier. It took Gracenote's CD ID technology, which determines the names of your songs in programs like iTunes by scanning the lengths of the tracks on the CD, to figure it out.

Perhaps some of it is due to the sheer volume of material the critics and classical aficionados listen to, or perhaps it's that they don't really listen all that much after all. If a jazz artist released a CD that was someone else's work, I think (or at least would hope) that most jazz critics would pick up on it, and say "haven't I heard this before." Again we all know the jazz and classical worlds are different, but still, is jazz immune from such a scandal. I can foresee a future where something like this does happen in jazz, but perhaps in a different way.

We've already seen Concord Records market "Ray Sings, Basie Swings" an album that contains not a single note of music from Count Basie (modern day Basie tracks were dubbed in to cover up Ray's original backup band). Supposedly a new project (also from producer Greg Field) is on the way that brings Ella Fitzgerald (back from the grave, or at least the vault) together with new tracks recorded by the London Symphony Orchestra.

These recordings are very profitable for the record companies and estates. Finding new "gems" from the vault by big names, who are dead, and thus not producing new content, is one of the only sure ways to make big money in today's music business. While there seems to be an almost inexhaustible supply of vault material, perhaps someday, might we see fake recordings marketed as the "long lost work of jazz great XYZ" but which are in actual fact, mere modern recreations of such.

Uncertainty of the provenance of jazz recordings is also nothing new. Jazz discographies are notoriously murky on many early sessions. Experts often try to discern if that really is Cootie Williams on that track or did so and so take his place that night, etc. Likewise, many jazz musicians have made their mark imitating the work of others, sometimes so closely it's hard to tell master from pupil. It is entirely conceivable that jazz could one day face a situation similar to the Joyce Hatto case. Let's hope it doesn't come to that though. And if it does happen, let's hope jazz listeners are more astute than their classical peers.

Anthony Wilson & Chico Pinheiro - Nova

2007-05-22T19:33:00.000-07:00

Anthony Wilson has long been one of my favorite jazz guitarists. His playing is supremely lyrical, has a warm tone, and excellent taste. He's also one of his generation's most gifted jazz composers. He has a new project now, and record forthcoming with a group called "Nova" - a collaboration with fellow guitarist Chico Pinheiro from Brazil. Chico isn't yet very well known in the US, but that will soon change. He's a phenomenal talent, a post Metheny guitarist equally at home in jazz or Brazilian contexts. Like Anthony he's a very lyrical player, with a wonderful tone, perhaps a bit more flashy in terms of technique, but as Anthony commented in a pre-concert phone interview I did, they have similar ideas and sounds, musical soul mates you might say.

The concert was excellent. Since I was involved with producing the event, as a board member of JazzFresno, I wasn't able to focus too much on the music (as much as the listener in me might like), but what I heard was excellent, if a little less fully textured as their forthcoming CD (which features a keyboard player, and special guests like Ivan Lins, Dori Caymmi, and many others). There aren't too many groups in jazz with a two guitar front line, but Anthony and Chico make it work. They're currently shopping the CD to different record labels, and hope to have it out later this year. I'm eager to see what the general reaction to this group is in the larger jazz world. The Fresno audience loved it, and our on air personalities are really into the CD. Sometimes it takes an unknown name such a Chico a few records to really break into the saturated market that is the world of new jazz albums. Hopefully this one won't be lost in the flood.

In case you can't wait for Nova to be released, you can download some live tracks from Chico's other bands on his website here.

Truth In Advertising - Jazz Edition

2006-10-30T19:13:00.000-08:00

Before I start, let me first say that if you're a Ray Charles fan, the following CD is a worthy addition to your collection, as it contains some EXCELLENT live vocals from Ray, when he was at his peak.

With that out of the way, let's proceed to talk about this interesting "new " CD - "Ray Sings, Basie Swings". Ray passed away in June 2004, shortly before the release of his "final" studio album, "Genius Loves Company" which came out in August of that year. A hit by any definition of the term, the album stood for weeks in Billboards Top 10 list (not for jazz or r&b, but Top 10 overall) and debuted at No. 2 on the chart. It shipped over 3 million copies and that figure is likely to rise even more, due to the brilliant marketing from Concord Records and Starbucks Corp's Hear Music division. It has become Ray's best selling album (eclipsing even his great sides for Atlantic and ABC in his prime).

Naturally, the industry was paying attention, and Charles estate was as well. In 2005, Rhino Records released a CD called "Genius and Friends" - an attempt to salvage an aborted session Ray did in the late 1990's, in more of a pop vein. They went back to the master tapes, removed many of the "duet" partners who were part of the original project, and put in folks like Reuben Studdard, (who as far as I know, never even met Ray in his lifetime). The project wasn't nearly as well crafted as "Genius Loves Company" (it was really rather mundane adult contemporary material) nor did it have the Starbucks machine behind it. It didn't sell nearly as well as "Company".

Now, the folks at Starbucks and Concord are back, with their own take on a posthumous collaboration - "Ray Sings, Basie Swings". Musically of the three albums discussed in this post, it's probably the best. Ray is at his peak as a performer. It swings hard, and at times, Ray is simply on FIRE! But things aren't quite what they seem:

Count Basie isn't on the album. His band is, but it's directed by Bill Hughes. And Ray never actually recorded with the band. Ray's vocals on the CD are taken from Jazz at the Philharmonic tapes made by Norman Granz from the 1970's. Supposedly they were marked "Ray Charles/Count Basie" but featured separate performances by the artists. And also according to Greg Fields who produced this new CD, the instrumental backing on the tapes featuring Ray were recorded poorly (oddly, most of the 1970's live Granz recordings I've heard have been pretty decent, who knows).

So the producers got the idea to commission new arrangements (based on Ray's originals) to be performed by the 2005/2006 edition of the Count Basie Orchestra. They would take Ray's 1970's vocals, isolate them from the originals by removing the band backing him and mix them with the new "Basie" performances. Tom Scott, Shelly Berg and others penned the charts. And they did a pretty good job. Some of the tracks come off better than others, but overall, it's one of the better attempts at this sort of studio wizardry I've heard. The producers make the point that Ray loved technology, and would often overdub parts, in much the same manner that this album was created.

Ok, I know some purists have a problem with that. I'm a little less than sold on the concept, but like I said, Ray's vocals are A+ quality, so I'll give a little lee-way on that issue. The thing I have a problem with is the name of the album, and the false impression it gives the consumer. The title is "Ray Sings, Basie Swings" Subtitled Ray Charles + The Count Basie Orchestra = Genius2 (squared). The subtitle is ok, as the Basie band's albums since the Count's death have all been listed as "The Count Basie Orchestra", where as in Basie's lifetime, it was usually "Cont Basie and his Orchestra". But when you say "Ray Sings, Basie Swings" and then talk about this great collaboration between two great artists, the implication is that the man from Red Bank, NJ, Bill Basie, is ON the CD. But he's not. "Ray" refers to an individual, but somehow we're supposed to infer that "Basie" refers to "Basie Inc" and not the man himself? When I first saw this CD I was very excited, thinking it was some long lost session featuring the two men together, I was less excited after reading what it really was, though still pleased with much of the music.

Here's the kicker, the press materials talked about how this was a great pairing that never happened in "real life" but thanks to the benefit of technology, we now can enjoy on CD. Yes, it is true that Ray never recorded with Basie's band under Basie's name. But one of his GREATEST all time albums, though one that admittedly doesn't feature much of Ray's singing, actually was recorded with Basie's group, minus the Count "Genius + Soul = Jazz." Quincy Jones did the arrangements, Ray plays keyboards. It's as close to a real Charles/Basie collaboration as we'll ever get. Though the record store bin might lead one to think otherwise.

Nguyen Le - Tiger's Tail Quartet

2006-10-28T15:15:00.000-07:00

Nguyen Le
Originally uploaded by jazzportraits.

A very interesting group, Nguyen Le's Tiger's Tail Quartet performed at Fresno City College last week, with Paul McCandless, Art Lande and Patrice Heral. I can't really say I've heard anything like it before. McCandless really makes this group in the textures he provides with his various instruments aren't normally heard paired with the electronics Le employs. Rarely do you hear a jazz group that uses both English Horn, pennywhistle, as well as multiple effects boxes and a Powerbook G4. Their Tiger's Tail on ACT is good, but a music like this really is best appreciated in person. This guy is an innovator, and though he was on the cover of Jazziz a few months ago, seems to be an unknown to most US jazz listeners. It's challenging music, but I think you'll be hearing a lot more buzz about him in the US after this tour.

Dave Brubeck @ the Monterey Jazz Festival

2006-10-02T21:45:00.000-07:00

Roberta Gambarini w/ Dave Brubeck @ MJF | 49
Originally uploaded by jazzportraits.

Ok, I had planned to get this review done much sooner, but other events took up my time. Now back to Sunday September 17th in Monterey. Dave Brubeck was the featured artist on the Jimmy Lyons stage for that evening's set. I've seen Dave three times now in the past 10 years, all of them at Monterey. This time Dave (now 85) appeared a bit more frail, but his playing was as inventive and joyful as ever. At this point in his life, he most likely doesn't need the money, but he works quite often, and you can tell he enjoys it.

He opened the evening with several tunes from his quartet, with Bobby Milletello, alto sax, Michael Moore (the bass player not the film maker) and Randy Jones on drums. I'm still not wild as Milletello as a foil for Brubeck, though he is a good alto player, but he's flashy in a way that isn't always appealing. I suppose it's a wise move for Dave to have a player like him, rather than a Paul Desmond clone though. The tunes ranged from On the Sunny Side of the Street to a blues to one of Dave's religious works.

After the quartet set, Russel Gloyd came out and Dave introduced his commissioned work "The Cannery Row Suite", inspired by the John Steinbeck novel of the same name. Brubeck told of how MJF director Tim Jackson wanted him to write a larger jazz opera, and how he (Brubeck) finally relented when Jackson said it could be 30 minutes "something more appropriate for a jazz festival." He also apologized for their lack of rehearsal time, though for just a few sections, you wouldn't have known that was an issue. Dave also told a story about his production of "The Real Ambassdors" at Monterey over 40 years earlier with Louis Armstrong. Dave said that in rehearsal he asked Louis to wear a top hat and carry an attache as part of his role in the production. Louis refused. However, when they went on stage, and Louis walked out, there he was with his top hat and attache. As he walked past the piano he told Dave "Am I hammin' it up enough foor you?" At that moment, Dave was handed a fedora, (see picture to the right) to sort of bring things full circle.

Brubeck's composition was a huge hit among the crowd, though as a jazz opera (or operetta) it wasn't all that successful, for that, it would have needed to be much longer. Rather we got to see a little bit of character development through the arias of Doc (Kurt Elling) and Dora (Roberta Gambarini) but not much in the way of actual plot. The bunkhouse group (Chris Brubeck and his band, plus singers from UOP) added a bit of rustic feel to the set, evoking the bunkhouses of Brubeck's California youth on the cattle ranch, and the bawdy Cannery Row of Steinbeck's novel.

The arias for Elling and Gambarini were incredible on their own. Based upon a 12 tone row, they must have been incredibly difficult to sing, yet they didn't sound like it, and Brubeck's melodic gift made what could have been "challenging" music for the listener, quite melodic and beautiful. Gambarini just nailed her parts. They say Sarah Vaughan could have been an opera diva. Gambarini showed a similar ability with her performance, with incredible range, excellent pitch (with all those tough intervals!) and great style and finesse. And she did all of this from memory. (this wasn't some 32 bar ABA form here folks) She's going to be a huge star. Ellling nailed his parts too, though to me wasn't as impressive (perhaps it was we all knew and expected Elling to pull it off, but for a relative unknown like Gambarini, it was more of a surprise).

The suite was punctuated by a reoccuring, and typically Brubeck-esque theme (lyrics for the suite by Dave's longtime wife, Iola) that was part sea chant and part blues. By the end of the suite the crowd was standing (for the entirety of the last number) singing along "Monterey, Monterey, a hell of a place to work and to play!" Indeed.

Oscar Peterson's set and Hank Jones still to follow...

Chris Botti @ the Monterey Jazz Festival 2006

2006-09-19T18:30:00.000-07:00

Chris Botti @ MJF | 49
Originally uploaded by jazzportraits.

Being that I could only attend this year's festival on Sunday, one of the first aritsts I got to hear was Chris Botti. Monterey is a GREAT festival, but it seems that all the things I'm always interested in seeing are going on simultaneously at different venues, OR the opposite, there's not much going on of interest to me. I heard a bit of Baby Loves Jazz, and that wasn't doing it for me, Aaron Goldberg's trio set was packed, so I took my arena ticket and headed to see Chris Botti.

Now, I'm not a Chris Botti hater, he's a talented musician, I've even played (gasp) a few cuts from his 'When i Fall In Love" cd, which is his most "straight ahead" oriented project thus far. He's not someone I'd normally seek out to see in concert however. But since I had the arena ticket, I thought it would be interesting to hear his band, and get the "live experience."

I got to my seat midway through "When I Fall In Love". By the time I sat down the tune had transformed into a tight jazz funk groove, punctuated drummer Billy Kilson's sonic explosions, and laser like trumpet flourishes from the leader. His Miles influence is quite clear, though his playing lacks both the edge and vulnerability of Davis. Even in his most daring moments, in what even his harshest critics would have to admit is a jazz setting, he never breaks a sweat, and I'm not sure if that's a good thing. However, that cool, unflappable persona certainly has something to do with his popularity.

His band is interesting, in that his guitarist, Mark Whitfield, pianist, Billy Childs and drummer, Billy Kilson all prove to be more interesting players on their instruments than Botti is on his. But all that said, I don't really have a problem with him, at this stage in his career. If all smooth jazz musicians had his talent and musical sensibility as it realtes to jazz, that genre wouldn't be quite so dreadful. I can't imagine many Kenny G fans using the G-man's music as a bridge to be interested in "real" jazz, though I certainly see that as a likely outcome with Botti.

He played a nice version of Flamenco Sketches, and a Leonard Cohen tune as well, but once he brought out his vocalist, (a pop singer from LA, whose name I forget) the set went downhill. As they started a rather dreadful SJ radio style arrangement of "The Look of Love", the lure of the barbeque of Emmanuel's on the midway was too much, so I vacated my seat.

On the way to the food vendors, I stopped by to catch a few minutes of Aaron Goldberg's set. It was good, and certainly had the spontaneous edge that Botti's polished performance seemed to lack, but Goldberg really hasn't ever impressed me, or stood out from a crop of a hundred other talented piano players of his generation. I missed most of his set, so it's hard to give a complete review, but I'd say it was one of those sets that you know is good, but on a personal level didn't really connect, at least for this listener.

More to follow...

Monterey Jazz Festival 2006

2006-09-18T19:36:00.000-07:00

IMG_4830.JPG
Originally uploaded by jazzportraits.

I've been away from this blog for some time now, working on writing grants, serving on the board of a new local jazz non-profit, doing the radio gig, and working on my new photography hobby. I'm not the best photographer, and wasn't in the best location, (and my camera is great for a lot of things, but low light and high ISO it's not), but I'll be posting some of my shots from this year's festival. I was only able to make it one day this year, (Sunday), but got to hear three piano legends, a rising young vocal star, and much more. I'm catching up on work right now, so tomorrow I'll try to post some more about the artists, which included Dave Brubeck, Kurt Elling and Roberta Gambarini (all three pictured above), Oscar Peterson, and my personal favorite, Hank Jones.

Mintons Playhouse Opening Night: The Door

2006-05-23T18:12:00.000-07:00

Mintons Playhouse Opening Night: The Door
Originally uploaded by harlemfur.

We've seen fabled jazz clubs "reborn" such as Birdland, etc, but rarely does one truly come back from the grave. Minton's Playhouse, the legendary Harlem club best known as being the "birthplace" of bebop and for some memorable jam sessions with the like of Monk and Charlie Christian and Coleman Hawkins closed in the 1970's. Amazingly enough, as of May 19th, 2006, it's back, thanks in large part to the investment of owner Earl Spain. More photos by "harlemfur" from the grand reopening at Flickr (click the photos), and read the NY Post story here: http://www.nypost.com/news/regionalnews/68671.htm

Bobby Broom - "Who took the Soul out of Jazz"

2006-04-11T19:28:00.000-07:00

Chicago based guitarist Bobby Broom has an interesting article up on his blog (originally written for Chicago Jazz Magazine) about "soul jazz". He points out that the term itself is redundant, and has a lot of extra baggage:

So why, then, do we accept the use of the redundant categorization of soul-jazz? I understand that as merchants and consumers we need labels for shelves and aisles, but I believe that the definition currently implies so much more than simply a musical styleÂespecially within the inner circles of the jazz field. There is condescension and misrepresentation that occurs when the soul-jazz description is used (or misused) as a marketing and categorizing tool. It has been the case since the 1970s that the blues element has been progressively Âfactored outÂ of what is considered the most sophisticated, intellectual and modern forms of jazz; it has been marginalized and codified to represent a commercial category that is more simple than the rest. So what effect does this kind of blues stereotyping have on the perception of the great jazz musicians, past and present (but especially the originators of jazz), who have utilized the blues as the basis for their creativity?

I think it's a very good point. Especially as I see a lot less emphasis on the blues in jazz today, (at least in the material that crosses my desk every week). Much like many jazz musicians today who think they're took sophisticated to play "A Foggy Day" or some other standard (which is really quite sophisticated! - and please note, I'm not saying that everyone should only play standards, but that they shouldn't look down on those who choose to). I think a lot of jazz musicians today aren't thfamiliarlar with the blues. It's the kind of think they might THINK that they know, but actually doing it, and playing with SOUL is another matter. One theory is that the "jazz education" establishment is more interested in playing large orchestral material. Rarely do I hear a high school or college jazz ensemble play a blues. Maybe a combo occasionion, but I feel that this is a significant issue. Kids today don't come up playing in juke joints or on the "chitlins circut" where you HAD to know how to play the blues. The jazz education establishment is where kids play these days, and that's how they learn, even jam sessions aren't what they used to be (or so I'm told, I wasn't around for the glory days), and if they aren't challenged to do it in that setting, where will they be?

Another thing - musicians will practice hours upon hours to work on their chops playing over Coltrane changes, playing Giant Steps in all 12 keys so that they can impress their musician friends. But they forget that Coltrane, in essence, was a blues player, same for Bird, etc. Perhaps a 12 bar blues seems simple to them, so simple they don't need to work on it? Just a thought. Read Bobby's complete post here.

Interview with Joey DeFrancesco

2006-04-11T18:12:00.000-07:00

Joey's got a really nice new cd out called "Organic Vibes" which features Bobby Hutcherson, George Coleman, and Ron Blake, plus Joey's regular band. At times it reminds me of Grant Green's album "Street of Dreams" (which also featured Hutcherson, with Grant, Elvin Jones and organist Larry Young). I got a chance last week to interview Joey on the phone, you can listen to it in Real Audio format here.

Hostility to the genre's past

2006-04-10T18:59:00.000-07:00

Jazz is such a trendy music. No, I don't mean it like that, not trendy as in "what shoes did Paris Hilton wear" trendy, but trendy is in everyone gets on the bandwagon and thinks at the same time they're being quite the rugged individuals. I'm specifically talking about musicians, but listeners aren't exempt. Jazz is also very reactionary, even in the most "progressive" of circles. In the late 1980's and early 1990's neo-classicism reigned. "Young lions" was the phrase, dusted off from some 30 years earlier, and attached to photos of talented, stylish and usually handsome young men wearing suits, often playing standards, or originals in a hard bop vein, with "reverence" for the past. Fast forward ten years, now many musicians are out of their attempts to reinvent the music of the 60's and are now doing the same for the music of the 70's. The sunglasses are different, the instruments are plugged in, and the coat and tie is gone. I also sense a certain hostility to the past in many of today's musicians, in talking to them and hearing what they have to say.

It's as if finally, musicians got the message that jazz is lacking in "innovation" and everyone is now scrambling (and overcompensating) to make sure they don't appear to be in that "non-innovation" camp, even if what they're doing is just as derivative as anything the neo-boppers ever did. I hear people say, I don't want to play standards, those tunes aren't sophisticated enough for me, etc. Perhaps they're so tired of hearing someone preach to them how they need to "respect the tradition" that they've had it. It's the backlash & unintended consequence of the institutionalization of jazz, in large part. Remember, the neo-bop movement was reactionary as well, shunning the commercialization of fusion, etc. We're simply witnessing the other side of the same coin.

But the question we need to ask is this - Is ignoring the "tradition" worse than what the neo-boppers did in ignoring "progressive" jazz forms such as fusion and the avant garde? I'm not sure I have the answer, but right now I'm leaning towards saying yes. This whole post was insipred by a post and subsequent conversation I had with pianist and composer Armen Nalbandian, about how young jazz musicians don't appreicate guys like Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker.

From Armen's blog:

I have never ever in my life had a musician from my generation talk to me about a Charlie Parker or Dizzy Gillespie recording unless I brought it up first. Doesn’t that seem odd to you? That Jazz musicians don’t discuss not only great musicians but the inventors of a style. Very odd indeed.

I think that as a society, we are afraid to confront and realize genius.

I agree, Bird and Diz are not appreciated by many young musicians, as one might expect. Perhaps that's a failure of our jazz educational system, perhaps youthful ignorance, or what have you. But I think it's an issue that should be looked at through the larger prisim of the bandwagon mentality of jazz musicians. True, there are some true iconoclasts who do their own thing and don't follow trends, and they can be found in both "sides" of the jazz world, say Bill Charlap and Dave Douglas, or Joe Lovano or Keith Jarrett. But I think right now, especially amongst young players, it's NOT COOL to be into Bird or Dizzy, to really study their music (on one's own time - not in class) because that's going to label you in the current out of fashion group of the neo-boppers. It's not that I don't want to see musicians moving beyond bop, but there's both an ignorance and an arrogance that is just as troubling to me as anything controversial Wynton Marsalis ever said. Another side of this is the contrived "innovation for the sake of innovation" that is quite prevalent today. Put all of this together and it makes for quite a disfunctional jazz scene. Thus, we shouldn't be surprised if we continue to see artistic stagnation. I don't think jazz is really going to move forward until it gets out of reactionary mode, and puts the music, rather than the image or agenda first. If you care to disagree, please respond accordingly.

What if it actually ISN'T jazz? That's ok.

2006-04-10T18:27:00.000-07:00

I've been listening to Cassandra Wilson's new cd Thunderbird, which I think is as big of a change in sound for her, as Blue Light Till Dawn was about a decade ago. Lots of programming, loops, electronics, etc. It's a bold record, and a very good one. Cassandra sounds the same as always, the setting is what's new, and it's what made Blue Light Till Dawn and New Moon Daughter so fresh in the mid 90's.

Now I'm not here to argue the merits of whether this is a jazz cd or not. I don't have the time or interest in such arcane issues of musicology. In the broadest of terms, let me say, it certainly is jazz informed, but I think it's just as, if not more informed by the blues, folk, and other contemporary music. Which brings me to think, do those people in these other genres, get upset if you say, "you know Cassandra's new record is really more of a pop record than a blues album?" What I'm trying to say, is that in jazz, we have this paradigm that we work under that says if you say that something a jazz musician does "isn't jazz" it's somehow taken as an insult to the artist and the music. Why is that? I don't think Cassandra's new record is a jazz album, but I don't mean that in a negative way at all!

So why is it that jazz has this "ownership" issue and other music genres don't? I'd say it has something to do with the typical "jazz snob" attitude of there being two kinds of music 1) Jazz and 2) the bad kind. To put something outside the "jazz" world to a person of this mindset, and suddenly it's taken the music down a notch. It's suddenly not as important because of the value we have instilled in the word "jazz". The music is the same, but somehow the label gives it value. So I ask, is there anything wrong with labeling something such as this "not" jazz?

Jazz and the Culture Wars (continued)

2006-03-05T21:56:00.000-08:00

It looks like Dave Douglas picked up on a post of mine from a few weeks ago, talking about his comments on the culture wars, and how jazz fits in there. You can read the whole post here.

First, I'm quite honored that Dave checked out what I had to say, and found it worthy of a response. In regards to Dave's comments, I agree, that the merits of the inclusive approach are great, that's personally what I'm all about. Actually when you think about it, one of the great things about jazz, despite the efforts to erect walls (whether it's cannonization of the music, or dismissal of the merit of some musicians because of a supposed lack of required amount of innovation, etc) in the end, the music ALWAYS rises above the politics of those playing it. That's because the music is bigger than any one artist, organization, record label, style, you name it. People lament that the record labels aren't spending money on jazz anymore. And the music goes on. People lament, "where is the next Coltrane" and the music goes on. People say "jazz sales only make up two percent of the market (including that annyoing guy with the long curly hair who plays one note)" and the music goes on. Dave is right when he says the music "can't be ruined". But for the sake of jazz journalists, and people with varying agendas, the jazz wars will continue on, (I mean they've got to have SOMETHING to write about!) and perhaps there is some good in that - after all it makes you question your own thoughts and assumptions (or at least it should) and that can certainly be a good thing. But at the end of the day, to all those outside the ring, it's little more than talk.

Miles Davis - The Cellar Door Sessions

2006-02-27T15:53:00.000-08:00

I've never been a huge fan of Miles' electric period. Don't get me wrong, it's not that I dislike Miles output from Bitches Brew forward, it's just that it's not the sort of thing that I often get the urge to listen to. I'm not a big fusion fan to be honest, and it's not really about the electronics or rock rhythms, it's that the often dense texture of sound doesn't ever allow the music, or the listener, a chance to breath. Acoustic jazz can be like that as well, but it's easier to fall into that trap with the electric instruments, guitar heavy front lines, and more complex studio production values.

Which is why the new Cellar Door sessions is like a breath of fresh air. Most of the six disc set features Keith Jarrett (player Fender Rhodes and Fender Electric organ), Jack DeJohnette, Gary Bartz, bassist Michael Henderson, and Airto. John McLaughlin is featured on the last two discs. Some of the material with McLaughlin appeared on the Live Evil release, but most has sat unheard in the vaults for decades. Now I haven't listened to the whole set yet, but what has really struck me thus far, especially on the tracks without McLaughlin, is how varied the textures are, and even on the tracks where the band is playing at 100 percent intensity, the music doesn't get muddy (and not just sonically). Perhaps it's because of the live setting, perhaps it's the lack of McLaughlin or another similar voice on most of the material, but I think it mainly has to do with Keith Jarrett. Jarrett is a singular voice in jazz, and even on these recordings, playing instruments he apparently didn't care too much for, his work stands out, and takes the band places you don't expect, and rarely hear such fusion bands go. His sound and conception defines these recordings, just as one could say Wayne Shorter's did the music of Miles' great second quintet. I didn't say Herbie Hancock, because for as great and innovative as Herbie was with Miles, Wayne's dramatic artistic conception is the closest thing I can think of when comparing how utterly unique Keith sounds in this context. If Wayne played the keyboards, he might sound something like Keith does on these recordings.

One other thought, these vintage fusion recordings, finally released after 36 years still sound fresher than the many "contemporary" attempts at similar sounds by today's jazz artists. People are still wrestling with the legacy of Miles. They spent the 80's and most of the 90's dealing with Miles' music from 1955-1965. Now they're trying to deal with Miles from 1970 or so. I wonder how long it will last this time.

Quick thoughts (aka I'm Back)

2006-02-25T20:07:00.000-08:00

I've been away from here for a while now, as I've been busy doing a number of things, including helping to launch a new local non-profit dedicated to promoting and eventually presenting jazz in the Fresno area, plus going to the opera in San Jose (La Boheme), several excellent local jazz concerts, and of course, listening to a lot of great (and not so great) new music. I tend not to write on the bad stuff, so here's some highlights:

Manu Katche - Neighbourhood
One of those rare records that lives up to the potential of its personnel, which in this cases includes Jan Garbarek, Tomasz Stanko, Marcin Wasilewski and Slawomir Kurkiewicz. I'm a big fan of Jan's work, though I find the bulk of his recent output less than satisfying. This cd finds Jan playing the rare role of sideman with his current drummer of choice, leading his first record. Katche wrote all of the music, replete with plenty of hooks and catchy melodies, and a subtle haze of pop production values. The mood is most often contemplative, but there's enough variety here to put aside the typical ECM cliches. Don't take that last statement the wrong way though, it's an all acoustic record, (no drum machines or loops) and Garbareck and Stanko get plenty of blowing space though not all of the cuts are quintet. Katche's drumming solidly anchors the music, yet doesn't dominate, he's a jazz drummer at home in pop settings, or vice versa a pop drummer at very well versed in jazz, and apparently a very talented composer. It's a very pretty album, and I've noticed that the phones always light up when I play it on the air.

Andrew Hill - Time Lines
A new album by Andrew Hill is always a major event. One that brings Charles Tolliver back into the recording spotlight is even more so. Time Lines is (in my view) the companion album to Hill's brilliantly evocative "Dusk" which came out several years ago on Palmetto. The folks at Blue Note, who were as I understand it, pleasantly surprised by the sales of Hill's "Passing Ships" (a session from the 60's that had sat in the vaults unissued for decades), so lo and behold, Hill is back on Blue Note, for the third time. The album opens with one of the most strikingly beautiful tracks I can recall hearing recently, Malachi, which (I assume, since the cd lacks liner notes) is for the late bassist of the Art Ensemble of Chicago, Malachi Favors. It's followed by the title track, which is a very free piece with a hint of Hill's Caribbean heratige. The piece "Fly Round 1" has echoes of Hill's early Blue Note recordings from the 60's, with an angular, trumpet/bass clarinet front line (Greg Tardy), riding a churning rhythm section (John Hebert bass, Eric McPherson drums). I'll spare you a complete run down of every track (these were to be short reviews), but this album is a sure bet to be on all the most important top 10 lists at the end of the year, and is a significant addition to Andrew Hill's discography. The thing that strikes me the most about this album is how relaxed and free it is, even in its most frenetic moments. Nothing is rushed, no one is trying to outplay someone else, and Hill (and his band) use space, in a very refreshing way. It's also very beautifully recorded in a way that is very sensitive and compliments the music and musician's personal sounds.

Esbjorn Svensson Trio (e.s.t.) - Viaticum
Think of The Bad Plus for a moment. Now take away the hype and irony, and the goofy outfits from the photoshoots. Add an extra dose of musicality, and jazz chops, and you have E.S.T. Now I don't mean to praise E.S.T. by criticizing The Bad Plus, (I do enjoy some of their material, as I have documented on this site), it's just that I see both groups as trying to do similar things (take the piano, bass, drums "jazz" trio sound in a new direction, through incorporating certain "non-jazz" devices. But while The Bad Plus often seems like an inside joke, and some have questioned their "jazz chops" (not my doing, but I've heard prominent jazz musicians raise the topic) no one is going to question the jazz credentials of pianist Esbjorn Svennson, or at least they'd be foolish to do so. I haven't heard all of E.S.T.'s albums, but this is among my favorite of the half dozen or so I have heard. The production values lend a very fresh sound to the trio, and there's a lot of subtle studio things going on, sort of like what Brad Mehldau was attempting with his Largo record, but more successful (in my opinion). I'm left thinking of Brad's playing quite a lot while listening to this cd, as they both have similar influences, as post-Jarrett pianists. Rhythmically though there's a few things that Svennson does that sound VERY similar to what Brad does. I'm not about to dissect how that came to be, but if you get the album, listen for it, and you can decide if I'm right or not.

Well, so much for "quick thoughts"! More to follow.

Jazz & Indie "Movement" - Harvard Rocker

2006-01-14T14:47:00.000-08:00

I came across the following post on the blog Harvard Rocker making reference to a supposed "movement" that fuses jazz and indie rock, a la the Bad Plus, some of Brad Mehldau's work, Kneebody and other groups of that sort. The post was apparently spurred on by an article in the New York Times about the subject.

I'm not going to deny that there are more jazz musicians today looking to rock as source material either as covers (Mehldau) or their production values (Bad Plus), but I don't really know if it qualifies as a movement just now. Brad's trio is about as mainstream as it gets, (I mean that in a good way, not as a pejorative), it's always jazz, just sometimes they're playing a Radiohead tune.

I think The Bad Plus might fit that concept of jazz-indie rock fusion a little better, since their sonic aesthetic seems to be as much from the rock world as the jazz world, though I'm not sure if one group a movement makes. Or even two for that matter.

Add that to the idea that this is nothing new (jazz and rock have a long history together, dating back to the mid 60's). Even at the height of the neo-classic jazz movement of the 80's and 90's there were guys like John Zorn who were doing the same sort of thing (though perhaps without the effective promotion that Sony has lavished on TBP.

If anything, I think this supposed movement is more about marketing than music. The marketing (see picture for exhibit 1) people are always looking for ways to market jazz to new younger listeners, and are always looking for the next big thing.

Leave it to Apple to create the best jazz "video" in years

2006-01-13T12:55:00.000-08:00

In case you missed it, when Apple CEO Steve Jobs took to the stage at the Moscone Center on Tuesday for his Macworld Convention keynote address, he not only unveiled new Macs running Intel processors, he also debuted a new iPod tv commercial featuring Wynton Marsalis. The spot is similar in style to the recent iPod spot that featured Eminem, (and got the shoemaker Lugz all upset, claiming Apple copied one of their recent tv spots) , though instead of orange tones on the Lugz/Eminem spot, this one has a blue tint.

That said, I think this is a VERY compelling spot, not so much for the iPod, as almost everyone (but me) already owns one. Rather it's a VERY compelling spot for jazz. It doesn't present jazz as some dusty relic, it present jazz as hip, fun and exciting. And it's not the typical uber chic image that other companies try to portray when marketing their products with jazz. It's a little bit gritty, down to earth and accessible. And most attempts of merging jazz and "music videos" have been quite horrible as well. Leave it to Apple and their seemingly "midas touch" in marketing to make jazz releavent and hip.

View the Wynton Marsalis iPod ad...

Dave Douglas joins the Blogosphere

2006-01-05T14:41:00.000-08:00

Trumpeter and leader of a million ensembles (and that's not much of an overstatement) Dave Douglas has not only started his own record label, Greenleaf Records, but also his own jazz blog. Dave's music is always interesting, some of it I like a lot, and even the stuff I don't really enjoy that much is worth a listen, because he always has something to say. And speaking of things to say, here's Dave's comments on his musical vision, which I think sheds some light on where he's coming from - here's an excerpt:

Musical collisions attract me as a composer because they challenge my assumptions and any easily accepted sense of what music and humans can be. Both music and humans surpass comprehension, but creating new music puts one at the edge of the mystery. When different systems or different languages interact, everyone benefits. It's how culture perpetuates and refreshes itself.
The growth is not always easy. I tend to see the jazz wars as part of the larger culture war about what we should believe, what the past means, and how we outgrow stereotypes. Not to overdramatize it -- there are much more critical battles going on in the reality-based world of war and fundamentalism. But if culture is a microcosm we can watch some of those same tendencies in reaction to change and progress.

What I really want to talk about are specific musical observations following up on my 12/16 post. These are some things I've noticed in the music, and they are things I don't see talked about very often.

One of the biggest obstacles that arises as soon as musicians from different disciplines play together is dynamics. How loud is loud? How loud is too loud? And what do we do about it? This is a more subtle distinction than it seems -- classical players depend on a score and an ensemble sense to guide them, jazz players tend to play as loud as the drummer, electric musicians play as loud as they have to to get the sound they're looking for. The presumption of how loud to play is not quickly re-established. The conception of volume and its meaning is a constant and persistent concern.

I'm not a big fan of the "jazz wars" thing, which most often pits Dave Douglas and his followers against Wynton Marsalis and his followers, with both sides trying to tell us how the other is ruining jazz. (I think there's room for both and all areas in between - but I think it continues mainly because both camps want to be the "underdog" fighting for their beloved music against these artistic philistines.)

However, regardless of THAT debate, I think Dave's comments are quite interesting, and help explain his constant search for new musical contexts. Sometimes I think he can be a little too ambitious, as he does so many projects and leads so many different ensembles, that he might be able to benefit from a little more focus at times.

Also, I would say that the interaction of "different systems or different languages" is ONE WAY, as opposed to the ONLY way that "culture perpetuates and refreshes itself." I'm not sure if he was implying that it was the exclusive path to artistic innovation, but regardless, it's an interesting area for thought. Certainly much of jazz history can be explained by such a theory, but I'd balk at any attempt to make that theory explain every new artistic development in jazz, let alone the larger artistic world.

Interview with jazz drummer Steve Gadd

2006-01-04T08:53:00.000-08:00

I use the word jazz drummer loosely, not because I'm questioning Steve's jazz chops, but because he's adept at so many styles and has recorded with literally everyone, jazz, rock, blues, pop, you name it. While still a relatively young guy (by jazz standards) ask most drummers, and they'll tell you Steve is either a) their idol, or b) a living legend, or c) all of the above. I had a chance to talk to Steve a few months ago, in advance of a clinic and drum performance he was giving here in Fresno. It's not a very lengthy or in depth interview, but it does give you a little insight into Steve's incredible career.

Listen to my interview with Steve Gadd via Real Audio...

Wasted Jazz Talent, Parts 1 & 2

2005-12-27T16:29:00.000-08:00

Perhaps you could consider this post to be a public service announcement of sorts. An advisory to "STEP AWAY FROM THAT ALBUM" and not to waste your precious hours on a sure musical trainwreck. Here we have two incredibly talented jazz legends, with what very well may be two of the worst "jazz" albums of all time, both trying to pull a page out of Herb Alpert's songbook, and apparently score some commercial success. So you have been warned, as we begin our trip into the scary world of long out of print jazz vinyl.

I'll start with the Dizzy Gillespie album "It's My Way" on Solid State Records (affiliated with Liberty/United Artists, the then owners of Blue Note). It's from 1969 and it certainly sounds like it, the worst kind of jazz/pop crossover of the era. Dizzy is "featured" with a pop band and string orchestra playing such jazz classics as Jimmy Webb's Galveston and a medley of tunes from Hair! This isn't a case of a jazz artist covering a trite pop tune, and turning in a great jazz performance though, (like Coltrane on My Favorite Things). Instead, this is Dizzy simply playing pop tunes with a pop band, that probably just got out the studio next door cutting some "hits" for AM radio. The author of the liner notes says Dizzy told him "He's never wailed better," which is quite ironic considering that Dizzy rarely gets to play a note, and when he does, nine times out of ten it's just the melody. The arrangements are by Jimmy Mundy (the guy who wrote the tune we know as Walkin which Miles Davis played for so many years). Mundy's pop charts are bad enough, but when paired with the lousy drum and fender bass rhythm section they become simply disposable. Even tracks which one would think might be decent, like Tadd Dameron's beautiful tune Whatever Possess'd Me and Gillespie's own Manteca, are ruined by their horrible arrangements. The Dameron track would actually be really good if the drummer could swing or play anything somewhat hip.

At first it might be easy to blame the horrid results of this album on the producer, after all it was RICHARD CARPENTER!!! But on further examination, it turns out NOT to be THAT Richard Carpenter, brother of Karen, but rather the OTHER Richard Carpenter, a noted jazz shyster, who according to James Gavin, ripped off Chet Baker so badly that Chet literally wanted to kill the man. And wouldn't you know, Carpenter also is the guy who is legally credited with writing Mundy's song Walkin and he's credited with a song here as well, titled Magic Tree. Thus, it's really no surprise that this album turned out as bad as it did. Dizzy wasn't the trumpet player he was 10 years earlier, jazz wasn't selling as it once did, and Carpenter and everyone involved were looking for a quick buck, to cash in on some of Herb Alpert's lucrative audience. Fortunately, such efforts by serious jazz musicians like Gillespie are usually forgotten, and left to languish in the thrift store record bin, until some joker like yours truly finds a copy laying around somewhere. In the case of this record, I bought it probably over 10 years ago at a local library's book and record sale. I can't remember what I paid for it, certainly less than a dollar, and even though I didn't know very much about jazz at that point, I knew once I put the lp on the record player that it was pretty weak. I forgot all about it until I was looking for some old 8mm family movies before Christmas and stumbled across this gem. And the truth is, it's just as bad as I remembered it.

After giving "It's My Way" another listen, it got me thinking about other horrible albums by jazz stars. Having lost my copy of Jackie McLean's disco pop record from the 1970's, I was forced to turn to Chet Baker for further inspiration, and his dreadful album from 1970, titled Blood, Chet and Tears. This one comes from our station archives, and judging from the pristine quality of the vinyl, it looks like it didn't get much airplay. Like the Gillespie record, it's Chet trying to cop some of Alpert's appeal, and in that sense, perhaps it's more successful. But it's arrangements are even less jazz inspired than those of It's My Way. On this album, Chet plays tunes like Spinning Wheel and Vehicle, and even sings on a couple of tracks, George Harrison's Something, and Come Saturday Morning by the Sandpipers. You can imagine the results. Then think twice as worse. The production values seem to be a little higher with than with Dizzy's record, but what is really cringe inducing is thinking what a waste of great talent these records were. People talk about Wes Montgomery's late albums for Verve and A&M being pop drivel, but these albums make those Montgomery sides sound like A Love Supreme. Aside from Baker's talent as both a instrumentalist and as a jazz singer (some would debate that last one), Blood Chet and Tears features A list stars like Joe Pass, Al Casey, Al Grey, Plas Johnson, Buddy Collette, Tommy Tedesco, and many others. It really is enough to make you stop and say to yourself "what were they thinking?" Of course the answer is obvious - money, but did they really think people would buy this stuff? I have a feeling they knew it wouldn't sell, thus the hard sell both of them use in the liner notes. Where Dizzy's album tells us Dizzy felt he had never "wailed" better (and such an appropriate choice of words!) Chet's liner note writer tells us "This album has to be considered sheer treasure, like searching for gold and finding uranium." But just be sure to bring your own Geiger Counter on your next trip to the used record store.

(By the way, the website Chet Baker Tribute.com has a page set up about this album here).

Top 10 Jazz CDs of 2005 (and some more)...

2005-12-22T12:31:00.000-08:00

Of course, this is a very difficult list to put together. Picking ten cds out of over 400 new albums leaves open the possibility that I am leaving out some very good records that are deserving of recognition. However, here are my picks, in no particular order, of the best new jazz cds of 2005.

Joe Lovano - Joyous Encounter
A beautiful paring of Joe Lovano's tenor with the Rolls Royce rhythm section of Hank Jones, George Mraz and Paul Motian. It's the follow up to their last cd "All For You" and it sounds much more comfortable than that previous studio session, as it should, for this one was recorded after the band spent some time touring. Great stuff.

Bebo Valdes - Bebo de Cuba
There is no greater living musician in latin jazz than Bebo Valdes, and this may be his best project yet. Disc 1 is big band charts, Disc 2 small group sessions, and it also has a bonus dvd. The legendary pianist is surrounded by "A List" talent like Paquito D'Rivera, Michael Philip Mossman, Ray Vega and many more. And the recording quality is wonderful. A true legend of latin jazz is finally getting his due.

Enrico Pieranunzi - Fellini Jazz
Enrico Pieranunzi is the most underrated pianist in jazz (among US audiences). This cd, with Chris Potter, Kenny Wheeler, Charlie Haden and Paul Motian, should do something to rectify that. The theme from Fellini's films are wonderfully cast in a jazz setting and the playing simply could not be more sublime.

Moacir Santos - Choros and Alegria
Much like Bebo Valdes, here is another example of a great musician finally getting the attention he deserves in the US. In this case, the artist is from Brazil, not Cuba, and the focus is on Santos' orchestral writing, and his melodies and textures and enchanting; each composition is like a little jewel.

Thelonious Monk & John Coltrane - At Carnegie Hall
Two jazz legends caught at their peak, in pristine sound quality, it's the jazz equivalent of finding a new play by Shakespeare. It belongs in every jazz collection.

Dena DeRose - A Walk In the Park
Perhaps my favorite vocal cd of the year, Dena is a great piano player as well, and this cd just hits on all cylinders (to use a tired cliche). The band is exceptionally tight (Matt Wilson and Martin Wind play drums and bass respectively) and Dena's versions of Meditation and All the Way are quite memorable AND fresh.

Darek Oles - Like A Dream
Bassist Darek Oles is known in LA, where he's based, but not so much out of California. This dreamy new cd on Cryptogramophone Records, featuring old pal Brad Mehldau has some of Brad's best work, and will hopefully raise Darek's profile a little as well. This is what jazz is all about, (in my book) and it is simply sublime.

Bill Charlap - Plays George Gershwin
Charlap may be my favorite pianist these days, aside from legend Hank Jones. His new album is a perfect example of everything that makes his great: incredible fleet footed trio work, lush ballads (demonstrating Charlap's almost unparalleled knowledge of the songs inside and out), fine ensemble work, and lyrical improvisations that are distinctively his. This guy is almost too good!

Pat Metheny Group - Speaking of Now
Metheny's magnum opus may not be something you're going to listen to all the time, but it's an important and fascinating piece of music. True, it may be a bit pretentious at times, and uses some very familiar PMG cliches here and there, but I think it holds up rather well, and is something that people will be listening and studying years from now.

Sonny Rollins - Without A Song - The 9/11 Concert
Sonny is beyond a "living legend" he is true jazz royalty. Sometimes his studio albums don't capture his brilliance. This live recording is not without it's faults and flaws, but that's what makes it so good. It's not perfect, it's got an almost documentary feel too it, and you can see Sonny's improvisational genius shine (at times) as brightly as ever.

Honorable Mention:
Alan Pasqua - My New Old Friend
This one is perhaps the most beautiful cd of the year and really caught me by surprise. Alan is one heck of a piano player, with a fine trio on this album.

Wynton Marsalis - Live at the House of Tribes
A late night jam session captures Wynton at his best, but perhaps the band (Wes Anderson, Joe Farnsworth and Eric Lewis) steal the show at times. I dig the laid back after hours vibe. We don't get enough of that in jazz today.

Hank Jones - For My Father
What can I say about Hank that hasn't already been said. He is the best, and even at his "advanced" age, he plays with a sense of imagination and musical awareness that people half his age can't muster. He never sounds anything but impeccable.

Bireli Lagrene Gipsy Project - Move
Lagrene makes a wise choice here not to simply duplicate Django's Hot Club arrangements. Instead he keeps them fresh, adds some new voices and produces one of the most fun (and often requested) jazz cds of the year.

The City Rhythm Orchestra w/ Joey DeFrancesco - Vibrant Tones
I knew nothing about this Philly based big band before they sent us the cd this year. It's nothing revolutionary, just solid Basie-esque big band writing with Joey D on the B3 tearing things up. I love the version of Senor Blues, and Joey's tip of his cap to Jimmy Smith on Walk on the Wild Side.

Ahmad Jamal - After Fajr
The stuff with the vocals doesn't do it for me, but the bulk of this album features some of the best trio work I've heard from Ahmad Jamal in decades. People, even hardcore jazz fans don't really appreciate how brilliant and daring Ahmad Jamal's playing is. No one, and I mean NO ONE uses dynamics like he does, and his sense of taking musical risks puts many "avant garde" musicians to shame. Impressive.

Alan Broadbent - Round Midnight
Yet another piano trio record (2005 was a very good year for piano, bass & drums!) that showcases a true master of the piano and lyrical jazz improvisation. Brian Bromberg can be a little too much for me at times on bass (think Eddie Gomez on steroids) but I've been playing this disc an awful lot, and like it more and more each time.

Concord buys Telarc, Heads Up labels

2005-12-21T13:28:00.000-08:00

It looks like the Concord Music Group is moving ahead with their ambitious plans to grow their business, after acquiring Fantasy Records earlier this year. They've now added Telarc and the affiliated Heads Up label to their roster, which now includes Concord Jazz, Prestige, Riverside, Contemporary, Fantasy, Milestone and many other imprints. A lot of die hard jazz fans are somewhat disheartened by Concord's purchase of Fantasy, and rumors that the new owners will "purge" the notoriously large Fantasy (and specifically OJC - Original Jazz Classics) catalog. My take on this is that Fantasy wasn't a very well run business, and while they kept a lot of stuff in print, they could have done a much better job in other areas, like marketing and promotion. Concord has proven success in those areas, but we'll have to see in what direction they go. The following is a portion of the press release from Concord. You can read the rest -here-
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12/19/05,Beverly Hills, CA - The Concord Music Group today announced the acquisition of Telarc International Corporation. The Cleveland, Ohio-based Telarc has been a leader in classical and jazz recordings for over 25 years. Included in the transaction is Heads Up International, which became part of Telarc in 2000. Heads Up is known for its highly successful catalog of contemporary instrumental and world music. Following the recent acquisition of Fantasy, Inc, this transaction further bolsters the Concord Music Group as one of the world’s largest and most dynamic independent record companies.

Founded in 1977 by musicians and former teachers Bob Woods and Jack Renner, Telarc has amassed 46 GRAMMY™ Awards and a catalog of more than 1,000 master recordings ranging from classical and classical-crossover to jazz and blues, from such legendary artists as Dave Brubeck, George Shearing, Ray Brown, Andre Previn, and Oscar Peterson. The current jazz roster includes celebrated singer/guitarist John Pizzarelli and vocalist Tierney Sutton. Telarc’s extraordinary classical roster includes landmark recordings from the Atlanta Symphony Orchestra and Chorus, the Cincinnati Symphony and Cincinnati Pops Orchestras, and the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. Artist-oriented and known throughout the industry for sonic innovation and super-high quality audio, Telarc became the first label to commercially use digital recording in 1978, and, in 1983, was one of the first to launch compact discs in a joint effort with Sony Corporation. In 2004, Telarc was named Label of the Year by Gramophone Magazine in the .

Heads Up International’s roster, headed by founder and label president Dave Love, includes internationally respected artists such as Spyro Gyra, Najee, Michael Brecker, The Yellowjackets, and highly acclaimed world music artists Ladysmith Black Mambazo and Hugh Masekela. Both Telarc and Heads Up have a significant number of recordings in high definition and Super Audio Compact Disc (SACD) format, based on the superior Direct Stream Digital recording technology.

“The cultures of our companies are very similar and we see lots of synergies through the merging of our talented staffs and our mutual goals,” says Telarc president Bob Woods. “Glen Barros and I have known each other for some time and I respect the creative indie mentality our companies share, which allows us to respond quickly to the constant change and abundant opportunities in our industry. We’ll be a larger entity, but we won’t move slowly. Besides,” Woods added, “Telarc and Heads Up are certain that they will kickConcord ’s butt in the company softball game.”

Glen Barros, president and CEO of the Concord Music Group, said, “We are incredibly proud to welcome Telarc and Heads Up to the Concord family, as we truly admire these great labels. Telarc’s history of impeccable audio and musical standards has made it one of the world’s most respected independent labels and we are honored to be the ones chosen to safeguard this rich legacy. As with all great record companies, Telarc and Heads Up are built on a solid foundation of great artists and great people. We truly look forward to working alongside Bob Woods, Dave Love, and their talented team and know that they will make a great contribution toward the achievement of our mutual goals.” Added Barros, “The only thing I’m worried about is how Bob is going to take the news when he finds out that there is no company softball game.”

If jazz is in such bad shape...

2005-12-20T13:59:00.000-08:00

If there is one common theme in the world of jazz news, it has to be the old "jazz is dying/jazz is dead/someone is trying to bring a new audience to jazz" story that comes around every six months or so in some major publication.

We all have heard the doom and gloom stories, how jazz has a 2 percent marketshare (and that's including Kenny G's sales!), how the audience is old, and supposedly getting smaller, how the major labels are out of the jazz business, how there are no new "innovators" in the music, et al. But let's turn some of that conventional wisdom around and see what's REALLY happening in the jazz world.

1) If jazz is so bad off from a financial perspective, why are there so many new jazz cds (and reissues)? December is the one month of the year when my office is not flooded with new jazz releases (the industry pretty much takes the month off, leaving it up to retail to do their job and move the product). While I don't have the hard data to back this up, I would bet that there's probably 1/3 more new jazz releases today than there were say 10 years ago, at the height of the "new lions movement." And probably double the number of new jazz releases of say 1965 or 1955. Now granted the industry and the country have changed so much in those years, technology now allows a part time jazz musician to record, edit, master, duplicate and promote his or her own new jazz release when in the past, that was simply impossible. Surely many of these releases lose money, but that happens across the board in the entertainment industry, so we can't hold that up as some sign that jazz is faltering. After all, if it is SO terrible out there in the jazz world, why so many new cds? (not including reissues). If this isn't a sign that jazz is "healthy" it is at the very least a sign that the music is not on life support.

2) Major Labels aren't signing artists
So what? Jazz has never been a music that was truly embraced by the recording industry establishment. From the end of the swing era to the 1990's, jazz artists, even the biggest names, Monk, Coltrane, Parker, Ella Fitzgerald found themselves recording on smaller "independent" record labels. Norman Granz's Norgan/Clef/Verve label was an independent before falling into the MGM family. Blue Note was a two man operation for decided before being swallowed up by Liberty and later EMI. Of course Prestige, Riverside and on the west coast Fantasy and Contemporary were independent as well. Only CBS really had a viable jazz division, and it was still fairly small. RCA always had a limited artist roster (Paul Desmond, Sonny Rollins). Impulse was started as the jazz division of ABC, which itself was an "indie". Argo/Cadet were part of the Chicago based Chess family, again, independent. Atlantic began as an independent too, and was for the bulk of the time it specialized in jazz. Even Creed Taylor's crossover success with CTI in the 70's was on an artist owned label (though distributed by a major). In the 1990's someone got the idea that if a jazz artist wasn't "signed" (I hate that word) to a major label, something was wrong. That system was not sustainable for the big corporate concerns that run the show, so of course, they got out of the jazz business. But lo and behold, a new crop of independent labels and more recently, artist run outfits have taken hold and are a much more healthy fit for the music. So the loss of "the majors" really isn't that big of a deal.

I'll pick up this discussion later, and talk about the myth of the "dying" jazz audience next time.

Red Garland & Gene Harris - No Respect!

2005-12-05T17:06:00.000-08:00

I was listening to some old out of print records by The Three Sounds this weekend, and was reminded once again how much I enjoy Gene Harris' playing. The group certainly wasn't groundbreaking in any conventional way, but boy, did those guys know how to swing. While he did posses the technical brilliance of Oscar Peterson, or the inventiveness of Bud Powell, or the rhythmic and harmonic edge of Thelonious Monk, it's hard to say that I like Gene's playing any less for it. Yet while there are a number of fine Gene Harris records on Concord in the bins, you won't find many by The Three Sounds for some reason. Gene doesn't seem to get a lot of respect amongst the jazz cognoscenti, for whatever reason. Listen to those early records from the 60's, that stuff has held up a lot better than quite few more prominent jazz artists of the era.

I think the same can largely be said for Red Garland. I find his work brilliant in several ways - his touch, the rhythmic "bounce" in his playing, the tightness of his trio, and of course his ability to swing. Most people know his simply as the pianist in Miles Davis' first great quintet with John Coltrane. Yet he has a string of great trio and quartet sessions in his own name on Prestige. I especially like the ones with percussionist Ray Barretto sitting in. He adds that same special touch to Red's records as he did to Lou Donaldson's Blues Walk and Kenny Burrell's Midnight Blue.

I think part of the problem with Gene and Red is that they didn't die young. Red lived until 1984, and Gene Harris just passed away in 2000 (I can't believe it was that long ago!). Sonny Clark, a similar sort of pianist, who had a much smaller recorded output, has a rather substantial cult following. But he died at age 31 in 1963. Some might say that Sonny Clark was a more original player that Red or Gene, (I love Sonny, but I beg to differ on that one), but even if you feel that way, it's odd how you'll find quite a few Sonny Clark reissues, but not many Gene Harris Blue Notes in the record bins. Just an observation.

Slate: Hip Hop influence on jazz?

2005-11-23T16:56:00.000-08:00

While hip-hop has devolved time and again into disposable pop, it has never lost its vitality as an underground, alternative art form. This is the aspect of hip-hop that jazz musicians are responding to; they're encountering hip-hop on creative rather than commercial terms. And they're refuting the popular view that today's jazzers are stuck in the '50s and '60s. -Slate

We've heard a lot about the jazz influence on hip hop, and likewise, how jazz musicians and hip hop artists have worked together and collaborated on various projects, but this article from Slate talks about something a little different, the hip hop influence on "acoustic" jazz. Blue Note's newest artist, pianist Robert Glasper, has been touted for his "hip hop" influence. He's certainly worked with many of the biggest names in the creative side of that genre (Q-tip, Mos Def, etc), but his new record is most certainly a jazz record, not a crossover project like Roy Hargrove's RH Factor - no mc's or turntables, or even samplers, etc. To my ears, it's pretty much an excellent straight ahead, Herbie Hancock/Miles 2nd 5tet inspired record. Blue Note has issued press materials talking about the hip hop influence on Glasper's style:

The second time around, the true nature of the music begins to reveal itself, not as much aurally as sensually. The bass is warmer, phatter, more sanguine, the drums throb, and the piano dances freestyling swing moods.

Freestyling swing moods? Hip hop influence? I hear that term as being nothing more than a poor attempt by a PR hack to try to put a new, marketable spin (we've gotta have something for the press to write about!) on something jazz musicians have been doing for decades.

I'm not saying that Glasper isn't influenced by hip hop, (R&B artist Bilal makes a guest appearance on this new record in fact) just that this is more of an example of a record company using a hip hop connection to sell the album, or at the very least make it stand out in a genre filled with countless reissues and self produced albums that all do pretty much the same thing. Where Blue Note's PR people hear "phatter bass" - I hear a fine jazz bass player, where critic Ben Ratliff observes that the "group has its own crisp, skittering cooperation, with hip hop in its bounce", I hear the bounce, but those rhtyhms aren't coming from hip hop, it's a jazz feeling all the way. If anything I hear more of a Brad Mehldau influence on Robert's playing (he occasionally pulls out a Brad-ism here and there) than hip hop.

Perhaps this marketing spin, or being more generous to Ratliff and Blue Note, perhaps it's just things coming full circle. The improvisitory nature of jazz inspires hip hop mc's and their freestyling, infuses pop culture, and now we have PR folks calling a jazz pianists improvised solo "freestyling swing moods." Certainly hip hop has influenced jazz musicians, but I just don't think that Glasper's new cd is the best example of such a trend.

The article in Slate by David Adler - Two Turntables and a Saxophone - How jazz plays off hip-hop which prompted this particular post (and deals with more than just Robert Glasper) is available here.

Jazz Blogs 'Round the World

2005-11-23T16:46:00.000-08:00

Here's a few new links to jazz blogs (in many different languages) which I've stumbled across. Too bad that I can't read all of them, but that's my problem, not the authors. And perhaps someone out there can read em!

http://stljazznotes.blogspot.com/

http://www.jazzenvoy.com/

http://www.jazzpodium.nl/

http://jazzearredores.blogspot.com/

http://www.jazzenvoy.com/

http://piano-jazz.blogspot.com/

http://aformadojazz.blogspot.com/

Tim Ries - The Rolling Stones Project Interview

2005-11-22T18:01:00.000-08:00

Saxophonist Tim Ries is getting a lot of attention these days, being on tour with the Rolling Stones and his new Rolling Stones Project cd. I had a chance to talk with Tim last week, and wanted to post the audio from that interview for all to hear. But before I do that, a couple of quick comments on Tim and his new record. First, it's got the biggest cross section of musicians you'll likely find on any jazz record. I never thought I'd see Bill Charlap, Luciana Souza and Keith Richards on the same cd, but Tim pulls it off and does a fine job. He stays pretty faithful to the songs, though it's not a pop record by any stretch of the imagination. My one gripe might be that Tim didn't get enough of the solo spotlight, though there's plenty of that, it really is all about the tunes and the band, for the most part. Norah Jones makes a lovely cameo on Wild Horses, and Luciana Souza steps in to give the Brazilian tinged version of Street Fighting Man even more of an authentic feel. I'll let the interview tell the rest of the story.
Listen online...

Benny Carter's trumpet playing

2005-11-14T09:39:00.000-08:00

Normally when I think of the multi talented Benny Carter, I think of the great saxophonist who was just as creative in the 1990's as he was back when he started out in the 1920's. Other times I'll think of Benny Carter, the composer, who wrote such memorable songs as Only Trust Your Heart and When Lights Are Low. Then there's Benny Carter the arranger and bandleader. But rarely do I think about Benny Carter, the trumpet player! Truth is, while Benny will always be best known as an alto saxophonist, he doubled on trumpet for most of his career. I was reminded of this last week, when I picked up a copy of an album called "My Man Benny, My Man Phil" featuring Benny's band with special guest Phil Woods. Benny plays trumpet on a few of the tracks, and while he's wasn't a "great" trumpet player like he was a great saxophonist, what struck me was how MUCH he sounded on trumpet like he did on alto! From phrasing (which one would expect to be similar across instruments) to things like tone and vibrato, it's actually quite remarkable. Give it some thought the next time you hear a record featuring Benny's trumptet playing.

Moacir Santos - Choros & Alegria

2005-11-12T18:36:00.000-08:00

Most American jazz fans aren't familiar with the name Moacir Santos. But they should be. The Brazilian composer/arranger's new cd "Choros & Alegria" is an exceptional followup to the double disc "Ouro Negro" of last year. If people have called (correctly if you ask me) Antonio Carlos Jobim the "George Gershwin of Brazil" than Moacir Santos could be called the Duke Ellington of Brazil. Normally when people like of Brazil and jazz, samba, bossa nova, or some other offshoot comes to mind. Santos' music is certainly informed by those styles, but they don't dominate the jazz influence. His large ensemble writing uses really unique instrumental textures, intriuging chord progressions, and quite often on this new cd. Each one of his compositions is like a little jewel, quite intricate and fascinating. They have a tendency to unveil themselves melodically in unexpected ways, much like the works of Wayne Shorter. Santos, who plays saxophone, does not play on this cd, but rather has an excelllent cast of Brazilian musicians, playing transcriptions of his original arrangements, as well as some new charts of his tunes, arranged and transcribed by Mário Adnet and Zé Nogueira, who are billed as the "presenters" of the cd, in similar fashion "Ouro Negro". Wynton Marsalis also makes a guest appearance on one track "Route 8", which could as easliy have come off of Lee Morgan's "Procrastinator" album. Star soloists aside, the arrangements and compositions are the real stars here, a unique blend of Brazilian forms, American jazz, cinematic textures (Santos studied with Henry Mancini) and clever melodies.

Bill Charlap knows his stuff

2005-11-08T21:22:00.000-08:00

Pianist Bill Charlap might be the only significant jazz instrumentalist to fully emerge in the last five to seven years who has made a large impact on the jazz scene by playing true "straight ahead" jazz. Just a decade ago, straight ahead bop based acoustic jazz was truly bountiful, especially with the major labels. Now with most of those labels either shuttered or merged (Warner Brothers Jazz, Impulse) or shifted in focus to releasing "adult pop" (Verve, which counts both Paul Anka and Linda Rondstadt on their current jazz roster). Blue Note, riding the success of Norah Jones has still managed to release some fine jazz from Joe Lovano, Greg Osby, Jason Moran, and Wynton Marsalis, but even it has Anita Baker and Rev. Al Green occupying space once filled by Benny Green, Rodney Jones (see below) and Mark Shim. While indie labels like HighNote and Telarc have picked up the slack, as well as artist run labels like Dave Douglas' Greenleaf Records, and the Marsalis Music imprint of Wynton's brother Branford, many artists have ditched the "neo-bop" sounds of the 90's for a more electronic approach. Some of the projects are truly innovative, or at least unique. But far too often they're just warmed over sounds from the 70's, music like the "neo-bop" of the previous decade was a slickly marketed repackaging of sounds from the 50's and 60's.

Thus, given the climate of today's jazz scene, the emergence of Bill Charlap, a piano player's piano player, a man who eschews those retro-electro fusion trappings, turntablists, m.c.'s, and covers of tunes by British rock bands, which are all the rage among his peers, is indeed quite remarkable. Charlap, who started out as a pianist with the like of Phil Woods and Gerry Mulligan, works almost exclusively with his tight knit trio of bassist Peter Washington and drummer Kenny Washington, and has released a string of excellent, "Great American Songbook" based records since 2000, all on Blue Note. Both critically and popularly acclaimed (to the extent we can use that term for any jazz artist) Charlap is virtually alone amongst his major label peers, and has somehow managed to take a supremely familiar format and approach, and breathe new life and personality into the music.

Unlike most of his jazz piano peers, Charlap sounds little like Herbie Hancock, McCoy Tyner or Bill Evans, though he has obviously absorbed their recordings and harmonic sensibilities. Instead, if anyone could be cited as a chief influence on Charlap it might be Tommy Flanagan, or Barry Harris, both known for impeccable taste and a deft touch at the keyboard. Charlap though has a percussive attack at times that owes more to Duke Ellington, Ahmad Jamal or Dave Brubeck, and at other times a minimalism that would make John Lewis or Count Basie proud.

But Charlap's approach to a song is what really impresses me, and his extensive knowledge of the material he plays. He knows this stuff inside and out, perhaps due to the fact that he grew up with the songs of Gershwin and Arlen and Porter; Charlap's father was the composer Moose Charlap and his mother, vocalist Sandy Stewart, the featured "guest" on the pianist's second cd this year. And not only does Charlap know this material better than most anyone else in jazz, he is one of the most articulate speakers in jazz. Last year, Charlap was featured in an open conversation at the Monterey Jazz Festival, (I seem to recall it being hosted by Marian McPartland, but don't quote me on that). He provided a most insightful discussion of the music of Bernstein (the subject of his then most recent cd) and Gershwin, (the subject of his then upcoming cd). Doug Ramsey of Rifftides posted a couple of things about Charlap's recent talk and performances at the Earshot Jazz Festival a few days ago, which got me thinking about Charlap again. If you haven't heard his music, and enjoy the "straight ahead" piano trio, and would like to hear a new voice in that style, you could do far worse than Charlap.

Doug Ramsey on Charlap:

State Department sends N.O. musicians on world tour

2005-11-07T20:19:00.000-08:00

Back in the early days of the Cold War, the US State Department used jazz, and tours by American jazz musicians as a signifcant part of the nation's public diplomacy efforts. Some of the biggest jazz stars went on long, continent wide tours of "third world" nations. Dizzy Gillespie went on a noteable tour of South America, Dave Brubeck took his acclaimed quartet all the way to Afghanistan, and many others brought jazz to millions for the very first time. These tours were quite a big deal in the 60's, and while I'm not sure they stopped altogether they certainly haven't been as prominent, at least within the US jazz community. Perhaps that's because jazz is so widely accepted and appreciated across the world today, or it reflects a change in the geo-political climate and the cultural one upsmanship that was a product of a showdown between two superpowers.

Given the current state of the world, and the somewhat tarnished opinion many abroad have of America, I've often thought it would be a great thing to bring back such a program, not to spew propoganda or advocate anything at all. Rather just an effort to bring unite different peoples through music in the spirit of goodwill.

It is in this spirit I suppose that the US State Department and Jazz at Lincoln Center are organizing a tour of New Orleans area musicians in the wake of Hurricane Katrina. Included sixteen nation tour are trumpeter James Andrew and the New Orleans All-Stars, clarinetist and vocalist Doreen Ketchens, trumpeter Marlon Jordan and his quartet, the New Orleans Mardi Gras Indian Collective, and the 44-year-old Preservation Hall Jazz Band. The tour will take them to Senegal, Morocco, Eygpt, Qatar, Kuwait, Korea, Indonesia, Thailand, Japan, Romania, Germany, Lithuania, Ukraine, Sri Lanka, India, and Saudi Arabia in the months of November and December.

More info...
http://www.playbillarts.com/news/article/3244.html

Jazz Notes - Rodney Jones

2005-11-07T16:38:00.000-08:00

I think I'm going to call my ongoing series of short comments on jazz related items "jazz notes". With that out of the way, I just got a new cd today by guitarist Rodney Jones called "Dreams and Stories" on HighNote, with an incredible band, Kenny Kirkland, Marc Johnson and Jeff Watts. Not sure when it was recorded, but I'd guess it was at least a decade ago. Rodney sounds quite a bit like Wes Montgomery throughout, especially since he's using his thumb, rather than a guitar pick, just as Wes did. His playing is fantastic, perhaps not as distinctive in tone as Rodney's current work, but the band swings really hard, through the nice mix of originals and standards. And of course, any new material by the late Kenny Kirkland is always welcome. I was struck listening to this today how incredibly good Kenny was, and what a loss to the jazz community we suffered when he died several years ago. There's also something about the recording quality I like, there's not a lot of fake studio reverb, giving it a very clean and intimate sound.

Mike Zwerin gets grumpy on New Orleans jazz

2005-11-06T19:06:00.000-08:00

“...the fact remains that the prehistoric jazz music New Orleans is noted for had already been under water for nigh on to half a century.”
-Mike Zwerin
10/3/05
Bloomberg.com
link

Ok, I know it's over a month ago that Mike Zwerin wrote this controversial opinion piece for Bloomberg about the state of New Orleans jazz in the wake of Katrina. Cahl's Juke Joint has also commented on it with great expertise. I've been thinking about this very issue for some time now, and to some extent even before Katrina, and while Zwerin has some valid points, for the most part, he's off base.

Zwerin says that pre-Katrina, New Orleans' jazz "image" was more of a myth than reality. He talks about the "moldy jazz being played [at Preservation Hall]," and the artistic stagnation of the music tourists usually hear in the French Quarter. He characterizes the city as simply another "provincial" town where the good talent leaves town, and those who stay behind are somehow to be looked down upon and aren't "putting music first." And that's just a quick summary of Zwerin's bitter rant.

First, Zwerin has some points. Pre-Katrina New Orleans was not the jazz capital of the world. But such a statement is self evident. I haven't heard anyone, even Wynton Marsalis, say that New Orleans today is the biggest center of jazz music in the world. A city known for jazz music, yes. A city central to the understanding of the historical development of the music, yes. But Zwerin is simply stuffing his straw man with extra hay, only to knock it down.

Second, yes, plenty of musicians have left the city to go on to fame and fortune. But those left behind are hardly less than world class. Nicholas Payton and Terence Blanchard spend a lot of time on the road, but to my knowledge, both maintained homes in the Cresent City, pre-Katrina. And Kermit Ruffins and Irvin Mayfield are (were) certainly New Orleans residents and two of the biggest musical ambassadors of the city. Both show a respect for the New Orleans tradition, but take the music in a new direction, hardly the Presevation Hall crowd (though there is a place for that too.) Perhaps Ruffin is too much of an entertainer for Zwerin. But what about a group like Astral Project, as long a running modern jazz ensemble as any "provinvcial" city can boast.

I get the feeling Zwerin is bitter because he sees New Orleans getting credit for something he (apparently) feels it did not deserve. It's more of the same old bitter jazz attitude that does nothing to bring anyone new into the music. If anything, instead of viewing jazz as a musical wax museum, like Zwerin asserts, Zwerin misses the point - jazz in New Orleans had so permeated the culture it morphed into other styles and genres, that may not be "jazz" per say, but are certainly jazz informed. Zwerin would be far better off to examine the entire New Orleans music scene, rather than just the Preservation Hall/French Quarter stuff that populated the pre-Hurricane tv tourisim commercials. New Orleans may not have been the jazz capital of the world, but it was certainly one of the great "music cities" of the US, right up there with Austin, Memphis and Nashville. Jazz, both traditional and modern were a large part of that, but due to the same cultural forces that created jazz itself, it wasn't the only game in town, just perhaps the most famous and easily marketed.

Cahl's Juke Joint on this same article...

Mike Zwerin's original piece...

Please don't continue to ask me about Chris Botti...

2005-11-01T17:27:00.000-08:00

That's what I say to the record promoter. Or perhaps what I should be saying instead of nodding my head in zombie fashion, the telephone receiver glued to the left side of my face, my eyes staring off into the nothingness that is my office. They want us to play Chris' new cd "To Love Again: The Duets". I have nothing against Chris personally or musically. We played a couple of his tracks from his last record, there was one with a nice Billy Childs arrangement that was almost Gil Evans-esque, I liked it, and Chris got some (a little bit) of blowing room. Chris is a talented musician, and apparently is applying the lessons learned from his "smooth" "jazz" work to a more "straight ahead" approach, on this, his second album of standards.

But this new record is not like that last one. Or rather, it loses virtually all of the things that made the last one worth playing here or there for reall jazz radio. It has all the polish and then some of the previous record, more guest stars including Sting, Jill Scott, Paula Cole, and ugh, Steven Tyler. But I don't hear the jazz in it. Not even a little bit. The record promoter goes on to tell me about all the other "jazz" stations that are playing it, and that he thinks that "Pennies from Heaven" from Renee Olestad is a keeper track, and that it might work for us. I suppose if your idea of jazz means that any performance of a "standard" by an instrumentalist = jazz, well, I know there are radio people who think that. First, the record doesn't swing - it's lush, orchestral, which by itself doesn't mean anything. But perhaps more importantly, I hear Botti play the head of say "Embraceable You" and boom - that's it. No solo, maybe a little hint here or there at taking some liberties with the melody, but it's not jazz to me. No improvisation. No jazz feeling. I'm not saying that makes it BAD. Just that it doesn't belong on JAZZ radio. But the promoter will keep asking me about it I'm sure, and I will keep telling him, "I've listened to it and it's not working for me." I admire these promoters. I wouldn't be able to do their job.

Quick Thoughts

2005-10-31T17:31:00.000-08:00

I've been really swamped lately, with no time to blog - but here are some "short items" that will keep things going around these parts.

-Why is Paquito D'Rivera(at left) not usually considered among the front rank of saxophonists in jazz? Even in a straight ahead context, his playing is far more rhythmically interesting than the majority of Coltrane obsessed players, and he has a great knowledge of harmony as well. And while Don Byron is an interesting player - Paquito to me is the unquestioned master of the clarinet. Jazz critics have a tendency to put latin jazz players into their own little box, and it's really all one big thing. Paquito deserves his due.

-CBS/Sony/Epic records just sent me a new Jane Monheit cd. A Christmas album. I thought Jane was very promising on her first couple of records, and that great guest spot she did with Terence Blanchard on Too Young to Go Steady - but this latest thing is just another example of a record company taking an artist in a certain direction that is quite saddening.

-Blue Note's hype machine is in full gear with the new Robert Glasper release, Canvas (which by the way is excellent). I find it interesting how the blurbs, reviews, and press releases always talk about how he brings a hip hop touch to the piano trio. They mention he's worked with Q-tip and Mos Def. Funny thing is, if you just played me the record, I would never in a million years say - oh, he sounds like a hip hop piano player, no more than Herbie Hancock sounds like a hip hop piano player. Glasper is a big talent and VERY mature for his age. He's aware of hip hop and works in that genre - but this is the real deal.

Jazz - Sanitized, or A Tale of Three CDs

2005-09-20T18:25:00.000-07:00

One thing I have noticed recently, is that a lot of music, new jazz that is, almost too clean, too pretty, and consequently, too cold, with little personality, and no rough edges. A lot of it is very classy, with great musicianship, perfect time/pitch, impeccable recording, but ultimately boring, lacks personality, and most often, any presence of the blues. This is nothing new, there has long been a tension between those who prefer the polished versus those who prefer the "raw" approach. It goes all the way back to Paul Whiteman! But today, it seems to be all over the place, and I don't see many people comment on it.

Perhaps it's just a product of modern production methods in the studio. (a disturbing trend is the move to make live club recordings sound like studio sessions, totally robbing them of the unique ambiance of live performance). Now, technology allows the musician to make the "perfect take" truly perfect. Maybe it's the product of the demise of the club circuit, and the rise of the "jazz studies" major at hundreds of universities. We always talk about the lack of "innovators" but more frightening to me, is the lack of true "personalities" in the music. Now this is not to say that there's many fine musicians, even young ones, who "get it", who can play the blues, aren't afraid to use their imagination and try something that might not work, and just let it go. But all too often, it's the opposite.

For example, take three new female vocal cds I got this week. CD #1 is by Tierney Sutton, on Telarc records, a live date a Birdland (though it's not billed as one) titled "I'm With the Band". Icy is the first word that comes to mind when asked to describe the record. She's very talented, very sophisticated, sometimes almost too clever, but about as far from "earthy" or "bluesy" as you can get. This is also one of those live recordings, made to sound like a studio session. To her credit, I do hear Tierney taking a few more chances vocally on this session than her studio albums, though it hardly ever sounds like they're having fun performing this material. Someone needs to give them a copy of one of Sarah Vaughan's live albums, a live Monk record or something to simply loosen up! It is hard to fault music for doing what the artist intended it to do, so I hesitate to say it's bad or incorrect in some way, but it's not my cup of tea. I'll play it, because people will want to hear it, it's not a BAD record (like so many we get) and because I realize my tastes are not the end all/be all of all jazz fans. But it's not a record I would spend my money on.

CD #2 is by 23 year old vocalist Sara Gazarek. It's her debut recording, produced by the estimable John Clayton (one of the most under appreciated figures in jazz and a real nice guy too) and recorded by the brilliant Al Schmitt. It's called "Yours" and is on the Native Language label. I first heard about Sara in a full page ad in Downbeat, and became intrigued seeing John's name involved with her project. It turns out Sara was the winner of a Downbeat award for outstanding collegiate vocalist (with USC), and then suddenly wound up on the William Morris roster, and touring with Dianne Schuur, Karrin Allyson via the Concord Jazz Festival, etc. Sara sings a mix of standards and jazz lite originals, in the Norah Jones/Jamie Cullum style, which sometime I like, sometimes I don't. In this case, the whole album falls into that dreaded never never land that is neither hot nor cold. It's swings reasonably well, Sara has a nice voice for a young woman, maybe richer than you would expect, her equally young band (I assume of USC students or recent grads as well) is nothing to write home about, but they're talented. I suppose it would be cliche to say that she hasn't "lived enough" to be a really remarkable singer, but for whatever reason, she lacks that "certain something" that makes you really respond to an exceptional singer like Shirley Horn, Dianne Reeves, Abbey Lincoln, etc. It's all very pretty, warmer but less daring than Tierney's cd. Vocally reminds me a lot of Karrin Allyson, but with a little richer, fuller voice. Her approach is more like Jane Monheit's but without the killer musicians Jane had on her first couple of records (Kenny Barron, David Newman, Ron Carter, Lewis Nash, etc). A couple of the songs she sings (Cheek to Cheek, Too Young to Go Steady) are also ones recorded by Jane. Again, there's little if any blues feeling or any rough edges, all very polished perfect and pretty, as that's what William Morris knows will sell. It'll probably be a pretty good seller. She's a lovely young lady, it'll probably get plenty of airplay on jazz radio, and with the heavyweight pr effort, will get good print exposure. Interestingly enough Sara says in the liner notes, in reference to her version of Too Young to Go Steady, "In any realm of existence - love, politics, music, and life in general, - age has no bearing on life experience." Some of course would beg to differ, but it certainly has a bearing on musicianship! Most of the time musicians make a record due to financial situations, and I'm not going to blame ANYONE for getting paid to make music and record jazz and follow their dream. Clearly this is a situation where a business chose to invest in an artist and in today's world, that's great. But it doesn't change the situation that more "seasoning" might be necessary in order for the artist in question to live up to the "vocal sensation" (just quoting the ad in Downbeat!) hype. But we all know to take the hype we read with a grain of salt. Don't get me wrong, it's a nice cd, but nice, is just, well, nice. Not great.

CD #3 is by SF Bay area vocalist Joyce Randolph. It's called "Just a Little Blue" and features two top bay area musicians, pianist Bill Bell and drummer Jeff Chambers. It doesn't have fancy packaging, or Al Schmitt running the controls, and was probably recorded, mixed, edited, mastered and duplicated on a budget smaller than one full page ad for Sara Gazarek's cd. But Joyce, who is probably about thirty years older than Sara, has one thing Sara doesn't - that's SOUL. Joyce brings to mind Carmen McRae, Etta Jones, Dinah Washington and Nancy Wilson - she has that artistic poise, that use of space, and all the little vocal subtleties that Gazarek lacks, with the warmth and soul that evades Sutton's cd. It's an intimate project, just bass and piano, and has the casual yet profound improvised feel that is missing in these highly arranged, highly stylized, "look how clever I am" records that are all too common today. And she knows something about the BLUES!!! Her contribution of Billie Holiday's "Fine and Mellow" is great, no fake Lady Day stuff, but a profound knowledge of both the blues and her instrument, which is aged like a fine wine. Joyce Randolph is not a "girl singer" she's a woman, and is a real pro, and so are her fellow musicians. THIS is what jazz is about to me. This is not to say that it's without fault. Sometimes she uses more vibrato than I'm comfortable with, but so what? That's just my effort to find something to criticize. "Old Folks" is not an easy song to pull off, and Joyce does it beautifully, something I couldn't imagine a 23 year old doing. Just listen to her sing the line "At the old livery stable, whenever he's able, pitching shoes with lord knows who." She embellishes the "lord knows" line in a way that just oozes soul. Her voice has a subtle edge to it, like Carmen's did late in her career, perfect time and a great rapport with her fellow musicians. She turns in a great performance of Sophisticated Lady, a song we rarely hear the lyric to these days, likely because of its difficulty. Joyce Randolph knows what it means to be a jazz singer. Her record likely won't sell as many as the other two, won't get the kind of press the others get, but when it comes to really being an example of jazz singing at its best, she's it down. It's not slick, or overproduced, not cold or clever, and CERTAINLY not sanitized! It's jazz.

New Monk & Trane, Bad Plus cd, etc

2005-09-20T17:15:00.000-07:00

I'm swamped in new cds here!!! Drowning to be more precise. September/October is always really busy in the record industry, since everyone wants to have their album out in time for Christmas, and this year is no exception. A few real short items on some of the notable new albums that are in the pile-

Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane - Live at Carnegie Hall
It might not be the jazz version of the Dead Sea Scrolls, but it's close, as this historically significant group was terribly under recorded - and now, lo and behold from the VOA archives, surfaces a PRISTINE concert recording from November 29th 1957. Never before released OR broadcast in the US. The music is as good as you would think, maybe even better than you would think, everyone is at their creative peak - I especially like this period of Coltrane's evolution as an artist, and it's quite interesting. This will without doubt be the record of the year. Let's hope the rest of the concert, featuring Billie Holiday, Dizzy, Chet Baker, Ray Charles and Sonny Rollins survives and will be released!

Marc Johnson - Shades of Jade
Talk about an all star lineup - John Scofield, Joe Lovano, Eliane Elias, etc. It's on ECM but it doesn't sound like an ECM record, wonderful compositions by Marc and Eliane, it's the kind of cd that would be easy to pass over in the record store, but it's a gem.

The Bad Plus - Suspicious Activity
I'm not a huge Bad Plus fan, but I'm listening to their new cd right now as I type this (first listen!) and I must say something is different. The formula is the same, but they sound more musically mature. The other albums didn't really do it for me, this one just makes a lot more sense. Perhaps that's not a good thing, who knows, maybe I'll hate it after a few more listens. It sounds like an album that might actually still sound decent in 10 years, which I'm not sure you can say for their other records. There's a clarity to this record that I didn't hear in the others. But I'm still listening.

Bebo Valdes - Bebo de Cuba
His son may be more famous with American audiences but this guy is still alive, making great music in his 80's - he's like the Bud Powell of Cuba (not that he plays bop per say but he's on that level of importance). This is a new 3 disc set, 2 cds, and a DVD, one big band, one of "jam sessions" both with like likes of Paquito D'Rivera, Ray Vega, Diego Urcola, Bobby Porcelli, etc - basically the cream of the crop of NYC latin jazz musicians. His compositions and arrangements are brilliant, they are so perfect, they could not be improved. His arrangements have an "airy" feel to them which I don't hear in a lot of latin jazz or even contemporary big band writing. And he writes great tunes, and is a wonderful pianist too. Great stuff.

Monterey Jazz Festival Part III

2005-09-19T19:06:00.000-07:00

Well, I'm back from another MJF, and again it was a great show. I wasn't there Saturday so I won't comment on those shows, though I heard good things about all the performers that day. Here's a quick rundown of what I saw and heard Sunday

I started things Sunday with Bay Area vocalist Natasha Miller, at 2:00pm Sunday at the Garden Stage. The performance was much like Natasha's cd, a tribute to the music of Bobby Sharp. Nice tunes, decent voice, but just not quite ready for prime time. I stayed for a couple of tunes, but it just wasn't doing it for me, I think it's harder to be a good jazz singer than it is to be a good jazz instrumentalist. "A" for effort as they say, but a "C" for performance.

I was then left debating what to do. Leave the festival, go eat some more (already had an excellent Naan Burrito), or hear some music. Lee Ritenour was on the main stage, at truth be told, that sounded about as enticing on paper as sitting in the barbeque line for an hour, but I put aside my jazz snob leanings and went to check things out. The band was Ritenour, Ernie Watts, saxophone, BOTH Dave Grusin and Patrice Rushen piano/keyboards, Brian Bromberg bass, and Alex Acuna drums. They opened things up playing a track from Lee Morgan's album "The Procrastinator" (I think it was Lee's tune Party Time, but I could be wrong) - and it was REALLY good. No smooth jazz BS at all. Rushen sounded especially good on piano, though sometimes it got a little busy with both her and Grusin playing. Ritenour showed his heavy Wes Montgomery influence, and it was a nice track. They played some more music, some more on the contemporary jazz side, some more funk, some more straight ahead stuff, and one of my favorite Jobim tunes, Stone Flower. It was perhaps the most surprising set of the festival for me, in a pleasant way. Two notes - Alex Acuna stole the show and turned in a very memorable perfomance on the traditional Peruvian instrument the cajon, not to mention his excellent work at the trap drums. The other note deals with bassist Brian Bromberg. I said when hearing Bob Cranshaw that he plays the electric bass like it was an acoustic bass. Brian does the opposite, plays the acoustic like the electric - he's a "virtuoso" in the worst way. It's almost annoying at points, especially on electric. I almost found myself saying "ok, you're good, get over yourself already!" But different strokes for different folks. Overall, I liked the whole set, though I'd prefer just hearing Patrice rather than Dave AND Patrice. I promise I won't talk trash about Lee ANY more! "A-" for this set, with the minus being Bromberg.

After that I caught a little bit of vocalist Clairdee on the Garden Stage. Much better than Natasha Miller, a much better stage presence, just more "seasoned". I have the CD in the rotation at the station, but I haven't played it yet. I'll try to give it some spins and see what people think. Not bad, but not knock out great. Good band backing her up of Bay Area musicians. I'd give it a "B"

After Clairdee it was Jon Jang's ensemble with Wayne Wallace and Francis Wong. I only caught portions of this, but I liked most of it. Mix traditional Asian music, with Blue Note era hard bop and bit of avant garde free blowing for some spice and that's what you've got. Francis has the most passionate tenor tone this side of Gato Barbieri. I liked the mix of approaches and influences, and I actually expected it to be much more "out there" than it was. Good edgy stuff, but grounded, which is pretty rare. "B"

After that, and a dinner of fried catfish and hush puppies, it was back to the Jimmy Lyons stage in the Arena, for Branford Marsalis' quartet, with Joey Calderazzo, piano, Eric Revis, bass and Jeff Tain Watts drums. I've seen Branford several times now, and he sounded (to my ears) somewhat uninspired. Tain, Eric and Joey were great though. Branford sometimes sounds a bit obtuse to my ears, and I think he sometimes just relies on his "sheets of sound" burnout approach when nothing else comes to mind - it's his crutch, or at least it sounds like that. They opened with the Watts tune Mr. JJ. Branford made a comment that they hadn't played together in four months, and would be trying out new material - (he made a similar comment when I saw them in 1998 at Yoshis with Kenny Kirkland) and again, Branford seemed kinda dull. It just doesn't hit me, but perhaps that's just the bias of the listener. I prefer his soprano playing quite a bit more, and he played a nice and as yet untitled original on the smaller horn, in the vein of his recent album Eternal. Good stuff. He followed with a version of Wynton's "Free to Be" (saying he asked Wynton for the chart because he knew his band could play the song better than Wynton's could!) also on soprano. At this point I had to leave to catch some other music. I'd give Branford's set a "B" overall.

After that it was off to see vocal sensation (and tabloid queen) Madeline Peyroux. I've never seen Norah Jones live, but I am told that people say she's extremely boring. Well, so was Madeline. I'm not sure if it's due to a lackluster performance, or simply that material like this is best heard in a cafe, or on cd, and not before 1,000 people outdoors. It was a bore, though it showed flashes of excellence. Larry Goldings was great on B-3, and Ron Miles added a nice dimension (the festival didn't have much trumpet this year). "C+" - I like her cd, but would fall asleep with her one dimensional performance.

After that I went to catch Denny Zeitlin's trio with Buster Williams and Matt Wilson. Excellent. But of course, you'd expect nothing less. Denny might be the most intelligent guy I've ever talked to, and it comes out in his music. He's another example of a virtuoso who "gets it" that it's not just about showing off, but rather it's about artistry. Matt Wilson is simply great. "A+"

Following Denny, it was off to the Night Club stage (I skipped Kyle Eastwood - for shame!) and caught three tunes from John Scofield's trio with Bill Stewart and Steve Swallow. Wow, those guys are really good. Sco isn't my favorite guitar player, but I have nothing but good things to say about their set. Swallow plays the bass guitar like a bass when it comes to holding down the rhythm section, and like a guitar when it comes to solo, a perfect balance from what say a traditional approach would be and what Bromberg does. But of course that's why Steve is a living legend on his instrument. Bill Stewart and Matt Wilson (still playing with Zeitlin) could both go for the "most tasteful" drummer award, and both deserve it. Sco was excellent, I forget the first tune, but they followed it with "Green Tea" (from the A Go Go album) and a nice ballad version of "You Don't Know Me". Sco sounds so much better than on his overproduced Ray Charles tribute cd. Good stuff. "A"

I would have liked to have stayed for more music, but it was close to 10:00pm and I had to drive home, so I only got to hear Pat Metheny's trio/quartet set walking to my car, but thanks to KUSP, I was able to hear it all the way home via their live festival broadcast. Pat was Pat, you know what you're going to get there, but I like his current trio with Christian McBride and Antionio Sanchez better than the one he had with Larry Grenadier and Brian Blade. (two excellent musicians in their own right). But the real surprise as I was driving home was David Sanchez. I've heard him a couple of time, and he sounded so much more mature and toughtful than I've heard before in person or on record. He works well with Pat's group, his tone seems to have matured, and his ideas as well, in an almost Joe Henderson sort of way.

One side note: while I didn't hear Pat live, I actually did SEE him! He was leaving the soundcheck at about 5:00pm or so, and gosh I wish I had my camera with me! He looked like Tom Hanks in that castaway movie! Either that or he had been digging for clams out on the beach. Pants that came up mid way on the shins, a sloppy t-shirt, baseball cap and hair going out every which way underneath! No surprise than that about an hour later ushers were seen giving the photographers present notes saying that no photos were to be taken backstage during Pat's set!

Everything considered, it was a good festival, not the best ever, but better than last year, which seemed to be lacking something. Sonny was the highlight for me, but there was plenty of good music, and lots that I didn't get to see. Because of that - here's some links to other MJF related blogs...

Jazz Police.com (2nd day review)
Doug Ramsey - Rifftides...
Fojazz (various posts)...

Monterey Report Vol 1

2005-09-17T17:55:00.000-07:00

The third weekend in September means one thing in California jazz circles - the Monterey Jazz Festival, now in it's 48 year, takes over the senic Monterey County Fairgrounds. It's about a 2-3 hour drive from Fresno (depending on traffic) so I made the trip up highway 152 for Friday night, and drove back home Saturday morning. I'll be headed back for Sunday, so another repot will follow.

First of all, a non musical note. Those who go to Monterey to sample Smokin Jim's fine barbeque - Jim is not there. In fact there seems to be an overall dearth of good barbeque vendors at the Festival - I had to wait in line 1 hour at one of the two vendors (no sign on the booth for some reason - a bad sign indeed, and not listed in the vendors list in the program!) and it was ok, but long on sauce and short on flavor. The actually had run out of ribs! I'll see if the situation has improved by Sunday.

About the music! John Handy opened up the Jimmy Lyons stage on Friday night, reuniting what remains of his famed quintet that played the MJF (and recorded there) 40 years ago. I haven't been a huge John Handy fan, but I enjoyed the set quite a bit, his sound and technique are still excellent, and the music was as fresh as most anything else out there today. Steve Miller (yes, that Steve Miller) joined the band for a few numbers (Nature Boy and St. Louis Blues), but Handy (with his incredible tone and control even in the highest ranges of his instrument) and violinist and harpist Carlos Reyes) were the real stars.

Next I went to the Coffee House stage, where the fare is usually piano trios or other small combos. I find that usually some of the best music I hear at the festival is in this venue. Last year I think it was Lynne Arriale, with a captivating set, in the past Jacky Terrasson, Stefon Harris, Jessica Williams and others that I can't remember right now. This year it was Benny Green and Russell Malone, with a wonderful standards based set. Green and Malone are both virtusosi who know that musicality is paramount, so it's never overpowering. They have a great rapport. I remember hearing them as a trio in 2000 with Christian McBride on bass, and I didn't like it as much. Green and Malone seem to work better (to my ears) in duo format, and they have two wonderful records in this format. Often I'll check out a few tunes of a set and leave to hear something else, not with these guys. Good stuff.

Next it was back to the Main Stage (after a stop at Starbucks) to hear the Spanish Harlem Orchestra. I've always had an affinity for latin jazz and salsa, but since I started filling in once a month for out latin jazz dj Steve Alcala, I've found that I love the music even more. Steve brought this very group to Fresno's Arte Americas last year, and I'm bummed I missed it after hearing their set at Monterey. High powered, very polished salsa and latin jazz, true showmen. It's hard not to move when you're listening to these guys.

The last artist of the evening was the man who I had been waiting for, Sonny Rollins. I've never heard Sonny live before, and have really been looking forward to this. Sonny played with guitarist Bobby Broom, bassist Bob Cranshaw, trombonist Clifton Anderson, drummer Steve Jordan and percussionist Kimati Dinizulu. Sonny opened up a little tentative (to my ears) but by the end of the hour long set, Rollins was showing everyone why he is considered the greatest living improvisor in jazz. It was a very satisfying set, though I think almost everyone (standing in applase all throughout the last tune) would have loved to see an encore. One complaint people have about Sonny these days is that his band isn't up to level. I didn't find that to be the case, though to be honest, no one is on par with Sonny. Clifton Anderson is probably the worst offender, he's a fine player, it's just that when he's playing, you think "gosh, I'd rather be hearing Sonny or someone else." A couple other things, Sonny likes "Oh Susannah" he quoted it twice on Friday night, and it shows up a couple of times on his new cd, recorded almost four years prior! Also, Bob Cranshaw looks much younger than I thought he would. Bob proves that one can play the electric bass like one would the acoustic bass. I wasn't wild about Sonny's first tune, a one chord vamp, that even the master didn't seem to take anywhere terribly interesting. It was ok, but not my favorite. Also, Sonny plays long solos, but they never SEEM long, if anything you're left wanting more. At the end of the concert, as he thanked the roaring crowd, Sonny pumped his fist in the air. I guess he had a good time too. And as the crowd filed out of the arena (at 12:30am) one fan could be heard shouting to his friends "Sonny Rollins, SONNY ROLLINS, I can't believe it, that was GREAT!"

Sonny Rollins - Without a Song - The 9/11 Concert

2005-08-16T20:22:00.000-07:00

The occasion of a new Sonny Rollins album is unlike anything else in jazz. A true saxophone colossus, now perhaps more than ever, Rollins towers over every other improvisor in jazz. His magisterial performances actually ARE the stuff of legend, in an era where that word is so often overused. Thus the release of Rollins' new album, which comes out August 30th, just days before his 75th birthday is likely to cause quite a commotion. I was lucky enough to obtain an advance copy this week, and have some observations to share about what surely must be the most eagerly anticipated jazz release of the year.

First of all, Sonny is in such a class of his own, it's not even funny. You can count on your fingers the number of other improvisors in jazz history who deserve to be ranked with the man they call "Newk" - and Sonny is the only one alive, someone truly on par with Armstrong, Coltrane, Monk, Tatum and Parker. People have often complained that Sonny doesn't play with musicians who are "up to his level." Of course they totally miss the point that NO ONE is up to Sonny's level, and if anything Rollins' seemingly endless creativity and inventiveness seems to make the disparity even more vast. I'm sure many fans get one of his cds, listen to Sonny's solo, then hit the scan button, until Rollins returns, heck, even I'm guilty of that! It's kind of like Barry Bonds making the rest of the San Francisco Giants lineup look like a washed up collection of A-ball talent (steroids aside, Bonds is dominant in his field as Rollins is in his), and you certainly don't get up from your seat to get a soda or beer when Bonds is at the plate. The same goes for Rollins. This new record, which features pianist Stephen Scott , trombonist Clifton Anderson, bassist Bob Cranshaw, drummer Perry Wilson, and percussionist Kimati Dinizulu, won't do anything to to change the minds of those people who complain about the setting Rollins puts himself in. Scott is the most remarkable, and on any other record, with any other leader, would steal the show. He's very inventive and has some nice solos, even playing one tune on kalimba. Clifton Anderson has some nice, but unremarkable solos that remind me of Curtis Fuller at times. The rhythm sections holds things down, and lays down the groove for Rollins, (who better to do this than Cranshaw) and doesn't get in the way. It's a different sort of group than, say the quintet Rollins played in with Max Roach and Clifford Brown. Rollins is the focus, without a doubt, it's his show.

The concert on this new cd, (Rollins first live session in 20 years of so since "G-Man") was recorded at the Berklee College of Music in Boston, four days after the attacks of 9/11/2001. Rollins, who lived blocks from the World Trade Center was seen on CNN that day being evacuated from his apartment building, and witnessed the tragic events of that day. His wife Lucille conviced him to follow through with the concert plans in Boston, and it was recorded, both directly off the sound board, and via some sort of amateur recording from the audience, (more on this later). Listening to the concert, the somber tone of that week isn't readily apparent from the music, though if one closes ones eyes, and remembers what those days short after the attacks felt like, it helps put the sometimes surprisingly happy music in context.

Rollins opens with what is likely his best performance on the record, the title track, Without A Song, which he recorded on his famous RCA debut album, The Bridge. Rollins' glowing, brassy tone is in fine form, as he logically and methodically lays down a solo as only "Newk" can. The shortest track on the album is 10:00, but Rollins never bores the listener, he's always finding something new to say, building upon his initial exposition, and the melody of the song itself, throwing in a playful quote here and there, including even "Oh Susannah"! I really like the title track, though the second tune, Global Warming, isn't quite as memorable. It's another Rollins calypso, and while good doesn't seem to have that special quality of the previous track. Rollins follows with introductions of the band (he has a "unique" speaking voice!) and then goes right into an emotionally heart wrenching version of A Nightingale Sang In Berkeley Square.

Rollins continues with a long solo introduction to an uptempo sixteen minute version of Why Was I Born, which generates the biggest reaction from the crowd of the record. After the head, Rollins begins to solo, only to fall back to "comping" behind Stephen Scott, who turns in another fine performance. Why Scott doesn't have a recording deal today is one of the great mysteries of the jazz world. Rollins really smokes on this track, and turns in what may be his best performance of the record. The title track will likely get more radio airplay, and is more "composed" with it's more relaxed tempo and it's less complex solo, but Why Was I Born it the real tour de force. Like with the previous track, Rollins doesn't bother to play the out chorus, wisely, his solo ends the song, to what sounds like a standing ovation. What more can you say!

The concert closes with a medium uptempo version of Where or When, with a typically deconstructionist (yet still swinging) solo by Rollins. Yet again, here is something unique. Instead of starting out with a simple melody fragment and building upon it, evenutally winding up with a torrent of notes, Rollins does the reverse, and slowly reveals the melody in a relatively short solo that reveals why he is so revered as "the last of the titans" of jazz. Here's to many more excellent recordings and concerts by this unquestioned "heavy weight champion" of the art of improvisation. Without doubt, this is THE album of the year, it's not perfect, it's not some grand conceptual project, or even innovative mix of tuvan throat singers, hip-hop and jazz, being touted as "the next big thing." There's simply no one better than Sonny Rollins at his best, and this is as close to his best as we've heard in a long time.

A note on the recording quality. This concert was not recorded with the intent that it would be released commercially. There were two tapes made - one apparently direct from the sound board, and another made by a friend of Rollins and a collector, (with the saxophonists permission), made with what sounds to my ears like a stereo condenser mic plugged into a consumer grade DAT or Minidisc recorder. The album uses both of these sources, they are mixed together quite well, but those who fancy themselves as audio experts will get a kick out of figuring out where one tape merges and (somewhat) seamlessly meets the other. For example, the concert starts with Rollins (off mic) with an announcment to the crowd about the opening song. This comes from the audience tape, and has a definite "bootleg" sound to it, with plenty of room echo, etc. They continue to use this source as the band plays the melody of Without A Song, slowly, very slowly, bringing in the house system, which is in 100 percent by the time Rollins solo begins. That's probably the most obvious case on the record of a transition from one source to another. All in all, I think they did a pretty good job. It's preferable to using the house system recording 100 percent, which I suspect had some distortion problems at times, and doesn't sound like it picked up any of the audience applause of room ambience, not to mention, think the drums might not have been mic'ed well, given the concert nature of the recording. It's not a "perfect" recording like something Al Schmitt would produce, but it's better than some of the recent live albums I've heard where the effort is to make them sound like studio sessions.

Singing Between the Notes?

2005-08-12T18:17:00.000-07:00

I must admit I'm not a huge fan of Nnenna Freelon at the start of this post. In my humble opinion, she's a middle of the road singer in a lot of ways. Not only does her music sometime straddle the line between lite jazz and more straight head music, she's sort of middle of the pack, as far as female vocalists go. There's a LOT, (a ton to be frank) who are worse, but there are a lot who are better, bonafide stars like Cassandra Wilson, Shirley Horn, and Dianne Reeves, plus lesser known talents like Dena DeRose, Karrin Allyson, Carolyn Leonhart, and Luciana Souza.

But I'm not here to really critique Nnenna's singing, her approach or her new album, which is called "Blueprint of A Lady" (you guessed it) is a tribute to the music of Billie Holiday. I will say that it's good to see that Nnenna didn't try to replicate Lady Day's vocal style, as seems to be the fashion these days, it's merely a collection of Holiday associated tunes.

Now, on to the subject at hand, intonation. One of the things that bugs me about a lot of singers, even VERY well known ones (ahem, Kurt Elling, etc) is the old issue of intonation. It's not just singers, as I recently had a cd by saxophonist Matt Criscuolo which I simply had to set aside, as he was so flat on the FIRST TRACK (Lotus Blossom) of his new cd he sent us. He starts out ok, but a few bars into the song, I find myself yelling at the cd player, "come on! get that note up there!" In the case of Criscuolo, it sounds like some sort of embrouchure problem or something, though perhaps he's going it on purpose, like Jackie McLean, who has been scolded on occasion for playing a few cents sharp, intentionally, to give his sound a little more "edge".

But again, I'm not here to critique Criscuolo either, rather to talk about something very odd I've noticed in Nnenna Freelon's singing, and upon getting the new cd, I was prepared for it, and listened for it, and it in fact was there! It's not so much an issue of singing out of key, but rather, if you listen closely, Nnenna has a tendency to sing a sort of ambiguous pitch. So much so that if I were transcribing one of her vocal lines (like most true jazz singers, Nneena deviates from the written melody on occasion), I'm not sure how I would notate it. It doesn't drive me up the wall quite like Criscuolo's oh so flat alto tone on Lotus Blossom, but it sort of catches your ear and makes you sit up and listen.

Nnenna's not the only one to do this, I've heard others, even other great singers do this. It's almost an example of a singer "talking" through the lyrics with their speaking voice, rather than "singing" the pitch dead on. If you listen to the new record, you'll hear Nnenna sort of dance around the pitch, hint at it; it's elusive. If you take it to the extreme, you have something like Rex Harrison, talking his way through the Lerner and Lowe songs of My Fair Lady. I really can't say Nnenna is singing "out" of tune, nor is it some Don Ellis-esque quarter tone thing. But it's not like most singers, and depending on your mood, can either catch your ear (in a good way) or make you change the station.

Jazz in China?

2005-08-04T13:07:00.000-07:00

I just got off the phone with a listener and friend who is moving to China for a couple of years to take a job teaching there, and the subject of jazz came up. I realized then that I had never really heard much about jazz in China! We all know about the thriving European jazz scene, the one in South Africa, of course Japan and South Korea, even Russia, India and Australia - but China, no I can honestly say that I have never heard any jazz from China, nor of any Chinese jazz musicians. So a Google search was in order, and quite promptly, here are some links of interest-

CNN on jazz in Shanghai
All About Jazz on Chinese Jazz
Hong Kong Jazz Association

Given the huge population of China, it's rapid westernization, and inklings of democracy, I would not be surprised to see the Chinese jazz scene not only grow internally, but to eventually become a major part of the international jazz community. Jazz musicians are always looking at new places to play, new ways to innovate, and new audiences to support jazz, and perhaps China is the next place to take jazz in a new direction? I think it would be great to see major American and European jazz stars expose Chinese audiences to jazz at the highest level, and vice versa as well. It would certainly be a worthy diplomatic effort, as the State Department sponsored tours of major jazz artists (Dizzy Gillespie's Big Band, Dave Brubeck's quartet, etc) were back in the 50's and 60's.

Perhaps some readers out there who have some knowledge of the Chinese jazz scene can provide further comments?

Lucky Thompson and Al McKibbon

2005-08-04T12:25:00.000-07:00

Two of the last surviving musicians who took part in the birth of bebop passed away recently - bassist Al McKibbon and saxophonist Lucky Thompson. McKibbon replaced Ray Brown in Dizzy Gillespie's band, was on the famous "Birth of the Cool" sessions, worked with Thelonious Monk, and was an innovator in latin jazz. He made his first album as a leader in 1999. He was 86 years old.

Lucky Thompson was one of the first tenor players (along with Dexter Gordon) to adapt the larger saxophone to the bebop ideas of Charlie Parker, and his revolutionary style on alto. He recorded with Charlie Parker on Bird's famous "Dial" sessions, was on the classic Miles Davis hard bop album "Walkin", and was an innovator in bringing the soprano saxophone back into modern jazz (before John Coltrane). After a decade or so spent living in Europe, Thomspon's late career was somewhat tragic, as he left the musical world decades ago and later faced a long battle with Alzheimer's disease. He was 81 years old.

Tim Ries - The Rolling Stones Project -or- six degrees of Bill Charlap?

2005-08-03T18:05:00.000-07:00

For those jazz fans out there playing six degrees of Bill Charlap (instead of Kevin Bacon) the new cd by saxophonist Tim Ries is going to be pretty handy. Rarely does an album come out that can be a true trump card in linking people you would never even think could have anything even remotely in common. - Oh, I should explain, Ries, who is a really talented and underrated saxophonist, working with folks like Maria Schneider, has since 1999 been the sax player with the Rolling Stones. His new album of Stones tunes, "The Rolling Stones Project" started out as a "simple" jazz album with the likes of Larry Goldings, Charlap, Brian Blade, Bill Frisell, Ben Monder, and John Patitucci, turned into a much bigger project, featuring Charlie Watts, Keith Richards, Darryl Jones, Sheryl Crow and Norah Jones.

It's a pretty good record, if a bit mellow. More mellow and less rocking than I expected it would be, which may or may not be a good thing. Ries sounds very good, and there's some good jazz arrangements, but with all the star power, Ries might be overshadowed a bit at times. It's hard to tell sometimes who the spotlight is on. There's a funky John Scofield feature on Satisfaction, both jazz organ trio and rock versions of Honky Tonk Women, and a mellow Norah Jones feature on Wild Horses. It's a fun record, which a lot of jazz albums today aren't. Perhaps most importantly, it'll turn on more casual jazz fans to Tim's playing, and maybe some of his other records too.

More news on Michael Brecker...

2005-07-28T15:51:00.000-07:00

FROM: Susan Brecker
SUBJECT: Michael Brecker needs your help.

Dear Family and Friends,

My husband, Michael Brecker, has been diagnosed with MDS
(myelodysplastic syndrome), and its critical that he undergoes a stem
cell transplant. The initial search for a donor (including Michael's
siblings and children) has not yet resulted in a suitable match.
Michael's doctors have told us that we need to immediately explore ALL
possible options. This involves getting as many people of a similar
genetic background to be tested.

There are some important points to understand concerning this process:

1. The screening involves a blood test only. It can be done very
quickly either at a marrow donation center or at a LOCAL LAB. The cost
is anywhere from $40 to $75 and your insurance may cover it. (In NYC,
you can call Frazier, at the NY Blood Bank, at 212-570-3441, and make
an appointment for HLA typing. It costs $40.00.) Check with your
local blood bank, or go to http://www.marrow.org to find the donor
center nearest you.

2. Your blood typing information can be posted on the international
registry, if you choose, where it would also be available to others in
need of a transplant. BEING ON THE REGISTRY DOESN'T MEAN YOU HAVE TO
DONATE, it just means that you may be ASKED to do so. You can take your
name off the registry at any time.

3. Should you be selected as a potential donor for Michael, please
understand that there have been tremendous advances in bone marrow
transplants and the term itself can be misleading. Bone marrow
donation is no more invasive than giving blood. Stem cells are simply
harvested from your blood and then transplanted to Michael.

4. A match for Michael would be most likely to come from those of Eastern
European Jewish descent. If you or anyone you know are in this category
please make a special effort to immediately get tested. Ultimately, you
would be doing something not just for Michael, but for so many more who
are in a similar situation as my husband.

5. You are now part of our internet-based drive for donor testing. If
everyone who receives this can motivate a bunch of their friends to get
tested, and those friends then forward this email to get their friends
to get tested, we will have rapidly expanded the pool of potential
donors. I urge all of you to get tested AS SOON AS POSSIBLE.

Any local blood center/Red Cross center can assist in organizing a
drive for Michael, although it would be desirable if you can get a
large group, e.g. a synagogue, to sponsor it. Should you have any
questions about this, please don't hesitate to get in touch with
Michael's management office at 212.302.9200 or info@michaelbrecker.com.

Thank you so much for your love and support.

We are so grateful.

Susan xo

Herbie Hancock goes pop! - Christina Aguliera on Herbie's new record?

2005-07-28T13:31:00.000-07:00

Herbie Hancock and Wayne Shorter have a kind of musical yin-yang thing going on. That's certainly not news for jazz fans, the two have been musical associates at the highest level since the 60's. Two highly individualistic players, masters of their instruments, and innovators in jazz, they often travel in elliptical orbits, ones that sometimes cross, but more often than not swing wildly to opposite sides of the musical spectrum.

Right now, Wayne is at a creative peak not seen since his work from the 60's - playing new and re-invented material from his own composition book, with an exciting young band, producing three excellent cds since 2001, a true late career renaissance. You could say there is no more profound improviser & composer in jazz than Shorter, and he is "on his game" as few musicians are today.

Meanwhile Herbie Hancock, still as talented and marvelous a pianist as ever, seems to be taking a more meandering path, one that leads to some nice solos, but not the great musical heights of his longtime associate. While Herbie has toured with Wayne within the last year, and made some fine music in those settings I'm sure, his latest project, to be released via the Starbucks owned "Hear Music" label, is likely to make this distinction all the more clear. While Wayne is creating brilliant music with amazing talents like Danilo Perez, Brian Blade and John Patitucci, (music that will likely one day be considered "classic" on par with his work from the 60's), Herbie is set to release a new record with talents such as Christina Aguliera, John Mayer, Annie Lennox, Jonny Lang, Sting, Paul Simon and Carlos Santana.

Now I'm not saying that this record won't be good. I have NO idea. I'm not saying all of those guest stars don't have talent. Rather I'm just noting that it seems that Wayne has taken the path less traveled, creating some truly significant and important music, meanwhile Herbie has decided that the best way to cement his reputation as a jazz icon is to record with Christina Aguilera? (I guess Brittney Spears was unavailable due to her pregnancy) Maybe Herbie doesn't care what jazz people think about this, doesn't care about cementing his legacy. I'm sure he'll make more money off this deal with Starbucks than Wayne will on his record. And to that I say good for him, this is America after all. But 30 years from now, we'll all be sitting around saying, "why didn't Herbie play with some real jazz musicians, instead of leaving us with this stuff." Kind of like critics and jazz fans today lament Wes Montgomery's A&M recordings, which though often containing one good jazz track, usually were little more than mood music for AM radio. And one last note, to bring this whole thing full circle - guess who played piano on those A&M and CTI dates for Wes? Yeah, Herbie. Some things never change.

European Musicians Eclipse US Jazz Artists?

2005-07-26T19:13:00.000-07:00

The high level of skill and artistic merit of European jazz musicians is nothing new. Manfred Eicher made a career out of that very thing in the 1970's with his ground breaking ECM label, and artists like Jan Garbarek and the like. But lately, I've really been struck by the great quality of music coming out of Europe, from musicians most US listeners have likely never heard of, music that often eclipses the biggest American jazz names today.

Case in point - the relatively new Italian jazz label CAM Jazz. Talk about some exquisite records, featuring the likes of Enrico Pieranunzi, Enrico Rava, Salvatore Bonafede, and Americans Chris Potter, Paul Motian, Charlie Haden and others! Pieranunzi's touch at the piano rivals that of Brad Mehldau or Fred Hersch, and offers its own sublime lyricism that makes one wonder why he isn't a household name in US jazz circles. Two excellent new cds by Enrico Rava just arrived on my desk from this label this week, and they're really captivated my ears, something that not a lot of records do.

The records on CAM Jazz aren't alone, there's music from folks like Martijn Van Iterson, Yuri Honig, Amina Figarova, Rob Van Bavel, Tineke Postma, Tord Gustavsen, Biréli Lagrène and many others, all who just seem to be interested in making good music, and blow away a lot of far more well known US based musicians. This is not to say that US musicians across the board are in a slump, as excellent new albums by Joe Lovano, Bill Charlap, Dave Holland, Mulgrew Miller, Hank Jones, and Wayne Shorter, etc make clear. But a lot of US musicians seem more concerned (and thus sound more forced and contrived) about working on their public image, or consciously trying to innovate, and thus not doing much of either. Right now, we have a whole generation of musicians who had been cast by the jazz media as "young lions", who now are neither young, nor especially "lion like" in their playing. Confined artistically by the world created for them by their record company PR types, they are, with a couple of exceptions, trying to "reinvent" themselves, by wearing new clothes, plugging their trumpets into wha wha pedals, and striking mean looking poses wear sunglasses from the Miles Davis collection circa 1970. It's as if, stung by the criticism that they were trying to re-invent jazz circa 1965, they are now determined to do something totally different, reinvent the jazz of 1975! I'm not saying new albums by Terence Blanchard and Joshua Redman are bad, they aren't. But they don't speak to me like the new records from the relatively unknown players from Europe are as of late. Even the electric stuff coming from Europe sounds more fresh, and less a remake of Bitches Brew or Eddie Harris than a lot of the new "innovative" records from US musicians. A lot of US musicians also seem to dilute their focus, with a multitude of interesting, but not really captivating side projects (something I'll discuss at length in a few days), that lead to something akin to musical attention deficit disorder!

Again, I'm not saying that all European jazz is better than all American jazz. The players themselves often appear on each other's records, and music as they say knows no boundaries. But there seems to be a lot more focus on making really good, serious, and really well crafted jazz among the best European musicians, than there is across the pond, with their more well known peers.

-note- I neglected to mention British jazz label Dune, which has some very fine and innovative records from the likes of Denys Baptiste and Soweto Kinch that also deserve recognition.

Michael Brecker seriously ill

2005-07-14T10:31:00.000-07:00

Very sad news from Michael Brecker.com...

"Very sadly, Michael is seriously ill with the blood disorder myelodysplasia for which he is currently undergoing treatment. All concerts have either been cancelled or postponed for approximately one year. Thanks for your positive vibes, and should you be so inclined, get well wishes can be sent to info@michaelbrecker.com"

.........

About Myelodysplasia from St. Jude.org...
Disease Information

Leukemias / Lymphomas: Myelodysplasia (MDS)

Alternative Names: MDS

Definition

Myelodysplasia (MDS) refers to a group of disorders in which the bone marrow does not function normally and produces insufficient number of normal blood cells.

MDS affects the production of any, and occasionally all, types of blood cells including red blood cells, platelets, and white blood cells (cytopenias).

About 50 percent of pediatric myelodysplasia can be classified in five types of MDS: refractory anemia, refractory anemia with ring sideroblasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts, refractory anemia with excess blasts in transformation, and chronic myelomonocytic leukemia.

Pat Metheny, you're no Bob Geldoff...

2005-07-09T14:16:00.000-07:00

Or so the Globe and Mail says. Maybe it's the other way around...
-link-
.........

By MARK MILLER

Saturday, July 9, 2005

Special to The Globe and Mail

Pat Metheny is not a celebrity. So what are all these TV cameras, photographers and reporters doing, crowded into a small salon at the official hotel of the Festival International de Jazz de Montréal? Well, when the festival beckons in this city, the media respond. And there really is a story here: The always personable and currently well-tanned Missouri-born guitarist will have performed at least six times before the festival is over tomorrow, his schedule concluding on the final night with an outdoor show by the Pat Metheny Group at the corner of St-Catherine and Jeanne-Mance.

Actually, there's even more of a story here, if only the media knew or, perhaps, cared. Metheny at 50 is a political animal -- "the most political person I know," said his friend, bassist Charlie Haden, no political slouch himself, in an interview at this same festival last year.

Metheny has a troubled view of the world, one that forms the rationale for his latest CD, The Way Up, whose single, 68-minute title composition was "a reaction," as he put it in an interview with JazzTimes earlier this year, "to a world where things are getting shorter, dumber, less interesting, less detailed, more predictable." And no, he's not a big fan of the Republicans either.

The media, however, seem to prefer fishing for compliments about the festival and about Montreal more generally. Metheny is obliging, and quite sincerely so, noting in his opening remarks, "I've said many times, and I really believe it, [this] is the best festival in the world." To which André Ménard, the festival's artistic director gloating to the guitarist's left, can't help but chime in, "You were the first [musician] to say that we have the best jazz festival in the world. You did not change your mind. Cool." But Metheny allows himself to be led only where he's willing to go. When asked about "music of the francophone world and what you feel about it," presumably in search of a similar endorsement, he takes a different tack.

"You know," he responds, "I don't really think about 'francophone' or 'jazz' or 'rock' or 'classical.' To me, music is one big thing. When I hear something I love, I love it, and I don't really care much about nationality or style or genre. To me, music is something that is very instructive at showing how really kind of meaningless those terms often are. It cuts right to the humanity of it."

Read the complete article online...

John Stubblefield 1945-2005

2005-07-05T15:27:00.000-07:00

Received via email from Jim Eigo:

5 July 2005

At five minutes before seven on the evening of the forth July 2005, after enduring great suffering with remarkable strength and courage, our beloved John Stubblefield left us on a soft note held gently at the end of a bitter sweet ballad.
Surrounded with love by sweetheart Katherine Gogel, sister Joyce Pattillo, cousins Harry Stubblefield and Stephanie Barber, and by friends Rolando Briceño and Yvonne, John quietly passed away into paradise, where he will compose brilliant works and perform music to fill the universe with love, hope and joy. We will continue to be inspired by John's generosity of spirit, his for ever glowing soul, and the vision of John's smiling face, which always lights up the lives of everyone he encountered.
Thank you for sharing with us your thoughts about how John touched your lives.
May peace be with us all.
Sincerely,
Katherine, Joyce, Harry and Stephanie

p.s. : Please pass this message on.

Charlie Parker's boyhood home - discovered

2005-06-27T17:37:00.000-07:00

Actually two of them, still standing, discovered by an intrepid Kansas City jazz historian after pouring over 70 year old census records. Here is a portion of the article from the Kansas City Star... (link for complete article)

Posted on Sun, Jun. 26, 2005
Scholar discovers missing links in Parker's past

Two of Jazz legend’s former KC homes still stand

By LEE HILL KAVANAUGH

The Kansas City Star

Every decade millions of families fill out census forms.

Mundane stuff. Names and ages. Do you own or rent your home? And, in the 1930 questionnaire: Do you own a radio?

Like millions of others, the Parker family — Charles Sr., Addie and 9-year-old Charlie — are listed on the 1930 survey.

They didn’t own a radio. But someday, Charlie’s music would be heard on the radio. And someday, the legend of Charlie “Bird” Parker, one of the world’s greatest jazz musicians, would be known around the world. But facts of Parker’s childhood remained a mystery because no one found the paper trail.

Now, new details have emerged from these mundane sources. Details that have uncovered two rare jewels: Parker’s boyhood homes still exist.

The 1930 U.S. Census forms, which the government released 72 years after people filled them out, recently became available in area public libraries. Kansas City author and jazz scholar Chuck Haddix took a peek.

“It was like finding a diamond,” he says.

Parker biographies state that when he was a boy his family moved from Kansas City, Kan., to a house in the 1500 block of Olive Street, just a few blocks from 18th and Vine.

But census and school records show a move in between. The Parkers lived in Westport for seven years in a mostly white, wealthy neighborhood, where his father worked as a janitor.

Unlike the homes in Kansas City, Kan., and on Olive Street — both long torn down — their Westport apartment still stands. Plus, when Haddix shared his news with a British jazz scholar, Llew Walker, he learned there was yet another Parker apartment just around the corner from the first. Both are in the old Hyde Park historic neighborhood.

“This is so much different than the story told before,” Haddix said. “… I drove over to the house and stood there with my mouth open, knowing that this was where Charlie Parker had lived.”
(link for complete article)

Dianne Reeves - Mercedes Ambassador?

2005-06-24T12:52:00.000-07:00

File this one in the recently growing file of jazz meets the auto world, or in this case a new Mercedes minivan, the upcoming R-class. But of course, Mercedes doesn't want you to think of this as a "minivan" - it's a "grand sports tourer" according to them. And as part of their marketing plan, they have hired Dianne Reeves to be one of three celebrity "ambassadors" for the R-class. She also stars in this really odd "documentary" on the Mercedes website called "Comfort". The film consists of studio and interview footage with Dianne and her band, talking about their music, interspersed with footage of several German engineers (including Christoph Dahm) talking about the climate control system on the new R-class (which apparently is so powerful, it has enough BTUs to heat three average homes in the winter), the seats, etc. I'm not sure what the R-class has to do with Dianne Reeves or vice versa, I guess it's just a clever marketing gimmick. But can you imagine, say, John Coltrane selling Land Rovers?
Link to the MB USA R-Class site...

Guitarist Billy Bauer dies

2005-06-23T11:37:00.000-07:00

June 23, 2005, 4:37 AM EDT

MELVILLE, N.Y. (AP) _ Billy Bauer, a jazz guitarist who worked with Lennie Tristano, Benny Goodman and Charlie Parker, has died in Melville. He was 89.

Bauer, who lived in Albertson, N.Y., died Friday of complications from pneumonia, said his daughter, Pamela.

He developed much of his solo technique while playing with Tristano's group, which he joined in 1946. Before that, he had played mostly rhythm parts.

Bauer recorded both with the band and with individual members, such as saxophonists Lee Konitz and Warne Marsh. He founded a publishing company, William H. Bauer Inc., to publish compositions by himself, Tristano, Konitz and Marsh.

Read the complete obituary from Newsday...

Monk plays Chopin?

2005-06-22T19:16:00.000-07:00

Yeah, or so the Monk estate claims. They have posted on their website a homemade recording of a piano player, playing a piece by Chopin. Quite well in fact. Some people claim that it's not Monk. I suppose we'll never know. It's quite interesting though if it is Monk. Some people claim he didn't have much technique. I've heard stories of people who "accidently" walked by Monk's apartment and heard someone playing brilliant Bud Powell-esque bebop lines, only to have Monk make them promise not to tell anyone it was him, so perhaps this is in fact Monk. Thanks to Terry Teachout for the heads up.

http://www.monkzone.com/silent/WEBCASTHTML.htm
scroll down and click clip #5

Jazz and NASCAR!!!

2005-06-22T12:44:00.000-07:00

No, Dale Jarrett isn't recording a duets album with Shirley Horn, and no Joey DeFrancesco isn't planning on taking the #5 car into the pits for 4 fresh tires and another round of wedge, but jazz and NASCAR, do apparently go together. At least according THIS press release. I can only imagine the conversation between Eric and his booking agent -

Agent - "So Eric, I've got a big gig out west for you."
Eric Lewis - "Cool, where is it?"
Agent - "Northern California"
Eric - "A week headlining Yoshis?"
Agent - "No."
Eric Lewis - "The Monterey Jazz Festival?"
Agent - "We tried, but no."
Eric - "Well, I hear Healdsburg has a nice festival, how about that?"
Agent - "You're getting warmer."
Eric - "Ok, I get it, a winery in Napa, Sonoma, or somewhere up there?"
Agent - "You've almost got it. Let me give you a hint - vroom vroom."
Eric - "Aw, you mean I'm gonna be playing with Frank Lacy? I hate when he does that motorcycle thing with his trombone, he thinks it so cool."
Agent - "NO! Not Frank Lacy! Try Jeff Gordon! - You're playing NASCAR!"

Here's the actual press release
...........

SONOMA, Calif. - Renowned jazz pianist Eric Lewis has been selected to perform the national anthem at the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series event at Infineon Raceway on Sunday, June 26.

Lewis, a native of New Jersey, has put together quite a career at the young age of 32, having played for President Clinton at the 1996 Democratic National Convention. He has also played for the world-famous Lincoln Center Orchestra with Wynton Marsalis.

"Since I was a child, zooming along in cars has always been a great thrill for me. I am very much anticipating being out there amongst all of these great NASCAR drivers," said Lewis, who will play the national anthem on his piano. The race is set to take the green flag at 12:30 p.m. on FOX (PST).

Lewis was crowned a piano master in 1999 when he won the prestigious Thelonius Monk International Piano Competition, which led to an invitation to join the band of one-time John Coltrane collaborator Elvin Jones. Lewis has also played with Cassandra Wilson and Roy Hargrove, among others.

In addition, Lewis has provided the score for the movie "A Trumpet at the Wall of Jericho," which aired nationally on PBS in 2004. He also appeared in the film "The Caveman's Valentine" in 2001 with legendary actor Samuel L. Jackson.

Lewis has recently ventured out on his own to record his own music, in addition to film and television projects (www.ericlewisgroove.com).

Tickets for the Dodge/Save Mart 350 NASCAR NEXTEL Cup Series weekend are available by calling 800-870-RACE or visiting www.infineonraceway.com or www.ticketmaster.com.

Rifftides - Doug Ramsey's new jazz blog

2005-06-15T15:49:00.000-07:00

I'd like to welcome author, journalist and broadcaster Doug Ramsey to the world of jazz blogs, and his new site - Rifftides. Doug’s most recent book is Take Five: The Public and Private Lives of Paul Desmond. He is also the author of Jazz Matters: Reflections on the Music and Some of its Makers. So as you can see, he knows his stuff. Blog away, Doug!

Visit Rifftides...

Hentoff - "The Gioia of Jazz"

2005-06-15T15:41:00.000-07:00

From the Wall Street Journal's Opinion Journal, Nat Henthoff praises current NEA chair Dana Gioia for his work in jazz.
-Joe

....
-link-
The Gioia of Jazz
The National Endowment for the Arts' head champions "one of the great American inventions."

BY NAT HENTOFF
Wednesday, June 15, 2005 12:01 a.m. EDT

No one with government funds to dispense has done more to bring jazz to American audiences than Dana Gioia, chairman of the National Endowment for the Arts. He has long considered the music "one of the great American inventions," and has been listening to it since his childhood in a working-class neighborhood in Los Angeles where, at home in the kitchen, his mother would put on records by Count Basie and her husband's favorite--Bunny Berigan, the trumpet player best known for his exhilarating version of "I Can't Get Started With You."

As Mr. Gioia was born in 1950, he remembers "growing up to the music of jazz, which was still America's popular music. You could even hear it on the TV variety shows. And in high school, the coolest group was the jazz band. As for me, the music conjured up a world of excitement and seemingly unreachable sophistication."

Now, however, except for the BET Jazz channel, not available in all parts of the country, there is currently no regular jazz programming. Indeed, there is hardly any jazz on broadcast or cable television. And on radio, the music has been almost entirely limited to a number of local public-radio stations, and some programming on National Public Radio.

Mr. Gioia--a poet (whose "Interrogations at Noon" won the 2002 American Book Award), a literary anthologist and a teacher--became the ninth chairman of the NEA in February 2003. One of his first initiatives was to increase the NEA's jazz program.

Starting in 1982, the NEA had been presenting jazz originals with American Jazz Masters Fellowships, including what is now a $25,000 accompaniment to the award. The first three musicians honored were Roy Eldridge, Dizzy Gillespie and Sun Ra, followed the next year by Count Basie, Kenny Clarke and Sonny Rollins. Mr. Gioia has expanded the number of annual Jazz Masters--there are seven this year. And in 2004 he added a new category, Jazz Advocate, which began with a nonmusician, this writer, who plays only an electric typewriter after a brief and unpromising venture long ago as a clarinetist.

The chairman is involved in expanding audiences for all the arts, but he is especially driven to "expand the country's awareness of jazz, to use it to combat the cultural impoverishment that threatens us." In an era of "reality" television, and a music scene where even Merle Haggard is hardly heard on commercial country music radio stations, Mr. Gioia doesn't consider it necessary to define "cultural impoverishment."

Read the complete article at Opinion Journal.com

Jazz Journalists Assn. Award Winners

2005-06-15T12:41:00.000-07:00

See the complete list at jazzhouse.org (which wins the award for worst web layout / color combinations of the year!)

Lifetime Achievement in Jazz
Hank Jones

Musician of the Year
Dave Holland

Up & Coming Musician of the Year
Jeremy Pelt

Jazz Album of the Year
Maria Schneider, Concert in the Garden (Artists Share)

Jazz Reissue of the Year, single CD
Coleman Hawkins, Centennial Collection (BMG Bluebird)

Jazz Reissue of the Year, boxed set
Albert Ayler, Holy Ghost (Revenant),

Jazz Record Label of the Year
Palmetto

Jazz Events Producer of the Year
Todd Barkan/Jazz at Lincoln Center

Jazz Composer of the Year
Maria Schneider

Jazz Arranger of the Year
Maria Schneider

Male Jazz Singer of the Year
Andy Bey

Female Jazz Singer of the Year
Luciana Souza

Latin Jazz Album of the Year
Jerry Gonzalez, Y Los Piratas del Flamenco (Sunnyside)

Small Ensemble Group of the Year (octet or smaller)
Jason Moran Trio

Large Ensemble of the Year (nonet or larger, including big bands, jazz orchestras, contemporary symphonies, et. al.)
Maria Schneider Big Band

Trumpeter of the Year
Clark Terry

Trombonist of the Year
Roswell Rudd

Player of the Year of Instruments Rare in Jazz
Gregoire Maret, harmonica

Alto Saxophonist of the Year
Phil Woods

Tenor Saxophonist of the Year
Joe Lovano

Soprano Saxophonist of the Year
Wayne Shorter

Baritone Saxophonist of the Year
Claire Daly

Clarinetist of the Year
Don Byron

Flutist of the Year
Frank Wess

Pianist of the Year
Jason Moran

Organ-keyboards of the Year
Dr. Lonnie Smith

Guitarist of the Year
Jim Hall

Acoustic Bassist of the Year
Dave Holland

Electric Bassist of the Year
Steve Swallow

Strings Player of the Year (violin, cello, kora, harp, etc.)
Regina Carter

Mallets Player of the Year (vibes, marimba, etc.)
Stefon Harris

Percussionist of the Year
Kahil El’Zabar

Drummer of the Year
Roy Haynes

From the valuts: Monterey to preserve recordings

2005-06-14T12:57:00.000-07:00

I read something from Tim Jackson (head honcho at the MJF) recently talking about these plans, the grant the got from the Grammy Foundation, and the possibility of starting a MJF record label. Given the continued strong market for jazz reissues, if the legal hurdles can be cleared (and they may be rather tough to clear) it would be a no brainer.
-Joe
.......
New life for old jazz tapes
Festival gets archive grant

By BETTINA ADRAGNA
Monterey County Herald Correspondent

Recordings of live performances by Dizzy Gillespie, Billie Holiday, Duke Ellington and others at the Monterey Jazz Festival are in danger of deteriorating.

To help preserve these recordings and others from 1958 to 1969, the Grammy Foundation has given the jazz festival a $40,000 grant for its Archive Preservation Project to digitally reformat and catalog the archives, in partnership with Stanford University.

The digitized recordings will be put in an online database so that scholars can access them more easily, said Jason Arnold, marketing associate for the jazz festival.

The earlier tapes are in "troubling" condition, he said. "They've been deteriorating for quite awhile, so we want to make sure they're well preserved and taken care of so that people can listen to them and hear them in the best possible quality... Once everything is digitized, it'll be much easier to access and to manage."

The inspiration for the project comes as the jazz festival approaches its 50th anniversary in 2008, said General Manager Tim Jackson.

"We realized that we need to preserve old media... Sooner or later, that tape is just going to disintegrate." Currently, the archives are stored on various media, from quarter-inch reel-to-reel tapes to CDs.

Read the complete article here...

Eddie Palmieri - Listen Here!

2005-06-12T17:29:00.000-07:00

About two weeks ago, Eddie brought his band to Fresno's Arte Americas for a concert as part of their "Nights In the Plaza" series. It was a great evening, showcasing a band which has to be among the best in latin jazz. (trumpeter Brian Lynch really stole the show, with his seemingly effortless virtuosity and melodic creativity). Now Eddie has a new cd out on Concord, called Listen Here. Based upon his normal working septet with Lynch, Donald Harrison and Conrad Herwig, the cd also finds star guest soloists joining the party, such as Michael Brecker, Regina Carter, Nicholas Payton, Christian McBride, David Sanchez and John Scofield. While it lacks the cohesion of earlier albums with this same basic group (Palmas, Arete) due to the ever changing lineup, the real standout part of the album (aside from the obvious excellent solosists) is the material. Here Palmieri finds himself playing some classic jazz compositions, something he hasn't done much of in his over 50 years in the business. No one ever doubted Palmieri's jazz chops, as his piano owes as much to Thelonious Monk and McCoy Tyner as it does to most afro-cuban influenced pianists. But it's always nice to hear musicians in a new setting, and Listen Here does that. Aside from the Eddie Harris penned title track, tunes include Tin Tin Deo, Nica's Dream, and In Walked Bud. And unlike many current jazz musicians content with running through the motions on such tunes, Palmieri displays a creative and playful approach, daring at times, which makes for an excellent record.

Steve Turre - no plunger mutes here

2005-06-10T19:09:00.000-07:00

I came across this article about jazz trombonist Steve Turre, where he talks about the current state of the jazz scene. (I've asked this question in interviews enough to know not to ask it in the first place.) Steve did have some interesting things to say though. Here's a chunk of the article from Indystar.com
.......
-link-

Much about the music business today dismays the 56-year-old musician, a veteran of bands led by Roland Kirk, Ray Charles, Woody Shaw, Slide Hampton and Art Blakey, among others. But he's optimistic about the state of jazz trombone: "It's better in general than it was 10 years ago, though a lot of the younger players need to listen to J.J."

J.J., of course, means J.J. Johnson, the Indianapolis native and pioneer of the bebop trombone who died four years ago last February.

Turre, who was among the national jazz stars who attended Johnson's funeral here, believes along with many others that Johnson established the viability of the trombone as a jazz instrument for the modern era.

And he disapproves of younger colleagues who seem to want to revive the style of the Duke Ellington trombone section of the 1930s. "You have to take what J.J. did and be in the moment."
.........

I agree with the part about players needing to listen to J.J. But I don't see how listening to J.J. automatically puts you "in the moment". J.J. developed his style back in the late 40's and early 50's. It's brilliant, and may still be "cutting edge" as bebop remains the lingua francaof modern jazz, but I don't see the logic in telling someone they need to cut back on their influences from 60 years ago, and concentrate on more contemporary sounds, from 50 years ago! I will say, if you're a jazz trombone player and haven't studied J.J.'s music, you should probably find a different instrument, but the way the writer places Turre's quote (which could be out of context, many newspaper writers don't know much about jazz, and they wind up getting things confused) it really puzzles me. And the funny thing is, I've heard Steve play in that "pre-J.J." style very well! I wouldn't expect a player of Steve's level to say such a thing, or at least in the way the article indicates he said it. People like Wycliffe Gordon have proven that you can take that "earlier" style, and make it your own, and take it new places, if you ask me.

Jazz in L.A. - "not quite bleak" (but almost)

2005-06-10T18:52:00.000-07:00

Or so says Lynell George of the L.A. Times, who documents the highs and lows of the jazz club scene in southern California.
-Joe

June 9, 2005

MUSIC

Off the radar but still flying

L.A.’s jazz scene is as sprawling — and as tenacious — as the region itself.
By Lynell George, Times Staff Writer

It's a typical early-in-the-run night at the Jazz Bakery — not quite bleak, but possibly tipped there.

Nights like this make Ruth Price, the proprietor of the Culver City venue, more than a touch nervous. At the moment, eyes heavenward, she's scanning the seating plan — a clear plexiglass sheet situated above the ticket booth that patrons scan to handpick their seats. As each ticket is purchased, Price, or one of her staffers, X's out a spot, allowing a visitor a preview of how full (or not) the evening might be.

More than a decade into this, the tension of worrying over the house still puts Price on edge.

The first set is supposed to start at 8 p.m., but there aren't many grease-penciled Xs. Price waits as long as she can, given there's the second set to think about. At 8:15-ish, the lobby lights start flashing, indicating that the doors to the performance space will be opening shortly. Businessmen with loosened ties catch the last bit of light outdoors and stub out their cigarettes. A group of women in broomstick skirts and long exotic earrings, clustered in the high-ceilinged cafe, toss out their pie plates and then take their seats inside. The green plastic patio chairs are set up in straight rows like pews. In this simple, bare-bones arrangement, the room looks even emptier than the seating grid.

By the time the lights have dimmed and Price has given her trademark peppy intro, singer Andy Bey squints out into the crowd. He makes a visor of his left hand, cupping it above his brow and peers out into the shadows: "So nice having a packed house," he laughs into his microphone. "Oh, but they're on their way." Bey smiles a knowing smile and then, seating himself at the piano, everything falls away. He promptly saunters into "Paper Moon"; next, an otherworldly version of "Brother, Can You Spare a Dime?"

Bey continues to toss out an unusual set of tunes — like laying out a surprising playing-hand. Then he starts in on some not so unusual ones: Kurt Weill's "Speak Low" and an achingly out-of-time version of "Midnight Sun." He pulls something out of the center of his being, in a voice that is all ache in the middle but only slightly frayed at the edges — he sings these with conviction and controlled force — as if it were an SRO crowd, as if he were alone.

When it comes to jazz in this city, most die-hard fans know this abstract truth: There is the "jazz romance" — the packed, hushed rooms, the heady rush of brilliance; and there is the "jazz reality" — back-to-back sets played by journeymen and masters in odd or even incongruous spaces. And with any luck, on any given night here in Southern California, you can find something that falls somewhere neatly in between.

You just have to know where to look — or that you should even try.

Contrary to popular grousing, there is jazz to be had in Los Angeles — and we're not just talking about high-profile clubs such as the Jazz Bakery or this weekend's Playboy Jazz Festival. The experience may come wrapped in a way we're not accustomed to, or it might take some seeking.

The bad rap about L.A., from performers to listeners, is this: "People don't come out." Or, "It's too over their heads." But the jazz issue is deeper and more complex: It's an issue of sprawl, of competing distractions.

"It's a matter of infrastructure," says Ken Moore, who, for a hot minute in 2000-01, ran Howling Monk Coffee Bar in Inglewood. Some nights 100 people or more would crowd into his modest space, which offered pastry, coffee and tunes. They'd drive in from the San Gabriel Valley or just bump into the music as they were walking down the street. "It was like a big void we were filling. We didn't serve alcohol. And the artists really enjoyed it because people were there for the music. There wasn't anything ulterior to it," says Moore, who kept doing it until he simply ran out of money. "What was I gonna do? Have a 10-tea minimum?"

His dilemma raises the question: What do we think about when we think about jazz?

Experiencing jazz comes ready-fitted with clichés that are hard to shake: that it happens in dark (perhaps basement) rooms; that there is a two-drink minimum; that, to be authentic, the music has to be obtuse.

But the region is full of surprises and, as a rule, breaks with convention. The music may not happen one flight down as it does in Chicago or New York. Here it might transpire at a musty old Elks Lodge or in the back of a sandwich shop.

But that is part of the appeal.

There are rooms where the big names sail into town and play five-night stands. The Bakery is one, Hollywood's Catalina Bar & Grill the other. Between those two rooms — as different as day and night — L.A. has seen jazz's royalty: Elvin Jones, Carmen McRae, Max Roach, Buddy Collette, Jimmy Scott, Kenny Burrell, Wynton Marsalis, Dizzy Gillespie.

And while UCLA Live and the Walt Disney Concert Hall have been hosting jazz, what people don't often know about is what happens in the pockets on any given night in some hidden corner of the Southland.

The working musician's life means hotel gigs at the Biltmore downtown and the Westin and the Crowne Plaza at the Los Angeles airport, playing in bars or echo-y lobbies. There, too, is a collection of rooms in the San Fernando Valley and Glendale and Pasadena; or the music that happens at the new 5th Street Dick's in Leimert Park and across the street at the World Stage. There's jazz at Steamers in Fullerton or the LACMA courtyard Friday nights or the speak-easy elegance of the Vic in Santa Monica.

For those who prefer their music outside of the box, there's the "line space line," the new and improvised music series at Selah Artistic Giving Center in downtown L.A., as well as a series that drummer Alex Cline has been booking for years, the Open Gate Theater, which stages shows at Eagle Rock's Center for the Arts the first Sunday of the month.

Just about anywhere you can think of, there's someone sweating out his soul, possibly playing for nothing but giving his all. Jazz isn't dead. But when it's not shape-changing, it's in a stealth mode.

There will always be the crony, some long-timer at the end of the bar, who, without prompting, wants to roll out those glory years stories — the Central Avenue scene, West Coast cool — just to make you jealous about all the historic rooms and sounds that could simply be happened upon ... once upon a time.

And, yes, the landscape has changed. But that doesn't take into account what still happens every night here.

Jazz violinist Jeff Gauthier has usurped the dance floor of a Culver City Salvadoran restaurant, Club Tropical, on Thursday nights to host a series he's dubbed CryptoNight — an extension of his label Cryptogramophone, which pays homage to creative improvised music in L.A. and beyond. "They aren't playing standards," Gauthier says. "They won't be booked at the Bakery or Catalina or Steamers. But these are artists who have taken their cues from people who have been doing innovative music here for decades — Bobby Bradford, Vinny Golia."

Just after 8 p.m. on a recent Thursday, pianist Thollem McDonas and drummer Rick Rivera sit beneath the dance floor's disco balls. The audience — art school types in rectangle glasses, musicians in shorts and flip-flops — are seated on short stools that ring the stage, while a family of four works through a plate of pupusas. Another family peeks in, the son transfixed by the bright sounds — all angles and odd meters.

Tonight's attendance is sparse. But restaurant owner Carlos Rodriguez knows the ups and downs of this; he hosts music just about every night, including another jazz night on Mondays and a Brazilian choro ensemble on Wednesdays. He's become aware of the city's odd ebbs and flows, musicians and their followings: "When people like Nels and Alex Cline come here, the line is out the door."

Across town a few nights later, McCoy Tyner has landed back in L.A. for another week of shows at the Catalina Bar & Grill. Catalina is the city's bid for the classic example of the jazz club experience. And Tyner is one of the classic examples of straight-ahead jazz, once part of what was arguably one of the most famous ensembles in jazz history, the John Coltrane Quartet. Midweek, mid-run, even on his second pass through in three months, the room is lively, though just about half full.

As Tyner makes his way between the blush-colored tabletops, one woman murmurs, "Ah, déjà vu all over again."

His gait is a bit unsteady, but his bearing is elegant. He strolls by slowly, as if the evening has no end or limits. He seats himself on the piano bench. His drummer, Eric Gravatt, has already taken off his jacket and draped it on the joint where one of his cymbals hangs, vertically like a gong — to prepare for what is to come.

Tyner raises his hands, then digs in. And in those hands one can hear the history of jazz — from ragtime to stride to bebop and beyond.

First round, second round. First set, second set. Waiters sailing in like clockwork, the check arriving just as the musicians settle in for the encore: There is something soothing and ritualistic about the club: People return for the comforts of those rhythms while catching a glimpse of jazz history passing by.

Read the rest of the article online at the LA Times Calendarlive.com

This guy hates jazz

2005-06-09T13:21:00.000-07:00

I love when people use their platform to attack something, and in their attack, they demonstrate that they really have very little knowledge about what they claim to oppose so strongly. At least he likes Keith Jarrett-
-Joe

I hate jazz. Except for this one guy

The Toronto Globe and Mail
By RUSSELL SMITH
Thursday, June 9, 2005
-link-

CBC's Radio Two, once the one auditory zone I could consistently return to for solace and stimulation and a sense that there were other people like me out there in this vast and empty land, has abandoned me. In its desperation to keep its listeners over the age of 50, it is gradually and surreptitiously replacing all its classical music programming with jazz and pop and folk. Tune into it at any time during the day and your chances are about 50/50 of hitting on some pretentious crooning female whose brain has been turned to Diet Pepsi by toxic doses of nostalgia.

It's exactly what you would find on any golden-oldies-easy-listening channel; this is pap, and pap is perfectly commercially viable, so there is no reason whatever for government subsidy of it. And, more importantly, the deliberate appeal to the elderly makes no sense. For years, there has been wailing and hand-wringing at the CBC about the absence of younger listeners. And then they program nothing but jazz. I have a theory that CBC Radio executives believe that young people are all obviously stupid, which means they can only enjoy what is light and non-challenging, and so they think yeah, jazz is suitably idiotic for young people . . . but no, I don't really believe that even CBC Radio executives are this cretinous. I don't know what they want, except to prevent me from listening.

They certainly don't want me listening, though, no sir: They are doing everything they can to turn my loathing of jazz into a full-fledged paranoid obsession. The more the CBC plays jazz, the more I despise it and plot against it. Not only do I hate jazz now, I hate jazz culture, I hate jazz people, I hate their phony deep cigarette voices, their obsolete slang, their faux-blackness, their nervous giggles. . . . I hate jazz's saccharine breeziness, its conservative affection for jaunty ditties -- the same jaunty ditties, endlessly strung out and embroidered and doo-de-doo-doo-doo improvised . . . my God, people say techno all sounds the same! Jazz means the Howard Johnson's piano bar, the lobby of Loblaws at Christmastime, it means electro-acoustic guitars and warbling organs and mellow marimbas and vibraphones, it means the smirky, bantering announcers of the seebeegoddamsee.

So why then am I going to spend the rest of this column praising the work of a jazz pianist? Because he doesn't seem like jazz to me.

I have been intrigued by Keith Jarrett ever since I heard his album of solo piano improvisations, Facing You, in the early seventies, and then became addicted, as so many young romantics do, to his amazing hour-long improvisation in Koln in 1975. The Koln Concert became one of the best-selling jazz records of all time. It is emotional in parts, to the point of sentimentality, but it is still an astounding document: It is a long, reflective piece of music -- not a song, not a "track," but a narrative, something like a symphony, which is being composed as it is being played. At a recent symposium on new classical music, Mark Kingwell referred to it as a record of a man thinking.

Jarrett the composer has always been on the verge of acceptance by the world of "legitimate" music (that is, the academic world of atonality and conceptualism), but he keeps screwing that transition up with his nostalgic preoccupation with jazz standards. As a musician, Jarrett has no problem competing on the stage of serious classical music: He has recorded the works of Bach, Mozart, Handel and several 20th-century composers. His performance of Shostakovich's Preludes and Fugues (on ECM) in particular shows his technical ability and seriousness: It's a lush, somewhat romantic interpretation, but technically perfect. After a long interval, Jarrett has finally released a new two-CD album of improvisational solo piano work: his first since 1995. It's called Radiance, also on ECM, and was recorded live at two concerts in Japan. It is fascinating, because it documents what I see as a struggle between the jazzman and the intellectual composer. Half of it sounds like contemporary classical music: It is tonal but not melodic, difficult and abstract. There are Asian and Arabic influences on these patterns, and a playful reference to a Chopin nocturne in one piece. It could be argued that this resistance to melody comes from the influence of the noisy "free jazz" of the 1960s, but knowing Jarrett I'd say it comes more from the classical world. It could be late Shostakovich. The other half is jazz: It is mushy and predictable. It could be film music.

What is astounding about all of it is that it is completely improvised. Jarrett writes in his liner notes, "How we arrive at thoughts has a lot to do with what we aren't thinking beforehand, and I had in mind letting some of the music happen to me without sitting there deep in thought." I hope Jarrett's experiment here serves as a model for more composer/musicians in the academic "new music" idiom. Why not improvise more serious music -- not working from "standards" or other schmaltz, but from purely new ideas? This is what Jarrett does best -- and I wish he would give up on the jazz.

Of course, I have not heard a single minute from this important musical contribution played on any show on CBC Radio Two. It's too difficult for them.

My interview with Hank Jones

2005-06-03T12:42:00.000-07:00

Called the "Dean of Jazz Piano" by the New Yorker, 86 year-old jazz legend Hank Jones has been one on the top piano players in jazz for over 60 years. He's worked and recorded with virtually every major jazz star, including stints with Charlie Parker, Coleman Hawkins, Benny Goodman, Artie Shaw, Miles Davis, Ella Fitzgerald and countless others. His own recordings are celebrated as masterpieces of jazz piano. Today, he's more active than ever, with his new cd "For My Father", three recent cds with the Great Jazz Trio, and two new albums as a special guest with saxophonist Joe Lovano. Recently, I had a chance to talk with Hank about his long career in jazz, his family (his late brothers Elvin and Thad Jones were also major jazz stars), and much more.

Listen to this interview online via Real Audio...

Paul Anka? Rock Swings?

2005-06-01T22:48:00.000-07:00

Ok, first off - this is not a jazz record, and Paul Anka is not a jazz singer. It's pop, so keep that in mind. It's one of the oddest records I've come across in a long time though. Here's the deal, former teen idol, wanna be rat packer, composer and of course singer Paul Anka records an album on Verve Records, full of big band (and a lot of "with strings") arrangements of songs by Van Halen, Nirvana, Bon Jovi, Oasis, Soundgarden, etc. This musical oddball wound up in the mail bin today. I saw the mailer had the Verve Records logo on it, and for a second I thought it might be the new Wayne Shorter record, but alas, it was Paul Anka!

I do have to admit the arrangements, especially the big band numbers are top flight. No solos, but like I said it's not a jazz record. The arrangers are top flight, including Patrick Williams, and John Clayton, (who I admire greatly and think is one of the finest arrangers and bandleaders in the business). They do a great job translating these songs into a big band idiom, arrangements which would make Billy May proud. It was recorded at the old Capitol Records Studio A, so it has that vintage sound, with great fidelity thanks to Al Schmitt. Anka is also in good voice, he's good at what he does, and is much better than the young neo-crooners such as Cincotti and Buble.

There is one problem though. It's creepy! Hearing a man in his 60's sing lyrics written by 90's teenagers for 90's teenagers, it just doesn't work. The classy arrangements also serve to expose some weak lyrics. I've heard Kurt Cobain's "Smells Like Teen Spirit" hundreds of times like anyone of my generation. I never fully realized how horrible the lyrics were until this recording. Misquito, Libido... I feel stupid, contagious... If they worked being sung by Cobain, they most certainly don't work being sung by Anka. He sings it well, there's just no possible way a man his age, and with his kind of voice, and in this setting. There is one redeeming thing about the song, John Clayton's excellent arrangement. Forget the banal lyrics, and Clayton's brass heavy big band shuffle with bluesy overtones, swings as hard as anything. Maybe he'll refashion it into a more extended big band arrangement for the high school set, a la Gordon Goodwin.

One track does work rather well, Bon Jovi's "It's My Life", the arrangement swings, the lyrics are more adult, and in keeping with the musical setting, etc. It also has a touch of irony where Bon Jovi's lyric goes "as Frank said it, I did it my way." That's of course a reference to Frank Sinatra's famous recording of "My Way", and guess who wrote it? Yes, Paul Anka. The second time through the lyric, Anka on this new recording goes, "Frank said he did it my way!" His way indeed, for better or worse, and there's a lot of both on this record.

Oscar Brown Jr. dies at age 78

2005-05-30T14:17:00.000-07:00

CHICAGO (Reuters) - Oscar Brown Jr., a legendary rhythm & blues and jazz singer, died on Sunday at age 78 following a two-month illness, his son said on Monday.

The songwriter and playwright had been hospitalized in April and again in mid-May complaining of pain and paralysis in his legs. He had emergency surgery on May 16 to address an abscess on his lower spine, Napoleon Brown said.

Brown was known for such compositions "The Snake," "Signifyin' Monkey" and lyrics for Miles Davis' "All Blues."

Read the complete article here...

Dena DeRose - A Walk In the Park

2005-05-28T14:35:00.000-07:00


I'll admit that I'm quite picky when it comes to albums by vocalists. I could spend hours going into why that is, but it seems like the pool of jazz vocal talent is bigger, but not nearly as deep as it is, say for saxophonists or pianists. And there are other issues at hand, after all, it's easier for a horn player or guitarist to have something interesting to say on a jazz standard than it is for a vocalist, (most of the time). 

One of the vocal albums that recently crossed my desk that I enjoy playing on the air quite a lot is a new one by vocalist & pianist Dena DeRose. It's called "A Walk in the Park" and takes it's name from a tune written by DeRose (performed as an instrumental on this cd) inspired by a walk in the park with the late pianist James Williams. Through the whole cd, DeRose's talent at the piano stands out, perhaps more so than even Diana Krall. Not to say that Diana isn't a good pianist, she is, but I think Dena's doing things at a different level. In fact DeRose started out as a pianist and only began to sing after a battle with carpal tunnel syndrome forced her to take a break from the keys. She has a rich voice, with impeccable phrasing, and a jazz musicians approach to rhythm and harmony (lacking in so many "jazz" vocalists today).


A few standout tracks are worth mention. The CD opens with a great arrangement of the Jobim tune "Meditation". Normally performed as a bossa nova, DeRose starts out her version with a solo piano intro, followed by a finger popping swing feel, with just a hint of straight eights bossa feel in drummer Matt Wilson's rimshots and ride cymbal work. The "swing-a-nova" treatment is a great idea for this tune, and really fits with the lyric. I always like hearing a familiar melody in a new context, and this is a great example of that. Another stand out track is DeRose's version of "All the Way" this time dispensing with the usual ballad tempo for an uptempo bossa feel. DeRose really gets a chance to show off her piano work on this track, with some great (and fast) single note lines, singing in unison with her improvisations (much like John Pizzarelli). There is one misfire though. I'm not wild about her version of "I Concentrate On You", which is indeed an interesting experiment in stereo isolation, as well as several other things. But at least DeRose is willing to take some chances and most of the time, it pays off quite well.

2005-05-28T14:30:00.000-07:00

LA Jazz Institute festival a tribute to Stan Kenton's 'Neophonic' orchestra

2005-05-26T10:26:00.000-07:00

Marina del Rey Argonaut

BY RAHNE PISTOR

The Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra, directed by the late jazz great Stan Kenton, innovated the concept of the contemporary jazz orchestra-in-residence. Rather than touring and doing one-nighters at clubs across the country, a resident jazz ensemble would perform seasons at a single venue, much like their classical music counterparts.

The original Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra performed three-seasons, the first in 1965, at The Dorothy Chandler Pavilion of the Los Angeles Music Center, marking a milestone in jazz music history. The 19-member outfit was structured along the lines of a mini-symphony, with outstanding musicianship and imaginative compositions, that played contemporary jazz.

The Los Angeles Jazz Institute is dedicating its yearly four-day jazz festival to the creative ideals set forth by Stan Kenton's Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra.

The Neophonic Impressions festival is scheduled for Thursday through Sunday, May 26th to 29th, at the Four Points Sheraton-LAX, 9750 Airport Blvd., Westchester.

Tickets range from $10 to $40 for each jazz event, or $325 for a four-day festival pass.

Today's new Los Angeles Neophonic Orchestra, put together to mark the 40th anniversary of the original orchestra, will perform concerts at 9:30 p.m. Friday, May 27th; and 9 p.m. Saturday, May 28th. Guest directors for the concerts will include Clare Fischer, Russ Garcia, Bob Florence, Joel Kaye, Gerald Wilson, Tommy Vig and Lennie Niehaus.

The festival culminates with a performance by Stan Kenton alumnus Bill Holman and his band at 8 p.m. Sunday, May 29th.

Holman began his association with Stan Kenton in 1952, and he he wrote and played for Kenton for many years.

The 1960s were a fertile writing period for Holman, as he contributed to libraries and recordings of bands, including those led by Louie Bellson, Count Basie, Terry Gibbs, Woody Herman, Bob Brookmeyer, Buddy Rich, Gerry Mulligan and Doc Severinsen.

The Bill Holman Band was started in 1975 and has continued performing and recording ever since.

For his Neophonic Impressions concert, Holman will be joined by fellow Stan Kenton alumnus Bud Shank.

The Bud Shank Big Band will also perform a concert of its own at 5 p.m. Saturday, May 28th.

Shank has been on the international jazz scene for about 60 years as a saxophonist, composer and arranger. Shank began playing with Kenton in the late 1940s, as well as with Charlie Barnet. The 1950s were spent performing with the Howard Rumsey's Lighthouse All Stars and with his own quartet in the burgeoning "West Coast" jazz movement.

Read the complete article online...

It Seemed Like A Good Idea, (or I Told You Not to Record A Shania Twain Cover)

2005-05-25T22:41:00.000-07:00

Mary Stallings is a very talented jazz vocalist. She worked with Count Basie in the late 60's, has recorded several fine albums in the tradition of Carmen McRae, with lots of standards. She has a new album out on Half Note Records, the record label of New York's Blue Note Jazz Club (no affiliation with Blue Note Records). It's a studio session, featuring a somewhat odd lineup, including pianist Geri Allen (co-producer), Frank Wess, Billy Hart, Vincent Herring and Geri's husband Wallace Roney. It's not a great album, but Geri's post-Herbie Hancock arrangements give it an edge that a lot of vocal albums lack. There's several misfires, as I don't think the approach and musicians ever quite click, but there's one simply colossal disaster of the kind you don't normally hear from really talented jazz musicians. Someone, (please raise your hand) decided it would be a good idea for Mary to record a cover of Nashville pop diva Shania Twain's chart topping hit "Still the One" (not the song by the band Orleans of the same name, which would have been a better choice).

Like a car wreck that's so horrible you can't take your eyes off of it, after sitting slack jawed through the first listen through this track, I had to click repeat and hear it about 10 more times. The tune is performed slower than the original, in a quasi swing Billy Hart beat that he's used quite often on Geri's records before. Geri's reharmonized the tune with her typical minimalist approach, and then had the (?)inspired(?) idea to play this dissonant synth organ part behind Mary's vocals, almost an alien pedal point (the chord does change a few times, but you get the idea). The melody of the tune does NOT lend it to a swing beat, especially the B section (the hook). Mary, who is a true pro, tries to make the best of it, but it's a flat out disaster, and I'm actually shocked it made the record. Simply horrible. There's some good stuff on this cd, so I don't want to suggest that you cross it off your list. If anything, it's worth a few listens, as a sort of musical rubbernecking.

Eddie Palmieri interview

2005-05-25T12:32:00.000-07:00

A seven time Grammy winner, pianist, composer and bandleader Eddie Palmieri is one of the biggest names in Latin Jazz. This year he's celebrating his 50th year in the music business, and has a big summer tour planned and a new CD, Listen Here to be released in a few weeks on Concord Records. He's also peforming in Fresno at Arte Americas on Friday May 27th. Earlier this week I had a chance to talk with Eddie for a while about his music, his long career and his new cd.

Listen to the interview.... (Real Audio)

XM Radio to Open New Studios at Jazz at Lincoln Center in New York City

2005-05-23T14:08:00.000-07:00

NEW YORK and WASHINGTON, May 19 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- XM Satellite Radio, the nation's leading provider of satellite radio with more than four million subscribers, and Jazz at Lincoln Center, the world's largest producer of jazz performance and education events, today announced a multi-year agreement for XM to broadcast live daily from new, state-of-the-art XM studios at Jazz at Lincoln Center's new home, Frederick P. Rose Hall, at Broadway at 60th Street, in New York City.

As the exclusive satellite radio partner of Jazz at Lincoln Center, XM will greatly expand its presence in New York City with on-air studios and offices starting in June. Frederick P. Rose Hall will be the home for a variety of XM's music channels, such as Real Jazz and On Broadway. XM will record and broadcast select live concerts hosted by Jazz at Lincoln Center at its Frederick P. Rose Hall performance venues. The two partners will co- produce new shows for broadcast, as well as create, promote and distribute other jazz programming.

XM will also host and broadcast live performances originating from the Jazz at Lincoln Center facilities featuring artists across the entire spectrum of music, from rock, hip-hop, and country artists to classical and jazz performers. These XM shows will include new episodes of XM's Original Music series "Artist Confidential" and "Then ... Again ... Live!" Special features from XM's news, public radio, sports, kids, talk, comedy and entertainment channels will originate from the new studios as well. XM will continue to broadcast talk radio shows from its current New York studios at the Economist Building on West 57th Street. XM also broadcasts live daily from its main headquarters in Washington, DC and the Country Music Hall of Fame in Nashville.

Read the complete press release...

Rudy Van Gelder - He Helped Put The Blue In Blue Note

2005-05-22T14:26:00.000-07:00


THE NEW YORK TIMES
May 22, 2005
He Helped Put the Blue in Blue Note
By J. GREG PHELAN
ENGLEWOOD CLIFFS

It is one of the cathedrals of jazz, Rudy Van Gelder's studio here, a sacred acoustic space where some of the music's giants and near giants have done their finest work: Sonny Rollins and Horace Silver, Art Blakey and Herbie Hancock, Antonio Carlos Jobim and George Benson and hundreds of others.

"I try not to think about who else has recorded there," Wayne Escoffery, the tenor saxophonist in Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet, said after a recent session. "But there was one time, I was recording 'Dedicated to You' with Gloria Cooper, and I started thinking about John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman recording that song at Rudy's. I felt like Coltrane was watching over me as I played my solo, and it was a little intimidating."

The studio even feels like a rustic chapel, its 39-foot-high cedar ceiling held up by arches of laminated Douglas fir. The space is as timeless and pristine as the music that has been captured here by Mr. Van Gelder, whom many jazz fans consider the greatest recording engineer ever. He opened it in 1959, after spending most of the 1950's recording people like Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and Cannonball Adderley in his parents' living room in Hackensack and refining the sound of recorded jazz working with Alfred Lion of Blue Note Records and other producers.

But Mr. Van Gelder isn't inclined to look backward. He has not succumbed to the deification of fans, and his workplace is not yet ready to become a mere shrine. Mr. Van Gelder, who declined to give his age, still excels at his trade and makes sure that his studio remains world class.

Despite his considerable reputation in the jazz world, Mr. Van Gelder deflects any credit for the sounds he has recorded over the decades. He says that praise should go to the musicians, and to the producers who hire and direct them.

"I'm an engineer, not a producer," he said with characteristic precision during a recent interview in his studio here. "I'm the person who makes the recording process work. I built the studio, I created the environment in which they play, I selected, installed and operate the equipment. An analogy might be, someone wanted to put a man on the moon, but it was an engineer who got him there.

"My goal is to make the musicians sound the way they want to be heard."

Read the complete article here...

Big-Band Music Without the Weight of Nostalgia

2005-05-22T13:11:00.000-07:00

By BEN RATLIFF

Published: May 21, 2005
THE NEW YORK TIMES

You have to work a little at understanding Thad Jones, the trumpeter and composer. He arrived in New York in 1954, a decade after bebop exploded. He spent nine years playing and arranging with the Count Basie band, and made some lovely but generally overlooked small-group records under his own name. In the mid-1960's, when so much jazz was open-ended, small-group expressionism, he directed all his energies toward an immaculately sculptured big band.

Big-band music was well over by then, and this was not music for kids. Jones was in his 40's when the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis orchestra began. (Its repertory is still played weekly by the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra.) It was built mostly of skilled studio musicians about his age, not young, freelancing upstarts. It played hot and curious music, but pop culture gave it a different association. Since it evolved from Basie, it carried a whiff of shiny 50's entertainment: many listeners today might associate the Basie-band swing phrasing with the "Tonight" show bandleaders Skitch Henderson and Doc Severinsen.

Read the complete article here...

Oscar Brown, Jr. Hospitalized

2005-05-20T17:58:00.000-07:00

From Jim Eigo (Jazz Promo Services) via email:

Industry attorney Jon Waxman reports to us that Chicago native, legendary singer/songwriter, playwright, and true American musical treasure, Oscar Brown, Jr., is in intensive care at St. Joseph Hospital in Chicago. The 78-year-old veteran entertainer was recently admitted to the medical facility in severe pain and reportedly has suffered paralysis to both of his legs. Brown underwent successful 14-hour emergency surgery on Monday, May 16th to stop the spread of an infection in his lower spine. He is presently listed in stable condition recovering from the surgery, however, his prognosis remains uncertain as of this time.

Oscar Brown, Jr. is hailed as a cultural icon and Civil Rights activist, noted for his classic compositions including, The Snake, Signifyin' Monkey and his lyrics for Miles Davis' All Blues, Bobby Timmons' 'Dat 'Dere, and Nat Adderley's, Work Song. Early in Brown's career, he hosted Steve Allen's Jazz Scene USA and the PBS series From Jump Street/The History of Black Music. Brown has mentored several aspiring young performers and in 1968 hosted a Gary, Indiana talent show that led to his discovery of The Jackson Five and singer/actor Avery Brooks. In 1969, Brown is credited for rewriting the comedy production Big Time Buck White, and his musical version of the show was presented on Broadway, featuring former heavyweight champion Muhammad Ali in the lead role.

The Brown family requests "Prayers" from his Global family at this time and will provide a formal statement following his recovery period. For information about Mr. Brown and to send to him any personal messages you may have, please visit his web site at http://www.oscarbrownjr.com, which will also accept messages for Oscar. Good wishes from all of you will go a long way to help aid in his recovery.

Luciana Souza Lends a Fresh Note to Brazilian Music

2005-05-19T15:45:00.000-07:00


From NPR.org...

All Things Considered, May 14, 2005 · When Luciana Souza was gathering material for her new album, she asked guitarist Marco Pereira to write her an original "choro." The choro is a Brazilian form of music that gave rise to samba and bossa nova. It dates back to the late 1800s and was influenced by 19th Century European salon music. The choro relies on improvisation, and is usually played by small ensembles, without any vocals.

But as Jacki Lyden notes, the choro is a fitting metaphor for a performer who is equal parts samba singer, jazz singer and classical singer. It's no wonder she wanted to lend her voice to a choro on her new album, Duos II.

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Swedish Jazz Vocalist Monica Zetterlund Dies

2005-05-18T13:11:00.000-07:00

I must admit, I'm not very familiar with her work. This comes from JazzTimes...
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Date: May 17, 2005 Written By: Katherine Silkaitis

Swedish jazz singer and actress Monica Zetterlund died in her bed Thursday in a fire in her Stockholm apartment at age 67. Police suspect Zetterlund started the fire by smoking in bed.

Zetterlund was born Monica Nilsson on Sept. 20, 1937 in Hagfors, Sweden. She began her career as a singer in her father’s band and, in 1957, sang with Ib Glindeman’s band in Denmark and Arne Domnerus’ band in Stockholm. She also began performing abroad in the late 1950s and made a name for herself with her 1964 recording with Bill Evans, Waltz for Debbie.

Zetterlund also recorded in Sweden with Harry Belafonte in 1966 (Belafonte-En Granslos Kvall Pa Operan) and in the United States with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra in 1977 (It Only Happens Every Time) and bassist Niels-Henning Orsted Pedersen in 1998 (This Is All I Ask).

Her career began to wane when she was diagnosed with scoliosis, a disease that twists the spine, making it difficult to move. Towards the end of her career, she needed assistance getting on stage and sang sitting down.

Zetterlund was married three times and is survived by a daughter from her first marriage, actress Eva-Lena Zetterlund, and Zetterlund’s partner, Magnus Roger.

Read the complete article here...

Jazz and Opera Come Together Over Poetry and Pop

2005-05-17T17:37:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times
By BEN RATLIFF

Published: May 17, 2005

The jazz pianist Brad Mehldau and the soprano Renée Fleming have been bending toward each other's worlds: Mr. Mehldau with a classically inspired solo-piano record some years back ("Elegiac Cycle") and plenty of written pronouncements about Brahms, Beethoven and Schumann; Ms. Fleming with an interest in jazz that she recently developed into "Haunted Heart," an album of mostly popular music and standards with Bill Frisell and Fred Hersch.

That album, though, has no relation to the art songs she did with Mr. Mehldau on Sunday night at Zankel Hall. This was classical music, and new work, a commission for Mr. Mehldau from Carnegie Hall - specifically from Robert J. Harth, Carnegie's former artistic and executive director, who died not long after commissioning the work. It made sense in most ways, even if it didn't engage on deeper levels.

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John Scofield's Tribute to Ray Charles - "That's What I Say"

2005-05-17T13:04:00.000-07:00

As often happens, the death of an artist brings the kind of attention and sales that even the best PR promoters could only hope to provide. Such is the case with Ray Charles. His final album (thus far) "Genius Loves Company" recently became the best selling of his entire career, and his first to reach #1 on the charts (yes, THE Billboard albums chart) since the early 60's. Now, everyone is trying to cash in and get a piece of the action. Now I'm not accusing John Scofield of not having a deep appreciation and understanding of Ray's music, but this sounds like a record company "suggested" project to me.

It's not a bad album, and has some fine playing by Scofield, and also by David "Fathead" Newman (wish he had more solo space though). But something just seems odd about it. The mix is weird at times, more of a pop record approach. It's almost too clean. Even the times when John and the band get down and funky, it still sounds too clean and polished. It lacks that raw, visceral vibe that Ray would bring to a tune, especially in his Atlantic Records years. The guest stars also are a mixed bag. Dr. John is my pick of all of them, he sounds the most natural and at home doing Ray's material. Aaron Neville and Mavis Staples also add their contributions, as well as one VERY unlikely musician, singer and guitarist (and pop sensation) John Mayer! I never thought I'd see David Newman and teen idol John Mayer on the same record!). His track is ok, but it's more of a John Mayer thing than a John Scofield thing, though it's interesting to hear Scofield tear Mayer to bits trading fours!) But all of these guests, even Dr. John, sound like afterthoughts, or just simply out of place. It sounds like a "special guest" album, where things never quite click. The album doesn't really get to flow, the personnel is always changing, Scofield doesn't really get to stretch out, and the all to perfect, everything in its place mix leaves one longing for the original, sometimes raw, but more powerful recordings of Ray Charles himself. It's not a bad record, and I look forward to hearing this group live (especially hoping David Newman makes the tour!), but it sounds

Mary Lou Williams Fest highlights namesake

2005-05-16T10:22:00.000-07:00

By Matt Schudel

Washington Post Staff Writer
Sunday, May 15, 2005; Page N01

This is the 10th year the Kennedy Center has presented the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival. More than 100 women have performed in that time, but there remains one woman whose music has been conspicuously absent from the festival: Mary Lou Williams.

Her name has long hovered on the misty periphery of jazz awareness, but this year we can finally see why she is more than a figurehead for the festival that honors her career. At long last, the Mary Lou Williams Women in Jazz Festival, which runs Wednesday through Saturday, will fully earn its name.

On Friday, vibraphonist and bandleader Cecilia Smith will present a full evening of Williams's compositions entitled the Mary Lou Williams Resurgence Project. The music, ranging from classic swing tunes to ambitious sacred works, will be performed by small groups, a big band and 50 massed voices of the magnificent Morgan State University Choir.

Geri Allen, who portrayed Williams in the 1996 Robert Altman film "Kansas City," will perform Williams's 12-part "Zodiac Suite" on Saturday (on a triple bill with the Dixieland ensemble Jazzberry Jam and singer Rene Marie). Allen is believed to be the first pianist to perform the suite since Williams wrote and played it in 1945.

"For the first time," says Peter O'Brien, a Jesuit priest who managed Williams's career for 11 years and knew her well in the final years of her life, "the Mary Lou Williams Jazz Festival truly represents Mary Lou Williams."

The idea of honoring Williams, and women in jazz generally, came from Billy Taylor, the Kennedy Center artistic adviser and Johnny Appleseed of jazz. It takes place each year in May, the month of both Williams's birth 95 years ago and her death in 1981.

During her 71 years, she was a remarkable, one-of-a-kind artist. She may have been the finest prodigy jazz has ever produced -- a full-fledged professional at 12, who played with Duke Ellington's band when she was in her early teens; a pianist whose abilities were said to rival those of Art Tatum and Bud Powell; a composer of irresistible melodies and forward-thinking harmonics; the hostess of a jazz salon that spawned some of the most imaginative music of its age. She continued to develop new ideas and modes of expression until the end of her life.

She wasn't just "good for a woman" -- she was superior to almost everyone.

Musicians still revere Williams, but to the wider public, and even to the shrinking quarter that listens to jazz, she's Mary Who? The music alone will have to show why a small but devoted coterie believes Mary Lou -- to anyone in jazz she's just "Mary Lou" -- deserves a place alongside the most honored names in jazz.

"Genius," says Smith, who has studied Williams's music for the past four years. "Is there another word for her? I don't think so."

On her expedition of musical archaeology, Smith has made a number of discoveries. One of the works she will present Friday is Williams's 1962 oratorio for orchestra and choir, "St. Martin de Porres" (also called "Black Christ of the Andes," for the first black saint of the Roman Catholic Church from the Americas).

"It's so magnificent," says Smith, "it makes you sit and reflect for a minute."

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Coltrane connection continues to illuminate Tyner's career

2005-05-15T18:00:00.000-07:00

From the Boston Globe:

McCoy on Ravi Coltrane:
''I look at him and say, 'Oh, my God, he looks like his father,' " Tyner says by phone from his New York City home. ''It's kind of scary. Not only the shape of his face, but his facial expressions are a lot like Coltrane's, like John's. It's amazing."
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McCoy Tyner on A Love Supreme:
Then there was ''A Love Supreme," for many the apotheosis of the Coltrane quartet's art. Tyner says the album's deep spirituality came about because the group was so close-knit, not from any overt talk of religion or politics from the leader.
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''I mean, from my perspective," Tyner says, ''it was about music. We had people writing books about revolution and music. Nah. They thought they were authorities on that music. They weren't. And I think they missed the motivation. It was spiritual -- John's father was a minister, his mother played piano in church, so he was surrounded by that."
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McCoy on today's sidemen:
''Nowadays, we're in a 'I want my own band' period," Tyner says. ''If you've got some good ideas, you say, 'Well, I want my own band.' I grew up at a time where I was happy and honored to stay with John [Coltrane], because there was always something to learn. But nowadays, a lot of guys think they know it all. 'Well, what do you have to teach me, buddy?' It's very funny, because I never had that attitude. I always kept my mind open."

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Vanugard Jazz Orchestra celebrates 40 years

2005-05-14T17:17:00.000-07:00

From the New York Times...
By Ben Ratliff

The 40 years that the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra celebrates at the Village Vanguard this week do not exactly form an unbroken line. The band's founders, Thad Jones and Mel Lewis, are long deceased. But a few key members are late-period Thad-and-Mel disciples, and it is striking how seriously the current iteration of the band takes the task of prolonging its original music and raison d'être, how elegantly it carries that historical burden and how well it performs its job.

The orchestra seems easygoing. This is not a group that wants to teach you big-band genealogy or create cross-discipline works. Like the club it plays in, it keeps plugging away with the old formula, unpretentiously and extremely well.

The Vanguard Jazz Orchestra is usually the Vanguard's Monday-night band, but this week it plays every night, through Sunday, to celebrate its founding, in 1965. Wednesday night's sets featured compositions by Bob Brookmeyer, who was a trombonist and arranger with the band at its genesis and later, in the late 1980's, supplied it with ambitious new compositions. Tom Harrell, the trumpeter and fluegelhornist, was the evening's guest soloist.

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Storyville Records is sold

2005-05-13T13:04:00.000-07:00

Press Release

EDITION WILHELM HANSEN ACQUIRES STORYVILLE RECORDS

Storyville Records, one of the world’s great jazz labels, has been acquired by Edition Wilhelm Hansen, part of The Music Sales Group.

Storyville began life over 50 years ago when legendary Danish jazz enthusiast Karl Emil Knudsen began releasing rare or exceptional recordings by jazz greats such as Louis Armstrong and The Red Onion Jazz Babies. Many of these tracks were initially licensed from the UK label Tempo which had a similar vision of making great jazz recordings more widely available.

Later Knudsen would expand Storyville’s catalogue by recording many American jazz performers when they were on tour in Europe and Scandinavia — Eddie "Lockjaw" Davis, Harry "Sweets" Edison, Clark Terry, Benny Carter, Roland Hanna to name a few.

Danish jazz stars such as Papa Bue & His Viking Jazz Band and Fessors Big City Band were later added to the Storyville roster.

Storyville Records — named after the notorious New Orleans neighbourhood where jazz was born — remained a vibrant force into the 1990s, venturing into modern jazz, re-releasing over 300 revival tracks by among others Chris Barber and gaining exclusive rights to release many of Duke Ellington’s previously unreleased recordings.

By September 2003 when Karl Emil Knudsen, the self-styled “Doctor of Jazz Archaeology”, passed away, his Storyville label was considered by jazz fans to be a prestigious Scandinavian equivalent to America’s Blue Note Records.

Now the acquisition of Storyville by Wilhelm Hansen means that, with the support of The Music Sales Group, it will be possible to digitize the entire catalogue and make it widely available on CDs to be sold online.

Music Sales Chairman and Managing Director Robert Wise says “I am sure Karl Emil Knudsen would have been delighted to know that his precious Storyville catalogue will now become available to an even wider audience and, I hope, to a whole new generation of jazz aficionados”.

Storyville Website...

Trumpeter Dizzy Reece Returns to the Stage

2005-05-12T10:43:00.000-07:00

From JazzTimes...

Trumpeter Dizzy Reece makes his first live appearance in the New York City area in more than 10 years this Sunday, May 15, at the Monmouth County Library Headquarters in Manalapan, N.J.

This free concert starts at 2 p.m. and features Reece with pianist Mike Longo, bassist Cameron Brown and drummer Ray Mosca. The library is located at 125 Symmes Drive, Manalapan, N.J.; phone 732-431-7220. For directions, click here.

Reece is best known for the four albums he made for Blue Note between 1958 and 1960, which were packaged together last year in a critically acclaimed box set by Mosaic Select. The Kingston, Jamaica-born Reece was living in England and recording for the Tempo label when he was offered a Blue Note contract on the strength of the albums he made over there -- and because Miles Davis raved about his playing to Francis Wolff and Alfred Lion. Reece’s primary music style is progressive hard bop, but his harmonic sense -- in his solos and in his compositions -- display his absorption of Indian and Arabic music in addition to the jazz foundations of blues and swing.

While Reece hasn’t been a prolific recording artist in the 45 years he’s lived in the U.S. (with occasional extended stays in Europe along the way), the trumpeter kept busy working in the big bands of Dizzy Gillespie, Clifford Jordan and the Paris Reunion Band, and in small-group settings with the likes of Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, Duke Jordan, Philly Joe Jones, Ted Curson and the Sun Ra Arkestra’s John Gilmore.

For more information on the trumpeter, go to his Web site: DizzyReece.com

Sometimes I just don't hear it - Lorraine Feather - Dooji Wooji

2005-05-11T21:38:00.000-07:00

I listen to a lot of music, and every day hear from countless record promoters about how "great" some cd is, how "important" some artist is for their own bottom line, etc. They all "need a few more spins." Sometimes the hype is justified, sometimes, in my opinion it is not. One of the artists who always gets the big PR push, glowing reviews and all of that is Lorraine Feather, daughter of famed jazz critic Leonard Feather. Lorraine isn't a bad singer, but she's certainly not my cup of tea. Her M.O. is very simple, write cutesy "contemporary" lyrics about everything from cicadas to traffic jams, based upon old, somewhat obscure tunes by Duke Ellington and others. The lyrics never rise to the level of the music, they ramble on and on and never "fit" with the music like Jon Hendricks' lyrics always seem to. It's all about Lorraine, not the music. With Hendricks and other masters of the form, they were more concerned about the brilliance of the song (and when they chose to give them words), the solos. Lorraine's cds also all have the same "sound" quaint retro swing wallpaper, with good musicians like Shelly Berg doing little more in the area of creativity than running through the motions. Lorraine's voice isn't much better. Like the sameness and lack of depth to her A&R formula, her voice is similarly lacking in variety - small, one dimensional, lacking in the expressivity that oozes from up and coming jazz singers such as Dena DeRose, Luciana Souza, Carolyn Leonhart, let alone certified stars Patricia Barber, Cassandra Wilson or Shirley Horn. Those singers tell a story not only with their lyrics, but with their voice. I hear a lot of "unique" stories in Lorraine's lyrics, but not in what she's singing.

I'm not one of those who says that in order to be a jazz singer, you have to "scat" sing. But I do think you need to sing with a little daring, a little creativity, a bit of rhythmic and sometimes melodic variety, etc. And if you're in a swing setting, as Lorraine is, you should also swing! While Lorraine Feather is singing jazz material, with a jazz band, I'm not sure she's a jazz singer. I could be wrong about her music, I've played it on the radio and I probably will in the future, because I think listeners will want to hear it and make up their mind. I could be wrong. There's some critics I respect a lot who disagree. But sometimes, despite all the hype and talk and buzz, (and the prominent jazz family connections!) I just don't hear what those other people are hearing. This is one of them.

Hancock reimagines Headhunters for summer shows

2005-05-11T21:18:00.000-07:00

Few things in jazz are more confusing than keeping up with the personnel of the on again off again group The Headhunters. Sometimes Herbie's involved, sometime's he's the leader, sometimes he's not part of the band at all. And I don't think any of the people on this list were on the last Headhunters record (the one on Basin Street). And for those of you surfing the web via wi-fi in Starbucks, yes, you can get Herbie's new record as soon as it's released and get a Frapuccino while you're at it.

Via Reuters

By Jonathan Cohen

NEW YORK (Billboard) - Jazz legend Herbie Hancock has restaffed his famed Headhunters ensemble with a host of notable names and will take the band on the road for four shows this summer.

Anchoring the collective on piano, the artist will be joined by guitarists John Mayer and Lionel Loueke, bassist Marcus Miller, drummer Terri Lyne Carrington, trumpeter Roy Hargrove and percussionist Munyungo Jackson.
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Meanwhile, Hancock is gearing up for the Aug. 30 release of his next studio album, "Possibilities," which, will be released simultaneously to Starbucks locations and traditional retail via Vector Recordings.

The album's list of guest contributors, which already counts Mayer, Sting, Annie Lennox, Carlos Santana, Damien Rice and Trey Anastasio, has grown to include Paul Simon and Angelique Kidjo. Among the confirmed tracks is a Sting/Hancock interpretation of the former's "Sister Moon," from the 1987 album "Nothing Like the Sun."
Read the complete article here...

Beyond the jazz barrier

2005-05-10T11:17:00.000-07:00

This comes from a newspaper from Australia, The Age, and has some interesting quotes from Wayne. Also of note, his quartet in Australia consists of Brian Blade, John Patitucci, and JASON MORAN, which sounds like a very interesting addition to the group.
-Joe

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Legendary sax player Wayne Shorter is in town to share his views on eternity through jazz. Get into this zone if you can.
By Michael Dwyer

It's the 1960s, and jazz, like everything else in America, is about as free as it's going to get. Miles Davis' legendary second quintet is taking a less liberal route than some, but conversation with his star composer and sax player Wayne Shorter is anything but pedestrian."

Miles turns around to me this one time," recalls the 71-year-old New Jersey jazz giant, "and he says, 'Wayne, do you ever get tired of playing music that sounds like music?'. Then before I answer, he says 'I know what you mean'. We were on the same page. We were comrades."

It's a challenge staying on the same page as Shorter. It's not like he's trying to flip you off. He just seems to leap whole chapters at a time, endlessly cross-referencing from The Da Vinci Code to baseball, from Bill Clinton to English literature, from Stephen Hawking to Emmanuel Kant, and from music to anything but."

Wayne was always out there on his own plane, orbiting his own planet," Davis once wrote, and he seems unlikely to dock before his Umbria Jazz Melbourne 05 shows this weekend.
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Miles would say, 'You see how Humphrey Bogart walked in that movie? How John Wayne threw that punch? You see how Marlon Brando played with Eva Marie Saint's glove in On the Waterfront?' Miles would say to the young student, 'Play that'."
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Read the complete article here...

Keith Jarrett - Radiance

2005-05-09T15:45:00.000-07:00

Keith Jarrett's music has always had the dual streaks of being challenging, yet accessible. Now at the age 60, Keith returns to the live, improvised solo piano format, (his last such record was from 1997) with his new double cd set "Radiance" and both sides of Jarrett are on display from the start. Recorded live in Japan in 2002, Jarrett jumps in head first into some very thorny, "difficult" music, challenging the listener to sit up and pay attention. This is not quiet dinner music, though it does get more "listener friendly". Throughout the 2 discs, almost all the sides of Jarrett the artist are featured: there's Jarrett the classically trained pianist, there's Jarrett the lover of gospel infused jazz, there's Jarrett the brooding romantic, and even a little of Jarrett the beboper. Known for his sometimes surly behavior at concert halls where the piano (or audience) is not quite up to snuff, Jarrett commands the respect and attention of the listener. And if the listener complies, there are great rewards in store.

Jazz great embodied class missing in today's black music

2005-05-08T12:55:00.000-07:00

Here's an article from the Chicago Sun Times by Stanley Crouch about the late bassist Percy Heath, and the group he co-led for over 40 years, the Modern Jazz Quartet.
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"It was an immaculate band that was important because of what it had done with piano, vibraphone, bass and drums, a still-unusual grouping, and because it made a successful frontal attack on the minstrel tradition that was imposed on Negro musicians. It was known for its class, its virtuosity and its control.

In our era of neo-sambo minstrelsy arriving in the worst of hip-hop, it is hard for many to realize that there was once a time when black musicians aspired to more than money and access to decadence."
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Read the complete article here...

Making a Living In Jazz

2005-05-05T15:24:00.000-07:00

NPR's Talk of the Nation takes a cue from Felix Contreras and his recent NPR series about aging jazz musicians, and devotes a portion of their program to an in depth conversation about jazz musicians, making a living and surviving in today's world. The guests on the program are Frank Foster, Jason Moran, Maria Schneider and John Santos.

Listen to this program online...