Notes on Jazz

Contemporary Bassist & Composer Ben Allison plays Carnegie Hall and fittingly celebrates New York.

2012-02-07T16:57:00.000-08:00

As the epicenter of modern jazz, New York City has always been a magical lodestone, irresistibly attracting talented musicians at every stage of their development and careers. The city offers an unparalleled opportunity for musicians to play and collaborate with legendary performers, teaching mentors and talented peers, providing the fertile environment essential for inspiration and creativity.

The composer/bassist Ben Allison came to New York City from nearby New Haven, CT in the late 1980’s, drawn by the same irrepressible need to participate, to absorb, to create. I first saw Allison performing in the inauspicious basement of the Brooklyn Public Library, at Grand Army Plaza, back in April of 2008 (see my jazz.com review of that show here.) At that time Allison was performing with his group “Man Size Safe,” a tongue in cheek reference to a strongbox reportedly kept in then Vice President Dick Cheney’s office. Admittedly, being attracted to the audacity of the title of his group, I also found the music surprisingly fresh, intelligently conceived and masterfully executed. Allison was able to attract a variety of talented young musicians who bought into his music, making it come to life.

On Friday evening the Ben Allison odyssey achieved a significant milestone, playing a prestigious concert at Carnegie Hall’s Zankel Auditorium. His music has steadily matured. His most recent album Action/Refraction made my best of 2011 list and I was anxious to see his latest group perform “live”. On this momentous evening Allison was joined by his long time friends and collaborators, the tasteful guitarist Steve Cardenas and talented saxophonist Michael Blake. His rhythm section was comprised of the effervescent drummer Rudy Royston and the amazingly adroit percussionist
Rogerio Boccato. Firebrand guitarist Brandon Seabrook provided edginess with raw, rock-inspired licks, his clever use of electronics and some unorthodox banjo playing. The performance and drag artist Joey Arias, who dressed in both elegant and proactive attire, lent a farcical, musical theater-like atmosphere to a few of the numbers.

Ben dedicated the show to his adopted home of New York and started the set with his composition “Roll Credits," a cinematic piece from his Little Things Run the World cd from 2007. Saxophonist Michael Blake stated the melody line, with guitarists Cardenas, Seabrook and bassist Allison keeping the ostinato background flowing. Blake is capable of a great range of emotions from his tenor. Eliciting a silky smooth, Dexter Gordon-like tonality one minute, instantaneously changing to a gruff, raw and guttural sound reminiscent of a back alley speakeasy in the very next breath.

Allison’s “Platypus” from his 9th album Think Free was next on the playlist. After Ben briefly extolled on the unique evolution of the Platypus, Brandon Seabrook introduced the song with an electronic guitar riff. The energy from Seabrook is frenetic and palpable and Allison seems to feed off the afterglow of this kinetic player. His solid bodied guitar sound can be searing and jagged in stark contrast to Cardenas’ more fluid, warmer toned, semi-hollow bodied sound. Blake adds soprano to the mix and the tune grooves behind Allison’s bass and Royston’s populsive drums which are explosive at the ending. Rogerio Boccato, who I first saw play with saxophonist Kenny Garrett, is an especially intuitive percussionist. Boccato's arsenal of sounds, in combination with Royston’s rolling toms and Allison’s snapping bass lines create as formidable a rhythm section as you’ll find anywhere.

Allison wrote a new tune for this very special concert and he titled it “DAVE” for "Digital Awareness Vector Emulation”. This is pure performance piece and a likely homage to the Kubrick/Clarke masterpiece “2001 a Space Odyssey” for the new digital world. Joey Arias, dressed in elegant drag, sang the droning automatronic words “I cannot allow you to disconnect me Dave.” as he danced robotic moves and used controlled screeches to match the errie sounds emanating from Seabrook’s guitar and Blake’s soprano. While not my cup of tea, the audience was mesmerized, as the group provided mind bending, experimental, musical performance art.

One of Allison’s most enduring melodies is the rambling “Fred” also from his Think Free cd. Brandon Seabrook played an impressive banjo that included some unorthodox strumming and wild bowing. I missed hearing Jenny Scheinman’s haunting electric violin from the original recording, but the combined voices of Seabrook’s banjo, Cardenas’ guitar and Blake’s soprano offered their own rewards.

From the Dick Cheney repertoire, Allison revived his song “Tricky Dick” with Michael Blake and Steve Cardenas playing melody as Seabrook and the rhythm section set the background.

The fractured “Broken” brought Joey Arias back to the stage, this time donning a provocative skin revealing, black lingerie outfit. Seabrook utilized multiple electronic synth-like effects on his guitar. Arias screeched, amazingly in tune, prancing across and fluttering his black stocking-clad legs from a prone position on the floor from center stage. Quoting the audacious queen Joey “Who needs words when you have vibrations.”

Often inspired by the music and events of his times, Allison’s witty deconstruction of popular songs is one of his most engaging attributes and has let him cross over into a wider audience than is generally afforded most jazz artists. He has included treatments of John Lennon’s “Jealous Guy”, Donny Hathaway’s “Someday We’ll All Be Free”, Neil Young’s “Philadelphia” and P.J. Harvey’s “Missed” to his repertoire.

On “Green Al,” influenced ever so slightly by the pop/soul singer Al Green and equally borrowing from the cinematic music associated with James Bond movies, Allison somehow pulls off this weird juxtaposition. You find yourself relating to Ben’s creative blend of the familiar and the mysterious. The song featured exceptional performances by Rogerio Boccato, Rudy Royston and a tenor solo by Michael Blake that was particularly fetching.

This concert was as much a celebration of Allison the composer as it was as Allison the musician. Ben appropriately limited his musical selections to his own compositions. A growing body of work that speaks for itself.

The encore was the brilliant “Man Size Safe” from his album Little Things that Run the World. It was a joyous celebration and a good representation of the man's music; interesting, approachable, relevant and fun. The crowd was pleased and gave the group a well deserved standing ovation.
The Ben Allison Group will be on tour through June 22, 2012 at various venues around the country so if you get the opportunity to see them near you be sure to make the effort, you won't be disappointed.

Jack DeJohnette celebrates his musical concept of oneness on “Sound Travels”

2012-01-29T17:30:00.000-08:00

As virtuoso drummer Jack DeJohnette approaches his seventieth birthday-he will turn seventy on August 9th of this year- he can look back at an extensive body of work that speaks for itself. Interestingly he started out as a pianist, only later to be convinced by the saxophonist Eddie Harris to concentrate on drums, because as Harris said he had a natural affinity for the skins. Perhaps it is his understanding of the piano that is the basis for his long time collaboration with pianist Keith Jarrett and bassist Gary Peacock in one of the most durable and influential piano trios of the last nearly thirty years. As DeJohnette recently said in a Wall Street Journal interview with Larry Blumenthal (click here to view ) "Keith and I clicked instantly," he said. " We never had to discuss anything, not to this day."

DeJohnette was recently honored with the NEA Jazz Masters award which is the nation’s highest honor in jazz. With such achievements the man can afford to make music his way and on Sound Travels he does precisely that. From the beginning track “ Enter Here” he comes full circle playing a marvelously light introduction on unaccompanied acoustic piano with a resonating bell’s lingering chime book ending the delicate piece. Mr. DeJohnette finds his piano voice on several of the album’s compositions as he demonstrates the “oneness” of piano and drums.

He enlists the young bassist phenom Esperanza Spalding to add her lilting voice to the Latin inspired composition “ Salsa for Luisito” where he and percussionist Luisito Quintero parry and play together in joyous rhythmic synchronicity. The fiery young trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire brings his formidable chops to this Latin feast with a sound that let’s us know he has listened to Dizzy Gillespie, Mario Bauza and Arturo Sandoval. DeJohnette again ends the piece with some overdubbed piano.

Perhaps the biggest surprise of the album is Mr. DeJohnette’s collaborative composition with the more mainstream pianist/ singer Bruce Hornsby. The gritty “Dirty Ground,” while clearly not mainstream jazz, is a pure musical joy. Hornsby’s down home country vocal adds a feel-good spirit to the Levon Helm inspired song. DeJohnette again takes on the dual role of playing piano with maintaining groove inspired drumming. He employs considerably younger artists from various backgrounds throughout the album. Besides the previously mentioned Spalding on bass, Akinmusire on trumpet and Quintero on percussion, on this song we find the West African, Lionel Loueke playing an impressively authentic delta blues style guitar that is perfectly complimented by the weightless soprano sound of Tim Ries. I applaude Mr. DeJohnette for unabashedly recording a song that could easily crossover to a wider audience without concern for offending the purists.

Speaking of purists “New Muse” should satisfy them quickly enough. With a front line of Mr. Akinmusire on trumpet and Mr. Ries on soprano, a solid bass line by Ms. Spalding and the propulsion of Mr. DeJohnette’s drums and piano comping, this one should fit any purest’s requirements. Mr.Ries is particularly slithery on soprano in a snake charmer sort of way. Mr. Akinmusire continues to show his penchant for unusual melodic lines that despite confounding direction are perfectly relevant.

Mr.Loueke’s West African rhythms are explored on a tribute piece to the saxophone colossus Sonny Rollins, the breezy “Sonny Light”. Mr. Loueke delicately plucks his nylon strings as Mr. DeJohnette’s deftly comps on piano. Tim Ries lilting tenor solo is perfectly complimented by Quintero’s infectious congas.

“Sounds Travel” is a short rhythmically driven vamp that has a West African vibe provided by Mr. Loueke’s nylon strings, Mr. Quintero’s congas and Mr. DeJohnette’s piano and cymbals all working in time to create a tap your feet beat.

The singer Bobby McFerrin is featured on this version of Mr. DeJohnette’s ”Oneness,” first heard on his Gateway Homecoming album with John Abercrombie and Dave Holland from 1995.

Mr. DeJohnette’s ruminative piano is followed in sync by Mr. McFerrin’s amazingly expressive voice and seems to pay homage to Brazilian vocalist Milton Nasciemento’s haunting vocals from his work with Wayne Shorter on the seminal Native Dancer without plagiarizing him. The two virtuosos pull off a masterful duet by any measure.

“Indigo Landscapes” features the young and talented pianist Jason Moran. Interestingly it is the only song on the album where DeJohnette relinquishes the piano chair. Moran’s piano solo cascades in beautifully undulating waves of sound. Spalding’s pliant bass lines are pleasantly out front and Tim Ries tenor is full throated, warm and caressingly sensual. DeJohnette, freed from piano duties, creates a sustained syncopated beat that drives the tune pleasantly forward and is complimented nicely by Quintero’s congas. The interplay at the coda is quite impressive between Spalding, Ries and Moran.

The ending piece is another piano solo titled simply “Home.” The song leaves the impression of a peaceful sense of comfort and belonging that only comes from one's home. It identifies a man who is content with his music and has come full circle. While the album is not obviously thematic it should be relished for the diversity and its musical breadth.

Musicians: Jack DeJohnette, drums, piano compositions; Esperanza Spalding, acoustic and electric bass, vocals; Lionel Loueke, electric and nylon guitar; Luisito Quintero, percussion; Ambrose Akinmusire, trumpet, Tim Ries, tenor and soprano saxophone; Bruce Hornsby , vocal and composition on track 3, Jason Moran piano on track 8; Bobby McFerrin, vocals and percussion on track 7.

Recorded : Avatar Studios, NYC; The Clubhouse, Rhineback, NY and Bass Hit Studios, NY 2010

A Fitting Tribute to an Adopted Son: Stamford's Farewell Concert to Ralph MacDonald

2012-01-21T12:24:00.000-08:00

This past Monday evening, appropriately on the anniversary of Martin Luther King's birthday, I was fortunate enough to attend a very special farewell event. The occasion could have easily been the marking of a tragedy, as it was a gathering to memorialize the recent passing of Ralph MacDonald, the percussionist/songwriter/producer who recently succumbed to lung cancer on December 17, 2011 at the early age of sixty-seven. Instead it was a celebration of the man's life and accomplishments, a gathering of family, friends and admirers who had one last chance to acknowledge, to remember and to celebrate.

Ralph MacDonald was born in Harlem, NY in 1945 of Trinidadian or "Trini" descent. Music was a tradition in the MacDonald family with Ralph's father a well known performer of calypso music playing under the stage name of "Macbeth the Great" and the Creole Rhythm Boys, and his uncle Urias Fritz being an early influence on congas. MacDonald's first musical break came standing in for a friend on steel drums in Harry Belafonte's band in 1962 where he eventually demonstrated his writing skills on Belafonte's well received Calypso Carnival album in 1966.

Having unwavering confidence in his own abilities, Ralph and fellow Belafonte alumni bassist William Salter, started their own production company where MacDonald would go on to write the R & B classic
"Where is the Love", made famous by Roberta Flack and Donny Hathaway in 1972. He would never look back. The "ghost behind the music" , as he came to be known, continued to pen memorable songs including Grover Washington Jr's "Mister Magic", "Winelight" and the first of his Grammy awards for "Just the Two of Us," which he and Salter co-wrote with the singer Bill Withers. He would go on to win two more Grammy awards both for "Calypso Breakdown" which was included in the soundtrack to the Bee Gees platinum album Saturday Night Fever. In addition to a prolific career as a producer and songwriter, MacDonald considered himself foremost a musician. He contributed to countless albums in genres ranging from jazz and soul to pop and calypso. He spent twenty-six years touring as a member of Jimmy Buffet's Coral Reefers band.

The evening was a gala event at Stamford's resplendent Palace theater. Music was MacDonald's life and even though there were poignant moments of recollection by family members and friends, humorous stories and an audience affirmation of MacDonald's favorite expletive the real celebration was the man's music.

Music started emanating from the upper reception area even before the main stage was open to the audience, as the arriving guests were entertained by the sounds of the Ebony Hillbillies. This fiddle based group featured a intriguing mix of bluegrass, rockabilly, jazz, blues and Celtic tunes. The ensemble featured banjo, fiddle, washboard, spoons, vocals and some slithery dancing that made everyone tap their feet and bob their heads.It was most appropriate as MacDonald's long time friend and co-writer William Salter is a member of the band and was playing upright bass on this momentous evening.

Mr. MacDonald's beautiful daughter Nefra was a key speaker and Mayor Michael Pavia presented the family with a proclamation from the City of Stamford where MacDonald has resided for over thirty years. Musically the show commenced with a talented local marching band that played a rousing version of the traditional calypso song "All Day All Night Marrianne," made famous by Harry Belafonte.. The band finished with
another island favorite "Don't Stop the Carinval". A quartet of conga and drum players that included steel pan virtuoso Robert Greenidge, then demonstrated the various rhythmic possibilities of various hand drums that are so vital to the music of MacDonald's Caribbean roots.

The stage was set for Jimmy Buffett and his Coral Reefer Band. Mr.Buffett, a pop icon in his own right, acknowledged his debt to Mr.MacDonald. Buffett made special note of how much MacDonald's album The Path had influenced him. Over a twenty-six year run on the road it was obvious that the two men shared a lifetime of experiences that bonded them permanently. Buffett sang "The King of Somewhere Hot," a song he co-wrote with MacDonald, Salter and Robert Greenidge, to an appreciative audience. Knowing there were many entertainers in the wings, the gracious Buffett closed his brief set with another MacDonald/Salter/Buffett collaboration titled "Creola".

The next set featured a rare combination of steel pan and drum players that gathered here from many different island bands, all wanting to pay tribute to a fallen brother This nine piece band with its' authentic West Indian sound was joyful and evocative. You could almost feel the sun on your face, the sand between your toes and the frost melting onto your hand from the glass of your frozen umbrella drink.
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The stage was then set for a large ensemble of professional musicians who worked with Ralph and wanted to celebrate his life and music on this special evening. Throughout the evening a beaming portrait of MacDonald loomed over center stage grinning in silent approval. The band played beautiful instrumental renditions of some of MacDonald's songs like "Pots and Pans" from his Trippin' album. Featured solos by Robert Greenidge on pans,Onaje Alan Gumbs on electric piano, Chris Parker on drums and a bevy of musicians I couldn't recognize was a highlight. The audience enjoyed some soulful singing by Nadira Shakoor on " I Wanna Hold You Tonight" and Dennis Collins on "Just the Two of Us", both artists featured on MacDonald's album Just the Two of Us album from 1996.

After a brief intermission the audience was introduced to the debut of Ralph's son Atiba who has branded himself as "We the People" and did a rap song dedicated to his father. Valerie Simpson, of Ashford and Simpson fame, sat at the piano and sang MacDonald's "Tradewinds" in one of the most impressive vocal performances of the evening, garnering tumultuous applause from an appreciative audience. The evening wouldn't be complete without the grand dame of R&B Roberta Flack singing MacDonald's "Where is the Love," a song she made famous with the vocalist Donny Hathaway in 1972. Flack's voice was noticeably frail but she was joined in the classic duet by Dennis Collins who did all the heavy lifting in the song. The evening closed out with an instrumental bash that featured flutist Bobbi Humphrey fronting a group of talented musicians on MacDonald's groovin' composition "Mister Magic" made famous by Grover Washington Jr.

If the evening made one thing clear it was that Ralph MacDonald never forgot his native "Trini" culture and especially its buoyant sounds. He brought the easy sway and earthy vibrancy of those sounds to all the music he he made across all genres. He enriched all of our lives by introducing us to the wealth of this island musical heritage. It is this legacy that endears him not only to his fellow musicians but to anyone who has or will ever hear his music.

Jimmy Owens and the music of Thelonious Monk on “The Monk Project”

2012-01-14T20:40:00.000-08:00

Jimmy Owen's "The Monk Project"

The music of Thelonious Monk never fails to intrigue and entertain me. The maestro’s music could be dissonant and yet melodic, lyrical yet quirky and angular, sometimes seemingly unresolved yet confoundedly memorable with no end to rhythmic surprises. The trumpeter Jimmy Owens, who has previously revisited the music of trumpeter/arranger Thad Jones and the trombonist/composer Tom McIntosh, this time attempts some of Monk’s most identifiable music on his latest release The Monk Project.

For this project Owens was able to enlist the services of fellow NEA Jazz Master Kenny Barron on piano, along with a fine rhythm team of bassist Kenny Davis and drummer Winard Harper and a front line that includes Owen’s on trumpet and flugelhorn, the rambunctious trombone of Wycliffe Gordon, the talented tenor of Marcus Strickland and the impressive multi-instrumentalist Howard Johnson.

Part of the success of this entertaining album is Owens’ choice of material. Most of the songs have slowly made their way into the canon of jazz standards. Owen’s arrangements unabashedly approach the music from a blues sensibility, humanizing the sometimes-esoteric qualities of some of Monk’s more challenging compositions. Starting off with Monk’s re-creation of the playful “Sweet Georgia Brown”, his “Bright Mississippi”, ‘Owen’s, Gordon and Strickland create a cheerful front line sound as Johnson’s tuba creates the New Orleans’style bottom.

“Well You Needn’t” is played surprisingly slowly with Owens’ accentuating the ballad qualities of the song on his mellow sounding flugelhorn. The interest is accentuated in the rhythmic changes carried by Winard Harper’ drums as he dances over Barron’s steady vamps on piano.

“Blue Monk” is transformed into a dirge with Gordon’s surly sounding trombone featured, growling and slurring its way to your brain. Strickland is given a chance to show where the music comes from with a gutsy tenor solo steeped in the blues. Mr. Barron tickles the ivories in true barrelhouse fashion in a celebration of a time gone by.

“Stuffy Turkey” is a more conventional offering where Marcus Strickland and bassist Kenny Davis have a chance to build solo statements free from flair but filled with intelligent, economical choices.

“Pannonica” is a slow melancholy ballad , originally written by Monk for his benefactress, the Baroness “Nica” De Koenigswarter. Owen’s is at his most lyrical here and his warm tone conjures up images of a time of more leisurely elegance and grace.

On Monk’s less familiar “Let’s Cool One”, Owen’s goes for a ¾ time with Strickland taking the lead on a fluid tenor solo leading to a airy, buoyant trumpet solo by Owens.

The only non-Monk tune on the album is Ellington’s “It Don’t Mean a Thing (If It Don’t Have That Swing) ” where a student of Owen’s transcribed Monk’s original orchestration of this tune for the horns on this arrangement. Howard Johnson’s bellowing tuba is initially featured. A solo by Owens and then the brash Wycliffe Gordon’s boisterous trombone complete the rounds on this one.

Perhaps the most challenging piece tackled on the album is Monk’s shifting “Brilliant Corners” and my personal favorite. Owen’s and company navigate the shifts in the contorted melody line in a deliberately slow cadence, quickening the tempo at precise junctions in the tune to great effect. Kenny Barron’s deep blues drenched solo midway is a delight and Owen’s own soulful interpretation of the melody hits the mark before Johnson, Strickland and Gordon all join the fray in a feast of interpretive sounds.

On “Reflections” Owen’s starts off unaccompanied, with his trumpet sounding deeply reflective. He is later joined by Barron’s simple piano lines and then is shadowed by Gordon’s expressive trombone. The two horns intertwine in perfect harmony briefly before the stage yields to Gordon’s solo trombone in his most restrained and lyrical of performances on the album.

The finale is Monk’s timeless “Epistrophy”. The horns back Owen’s trumpet in bright, crackling fashion. A rousing baritone saxophone solo by Howard Johnson creates another timber for the ear to enjoy as Harper and Davis make sure the song swings on. Owen’s, then Strickland, and then Gordon each get a chance to make their closing statements and they each do so with concise, well thought out lines that are both interesting and evocative especially the playful Gordon. When the horns play together in the closing minutes of the song their precision is executed flawlessly and seemingly effortless. For those who love the music of Monk played by expert musicians who know and love it, Jimmy Owen’s The Monk Project will not disappoint.

Musicians: Jimmy Owens, trumpet, flugelhorn;Wycliffe Gordon, trombone; Marcus Strickland, tenor saxophone; Howard Johnson, tuba, baritone saxophone;Kenny Barron,piano; Kenny Davis, bass; Winard Harper,drums.

Recorded : IPO Records at Sear Sound Studio, NYC June 2nd & 8th 2011

My list of best of Jazz 2011

2011-12-07T11:42:00.000-08:00

My list of some of the best Jazz in 2011

The year 2011 was an inspirational year. I was privileged to listen to, and in some cases experience “live”, some of the best and most varied musical performances that I have seen in many a year. With all the discussion of jazz dying and the graying and shrinking of the jazz audience, what I have personally witnessed is that this improvisational music that we paint with the expansive brush we call “jazz” is flourishing and experiencing a renaissance of creativity that is nothing short of breath taking.

People love lists and fans often relish in picking their favorites. Often people revel in finding their choices being validated by inclusion in lists made by critics at the end of the year. But music is subjective and there will always be room for outliers in taste. This year I am going to list my picks for the best music I have heard this year, trying to be as inclusive as possible for the deserving music that has been created. I stress some very worthy albums will undoubtedly be missing from my list simply because I haven’t had the opportunity to listen to them, but of the many I have listened to these are some of my favorites.

Contemporary big band music had a resurgence
this year.Ninety–three year old Gerald Wilson had
an exquisite offering with his brilliant “Legacy” .
(See you tube video here)

Another big band album that could equally be placed in the best of Latin Jazz category was the cooking Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Bobby Sanabria and their marvelous
"Tito Puente Masterworks Live" . This band of young artists just keeps getting better and better.

The Westchester Jazz Orchestra under the direction of Mike Holber is certainly a seasoned group. This year they offered their take on the music of Herbie Hancock on their "Maiden Voyage Suite". I was fortunate enough to catch this polished orchestra "live" this year,, with the powerhouse tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano as a guest soloist. This is a talent packed group of professional musicians who take playing tight arrangements and turn it into an art form.

Another fine "live" performance was the spectacular mulit-media show composed and conducted by the talented D'arcy James Argue and illustrated by the artist Danijel Zezelj titled "Brooklyn Babylon".
(see video here).

Trumpeters offered some compelling music this year. One of my favorites included the fresh sound of the young Ambrose Akinmusire and his quintet on his impressive "When the Heart Emerges Glistening". (see video here).

"The Talented Mr.Pelt" was a showcase of fine contemporary music by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and his fine quintet. Pelt has a matured tone that is wonderful to behold.

The electric Tim Hagans demonstrated his compositional acumen as well as his instrumental virtuosity on his
" The Moon is Waiting". Under appreciated guitarist
Vic Juris was a standout on this outing. I caught Tim live at the WJO show where he was featured in a piece with saxophonist Joe Lovano on a song he arranged for the orchestra .

The trumpeter Tom Harrell came to the table with his own quintet on his ethereal "The Time of The Sun" .

With so many fine pianist offerings this year it was a daunting task to pick and choose a handfull. In the solo category Denny Zeitlin's remarkable "Labyrinth" , brilliantly recorded live at Ernie Shelton's house in California, was a standout. Denny's performance with drummer Matt Wilson and bassist extraordinaire Buster Williams at the Kitano this fall was a wonderful display of mature but daring virtuosity that I was fortunate enough to attend..

The pianist Michael Cain's release, simply titled "Solo", was a unique combination of solo acoustic piano and electronics that I found intriguing. His "Prayer" is an evocatively spiritual piece of music that is very meditative. ( see video here)

A delicious duet was served in Italy by masters Chick Corea and Stefano Bollani. Titled "Orvieto", this demonstration of magical interplay was recorded live at the Umbria Winter Jazz Festival in 2010.

The pianist Benny Green, who was schooled with stints in bands led by Ray Brown, Art Blakey and Freddie Hubbard to name a few, blew my socks off with his swinging album "Source" a pianistic joy.

Two terrific trio recordings by pianists Sam Yahel with his
"From Sun to Sun"

and Ted Rosenthal's
"Out of this World" were both strong outings in a crowded field of exemplary performances. (see video here)

The pianists Aaron Goldberg and composer/pianist Guillermo Klein, ably assisted by drumming phenon Eric Harland and bassist Matt Penman,.produced one of my favorite albums of the year "Bienestan. , a musical trip to an imaginary country of the same name. I was able to see them perform this enchanting music "live" at the the Jazz Standard with the fabulous altoist Miguel Zenon, who was also featured on the album. The live performance did not disappoint with the hypnotic original composition "Human Nature" capturing my attention.
(listen here)

At the wonderful Caramoor festival this year Joshua Redman's
new super group, which featured Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Penman on bass and the ubiquitous Eric Harland on drums, blew away the audience. There self titled album James Farm features original music composed by each of these talented players and is another must listen. ( see video here)

Alto saxophonist David Binney composed an unusual suite of cinematic-like music titled "Graylen Epicenter" featuring some of today's most hip musicians on the New York jazz scene.

New York based tenor saxophonist Donnie McCaslin introduced the dynamic
"Perpetual Motion" and caught my ear earlier this year.

Bassists were fully engaged this year with some creative outings.Ben Allison continues to show a rare ability to create new music by deconstructing contemporary songs from recent times and presenting them in new and exciting ways. Allison's Action-Refraction was inspired by the music of composers as varied as Neil Young, P.J.Harvey, Thelonious Monk and Donny Hathaway. ( see video here)

Bassist Sean Smith had a quiet and joyful gem with his album "Trust" , with notable support from guitarist John Hart and a superb outing by the saxophonist John Ellis.

The ubiquitous Christian McBride had a busy year with his big band performance at the Caramoor festival being a real crowd pleaser. This big band music was released as "The Good Feeling" , but his recent release "Conversations with Christian" was the real McBride standout to me. It showcased his virtuoso playing in some really intimate musical conversations with various artists. His duets with the astute Dr.Billy Taylor on the composition "Spiritual" and the marvelous Hank Jones on the song "Alone Together" , both recently passed giants of this music, were pure gold. A duet with the soulful guitarist Russell Malone on "Sister Rosa" demonstrated why Mr.Malone is a first call guitarist of exquisite taste.

Bassist Jay Anderson and fellow members of the band named BANN, drummer Adam Nussbaum , saxophonist Seamus Blake and guitarist Oz Noy, produced and played on an quirky but satisfying album from earlier in the year titled
"As you Like". I especially enjoyed their re-creation of the David Crosby tune "Guinnevere". (see video here)

Guitarist Jonathan Kriesberg came out with a fusion infused album that I really grooved on titled "Shadowless". It featured some impressive playing and composition by the talented guitarist and some penetrating saxophone by Will Vinson. Just listen to the lead track

"Twenty-one" and you will be hooked. (see video here)

"Gladwell" by guitarist Julian Lage offers a musical journey, this time through a fictional town of the same name. Lage weaves a convincing picture of this place, its people and the vibes he experiences there. It is a fascinating musical trip worth taking the time to experience it through Gage's talented fingers.

The so called "Third Stream" of music as described by Gunther Schuller was alive this year with a beautiful offerring from Carlos Franzetti and his wife Allison Brewster Franzetti titled "Alborada". It combined elements of classical and South American folk music with the music of contemporary jazz artists like Herbie Hancock, Bill Evans and Milton Nascimento.

Drummers had some important offerings this year with special mention of Eric Harland's work on Bienestan and James Farm. I was fortunate enough to see Mark Guiliana's kinetic drum work when he played an unrehearsed electronic set of pure improvisation with pianist Brad Mehldau at Tony Falco's club The Falcon in Marlboro, .NY. back in September
( see video here) .

The drummer Ralph Peterson had a take no prisoners offering titled
"Outer Reaches" that featured organist Pat Bianchi and absolutely shredding guitar solos by Dave Fiuczynski on Woody Shaw's "Zoltan" and John McLaughlin's "Spectrum". Also checkout Peterson's version of the Christmas classic "We Three Kings".

Drummer Adam Cruz had an auspicious year. I caught him recently with the talented saxophonist Chris Potter and the amazing John Patitucci at Smoke in NYC. Cruz released his latest "Milestone" and indeed it was just that. With a brilliant supporting cast that included the aforementioned Potter, along with fellow saxophonists Miguel Zenon and Steve Wilson, guitarist Steve Cardenas, pianist Edward Simon and bassist Ben Street this one packs a punch.

Vocalists that piqued my interest this year Giacomo Gates fine tribute to the late Gil Scott Heron titled
"The Revolution Will Be Jazz". With Gates successfully pulling off some of the poet's most poignant music.

Gretchen Parlatto was again impressive with her latest
album "The Lost and Found" where her wispy voice continues to defy convention. Taylor Eigsti's piano work was inspired.

Two artists who were new to me this year were the violinist Majid Khaliq with his impressive "Basilisk" , a surprisingly stirring
album from a rising talent.
(see video here)

A second surprise was the discovery of the talented saxophonist from Utah, Chaise Baird on his impressive debut album "Crosscurrent".
For those who question Jazz in Utah? Check this kid out.

Two recently recieved albums that deserve honorable mentions are the baritone saxophonist Brian Landrus' "Traverse" and Canadian trombonist William Carn's
"Run Stop Run".

So there you have it, my exhaustive list of the best I have heard in jazz this year.I am sure some will scratch their heads in confusion, others will nod in agreement and others will be pleasantly surprised, but one thing is for sure jazz is alive and thriving in 2011 and I for one predict that based on the trend 2012 will be an even better year for this music we call "jazz".

Denny Zeitlin with Buster Williams and Matt Wilson at The Kitano: November 19, 2011

2011-11-20T18:12:00.000-08:00

Denny Zeitlin’s Trio with Buster Williams and Matt Wilson

the Kitano, NYC November19, 2011

Perched on the mezzanine level just above the lobby of the posh Kitano hotel on Park at 38th Street is a music room of extraordinary intimacy. Affectionately known as Gino’s living room, promoter Gino Moratti has been bringing top-notch jazz to the Kitano since 2006. On Friday November 18th the venue featured two sets of solo piano by the superlative pianist Denny Zeiltin, featuring songs from his recent cd "Labyrinth"

and on Saturday November 19, 2011, the Kitano featured Mr. Zeitlin in a trio format with the iconic
Buster Williams on bass and the effervescent
Matt Wilson on drums. I was fortunate enough to be able to catch most of the first set and all of the second set Saturday. It is rare to get to see Mr.Zeitlin in New York as he resides in California where this Renaissance man practices psychiatry and teaches at the University of California in San Franciso. The superlative rhythm section of Williams and Wilson is no stranger to Zeitlin. The three have been playing on and off for ten years and Zeitlin’s 2009 Sunnyside release “Trio in Concert” is a testament to their obvious chemistry. If the way a working trio functions is in some respects analogous to the way we function in life,then Zeitlin is the cerebral mind, Wilson is the joyful spirit and Williams is the pulsing heartbeat and soul of this entity. Each is a virtuoso in his own right and they all have characteristics that blur such simplistic boundaries.

The first set included a tender ballad “Wishing on the Moon”, a Zeitlin composition, that featured the pianist’s deeply probing technique. Zeitlin can take you from sensitive passages that he renders with a gossamer touch to daring explorations that bring you to the brink of precipice, without ever letting you fall over the edge. A rousing rendition of John Coltrane’s homage to bassist Paul Chambers “Mr.P.C.” had Zeitlin’s playing arpeggios at dazzling speed. The song featured the bass of Buster Williams who produced a simply gorgeous tone that resonated through the entire room tantamount to the peaceful solemnity of a Tibetian gong. Mr.Williams is a master of his instrument who can add great poignancy by simply bending or sliding down to his notes and sustaining them as they decay to silence. Drummer Wilson is astutely attune to the needs of the music as he seamlessly changes from brushes to sticks, from clashing hi hat, to shimmering cymbal.

Another Zeitlin composition “The We of Us” was written for the pianist’s wife. Here Zeitlin demonstrates an extraordinary ability to play on the highest register with crystal clarity of sound and precise intonation. The trio does an amazingly dynamic version of Julie Styne’s “As Long as There is Music”. The intuitive interplay is a marvel to behold as the group collectively create a swell of intensity that has the crowd mesmerized, eventually yielding to a fading coda that is accentuated by Buster’s lingering bass line.

As if being a world class jazz pianist and working psychiatrist and educator weren't enough, Zeitlin is also an avid mountain biker. He spoke of Moab, Utah as the inspiration of his next composition titled “Slick Rock”. This composition is by far the most unorthodox of the repertoire. Here the pianist and his cohorts create an array of atmospheric sounds as Zeitlin reaches into the cavity of the piano using mallets to play the strings. Mr. Williams rubs the side of his thumb against his bass strings adding tension to the eerie sound as Mr. Wilson adds further agitation by using apiece of chain to rub against his cymbal. The audience is lulled into the peaceful solitude of the surroundings when suddenly Zeitlin hurls them into a spiraling musical journey filled with frantic twists and turns. You can feel the imaginary bike careening down jagged hills, precariously avoiding boulders and divots in a pianistic free fall. The pace subsides as Zeitlin becomes more ruminative; Wilson employs a weirdly eerie wooden flute that he somehow uses against his the face of his drumhead and Williams bows in decidedly ominous way. Watching Wilson here I am reminded of an excitable young boy with a chest full of wonderful toys. The drummer has an effervescent joyfulness that is palpable and he finds percussive magic in a variety of unorthodox devices which he skillfully weaves into patterns of dynamic tension and surprise. I was watching Zeitlin and Williams looking at Wilson at various times during his solo on this piece and I was reminded of a You Tube that I saw of a beaming Charlie Parker watching an equally playful young Buddy Rich, as the drummer displayed his rhythmic prowess (click here for that video). Wilson is that good!

The second set started off with the “The Night Has 1000/10000 Eyes”. Bassist Williams creates a funky vamp that has the whole audience bobbing their heads.Buster can create a mood that few bassists can summon so successfully. Zeitlin inspired by the heartbeat-like rhythm lets loose with some of his most free flowing playing of the night.

The trio played a charming version of what sounded like the “Child's Play”, a double time version of Sonny Rollins "Oleo" based loosely on the changes of Gershwin’s “I Got Rhythm”, Cole Porter’s “I Love You” and Jimmy Van Heusen's “I Could Have Told You”. The set ended with bassist Dave Freisen’s composition “Signs and Wonders” and after a rousing ovation the encore was Zeitlin's own “Just Passing By”.

For lovers of piano jazz trios it was one of those very special evenings. Zeitlin is an innovator par excel lance with few peers. His trio with the great Buster Williams and the exciting Matt Wilson is one of the finest trios working in jazz today.

"Brooklyn Babylon" at The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College, October 22, 2011

2011-11-14T18:55:00.000-08:00

Brooklyn Babylon

A collaborative multi-media presentation by the composer

Darcy James Argue and his Secret Society Orchestra

and the Graphic Artist Danijel Zezelj.

Previewed on October 22, 2011 at

The Performing Arts Center at Purchase College

The multi-media performance Brooklyn Babylon

The Borough of Brooklyn has become a melting pot of all things artistic. My son, a twenty-five year old writer/editor, has made Brooklyn his adopted home. He was marveling recently that so many modern day masters of contemporary writing, regularly give readings of their work around town. I often find myself reviewing music of inspiring depth and boundless energy emanating from a variety of great musicians living and recording in Brooklyn. Consequently their is a "live" music scene in many parts of the Borough. A friend's son produces meticulously crafted, industrial design inspired furniture and sculpture somewhere in a converted factory in Red Hook. These are but a few examples of the artistic vibrancy of this city. Perhaps it is the relative affordability that draws economically challenged artists, but I suspect it is also a sense of community that is Brooklyn that fosters and nourishes a collective artistic soul that is drawn to this Borough in the shadow of New York City.

So it was no surprise to see Brooklyn itself as the source of inspiration for an exciting new multi-media work by two artists, themselves immigrants, who have made Brooklyn their home. "Brooklyn Babylon" is the brainchild of a graphic artist and animator from Croatia and a Canadian musical composer from Vancouver, British Columbia. The work was commissioned by the
Brooklyn Academy of Music for its 2011 Next Wave Festival.
It combines Danijel Zezelj's animation and “live” painting with
Darcy James Argue’s carefully orchestrated musical score to tell the story of the not so mythical Brooklyn Babylon. The story unfolds with Lev, an immigrant master carpenter who creates beautiful carousels that feature his masterfully carved animals. Lev unexpectedly finds himself realizing the dream of having his work recognized,in this case by city officials, as he is chosen to build a carousel to top off a colossal new tower planned to be built in downtown. The tower has its supporters and its detractors as this modern day edifice has the prospect of turning Brooklyn into a Metropolis.The implicit growth that comes with such ambitious expansion plans threatens to undermine the precious close-knit neighborhood feeling, the very soul of the community that has nurtured Lev's own artistic development.

The story unfolds right before your eyes as Mr. Zezelj’s sweeping animation is flashed across a large screen behind the orchestra. Bold streaks of black and white form, graphic comic-like images of a bustling neighborhood. Part Fritz Lang's "Metropolis" and part Bob Kane's "Gotham", Zelzelj's images are modern and yet nostalgic. We see the growing tower and the ominous shadow that it casts on the surrounding neighborhoods. As Lev builds his beautiful carousel, he questions his own involvement in the project. As these scenes unfold overhead,Mr. Argue’s Secret Society Orchestra creates the sounds that breathes life into Mr.Zezelj's images. To add to the spontaneity of the experience there is a scaffold set above the orchestra, just below the animation screen, where Mr.Zezelj, using rollers and brushes, creates a continuously changing scene in a dazzling exhibit of “live” painting.


Producer Beth Morrison, Composer Darcy James Argue, Artist Danijle Zezlej

Mr. Argue’s orchestra is a eighteen-piece marvel of multi-instrumental versatility. Theatrically having his musicians entering the stage from all directions, he abandons the regimentation of seating all the brass in one line and all the reeds in another. Mr. Argue’s set-up spreads the stage of the Performing Arts theater with a semi-circular array of musicians who remain standing in working class attire throughout.The experience creates a wonderful sense of immersion with visual and audible sensory stimulation working in tandem to help present the story. There is a marvelous sense of involvement in the creative process as you see the musicians change instruments to create the precise sound Mr.Argue has orchestrated.

Mr.Argue conducting his Secret Society Orchestra

Over the past year Mr. Argue was apparently cloistered at the
MacDowell Colony in New Hampshire, a nationally recognized retreat that affords artists a peaceful, bucolic setting in which to create enduring works of imagination. It is here where he wrote the majority of his score for
“Brooklyn Babylon”. Using Mr.Zezelj’s animation and sketches Mr. Argue composed this compelling piece of music to help tell the story. Mr. Argue chose a team of dedicated and talented musicians to make this demanding project work. It is their collective voice that allows him the flexibility to create the multi-phonic textures so critical to his work. Mr. Argue employed sounds seldom heard together but perfectly suited to his purpose. Whether it was the euphonium of Mr. Fahie, the contra bass clarinet of Mr. Sinton, the piccolo of Mr.Von Kleist, the melodica of Mr. Webster, the acoustic guitar or Mr. Noelle, the gutsy tenor of John Ellis or the soaring trumpet of Ingrid Jensen to name a few, the music is awash in sounds that are carefully crafted to produce the desired effects in perfect concert with Mr. Zezelj’s fleeting images.

The result is a dramatic piece of music that tells a story that is near and dear to the artistic hearts of Mr. Argue, Mr. Zezelj and I suspect many of the musicians who give it life. A story about the vulnerability of fragile, artistically friendly neighborhoods that are the creative lifeblood of the artists who live there. It deals with the conflicts that come from wanting to have your art accepted and being able to enjoy the fruits of your labor, while at the same time retaining your artistic integrity. The end result is an impressive narrative that offers visual splendor and musical majesty of the type not often experienced, a tour de force.Mr.Zezelj's "live" painting gives the performance a kinetic quality that keeps you engaged. At the end of the performance Mr.Zezelj blackens out his own creation- a final demonstration of the impermanence of art and metaphorically of the fragility of his precious Brooklyn neighborhoods.

Having in recent months seen three vastly different large ensembles - The Christian McBride Big Band, The Westchester Jazz Orchestra and now the Secret Society- it is safe to say that large ensemble composition, orchestration and arrangement are all having a welcome resurgence. The expanded palette of colors that can be used with a big band is only limited by the creative mind of the composer. After his auspicious debut album"Infernal Machines" from 2009 and now with "Brooklyn Babylon," Mr.Argue proves that he is a fertile force indeed.

Artists: Darcy James Argue,composer and conductor; Danijel Zezelj, Animation and live painting; Erica Von Kleist, Piccolo, flute, alto flute, alto sax, soprano sax; Rob Wilkerson, flute, clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax; Sam Sadigursky, flute, clarinet, soprano sax, alto sax; John Ellis, clarinet, tenor sax; Josh Stinton, clarinet, bass clarinet, contrabass clarinet, baritone sax; Seneca Black, trumpet, flugelhorn; Tom Goehring, trumpet, flugelhorn; Matt Holman, trumpet, flugelhorn; Nadje Noorhuis, trumpet, flugelhorn; Ingrid Jensen, trumpet, flugelhorn; Mike Fahie, trombone, euphonium; Noah Bless, trombone;

James Hirschfeld, trombone tuba; Jennifer Wharton, bass trombone, tuba; Sebastian Noelle, acoustic and electric guitar; Gordon Webster piano, electric piano, melodica; Matt Clohesy, contrabass, electric bass; Shawn Baltazor, drums and percussion.

Review of Tim Hagans “The Moon is Waiting”

2011-10-30T15:59:00.000-07:00

Tim Hagans “The Moon is Waiting”

Palmetto Records

Recorded March 3^rd& 4^th 2011 at Maggie’s Farm, PA.

For the last several years, the trumpeter Tim Hagans has been a ubiquitous force on the modern jazz scene, both as a powerful voice on his instrument and as a talented composer and arranger. Recently, at the season’s opener for the Westchester Jazz Orchestra, Mr. Hagans was seen putting those skills to work. As a featured soloist, his high-energy volley with the guest saxophonist Joe Lovano was a highlight of the evening’s performance. His deft arrangement of Lovano’s “The Dawn of Time” demonstrated his talent for thinking beyond the boundaries of his own instrument.

His collaboration with the pianist Marc Copeland on “Alone Together” was a sensitive collaboration that showed rare intuitive interplay. Check out their wonderfully evocative “You Don’t Know What Love Is” .

“The Avatar Sessions” from 2009, found the trumpeter collaborating with a who’s who of jazz, including the saxophonists George Garzone and Dave Liebman, fellow trumpeters Dan Johansson and Randy Brecker, bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Peter Erskine, as well as the Norrbotten Big Band from Sweden. This ambitious project featured a modern score of great breadth written and arranged by Hagans. One of his songs “Box of Cannoli” from this session, dedicated to Frank Foster, earned him a 2011 Grammy nomination for best Instrumental song.

On his latest release

“The Moon is Waiting”, the bassist Rufus Reid, the guitarist Vic Juris and the drummer Jukkis Uotila join Hagans in this deceptively free session. As with Avatar, the album is made up of all original Hagans’ compositions. They span the spectrum of styles, this time in a quartet format. The colorful cover art by Peter Josyph compliments the overall experience of this noteworthy album.There should also be an ex-claimer for those who maybe unprepared to seek adventure! This is high energy music is played with a structured abandon that may be unsettling for those who love strictly melodic forms. It is also the product of an expansive and creative musical force. Caveat emptor.

Hagans explores the jagged recesses of Ornette Coleman's influence on his music with "Ornette's Waking Dream Of A Woman". Guitarist Juris creates a chicane filled solo complimented by his exceptional ability to alter the sounds emanating from his guitar to great effect. Reed and Uotila form a powerfully propulsive rhythm section as Hagans skies ona high energy romp. It is the Hagans-Uotila link that seems to propel the music to the outer limits of its possibilities. As Tim states in the liner notes of Uotila "He creates the most incredible wave you can ride like a surfer."

On the title track "The Moon is Waiting" we are given choruses of what seems to be a prelude that lead to an unreachable resolution . Accentuated by a fusillade of cymbals, toms, modulated guitar chords,and slurred bass notes; Hagans screeches, triple tongues and howls above it all pushing the limits of his horn. It is as if the moon has seduced him into a Werewolf-like transformation.

On the ruminative "Get Outside" , Rufus Reid plays a repeating line that is the basis of the tune. Uotila plays some isolated piano lines as Hagans' horn and Juris' guitar have an obscure musical conversation. Juris has a seemingly endless bag of electronic sounds he can produce at will. Reid, Utolia and Juris finally break into a rock-like, power chord driven finale that ends with a muted Hagans slurring his way to silence.

"First Jazz" is a hard driving tune that features some beautifully crafted guitar work by Vic Juris. The man is an unpretentious magic box of ideas and creativity. Reid's driving bass is prominent as Hagans sponaneously creates a flowing, uninterrupted barrage of bopish notes, deftly complimented by Uotila's forceful traps work.

The funky "Boo"is resurrected with Juris and Reid from the "Avatar" sessions. The catchy tune is a perfect vehicle for bassist Reid to pluck some soulful bass lines. Hagans is inspired to howl into his trumpet producing an eerie, whirling, scream-like sound. Juris spins an inspired solo that has Frisellian twangs while retaining its own uniqueness. The tune ends in a Hagans' guttural howl..

"What I'll Tell Her Tonight" is sensitive, guitar featured ballad that is initially played by Juris accompanied with just bass and brushes. Juris's notes are the epitome of tasteful lyricism. Reid provides subtle warm tones before a muted Hagans joins the fray.Tim's penchant for high register atmospherics gives way to the more lyrical side of his playing on this beautiful melody.

"Wailing Trees" is a dedication to the trumpet player Tomasz Stanko, a proponent of free protest music in his own country Poland during the 70's. Hagans sound is very reminiscence of Stanko's music. The song was developed in Stanko's style as a protest to the outrageous lack of action Hagans witnessed during the early days of hurricane Katrina. Here the Hagans-Juris interplay is forceful. The outrage is channeled into a frenzy of notes by Hagans. Juris modulates his guitar and Uotila creates a torrent of wind and sweeping propulsion with his drum set.

The album closes with "Things Happen in a Convertible" ,a sauntering, hard bop tune with some poignant interludes that features Hagans at some of his most lyrical. Reid's beautiful bass solo and a flowing guitar solo by Juris seem to be the source of his inspiration.

Hagans is a force to be reckoned with. A no compromise musician who likes to push the envelope,work dangerously and expand the possibilities of his music leaving any hint of a comfort zone in his wake.

Musicians: Tim Hagans,trumpet/composer; Vic Juris,electric guitar;Rufus Reid, Acoustic bass; Jukkis Uotila, drums & piano.

Martha Reeves with Mel Brown and Friends at Jimmy Mak’s in Portland , Oregon October 13, 2011

2011-10-23T11:35:00.000-07:00

Jimmy Mak's Portland, Oregon

Last week I got a chance to visit my son and his lovely wife in their adopted hometown of Portland, Oregon. Besides the obvious joy of seeing them in their own environment, it gave me an opportunity to visit yet another jazz club. Jimmy Mak’s is purportedly listed by Downbeat magazine as "One of the world's top 100 places to hear jazz." With the club’s credentials clearly established, I wanted to experience this Pacific Coast bastion of fine jazz for myself. After reviewing the club’s schedule and wanting to bring the kids to something that they could more easily relate to, we settled on the Thursday night show.

Miss Martha Reeves is by all accounts the original queen of the Motown sound, a sound made famous by Motown’s savvy founder BerryGordy. It was the early sixties and young blues and jazz singer Martha Lavaille and her group the Del Phis cut their first record, a rather forgettable song “I’ll Have to Let Him Go”. Martha Reeves and the Vandellas were born. Her first hit was “Come and Get These Memories” and soon the group was producing a chain of memorable hits that defined a generation of young promise. We all can remember her most famous songs “Heat Wave”, “Nowhere to Run”, “Jimmy Mack” , “I’m Ready for Love” and “Dancing in the Streets”. These songs span generations, as later artists including, Phil Collins, Linda Ronstadt, Van Halen, Mick Jagger and David Bowie have all paid homage by recording these very same songs to a whole new era of younger listeners.

Miss Martha Reeves

We made our way to the Pearl district of Portland, a rehabbed factory district that has created a renaissance with the influx of fine restaurants, coffee shops, brew pubs and music venues like Jimmy Mak’s. On this Thursday night the club featured two shows and the early show was completely sold out. We came back for the second show and were able to get good seats in this well-appointed club. Jimmy Mak’s offers reserved seating and general admission. The twenty dollar cover charge was reasonable and the seating was comfortable with good views of the spacious stage from almost every vantage. We had eaten elsewhere while waiting for the start of the second set, so we didn’t get a chance to sample the food but I did have the opportunity of enjoying a generous glass of single malt Talisker which was moderately priced.

Jimmy Mak’s has a long standing relationship with drummer and Portland native Mel Brown. It is his residency at the club that seems to be a drawing card for traveling musicians to play the Jimmy Mak stage. Mr. Brown is a veteran of the Motown sound having played with Diana Ross and the Supremes as well as Miss Reeves in the heyday of Motown music’s popularity. He has also played with jazz mainstays like bassist LeRoy Vinnegar. Mr. Brown is the magnet that draws the talent from the Portland musical scene. On this night the dapper and affable Mr. Brown assembled a ten piece band to play back-up to Miss Reeves.

Drummer Mel Brown

Miss Reeves was decked out in a shimmering gown and strut herself from the start to the finish of her demanding power driven set. She is the consummate performer and despite her age, she recently turned seventy, she has full vocal power and most of her range. The set started off with “So Many Memories”

and the crowd, a pleasant mix of older and younger patrons, responded to her energy immediately. On the classic “Nowhere to Run” the band offered her almost symphonic support as the horn section played their synchronous parts with gusto and Mr. Brown and his rhythm section pushed the song along. It’s almost impossible not to sing along to this iconic tune and as I panned the audience many where up clapping and singing. She continued the set with “Love Makes Me Do Foolish Things” where she demonstrated she can still summon her falsetto to the highest of peaks. She took a break from the mainstays of her repertoire to do a medley of songs based on a bossa rhythm. The medley included pieces of the Jobim song “The Girl from Ipanema” , the Tony Hatch song made famous by Petula Clark “Call Me” and the Burt Bacharach classic “The Look of Love”.

Martha Reeves with Mel Brown and band

Perhaps her most stirring ballad of the evening was a blues that she dedicated to her father, who she recalled was a sewer pipe layer. The song “Watch Your Back” offered a nice exchange between guitarist Dan Balmer and Miss Reeves, whose delivery was amazingly strong and soulful.

The classic “Heat Wave” had the entire audience on their feet. It was interesting to watch a beaming Mr. Brown as he was obviously enjoying himself, recollecting his history on this very song with Miss Reeves. Miss Reeves did a tribute to Billie Holiday singing “God Bless the Child” and then she finished the set with a rousing rendition of the Motown anthem “Dancing in the Streets". The song featured some fine solos by trombonist Stan Bock, saxophonist Renato Caranto and an organ solo from local keyboardist Louis Pain.

The evening was a resounding success. My son, his wife and clearly everyone in the audience thoroughly enjoyed themselves. Jimmy Mak’s is a Portland treasure and deserving of its status as one of the 100 top places to see jazz . Miss Reeves is one of those ageless performers whose music seems to transcend generations. The feel good sustenance the music delivers is a direct result of the joy that she and her fellow musicians radiate while playing it.

Musicians: Martha Reeves, vocals; Al McKinney piano and musical director; Mel Brown, drums; Dan Balmer guitar; Stan Bock, trombone; Renato Caranto, saxophone; Derrick Sims, trumpet; Louis Pain, keyboards; Curtis Craft, percussion; electric bass and. baritone sax (players unknown).

The Westchester Jazz Orchestra’s Season Opening Concert featuring Joe Lovano

2011-10-04T20:28:00.000-07:00

The WJO Concert with Special Guest Joe Lovano :

September 24, 2011 at Irvington Town Hall Theater, Irvington , NY

Two Saturday’s ago, in the sleepy town of Irvington, NY, the Westchester Jazz Orchestra kicked off their 2011 season with a very special guest, the eminent saxophonist Joe Lovano. The Westchester Jazz Orchestra is a rotating group of talented, working musicians, who carry on the tradition of big band jazz orchestras. The group is a non profit whose executive director Emily Tabin works tirelessly to sustain this wonderful musical resource for the benefit of County residents, as well as anyone else who follows their concert schedule.

The artistic director is Mike Holober, who directed the orchestra on this particular evening and also arranged the music for three of the nine scheduled pieces for this performance. Mr. Holober has recorded as a sideman and leader on many recordings. Mr. Holober is a pianist/composer who teaches Jazz Studies at City College in NY and is a Associate Guest conductor for the wonderful HR Big Band of Frankfurt, Germany.

The evening started off with a brief conversation with the saxophonist Mr. Lovano moderated by the WJO’s Mr. Holober. Joe recalled his upbringing in a musical family in Cleveland, Ohio where he started playing around the age of five or six years old. He described his years of education at the Berklee School of Music in Boston where he met many of his musical contemporaries. He spoke of paying his dues as a sideman with organ based groups playing on what he called the “chittlin’ circuit” behind the likes of Dr. Lonnie Smith and Brother Jack McDuff. He recalled formative years playing in the big bands of Woody Herman and the Thad Jones/ Mel Lewis Village Vanguard Orchestra, that he acknowledged were incubators for his developing sound. Joe has a special relationship with the WJO as he has been on the advisory board since the formation in 2003.

Joe Lovano taking questions with director Mike Holober

When the discussion was open to the audience for questions, unexpectedly, the widow of late saxophonist Stan Getz, Monica Getz, rose to speak. She relayed to the audience and to Mr. Lovano how much Joe's playing reminded her of her husband Stan’s playing. Despite Mr. Lovano’s success, he retains a genuine air of humility and this unsolicited comparison to an icon was a bit disarming for him. Lovano’s sound, which at times can be tonally like Getz, has an exploratory approach more strongly influenced by Coltrane than by 'the Sound". When asked about his participation in this big band Mr. Lovano said he was favorably disposed to all types of musical settings, especially those where he finds some inspiration from his fellow musicians. On this evening the WJO was featuring some of Lovano’s own musical compositions, as well as some songs that were especially relevant to his repertoire of recorded work.

After a brief intermission the orchestra took the stage and the show began with a Peter McGuiness arrangement of Herbie Hancock’s classic “Maiden Voyage”. This piece is featured on the WJO’s latest cd “Maiden Voyage Suite” recently released in August of this year. The song is the perfect vehicle for the orchestra as the brass and reeds were deftly made to ebb and flow behind the memorable melody line. David Brandom offered a beautifully airy soprano saxophone solo and trumpeter extraordinaire Marvin Stamm offered a impeccably flawless solo of his own on flugelhorn. Mr. Stamm’s playing alone is worth the price of admission to this fine orchestra.

The saxophone section of the WJO

The band’s second piece was a Bob Brookmeyer arrangement titled "American Express". The cascade of horns in this piece is signature Brookmeyer and the WJO played it like it was written for them. John Riley’s propulsive drums and Harvie S’s pulsing bass carried the rhythm throughout. A low register solo by tenor saxophonist Ralph Lalama tops off the number.

Joe Lovano enters from stage right to play on the Mike Holober arrangement of Joe’s own composition “His Dreams”, a song Joe wrote about his father’s aspirations for his young son. It is immediately apparent that Joe commands the stage with his warm full bodied tenor. The band is engaged giving it they’re all and ffollowing intently during Joe’s solos. It is especially interesting to watch the saxophonists immerse themselves in the inventiveness and quality of Joe’s solo runs. He is clearly admired. Joe, in turn, lays out during Ted Rosenthal’s exceptionally pretty piano solo. He is equally energized watching the rhythm section of Harvie S on upright bass and John Riley on drums as they push the song along.

The second Lovano composition is “Fort Worth”, arranged by WJO trumpeter Tony Kadlek. After a brassy introduction, we hear Joe taking on a cadence that reminds me a little of Ornette Coleman. A rousing trombone solo by Mark Patterson blisters and gets bassist Harvie S playing with abandon. Sensing the energy Mr. Lovano picked up the pace with his own incendiary solo that has him turning shades of scarlet as he flutters through rapid runs all over the register of his horn. The band punctuates the breaks behind him and the song ends powerfully over John Riley’s splashing cymbals as Lovano and Riley call and respond in a duel of ideas.

Joe Lovano with the WJO

After a brief intermission the second set begins with an arrangement by trumpeter TimHagans on Lovano’s “The Dawn of Time”. Hagans is a formidable trumpeter in his own right who is a modern day proponent of the fusion era Miles Davis atmospheric sound. He also is a talented arranged/composer. A beautiful Johnny Hodges-like saxophone solo by Jason Rigby is a highlight of this song.

The next selection was another Herbie Hancock song arranged by Mike Holober “ Survival of the Fittest” which featured a stirring high register solo by trumpeter Tim Hagans, who was sitting in for Scott Wendholt. Hagans performance was an unexpected treat as the man can soar at almost any pace. Contrastingly, saxophonist Jason Rigby offered a smooth, deep register solo on tenor as Harvie and John drove the rhythm hard. The orchestra seamlessly transitioned to another classic Hancock song “Dolphin Dance”, this one arranged by the absent Tony Kadleck. Lovano’s fellow vanguard orchestra alumnus, saxophonist Ralph Lalama gave his most impressive solo of the night on this memorable melody. Mr. Stamm was again featured on a moving flugelhorn solo.On this particular song you could really hear how magically the sound of these seventeen individual players was organically transformed into a single coherent voice, the true tell of a great big band. Players like trombonists Larry Farrell, George Flynn and Bruce Eidem; trumpet players like Jon Owens (substituting for Tony Kadleck) and Craig Johnson; saxophonists Marc Phaneuf (substituting for Jay Brandford) and Ed Xiques along with those mentioned previously all create this unified sound that is the WJO.

The last two songs were two of Mr. Lovano’s “ Birds of Springtime Gone By”, arranged by Jason Rigby and “Hot Shot” arranged by director Mike Holober.

On “Birds” Mr. Lovano and Mr. Hagans each had solos on their respective instruments before they volleyed with each other in an interesting exchange of high energy.

On “Hot Shot” Mr. Lovano took flight on a high register solo. The encore was Thad Jones’s “The Interloper” which featured solos by Joe Lovano, Ralph Lalama and a excellent piano solo by Ted Rosenthal.

All in all it was an auspicious opening night for the WJO and a harbinger of what to expect for this upcoming season. Seeing Mr. Lovano perform in such good company was a real treat. If you love big band music you must make it your business to see one of the upcoming performance that the WJO will be performing this year. The next scheduled show is at SUNY in Middletown, NY on November 19, 2011 with another show scheduled in Irvington for December 3^rd.

The WJO Regulars are Musicians: Trumpets: Tony Kadlek, Craig Johnson, Marvin Stamm, Scott Wendholt: trombones, Larry Farrell, Keith O'Quinn, Bruce Eidem, George Flynn; Saxophones: Jay Brandford, David Brandom, Ralph Lalama, Jason Rigby, Ed Xiques; Piano: Ted Rosenthal; Bass Harvie S; Drums, Andy Watson; Conductor/director MikeHolober.

The Rythmic Joy of Sammy Figueroa and his Latin Jazz Explosion on Urban Nature

2011-09-23T19:05:00.000-07:00

Sammy Figueroa’s Latin Jazz Explosion

Urban Nature Sen-1001

Senator Entertainment SEN-1001

Recorded at After Hours Music, North Miami , Florida 2011

Sammy Figueroa is one of the music’s foremost percussionists. He is presently on tour with the great Sonny Rollins and has lent his infectious smile and stirring rhythmic sounds to the works of Miles Davis, Herbie Mann, the Brecker Brothers and pop stars from Blondie to Chaka Kahn.

Originally from the Bronx, New York he relocated to Miami 2001 where he continued to be a first call sideman, explored leading his own groups and started producing various other artists. In 2002 Sammy debuted his Latin Jazz Explosion and has been cultivating and refining the infectious sounds of this driving band ever since.

Sammy Figueroa photo by Jaime Rivera

On his latest effort Urban Nature, Figueroa bolts out of the gate with the opening number “Gufillo”. where his front line of John Michalak on saxophone and Alex Pope Norris on trumpet belt out the head in powerful unison. Pianist Silvano Monasterios takes flight on his driving piano solo and Figueroa is in constant motion as he and Negroni keep the pace filled with rhythmic drive. Trumpeter Norris takes a nice muted solo while Figueroa’s sure hands push the underlying pulse relentlessly forward.

On the title rack “Urban Nature” the clave driven beat is the perfect back drop for a floating soprano solo by Michalak. Montasterios is a creative improviser on the ivories as he does not let the clave beat confine his explorations to Latin inspired riffs. North and Michalak punctuate their lines in perfect sync like two front line horns who can intuit each other’s minds.

On “Latin What” we are treated to the piano of Mike Orta and the seriously hot tenor of Ed Calle. After a soaring trumpet solo by North, Calle enters the fray. He lets loose with a fiery burst of biting energy. His sound is edgy and aggressive and his playing is joyously raspy and uncensored as he employs a fluttering, double-tongued technique that would be almost comical if he didn’t pull it off so well in context. His solo roars and is the highlight of the album. Orta offers a flowing and lyrical solo of his own making, as Jose Gregorio Hernandez joins Figueroa on percussion.

Monasterios’s beautiful piano work on his self-composed “Zuliana” is perhaps the most poignant cut on the album. Gabriel Vivas’s bass and Figueroa’s percussive sounds subtly add to the dreamy sound as Montasterio weaves his poetic spell. This fine pianist can also be heard in greater detail on his recent release Unconditional, which received well deserved recognition.

“7^th Door to the Left” is another Monasterios composition. Michalak is again on soprano with he and North weaving through the complex line over Figueroa’s percussive drive.

To do it justice, “Cuco y Olga” needs to be danced to. The promotional notes that came with my copy of the album indicate this song is a tribute to the late great conguero Mongo Santamaria. “Cha Cha Pa Ti” has a cinematic quality that seems to capture the various pulses that represent the neighborhoods of Sammy’s Miami.

“Queen from the South” is a slow, sensuous tribute by Montaserios to a beautiful woman. Michalak’s alto solo is appropriately sinewy and sultry and his best work on the album. The pianist’s touch is gentle and evocative of a lingering longing for a special lady.

The final cut on the album is titled “Funny Talk”, a composition by bassist Vivas that is purportedly a reference to Sammy’s jovial disposition.The album is strongest through the first four songs, but with

Urban Nature Sammy Figuero and his Latin Explosion continue to make their mark in the canon of Latin jazz. Figueroa's infectious rhythms and his obvious joyful countenance drive the music to emotional heights.

Musicians: Sammy Figueroa, percussion; Silvano Montasterios, piano; Gabriel Vivas, acoustic bass; John Michalak, saxophones; Alexander Pope Norris, trumpet; Nomar Negroni, drums; Ed Calle; tenor sax on track 3; Mike Orta, piano on track 3 ; Jose Gregorio Hernandez, percussion on track 3.

Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana at the Falcon, Marlboro, NY: An Unexpected Evening of Free Improvisation

2011-09-04T12:48:00.000-07:00

Photo by Ralph A. Miriello

About 75 miles due north of New York City in the Ulster County Hamlet of Marlboro, New York is the Falcon. Perched adjacent to a wonderful waterfall, this lovechild of transplanted Staten Islander Tony Falco, is a barn-like two story music and art performance space that also just happens to be a pretty fine restaurant. Despite the venue being a one and one half hour drive from New York City, it is Tony's hospitality and his vision of creating an inviting environment for the musicians that makes it work. It has become a safe house of sorts, a place where musicians are able to try new ideas outside the expectations of their mainstream audiences. It can also act as a convenient place for musicians to warm-up in preparation, on their way to gigs in New York City. There is no cover charge for the music, only a donation box where patrons are expected, but not required, to make a donation to the performers. The entire proceeds go to the musicians. It is the vibe of the place, the good sound system and the sentiment of the owner that has allowed the Falcon to attract some top name artists without a guaranteed gate.

Falcon Owner Tony Falco photo by Ralph A. Miriello

With the ominous threat of hurricane Irene lingering in everyone's mind, the originally scheduled August 27 th show of drummer Eric Harland's group with guitarist Julian Lage and pianist Taylor Eigsti was cancelled because the train service from New York city was suspended and the musicians were unable to make the trek. Rather than disappoint, the Falcon deftly shifted Sunday's performance of the duo of pianist
Brad Mehldau, who lives in nearby Newburgh, NY and the drummer Mark Guiliana to Saturday night and suspended Sunday's performances in anticipation of the storm.

It was a rare chance to see the eclectic pianist and the frenetic drummer in an intimate setting. In speaking to Mr. Mehldau shortly before his set, I asked him what music he had planned for his upcoming set. He indicated that it was to be an evening of pure improvisation without any prearranged play list. The stage was set with an acoustic grand and a Hammond B3, but Mr. Mehldau was having none of that on this evening. It was a purely electronic set with an electric piano, two keyboards and a laptop computer providing the instruments Mr. Mehldau would be employing. The only acoustic instrument on the stage was Mr.Guiliana's drums set.

The evenings entertainment started off with a slam poet from Galway, Ireland named Stephen Murray. The comedian read aloud several of his humor drenched poems to the gathering crowd. He was well received especially when he requested Mr. Mehldau to accompany him on piano to the reading of one of his poems.

Mark Guiliana photo by Ralph A. Miriello

The music began with Mr. Mehldau sampling a droning electronic organ-like sound from his left hand on one of his keyboards creating an eerie space-like overlay. Mr. Guiliana waited in concentration as he appeared to be channeling what to expect from Mr. Mehldau's explorations. Guiliana started out with a syncopated beat pattern that seems to perfectly flow with what Mr. Mehldau is playing. Mehldau in turn is inspired to create his own syncopated and funky left hand ostinato, while his right hand starts to play an almost otherworldly synthesized sound that is loaded with echo and reminds me of
Lonnie Liston Smith's dablings from back in the seventies.

Brad Mehldau Photo by Ralph A. Miriello

The two musicians feed off each other with Mehldau setting the table and Guiliana adding the garnishments in a sympathetic interchange of ideas. Guiliana is an intense drummer whose every action seems to be charged with electricity. His energy level is so high that I found myself shaking my leg wildly trying to follow the syncopated beats he was producing. He is like a Van Der Graaf generator that you may have witnessed in physics lab, electrifying everything that is within its vicinity-making your hair stand on end. Mehldau, by contrast, is a player whose outer countenance is calm and mellow no matter how kinetic his playing may become. He gets enveloped by what he is playing and flows along with the music in a way that is very organic, meditative and expressive. The contrast between the two was stark but made for some interesting music.

The second number was started by Guiliana who played an odd, beat while a recording of what sounded like a political speech was played over an amplifier. Mehldau started off with a repeating line on electric piano while Guiliana maintained his multilayer-ed beat. The pianist expanded his right hand playing to include some dashing runs up and down the keyboard, that included some creative changes in the electronic sounds of his keyboard. Mehldau has a complete and masterful independent control of his two hands that allows him the ability to produce some wonderfully creative juxtaposed sounds.

Brad Mehldau and Mark Guiliana photo by Ralph A. Miriello

On the third song Mr. Mehldau starts off adjusting his computer to preset designations of the electronic sounds he wishes to use. Mr. Guiliana creates a frenzied beat pattern that lays the carpet out for Mr. Mehldau's combination of eerie organ-like sounds, mixed with runs on the electric piano and even a hint of harpsichord thrown in for good measure. This could easily be the soundtrack to a horror film. There are swells and lulls in the intensity of the music that add greatly to the experience. The recorded speech is re-introduced into the piece as Mehldau and Guiliana change tempo and start slowly building a dynamic that is hypnotic in its sway. The two musicians build the e tension back up into a frenzied well spring of ideas that overflow with spontaneity. Guiliana is especially intriguing to watch. The drummer seems to have internal battles within himself as his motion is both frantic and precisely controlled. Very intriguing stuff.

There were a total of six separate musical pieces punctuated by pauses and applause during the one hour and twenty-six minute set. The evening was an almost continuous experiment in free improvisation and interactivity. Despite the appreciative audience, this was not, for the most part, music that one would necessarily put on their cd player. It is, however, music that needs to be experienced to be fully appreciated. My words do little to convey the true effect that experimental music like this has on one who witnesses it first hand. It is to be present for the conception of an idea, to by privy to the creative process of a musician during moments of true spontaneity. It is a rare and powerful experience. As creative artists Mr. Mehldau and Mr.Guiliana leave themselves naked to their audience, as nothing is apparently rehearsed. They are like trapeze artists who are working without a net, fraught with danger, but open to limitless possibilities. It is precisely why such venues like the Falcon need to be supported and encouraged, so they can provide the forums that allow for such wonderful trips into the unknown.

It is hard to say what may become of this evening's musical explorations between Mr. Mehldau and Mr. Guiliana, but suffice it say that we are all enriched by them tinkering with the possibilities.

After hurricane Irene hit the next day, the Falcon experienced a washout of their lower level parking area as the adjacent waterfall reached flood levels. Fortunately the performance space was unscathed but the damage to the retaining walls and parking area will need to be repaired. A trip to the Falcon is sure to be a wonderful experience and will help support the "live" music we all love.

The Deep Blue Organ Trio and the Music of Stevie Wonder on "Wonderful"

2011-08-28T20:23:00.000-07:00


WONDERFUL Origin 82595

Having grown up in New Jersey in the sixties and seventies, there was always a slightly seedy lounge or dim lit bar where despite the over whelming smell of stale beer hanging dead in the smoke filled air, a young guy with a slightly altered id could go have a beer and hear the sweet sound of a magnificent Hammond B3 organ playing a mix of jazz, soul and the blues. Often times it was a trio, usually with guitar, drums and of course that Hammond B3 with those whirling Leslie speaker towers that was the real draw.

The format had its masters, Jimmy Smith, Jimmy McGriff, Charles Earland, Brother Jack McDuff, Richard "Groove" Holmes and even a lady or two, Shirley Scott and Trudy Pitts to name a few. So perhaps I am a little predisposed to being pleasantly swept back to those days and the fond memories they evoke whenever I hear an good organ trio.By any standards the Deep Blue Organ Trio out of Chicago is certainly a very good organ trio.

Combine the artistry of Stevie Wonder's music with talented musicians who grew up with its pervasive influence, playing it with feeling and true appreciation and you have a joyous musical experience.

The Blue Organ Trio is made up of guitarist Bobby Broom, drummer Greg Rockingham and the organ master Chris Foreman on the Hammond B3. In their able hands, Stevie's instantly recognizable music takes on a cooler, hipper, more soulful sound.

From the opening sounds of Foreman's funky organ on "Tell Me Something Good", you find yourself grooving to the tunes. Broom's supple guitar lines are delightfully bluesy while retaining warm fluidity that is from the Kenny Burrell tradition. The trio saunters through "If You Really Love Me" with Broom taking an exceptionally tasty solo.

It is on "Jesus Children of America" that the trio really cooks, with the ghost of Jimmy Smith sitting in the wings, Foreman knows how to extract the myriad of emotions that can come out of his B3. The trio has wonderful interplay with Broom's deft comping and Rockingham sitting firmly in the pocket throughout. If this one doesn't make you tap your feet check your pulse.

"My Cherie Amour" is played in a slow, romantic way that evokes visions of slow dancing in low lit high school auditoriums back in the days. One of my favorite Wonder songs "Golden Lady" is given a modern treatment with a rolling drum and splashing cymbal line by Rockingham and Broom's smooth octave playing in front of Foreman's sustained, gospel influenced B3 sound. These guys pare down the often highly produced Wonder songs from classic albums like his "Innervisions" to their essential, memorable melodies and in doing so we rediscover their beauty and brilliance.

Foreman gracefully ekes out the soul and groove of his B3 with none of the pyro-techniques that are used by many of the more fusion oriented players on the instrument . You can't help yourself but feeling the groove that this tight trio spin on song's like "You Haven't Got Nothing" and the beautiful rendition of "It Ain't No Use".

The cd ends with a blues drenched "As" and Broom's warm toned guitar on " You've Got It Bad Girl".
Tribute albums can sometimes be cheesy, but this is the kind of album that you can leave on your cd player and play over and over. It just doesn't get old listening to this music. The Deep Blue Organ Trio makes
" Wonderful", the music of Stevie Wonder just that.

The Revolution Will Be Jazz : Giacomo Gates Celebration of the Music of Gil Scott-Heron

2011-08-21T19:48:00.000-07:00

SAVANT SCD-2116

The musician/poet/troubadour Gil Scott-Heron, who in the early seventies was influential to scores of people who heard his cool brand of hip music and absorbed the pithy observational wit of his lyrics, was being rediscovered recently when he released a new album "I'm New Here" in February of 2010. His rediscovery was crushingly cut short when Mr. Scott-Heron unexpectedly died in May of this year at the age of 62.

I was strongly influenced by the messages that Mr. Scott-Heron offered in his raspy, baritone voice that spoke with an inner wisdom that was somehow lost to many around him. His music shared a jazz and blues sensibility that I was prone to like to be sure, but it was his lyrics that were poignant and unforgettable. He spoke of things that others would only think and he did so in a beguiling manner that transcended time. I was not alone in my admiration. Producer Mark Ruffin, who is the program director of the Sirius/Xm Satellite channel Real Jazz, as well as a jazz journalist himself, was similarly struck by the music and lyrics of Mr. Scott Heron. Ruffin envisioned an album of the poet's music as a homage to the man whose later years were filled with drug related hardships and conflicts. Mr. Ruffin controversially chose the jazz baritone Giacomo Gates for the project and was anxiously waiting to present the finalized version to Scott -Heron when the singer suddenly died.If anyone had trepidations about Ruffin's choice for this project, Mr.Gates grasp of the music and his performance here has certainly put all doubts to rest.

Giacomo Gates is an authentic jazz vocalist and student of the jazz tradition. He has studied the works of the vocalists like Jon Hendricks and Eddie Jefferson and has absorbed and broadened some of their techniques including scatting, vocalese and mimicking instruments with his voice. Gates has a smoky, slightly gravelly baritone voice and he has an unerring sense of swing. He is a master storyteller, often choosing music that offers some comic relief . It is precisely Mr. Gates storytelling ability that makes him so well suited to the music of Mr. Scott-Heron. Gates wisely chose from Mr. Scott-Heron's repertoire those songs that tell a story, songs that spoke to him.

Giacomo Gates

The opening number is a swinging case in point, "Show Business" certainly speaks to Mr. Gates. He has been plying his trade for some time and knows the sentiments of the song that Scott-Heron sardonically wrote about..."show business.... got you hanging out in places you got no business" . The song cooks with pianist John Di Martino tinkling his keys in deft accompaniment and guitarist Tony Lombardozzi offering a tasty solo.

Gil Scott- Heron's hopeful "This is a Prayer for Everybody to be Free" is sung by Gates in a sauntering, heartfelt and earnest way. Claire Daly's baritone sax solo is deep and raspy and compliments Mr. Gates scatting brilliantly.

Mr. Gates vocal interpretation of "Lady Day and John Coltrane" steals the show. Lonnie Plaxico's plangent bass lines carry the tune beautifully as drummer Vincent Ector holds the rhythm down.Mr. Gates is at top form here as he seems in his element with the inherent flow of this song. Pianist Di Martino intersperses Latin influenced rhythms in his fluid solo.The coda finds Mr. Gates quietly whispering the last of the lyrics.

Another inspired performance is "Legend In His Own Mind". Gates is superlative when he has a story to tell and what better lyrics to work than lines like "...he has more romances than Beverly has Hills." Gates loves to embellish on the story line as he does on this one and the group simply gets off on grooving behind him. This group of veteran players offers top notch accompaniment throughout as Mr. Gates ends the song in a beautifully expressive rising coda.

Seemingly plucked from the scripts of the series Mad Men, "Madison Avenue" is one of those stealthy Scott-Heron songs that lamented about the way American business manipulates people to consume through clever advertisements. With lines like they can "...they can sell tuna to the Chicken of the Sea." its not hard to see why Gates chose this one. His soulful baritone takes this bluesy rendition to the limit with his hip insider take on the sentiment as the band pushes the song nicely.

With Tony Lombardozzi starting the song with a funky guitar line that could have been a lead in for James Brown, Gates relishes the lyrics of Scott-Heron's "Gun". He paces the song beautifully letting the funk seep into the pours of the song while still maintaining his cool delivery of the potent lyrics. You can feel the band having fun with the infectious funky groove.

One my favorite Gil Scott-Heron song's is his great "Winter in America" . Perhaps because the original is so close to my heart I can't bear to hear it played anyway but the way its seared into my consciousness. Gates chooses to slow the song to a crawl which I find a little unsettling.Claire Daly adds some nice flute to the mix.

Lonnie Plaxico's walking bass line leads us into "Is That Jazz", a song that is tailor made for Mr. Gates sensibilities as he swings with ease and does his most adventurous foray into vocalese on the album.Gates loves to speak of his jazz heroes. He has been influenced, by his own admission, by horn players like Dexter Gordon, Lou Donaldson and Lester Young, When he uses his voice as an instrument it is clear he has a horn player's mindset. Lombardozzi's guitar accompaniment is especially tasteful as is his solo work.

"New York City" was Scott-Heron's slightly sarcastic homage from someone who loved it the city warts and all. Gates sings it like he too loves the Big Apple. He makes it into a slow love ballad that breaks occasionally into a more frenetic section that is symbolic of the City's own schizophrenic nature."NYC I don't know why I love you, but its real."

On the finale, the uplifting "It's Your World" , Mr. Gates sings with his own sense of promise and sincerity..

"The Revolution Will Be Jazz" is certainly a noble homage to Mr. Scott-Heron and his work. Mr. Ruffin should be proud of the results. With this album Mr. Gates has successfully ventured into new ground. Taking a step back from the classic American songbook that has been his staple and expanding his repertoire-in essence creating a statement of what is to be included in the new American songbook. I for one agree with his choices.

Musicians: Giacomo Gates, vocals; John Di Martino, piano; Tony Lombardozzi, guitar; Lonnie Plaxico, bass; Vincent Ector, drums; Claire Daly, baritone saxophone and flute.

Recorded at Jazz at Lincoln Center, New York, NY Nov 2010-January 2011

2011 Caramoor Jazz Festival: Powerhouse "James Farm" in Top Form

2011-08-18T18:13:00.000-07:00

Just a stone's throw form the streaming hustle of the North-South corridor known as Interstate 684, off exit 6 in the hamlet of Katonah, New York, lies the beautiful Rosen Estate, home of the Caramoor, a music and performing arts center. Caramoor was so named after a previous owner Caroline Moore Hoyt. But it was Walter and Lucie Rosen, who because of their love of music, became patrons of the musical arts and fostered performances in this most conducive of settings. They appointed this gorgeous bucolic 90 acre estate for the expressed purpose of enjoying music. In 1958 the Rosen's opened the Venetian theater, a tented 1600 seat outdoor stage, to the public. Each season the venue presents some of the most exciting and culturally diverse musical performances offered anywhere. Part of the charm of this magical place is the manicured Italianate gardens, a stroll through which transforms you to another place, with its bursting flora and manicured walkways. The overall atmosphere is sublime.

The Garden's at Caramoor

While Caramoor is known for its International series of music performances, featuring some of the world's greatest artist in the field of classical music, the weekend of August 5th through 7th was dedicated to jazz. Despite competing jazz festivals at both Litchfield and Newport occurring on the same weekend, one couldn't ask for a more exciting and contemporary selection of musical performers to choose from.

Friday night featured the vibrant, Canadian born pianist Renee (pronounced Ree Nee) Rosnes in the Spanish Courtyard with her own seasoned quartet of Steve Nelson on vibes, Victor Lewis on drums and Peter Washington on bass. Rosnes has played with a myriad of veteran players including trombonist J.J. Johnson, vibes master Bobby Hutcherson, Joe Henderson and Wayne Shorter to name a few.

I was fortunate enough to attend the Saturday night show which featured an eclectic group of performers. Producer Jim Luce should be applauded for bringing together a gumbo of musical tastes. This approach serves to open audiences to the myriad of possibilities within the broad jazz genre. He wisely chose to keep the program diverse without succumbing to the temptation of including artists better known in the areas of pop or rock music. Recently the inclusion of these types of artists on "so-called" jazz venues, has been used by other promoters as a vehicle to sell more tickets at the expense of diluting what one would come to expect from a true jazz festival.

The days activities started out at 3:00pm with the Cuban troubadour and guitar player Juan-Carlos Formell. The group consisted of Formell on guitar and vocals, Lewis Kahn on trombone, Ricky Rodriguez on bass, Manuel Valera on piano and a percussionist whose name I didn't catch. They presented a comfortable Latin inspired set of mostly Formell compositions. The singer/guitarist has an appealing stage presence and his music offers a gentle, authethically Latin/island sway to it that is infectious. Formell and company played with relish and managed to nicely warm up the late arriving crowd with their musicality and joyous congeniality.


Saxophonist Joshua Redman of James Farm

The crowd grew in size as the expectation for the next group started to be felt in the air like the electricity that raises the hair on your skin before a major storm. James Farm is a group of extremely talented musicians whose recent self-titled album is a tour de force. The group is comprised of Joshua Redman on tenor, Aaron Parks on piano, Matt Penman on Bass and the ubiquitous Eric Harland on drums. With such extraordinary musicianship it is little wonder that these guys create compelling music. While some groups seem to star one particular player, James Farm has taken a collective approach that works wonderfully. Each musician is both virtuoso and composer in his own right and they have subdued their own egos for the betterment of the musical message to great success.

The set started with the Penman's composition "1981" A rhythmic piece that features a lyrical Parks on piano and Redman's silky tenor. Penman's bass lines drive the piece as Harland demonstrates he is as creative a percussionist as you will see anywhere. They moved into Redman's more jagged composition "If by Air" . Watching Redman on stage you get the felling he absorbs the pulse of the music into his musculature. His lean and elastic body projects a wave of energy that emits from his horn in total mind/body communion. When he solos it is like he is excorcising his thoughts.

James Farm's Aaron Parks

The group moves into the Aaron Parks introspective composition " Unravel". The moody piece is demonstrative of this group's effort to play as a cohesive unit with no real showcase of individual talent. Penman takes a thoughtful bass solo, but for the most part piano, bass and sax create a unified sound that is delicately complimented by Harland's gossamer mallet and brush work.

"Polywog" is an Redman composition that has a fast paced beat that allowed the tenor man to provide one of his most explosive solos of the evening.

Matt Penman

Park's "Chronos" features an ostinato bass line that allows Redman to explore vestiges of Middle Eastern music on the melody. Parks utilizes sweeping crescendos of sound with his right hand as his left hand relentlessly plays the repeating bass lines. Harland solos with a fusillade of explosive cracks, bombs and crashes.

On Parks "Bijou" we are treated to the most melodic song of the evening. Redman is particularly beautiful in his playing reaching the high register for poignancy without any anxiety. The crowd was mesmerized throughout the set. The band left the stage and would make their way to Newport for a show the following evening. If a group can be categorized as all stars than James Farm certainly proved they qualify for this moniker in every category.

Eric Harland

The next performer was one who was new to me. The vocalist Jose James. James is originally from Minneapolis and attended the New School of Jazz and Contemporary Music in NYC. He has played with the pianist Junior Mance as well as the drummer Chico Hamilton. He possess a smoky baritone that reminds me of a cross between Gil Scot-Heron and Johnny Hartman. His delivery is an amalgam of traditional jazz vocal stylizing, wording and hip hop rap. For this evening he was joined by the talented guitarist Nir Felder, the keyboard artist Frank Lo Castro, the bassist Chris Smith and the drummer Nate Smith. Despite having to follow the powerhouse James Farm, Mr. James captured his audience's attention with his mellow musings on the ballad "Save Your Love for Me" , made famous by the chanteuse Miss Nancy Wilson, which he performed beautifully. He followed with a song dedication to John Coltrane where he deftly interjected some lines from Gil Scot-Heron's "The Bottle" conjuring up images of the late poet/troubadour's soulful baritone. On "Dedicated to You" James' warm low register voice melted the crowd like a pat of butter over steaming pancakes. A Mark Murphy inspired, rap-influenced version of Freddie Hubbard's song
"Red Clay" was a high light and featured an ripping guitar solo by the creative Nir Felder. Mr. James's lush voice and contemporary sound was fresh and for the most part entertaining. He is a young artist who is to be watched.

Bartitone Jose James with Guitarist Nir Felder

The finale of the evening was the big band of the superlative bassist Christan McBride. McBride is currently one of the premier bassist of his generation having played with some of the most influential musicians of the last two decades. His joyous approach to the instrument has made him the bassist of choice for many notable artists from Sting to Chick Corea.. Having played at Caramoor last year with Roy Haynes, Chick Corea and Kenny Garrett, he chose this year to use the familiar Caramoor stage to debut his Christian McBride 17 piece big band. For this challenging endeavor McBride was aided by a supporting cast that includes a trumpet section made up of Narate Isles, Frank Greene, Mike Rodriguez and Brandon Lee. His Trombone section includes Mike Dease, Steve Davis, James Burton II and Douglas Purviance. The saxophone section included Ron Blake, Loren Schoenberg, Todd Bashore, Steve Wilson and Carl Maraghi. Xavier Davis is featured on piano, with young Ben Williams seconding on bass and Ulysses Owens Jr. handling drum duties. The band also featured McBride's wife Melissa Walker on vocals.

Melissa Walker w the Christian McBride Big Band

The band played to a now full house as the rain started to pour outside. No one was concerned. The band started the set with "Shake & Bake" and "Broadway" . McBride told the crowd an anecdote about James Brown's penchant for calling people"Brother Mister" which became the name of the next composition. Young Ben Williams was introduced on bass as McBride jumped from his upright to conducting the band. Saxophonist Steve Wilson played a beautiful soprano solo and trumpeter Brandon Lee soared. McBride''s wife Melisa Walker came out to do " When I Fall in Love" . McBride introduced the next song "A Taste of Honey" , made famous by Herb Alpert's Tijuana Brass, to the acknowledgment of the crowd.

The next song was titled "Science Fiction" and McBride used a nice arrangement of flutes and bass clarinet in the mix. The bassist played an amazing solo on his upright double bass that was technically brilliant.It was easy to see he has few equals on his instrument. McBride creates a wide and imposing presence on stage, but when he pick ups his bass he is as facile as a wood sprite dancing through a forest. Alto saxophonist Todd Bashore tore it up for a full four minute solo that was a highlight of the evening.

Christian McBride leading his Big Band at Caramoor

The second set included "Blues in the Asphalt City" with a fine trombone solo by Steve Davis and a song dedicated to pianist Cedar Walton " Shade of the Cedar Tree". Singer Melissa Walker sang "The More I Want You" and did a slightly corny duet with hubby McBride on his bass on "Just in Time". The finale was a barn burner titled " In a Hurray" which aptly moved at great neck speed, testing the cohesiveness of the large ensemble. The McBride big band was a hit with the Caramoor audience and it was good to see that competent big bands still have their appeal to astute audiences.

While I was unable to attend the Sunday show, it featured another thrilling line up with artists including guitarist John Scofield, pianist/producer Robert Glasper's group and pianist Jason Moran's Bandwagon.

Bravo to impressario Jim Luce for such an incredible line up.The Rosen's would be proud. For those who missed this year's performances may I strongly suggest you plan to attend next year at this wonderful music friendly venue.

Review of Aaron Goldberg and Guillermo Klein’s ““Bienestan”

2011-08-11T14:11:00.000-07:00

Bienestan

Sunnyside Records SSC 1245

Recorded at Systems Two, Brooklyn, NY

May 13^th & 14^th 2009

The Argentinean composer and pianist Guillermo Klein is an enigma. He originally came to Berklee in Boston back in 1990 to study with his contemporaries and then moved to New York from 1993 to 2000 to actually play with them. During his relatively brief stay, his impressive compositions and the arrangements for big bands attracted many of the young, up and coming musicians in the area, like bees to nectar. The Guillermo Klein 17 piece Big Band took Sunday residency at the hip village jazz club Small's. Later the band secured a running gig at the Jazz Standard. As a composer, Klein was able to attract some of the areas finest young musicians. He possesses a unique sense of rhythm and harmony.His music masks complexity with the modulating groove of an undertow. His subtle shadings skillfully utilize classical, folk and contemporary musical influences. Since 1990 Mr. Klein has been living in his native Argentina as well as in Barcelona, Spain. He makes his way to New York occasionally for short gigs at local venues like the Village Vanguard or the Jazz Standard, where he is able to assemble an awesome array of musicians who are anxious to perform with him.

Composer Guillermo Klein

In the case of this latest release “Bienestan”, Mr. Klein worked in close collaboration with the pianist Aaron Goldberg- both former Berklee students-to create a series of compositions and arrangements that were tailored made to showcase Mr. Goldberg’s considerable pianistic talents. The two enlisted the formidable rhythm section, plucked from the super group James Farm, of Matt Penman on bass and Eric Harland on drums. In case that wasn’t enough fire power saxophonists Miguel Zenon and
Chris Cheek are also featured on several songs.

Pianist Aaron Goldberg

The short opening cut finds Mr. Goldberg playing an interesting intro before breaking into a straight ahead trio fromat with Penman and Harland on the Jerome Kern standard “ All the Things You Are”. Goldberg's familiarity with the song and its tradition is apparent .

“Implacable”, the first of several Klein compositions on the album, starts with an ostinato on Rhodes piano by Mr. Klein. A playful duel between he and Mr. Goldberg on piano incorporates elements of techno crossing into a classical fugue, all played over Klein's relentlessly modulating rythmic core line.
On Charlie Parker’s “ Moose the Mooche” we are treated to the superb alto of Miguel Zenon who navigates the constantly changing time signatures of the song brilliantly. Goldberg’s piano is equally adept at the quirky bobs and weaves, but it is the amazing duo of Harland and Penman that are the real treat here. The two make the chicane of time changes appear to be an effortless walk through the park. This is a stellar modernized version of the Parker classic that could only be executed by master musicians.

Klein’s pensive “Burrito” is a beautifully conceived tune that seems to float along on the chime-like sounds of Klien’s Rhodes piano.Goldberg’s sensitive acoustic piano musings evoke a feeling of unfulfilled emotional yearning.

Perhaps the most challenging composition on the album is Klein’s “Human Feel”. Klein builds tremendous kinetics with his unique arrangements and clever use of instrumentation. Drummer Harland compliments the music brilliantly while propelling the piece forward. Chris Cheek and Miguel Zenon intertwine their saxophone parts in a harmonious cacophony of sound that sails on top of Klein’s Rhodes and Penman’s bass. The piece somehow retains an inherrent organic order, despite feeling a bit like an attack of cardiac arrythmia.

“Anita” is another Klein composition that features Zenon and Cheek playing in beautiful harmony.Klein seems content to settle into mostly chordal work on his Rhodes leaving the more intricate piano solo work to Goldberg, who is a wellspring of ideas.

Another Charlie Parker tune “Blues for Alice”, features a wonderful lead-in bass solo by Matt Penman. Goldberg’s piano searchingly climbs up the keyboard as Harland creates unerring interest with his bag full of percussive techniques. Miguel Zenon’s alto solo is a high light of the album; wonderfully buoyant, tonally clean and truly Parkersque in its fluidity.

Klein offers two version of the standard “Manha de Carnaval”. The first features some beautifully sensitive and poignant piano by Goldberg, as well as a moving bass solo by Penman. The second version is a considerably more upbeat one with Harland and Penman offering a more rhythmic bossa beat that provides Goldberg the chance get into a groove and to play more aggressively. Harland is given a chance to demonstrate why he is one of the premier drummers on the scene today as he finds a myriad of sounds just using his sticks.

“Airport Fugue” is another Klein original, this one a duet with Goldberg on piano. Klein's playing has a hypnotic floating quality.

Klein’s “Yellow Roses” is airy, romantic ballad. Penman’s plucky, warm toned bass leads into a gorgeous Goldberg piano solo that follows the oscillating line of the melody. Chris Cheek’s silky soprano saxophone has the lightness of a butterfly in flight. One can almost hear the influence of the group Oregon in this piece with Cheek 's soprano evoking the etheraeal sound of Paul McCandless here.

“Impressions De Bienestan” starts out with the combined sounds of Goldberg’s piano and Penman’s bass creating a cinematic feel. Klein skillfully employs the sounds of his band's instruments, combining his Rhodes piano with Penman’s yearning bass lines to create suspense and intrigue. Harland adds deft accents to the mix. The group creates an aural picture of a rather eerie place, Beinestan,that could easily be a town in a Rod Serling vinette.

The finale is a completely different and hauntingly interesting take on the opening tune titled “Amtrak/ All the Things You Saw”. This unusual version of the well-worn classic is a little gem. Harland creates tick-tock metronomic time of a waiting train. Goldberg ultimately plays the memorable melody line as a solo. He pars it down to its bare essentials. Klein's arrangement somehow lingers in a way that manages to convince you that while this is familiar territory you have never really been here before.

This group will be playing Wednesday through Sunday August 17th through 21st at the Jazz Standard in NYC , so go out and support great "live" music.

Musicians:

Aaron Goldberg, piano; Guillermo Klein, Fender Rhodes; Matt Penman, Acoustic Bass; Eric Harland, Drums; Miguel Zenon, alto saxophone ( tracks 3,5,6,7 & 11); Chris Cheek, tenor saxophone (tracks 5 & 6) soprano saxophone (track 11).

Review of Ambrose Akinmusire “When the Heart Emerges Glistening”

2011-07-17T20:52:00.000-07:00

At the tender age of twenty-nine, trumpet player Ambrose Akinmusire, has garnered a plethora of accolades and acknowledgements this year for his recent work. He captured both trumpet of the year and best "up and coming new artist" of the year at the Jazz Journalist Association 2011 awards and has been lauded in articles in Downbeat and the New York Times to mention just a few. His latest release is titled
“ When the Heart Emerges Glistening” , his first for the venerable Blue Note label. You would be hard pressed to find a record that was so aptly titled, for Mr. Akinmusire’s musical heart has surely emerged radiant and glistening on this one. This is a daring, challenging and musically provocative collection of songs, all compositions but one were written by Mr. Akinmusire. The single exception is the 1939 Johnny Burke and Bob Haggert song “What’s New”, which Mr. Akinmusire plays as a duet with his pianist Mr. Clayton. A tribute of sorts to an idol, the late trumpet player Clifford Brown. Even here, Clayton and Akinmusire seem to include the standard as a testament to their thorough knowledge of the tradition. In doing so they inject new life into the well worn composition. It's like they're saying " we can play this but here is what we think about how it should be played today."

Part of Mr. Akinmusire’s success stems from his notion of the primacy of the band over the individual performer as the ultimate entity capable of producing his musical message.To that end he has assembled an complimentary group of talented musicians, most part of his working band, for this album. The pianist Gerald Clayton, the bassist Harish Raghavan and the drummer Justin Brown add immeasurably to the total package. Perhaps the most symbiotic relationship is with the talented saxophonist Walter Smith III with whom he shares the front line. To paraphrase Mr. Akinmsuire, the two men often finish each other’s phrases and intuitively know precisely where each other is heading.This special interplay is apparent and on full display on tunes like

“Confessions to My Unborn Daughter” or “ Jaya” where they intertwine beautifully, conversing in high register squeals and slurs, always melding their sounds seamlessly when they return to playing in unison.

Harish Raghavan’s facile bass is featured on the short intro to the hypnotic “Henya”. This composition is destined to become a jazz classic as it has already hauntingly appeared on Walter Smith” III’s “III”

and Gretchen Parlatto’s

“The Lost and Found”,

both fine outings, each artist offering their own special interpretation. On his own version, Mr. Akinmusire plays the celesta with its chime like “heavenly” sound. He overdubs himself on trumpet, creating emotionally charged phrasing interspersed with some of the most unusual and creative use of slurs that I have heard on the instrument in some time. Mr. Akinmusire has a unique vision of what he wants his music to sound like and is certainly stretching the boundaries of his instrument to achieve that vision.

On “With Love” Mr. Brown’s drums are used to create the weaving percussive patterns that move the song along so beautifully. Mr. Smith’s tenor solo is particularly lyrical as is Mr. Cleaver’s probing piano musings.

On “Regret (No More)” , a high point of the album, Mr. Clayton plays a heart wrenching duet with Mr. Akinmusire, whose delicately played solo jumps with an impressive intervallic slur that is perfectly controlled and has the emotional impact of a desperate human cry.

“Ayneh (Cora)” is one of two interludes, the other being the finale

"Ayneh ( Campbell) " that are dedicated to Mr. Akinmusire’s mother. They are musical plays on the song “Henya” with the name cleverly spelled backwards to indicate their musical affinity.

“My Name Is Oscar” is a spoken poem of sorts, with Akinmusire’s voice recorded over the rhythmic drumming of Brown. The song commemorates the life of Oscar Grant a young man who was shot to death in Oakland by a transit official. Not a protest, more of an affirmation of the man’s existence and a realization that this could have happened to any of us.

“The Walls of Lechuguilla” is the result of Akinmusire’s watching a show on television about the New Mexcian caves of Lechuguilla and their hidden beauty. It is a free piece with the trumpeter playing what sounds like what one might hear as echoes in the caves, eventually leading into a free form jaunt by the band.

The Caves of Lechuguilla

On “Tear Stained Suicide Manifesto” we find the pianist and fellow Manhattan School of Music alumni Jason Moran, playing piano. His solo is brooding and reverential with flourishes of classical undertones. Moran is credited as co-producer of this album with Akinmusire. Despite Moran’s influence, this album is clearly Akinmusire’s vision.

As Akinmusire relates, at the age of nineteen he was challenged by the saxophonist Steve Coleman as to how he wanted his music to be perceived. For the last ten years Mr. Akinmusire has made a concerted effort to extricate himself from all influences and conventions that might compromise his musical vision. If his efforts on " When the Heart Emerges Glistening" is any indication he is well on his way to acheiving that quest.

Musicians:

Ambrose Akinmusire , trumpet and compositions; Walter Smith III, saxophones; Gerald Clayton, piano; Harish Raghavan, bass; Justin Brown, drums; Jason Moran, producer and piano on “Tear Stained Suicide Manifeto”.

Tracks: Confessions to My Unborn Daughter; Jaya; Henya Bass Intro; Henya; Far But Few Between; With Love; Regret ( No More); Ayneh ( Cora);
My Name is Oscar; The Walls of Lechugilla; What’s New; Tear Stained Suicide Manifesto; Ayneh (Campbell).

Notes on Jazz Second Annual 4th of July Living Legends of Jazz Celebration

2011-07-04T03:04:00.000-07:00

Last July 4^th I decided to assemble a list of some notable musicians, arrangers, impresarios and singers in the world of jazz who had passed their seventieth birthday. Many are thankfully still with us, enabling us to formally acknowledge and take a moment to revel in their past accomplishments.
A number were still actively engaged, robustly performing in their own current endeavors. Music is a rejuvenating tonic, so it is not surprising to see several of these stalwarts going strong well into their nineties, still capable of producing some special moments of magic. As a follow-up to last year’s list, My hope is to make this an annual celebration. An informal honor roll posted on my blog www.notesonjazz.blogspot.com., acknowledging these artists and their contributions to the music; a listing of their names and ages, categorized under their respective instruments or specialty.

This past year, I was personally fortunate enough to have witnessed some fine performances by some greats of this music. Ninety-Year old pianist Dave Brubeck playing at the Tarrytown Music Hall, just months after undergoing heart surgery, showed he could still produce some memorable moments. Octogenarians Bucky Pizzarelli and Jim Hall mesmerized the audience at the Guitar Heroes exhibit at the Metropolitan Museum in New York City, as part of a series that honored the great Italian American guitar luthiers of the past. The 2011 Jazz Journalist Association Awards in New York City, featured eighty-five year young piano legend Randy Weston entertaining the astute crowd of fellow musicians and writers with his own special approach to the instrument. The irascible conguero Candido Camero, who turned ninety years old this year, created a stir at JJA gathering as he played his congas with his infectious smile and the enthusiasm of someone half his age. The JJA, at its annual awards, has consistently bestowed honors to the veteran players who have stood the test of time, sometimes to the chagrin of some younger deserving players. But just as new shoots take root in the fertile soil left by the earlier generation, the younger players are standing on the shoulders of those who came before them, and will soon enough have their turn. We are all well served to acknowledge those who paved the way, and it is my hope that we honor these dedicated artists while they are still with us and able to bask in the deserved glory.

This year tenor titan Sonny Rollins, who is eighty, was named tenor saxophonist and musician of the year at the JJA awards ceremony. Another venerable tenor saxophonist, Jimmy Heath, eighty-four, garnered the JJA’s lifetime achievement award for his body of fine work.

The accomplished arranger Bill Holman, another vibrant octogenarian, received the honors for best arranger of the year.

Despite our joy for those still with us, we continue to lose some of the great heroes and pioneers of this music. A partial list of those we lost last year includes; the rock/fusion keyboardist T. Lavitz who passed at the young age of 54. The Poet/Singer Gil Scott Heron was recently lost at the age of 62. The violinist Billy Bang, who posthumously took the best violinist in jazz award at this year’s JJA ceremony, was only 64. Jazz/Funk guitarist Cornell Dupree was 68. Pianist Ray Bryant and Soul/jazz organist/singer Trudy Pitts were both 79. Jazz vocalist Abbey Lincoln died at the age of 80. The great “Take Five” drummer from the Dave Brubeck band, Joe Morello was lost at the age of 82. The trumpeter/composer Bill Dixon was 84 and the expressive saxophone voice of James Moody who passed at 85 will be sorely missed. The well known pianist and educator Dr. Billy Taylor sadly left us at the age of 89. We also lost the seminal English pianist Sir George Shearing and the trombone sound of Buddy Morrow both were 91. Finally trumpet player Eugene “Snooky” Young left us at the ripe old age of 92. I am sure there were more that I missed.

Despite these tragic losses, jazz has proven time and again that it is a durable art form, a resilient performance art that is beyond categorization. As I have stated previously Jazz is an art form that has become the most internationally cooperative means of communication in the world today.   I truly believe this. On this fourth of July let our passion continue this yearly celebration of these communicators, those who have been and continue to be so instrumental in bringing us this music we love so much.

Many of the jazz legends continue to actively perform, teach and sustain the art through their tireless pursuit of making music and carrying on the tradition. Jazz is a living organism that is constantly evolving. It is arguably the only true indigenous American art form and as such it needs to be nurtured and supported by our active participation, especially in these austere economic times when public funding for the arts is being perilously withdrawn.The best way we can honor them is to continue to support the music by experiencing their “live” performances. Some currently touring or performing artists include Chick Corea, Herbie Hancock, Wayne Shorter, Dave Brubeck, Sonny Rollins, Randy Weston, Ramsey Lewis, Gerald Wilson, Phil Woods, McCoy Tyner, Gary Bartz, Lew Tabakin, Bunk Green, Charles Lloyd, Gato Barbieri, Lee Konitz, Gary Peacock , Archie Shepp and Richard Davis to name just a few.

Here is my expanded list of veteran players, all at least seventy years of age, who in some way helped shape the music. I am sure I am missing some important players and my apologies for any inadvertent omissions. I welcome comments from readers who may know of deserving musicians who I should add to this list so that it can be more complete next year. A great big thank you to each and every one of this years celebrants.

LIVING JAZZ LEGENDS : July 4, 2011

Saxophonists/ Reed Instruments :

Pharaoh Sanders, Gary Bartz, Peter Brotzmann, Roscoe Mitchell and Bennie Maupin (70), Arthur Bythe, Hamiet Bluiett, Wilton Felder, Joe McPhee, Charles McPherson, Carlos Ward,
Paul Winter and
Lew Tabakin (71),
Odean Pope,

Zibigniew Namyslowski, Charles Gayle, Sonny Fortune and George Braith (72)
James Spaulding, Charles Lloyd, Carlos Garnett, Joseph Jarman (73),Archie Shepp,

Nathan Davis, Frank Strozier, Jim Galloway and Nick Brignola (74) Klaus Doldinger,

John Tchicai, Gary N. Foster, Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre and Don Menza (75)
Giuseppi Logan, Jimmy Woods, Houston Person, George Coleman and Bunky Green (76)

Lanny Morgan, Gato Barbieri and Wayne Shorter (77) Lol Coxhill,

Sadao Watanabe, Charlie Davis and John Handy III (78) Phil Woods, Bill Perkins and

Plas Johnson Jr. (79) Sonny Rollins (80), Ornette Coleman and Gabe Baltazar (81)

Joe Temperley, Harold Ousley, Herb Geller, Frank Foster and Benny Golson (82)

Lee Konitz (83), Big Jay McNeeley, Med Flory, Dick Hafer, Lou Donaldson, Jimmy Heath and Red Holloway (84), Marshall Allen ,Sam Rivers, Hal McKusick and Earle“Von”Freeman (87), Frank Wess (89), Yusef Lateef (90), Harold Joseph “Hal”“Cornbread” Singer (91) .

Pianists:

Connie Crothers, Stanley Cowell, Armando“Chick”Corea, Mike Nock and David Burrell (70), Herbie Hancock Bob James, Charles Brackeen and Roger Kellaway (71), McCoy Tyner,
Mike Longo, Joe Sample, Gap Mangione, Jon Mayer and Joanne Brackeen and Warren Bernhardt (72) Denny Zeitlin, Steve Kuhn and John Coates Jr. (73), Eddie Palieri and
Kirk Lightsey (74), Les McCann, Carla Bley and Harold Mabern (75), Ramsey Lewis, Pat Moran (McCoy) and Pat Rebillot, Ran Blake, Don Friedman,

Oliver Jones, Ellis Marsalis Jr. and Abdullah Ibrahim (Dollar Brand) (76), Dave Grusin and Misha Mengelberg (76) Cedar Walton, Paul Bley, Bengt Hallberg and Larry Novak (78)
Jack Reilly, Walter Norris, George Gruntz and Michel LeGrand (79), Horace Parlan,
Muhal Richard Abrams, Derek Smith and Amhad Jamal (80)

Frank Strazzeri, Cecil Taylor, Richard Wyands, Claude Bolling, Barry Harris and
Toshiko Akiyoshi (81), Horace Silver and Junior Mance (82) Freddie Redd, Martial Solal and Mose Allison (83), Dick Hyman and Claude Williamson (84), Randy Weston (85), Barbara Carroll (86), Paul T. Smith and Johnny Otis (Veliotes) (89), Dave Brubeck, Al Vega and Marty Napoleon (90), Bebo Valdes (92), Marian McPartland (93).

Bassists:

Steve Swallow (70), Ed “Butch” Warren, Don Thompson and Eberhard Weber (71), Mario Pavone (72), Larry Ridley, Reggie Workman and Charlie Haden (73),

Ron Carter and Chuck Israels (74), Buell Nedlinger and Henry Grimes (75),Gary Peacock and Cecil McBee (76), Bob Cranshaw and Jack Six (78) Ron Crotty and Richard Davis (81), Jymie Merritt (85)
Eugene "The Senator”Wright (88),Howard Rumsey (94), Coleridge Goode (96).

Trumpet/Cornet/ Flugelhorn:

Eddie Henderson, Palle Mikkelborg and Chuck Mangione (70), Enrico Rava (71),
Marvin Stamm and Hugh Masekela (72), Guido Basso (73), Ed Polcer and Ernie Carson (74), Chuck Flores and Ted Curson (76), Bobby Bradford (76) Donald Byrd (78), Jack Sheldon and Dusko Gojkovic (79), Alphonso “Dizzy” Reese, Louis Smith and Ira Sullivan (80), Sam Noto and Kenny Wheeler (81), Carl “Doc” Severinson (83), Joe Wilder and Uan Rasey (89),
Clark Terry (90) Thomas Jefferson (91),Gerald Wilson (92 ).Lionel Ferbos (99) he will be 100 years old on July 17^th.

Guitarists: Jerry Hahn (70), Ralph Towner (71),
Gene Bertoncini and Joe D’Iorio (74), Sonny Greenwich (75), Ed Bickert (78) Kenny Burrell (79), Jim Hall,
Joao Gilberto and John Pisano (80), Martin “Marty” Grosz (81) Eddie Duran and, Bucky Pizzarelli (85)
Mundell Lowe and Johnny Smith (89).

Trombonists:

James “Dick” Griffin and Wayne Henderson (71) Billy Watrous (72), Grachan Moncur III, Philip Elder Wilson and “Big” Bill Bissonnette (74), Roswell Rudd (75),

Julian Priester (76) Curtis Fuller (76) Locksley "Slide" Hampton (79), Bob Brookmeyer (81), Santo "Sonny' Russo (82). George “Buster” Copper, Harold Betters and Conrad Janis (83), George Masso and Urbie Green (84) and Eddie Bert (89), Herbie Harper (91).

Drummers/Percussionists:

Billy Hart (70), Andrew Cyrille, Ginger Baker and Pierre Courbois (71) and Idris Muhammad (71), Bernard Purdie, Issac “Redd” Holt, Nesbert “Stix” Hooper and
Tony Oxley (72), Pete LaRoca (Sims), Horace Arnold, Paul Ferrara, Daniel Humair and Edwin Marshall (73), Louis Hayes, James “Sunny” Murray, Charly Antolini, Colin Bailey and Roy McCurdy (74), Albert “Tootie” Heath and Chuck Flores (76), Donald “Duck” Bailey (77),
Ben Riley and Ray Mosca (78), Mickey Roker Frank Capp and Grady Tate (79) Paul Motian and Ronnie Bedford (80),) John Armatage (81), Hal Blaine, Jimmy Cobb, Charlie Persip (82), Joe Harris (84), Roy Haynes and Samuel “Dave” Bailey (85), Armando Peroza (87),Percy Brice and Al Harewood (88), Foreststorn “Chico” Hamilton (89), Candido Camero (90)
and Edward “Butch” Ballard (92).

Organists:

Mac “Dr John” Rebbenack (70)“ Papa” John De Francesco), Brian Auger (71), Rhoda Scott (73), Reuben Wilson (76), and Sir Charles Thompson (93).

Jazz Vocalists:

Janet Lawson (70), Astrud Gilberto and Al Jarreau (71), Mary Stallings (71),

Etta James, Ruth Price and Ellyn Ruker (73), Nancy Wilson, Carol Sloane, Karin Krog and Sathima Bea Benjamin (74) Marlene Ver Planck and David Frishberg piano/vocals (78), Freddy Cole and Mark Murphy (79), Helen Merrill( 81),Gloria Lynne (79), Annie Ross (80), Sheila Jordan and Ernestine Anderson (82), Cleo Laine,

Jackie Cain and Ernie Andrews (83),Tony Bennett (84) Bill Henderson and

Jimmy Scott (85) Bob Dorough (87) Jon Hendricks (90), Herb Jeffries (97).

Artists on Other Instruments:

Bobby Hutcherson and Roy Ayers, vibraphonists (70) Lonnie Liston Smith, keyboardist and Hubert Laws, flautist (71) , Perry Morris Robinson, clarinetist (72) Gunter Hampel, multi-instrumentalist, Charlie Shoemake, vibraphonist , Dave Pike, vibraphonist/marimba and Mike Maineri, vibraphonist (73) Hermeto Pascoal, accordion & keyboards (74) Reuben Wilson, organist (76) Joe Licari, clarinetist, Sonny Simmons sax and English Horn, Warren Chiasson vibraphonist (77),Michael White, violin and Emil Richards, vibes and percussion (78) David Baker composer/cellist (79), Frank Marocca, accordion and Sam Most, flautist (80),

Pierre “Pete” Fountain and Rolf Kuhn, clarinetists and Paul Horn, flautist (81),
Bernard “ Acker” Bilk, clarinetist, Peter Appleyard, vibraphonist and Andre Previn conductor/pianist (82), Teddy Charles (Cohen), vibraphonist and Bob Wilber, clarinetist (83), Terry Gibbs, vibraphonist and George Wein, Pianist/ Concert Promoter (86),
Rudy Van Gelder, recording engineer (86), Buddy DeFranco, clarinetist (88)
Jean “Toots” Thielmans, harmonica/guitar/whistler (89), Svend Asmussen, violinist and Pete Rugolo, piano/ French Horn/ arranger/(95).

Composer/Arrangers/Producers:

Don Sebesky, arranger/trombone and Milcho Leviev (73),Quincy Delight Jones, composer/arranger/ trumpet (78), Claus Ogerman conductor/arranger,

Clinton “Clint” Eastwood, composer/director/pianist (81), Creed Taylor, record producer and Clare Fischer Composer/arranger/pianist/organist (82), Lennie Niehaus, composer/arranger/saxophonist (82), Bill Holman, arranger/composer/saxophone (84), Johnny Mandell, composer/arranger and Gunther Schuller composer/conductor/French horn (85), Orrin Keepnews, producer (88),
George Avakian, producer (92)

My best wishes for a happy and healthy 4th of July to all of you and thank you for your tireless contributions to the music we all love.

PS: A great big thanks to the wonderful photographers and fellow JJA members Fran Kaufman http://frankaufman.com/and John Abbott http://johnabbottphoto.com/ for graciously allowing me to use their amazing images for this years list.

This article is also posted on the Huffington Post at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ralph-a-miriello/living-jazz-legends_b_889397.html

Nussbaum, Anderson & Noy: 3/4 of the group Bann Play the Turning Point Cafe

2011-06-29T14:02:00.000-07:00

The Turning Point Cafe in Piermont , NY
photo by Ralph A. Miriello c 2011

Twenty-six miles from New York City in the charming little village of Piermont, NY., is the home of the Turning Point cafe and restaurant. The town picturesquely sits at the edge of a wide section of the Hudson river and in the shadow of the Tappan Zee Bridge in Rockland County, New York. Owner John McEvoy, has a penchant for blues, folk rock and "shit kicking" music and he has been bringing national and local acts to this area for the last thirty-five years. For the last three seasons McEvoy has been collaborating with jazz saxophonist & promoter John Richmond to bring top notch jazz to this intimate music venue, mostly on Monday and Sunday nights.

Oz Noy, Adam Nussbaum & Jay Anderson of BANN
photo
by Ralph A. Miriello c 2011

This past Sunday, I made my way across the bridge to see the trioof drummer Adam Nussbaum, bassist Jay Anderson and electric guitarist Oz Noy perform. Together with tenor saxophonist Seamus Blake, they make up the group BANN
( an acronyn for their last names Blake, Anderson, Nussbaum and Noy.). I recently reviewed their most recent offering "As You Like", recorded at Anderson's Mountain Rest Studio in nearby New Paltz, NY and thought it was a top notch effort. (check out my review by clicking here).

I have seen drummer Adam Nussbaum perform before with guitarist John Abercrombie, with whom he regularly works. He is a drummer's drummer who always seems to have a coterie of other fellow players who come out to see him perform. He is a muscular, animated drummer with a firm attack and a keen sense of time. He is deft with brushes and uses his cymbals tastefully. Nussbaum is originally from Norwalk, CT and has worked with John Scofield, Dave Liebman and James Moody to name a few.

Adam Nussbaum
photo by Ralph A. Miriello c 2011

Jay Anderson is the consummate journeyman bassist. His resume includes stints with Maria Schneider's award wining "Sky Blue" orchestra, singer/songwriter Michael Franks, the late great saxophonist Michael Brecker and Crusaders pianist Joe Sample as well being a first call sideman for many other musicians. He can keep impeccable time or produce poignant solos with his facile technique.

Jay Anderson
phtoto by Ralph A. Miriello c 2011

Israeli born guitarist Oz Noy is the youngster in the group and the wild card in the deck. His playing is an odd amalgam of jazz, rock, funk and blues. His slant on the music always comes from a contemporary point of view. He crosses between genres with ease. He is an exciting player who doesn't play conventionally. His excursions can be surprisingly brilliant or conversely leave you and his fellow players scratching their heads. Besides working with Adam and Jay in BANN, he has played with super drummers Dave Wekl, Vinnie Colaiuta and Anton Fig along with bassists Will Lee and James Genus in his own power trios.

The group started their set at the Turning Point with an unusual take on the Jerome Kern classic "All the Things You Are", one my favorite cuts from their recent album. Noy uses an array of electronic devices to supplement his guitar sound and he modulated through the changes as Nussbaum used subtle brush strokes and soft traps with Anderson gently loping on his bass. The result was an old standard that took on a new and contemporary sound.

The group included the Thelonious Monk's tune "Evidence" as a starting point for its exploration into staccato syncopation. The trio was able to negotiate the jagged starts and stops of the tune with a loose precision as Noy lead the way and Anderson and Nussbaum followed the chicane of changes in joyful tandem. You could see these guys were having some fun.

Jay Anderson's decidedly western sounding "At Sundown" , also from the latest album, is a classic piece of Americana inspired music. Here Noy skillfully employs a glass slide to create the sound reminiscent of a pedal steel guitar. Using his brushes once again, Nussbaum animatedly hushes his cymbals at precise breaks in the music to great effect. Anderson's bass is warm and inviting, as Noy's guitar sounds like it is taking a page from the Bill Frisell play book.

Oz Noy
photo by Ralph A. Miriello c 2011

Noy's "Hot Peas and Butter" found the guitarist getting into some adventurous improvisation with a line from Jimi Hendix's " Third Stone from the Sun" figuring prominently during part of his solo. The band seemed a bit afloat on this one.

The group broke for a brief intermission and came back with a crowd pleasing Nussbaum blues titled "Sherwood Baby", with Noy and Anderson both playing soulful solos.

Almost immediately after this blues, Noy started to noodle on a lick from the melody "If I Only Had A Brain"from the musical the Wizard of Oz. . His angular approach was immediately picked up on by his fellow band mates to the delight of the crowd. I am not sure if this was a part of the planned repertoire. It seemed more like a spontaneous response to a fleeting riff and it was fun to watch it develop.This is what makes "live", in the moment music so special.

In what was perhaps my favorite performance of the night, the trio did a wonderful ballad version of
John Coltrane's "Giant Steps" at a slow, sauntering pace that allowed for some beautiful solo moments from the three musicians. Anderson was particularly poignant on his bass solo.

The final three tunes were Monk's "Straight No Chaser"; Noy's catchy "Minor Shuffle" which could easily become a it's own minor classic and a finale of Miles Davis "All Blues" with tenor saxophonist John Richmond sitting in for the last song.

It was a great evening of music and the Turning Point cafe is a wonderful venue that will hopefully continue to provide another needed place for great jazz to be experienced.

This article is also posted on The Huffington Post at
http://www.huffingtonpost.com/ralph-a-miriello/nussbaum-anderson-noy-34-_b_887239.html

Suspend Some Time and Take a Trip Through Julian Lage's “Gladwell”

2011-06-08T21:41:00.000-07:00

Julian Lage "Gladwell"

Decca Records B0015502-02

Recorded at WBGH Studios, Boston, Ma

August 12^th , 13^th & 14^th 2010 September 29, 2010 and December 10 & 11^th 2010

You have entered a world where time and space are suspended; a world, mysterious and forgotten as created in the mind of guitarist Julian Lage. You have entered the imaginary town of Gladwell. In this town all the instrumental voices are aural representations of the unique residents of this metaphorically magical place.

Using this town as his canvas, Lage creates a musical vignette that captures the sights, sounds and feel of this wholly imaginary place- a compilation of sorts that is made up of people, musical influences and experiences that he and his fellow musicians hold dear.

From the decidedly western sounding “233 Butler” which Lage impeccably plucks on a 1934 guitar built by R.A. Mango, the album has a rooted Americana feel. A layered percussion solo by Tupac Mantilla is laced with voice overs, sighing cello and an array of unidentifiable percussive elements.

Tupac Mantilla

“Margaret” is a particularly evocative ballad that Lage wrote for friend and fellow Berklee guitarist/composer Margaret Glaspy. Lage employs tenor lines by Dan Blake and cello accompaniment by Aristides Rivas to create this compelling piece of music that somehow has undertones suggestive of Pat Metheny and Charlie Haden’s “Beyond the Missouri Sky” from 1997 .

Lage includes three improvised guitar pieces in the album, which he plays on a vintage 1926 Martin

00-28. On the first “ Point the Way” Lage over dubs three parts into an interesting quilt of sounds that he codifies in a brief two minute twelve seconds. The second piece, “Cathedral” ,is the equally short but delicate chamber piece that employs the unique resonance of the vintage Martin guitar. The final improvised/ overdubbed guitar piece is

“Listen Darkly” which is the most frenetic of the three.

“However” is written by saxophonist Dan Blake and has a distinctively a rhythmic drive created by Mantilla’s effective use of drums and shimmering cymbals. Lage has a distinctive sound that lies somewhere between Metheny and Frisell without being too much like either of them.

Saxophonist Dan Blake

The classic “Freight Train” is played in a un-garnished, straight ahead almost reverential way, with Lage’s virtuosity and passion shinning delightfully through.

On “Listening Walk” we find Mantilla, Roeder and Lage create the bustle of a crowded train station. Lage uses a finger picked ostinato that sets the stage for Blake and Rivas to introduce the backing melody line, that simulates the loudspeaker announcements at the imaginary Gladwell’s train station. Mantilla and Lage have a great affinity as the two play off each other like two familiar friends walking through their imaginary town.

“Cocoon” is a gossamer tune that is laden with both melancholy and timelessness. Aurally it depicts the sacred place, the sanctuary that all destinations like Gladwell invariably have.

The seminal standard “Autumn Leaves” was reportedly played by Lage in a living room-like environment created in the studio. Here he played for the exclusive enjoyment of his band mates who were all seated in a half circle on the floor around him. It is a rare glimpse of the fine guitarist playing solo for the enjoyment and under the direct scrutiny of his fellow musicians.

“Iowa Taken” is another fine example of the precise interplay that Mantilla, bassist Jorge Roeder and Lage have developed. Roeder provides some interesting and fluid bass lines during his solo. There is a fascinating draw to Lage’s creative process of building his musical vignettes, employing changes in direction, time and alternating between repeating lines and dancing single line adventures.

Bassist Jorge Roeder

The final piece on the album is “Telegram” which, according to the liner notes, borrows from the tune

“Red Prairie Dawn” and is a jaunting, joyful down home piece of Americana in the finest tradition. Lage picks his way on a vintage 1932 Gibson L-5 here and saxophonist Dan Blake soars on this one.

Julian Lage and company have astutely orchestrated this entertaining travelogue through his imaginary Gladwell and it is a trip worthy of multiple visits.

Musicians: Julian Lage (guitars); Dan Blake (saxophones); Aristides Rivas (cello); Jorge Roeder (bass); Tupac Mantilla ( drums and percussion)

Gil Scott Heron: Poet, Musician, Troubadour of Truth Dies in NYC at age 62

2011-06-01T21:14:00.000-07:00

Gil Scott Heron (April 1, 1949 – May 27, 2011)

In a world bereft of really meaningful socially and politically charged music, we learn of the passing of a great poet, a troubadour of truth, Gil Scott Heron. Mr. Scott Heron was reported to have been in St. Luke's hospital in NYC when he succumbed to some as yet unannounced health issues,sometime of Friday May 27, 2011 at the age of 62.
Who will take his place?

Mr. Scott Heron was a visionary poet who used his raspy, gravel-like voice in combination with soulful, jazzy musical elements to bring his social and political commentary to light. His voice could seethe with anger and sarcasm or could be used to elicit great pathos depending on what he was trying to communicate. In an interview from 2008, when asked to define a poet he said a poet is "...someone who uses words to communicate more than just ordinary conversation. We (poets) use it (poetry) to communicate ideas that we think people need to know." For his part Mr. Scott Heron certainly did just that.

Though his success was never mainstream, for those who did happen to listen, he provided some valuable insights, often holding up a less than flattering mirror to our collective conscience. His music came to light in the late sixties and early seventies starting with his debut album "Small Talk at 125th Street and Lenox". He was also a published author with the release of his " The Vulture and The Nigger Factory" in 1970 and cited the poet Langston Hughes as an early influence.

His music and poetry concentrated on social commentary and political injustice as seen from a Black man's perspective. He was loud, controversial, with an acerbic wit that used sarcasm to great effect. He became a poster child for black militancy during this era, as his approach was bold, unafraid and "in your face." "The Revolution Will Not Be Televised" was a call to action that leveled criticism across the board with shots at overt consumerism, social injustice, political chicanery and the complacency that he found in his own people.

His brilliant  "Winter in America" , from his album of the same name, is a soul searching look at some of the less admirable aspects of American history and a decidedly pessimistic lament about the loss of real leadership. Perhaps his most frequently played song on radio was
"The Bottle", a single from this 1974 album. It was an indictment of the devastating effects of alcohol abuse set to soulful jazz based music played with his long time collaborator the flautist/pianist Brian Jackson. Scott Heron's vocals were delivered in a combined singing/talk-like style that predates rap and consequently he is often credited with being one of rap's major influences.


No matter what subject he tackled he did so with a style and wit that was hard to ignore. His "Whitey on The Moon" was his acerbic look at the juxtaposition of a nation that could put a man on the moon but was still struggling with the realities of poverty. He was a passionate anti-nuclear advocate and he made his point on his chilling "We Almost Lost Detroit", a clarion call to reconsider the use of nuclear energy and it's inherent dangers. He played this at the
No Nukes concert in Madison Square Garden in 1979.

His political commentary was stinging with his "H20Gate Blues" roasting President Nixon's Watergate debacle and his"B Movie" ,a clever reference to the then President Reagan's former movie career, a powerful metaphor for what he saw as an "acting" president. Whether you agreed or disagreed with his sentiments he was a skillful wordsmith and a powerful advocate for his cause. He often said what others wish they had and he did so with a cool style and an unmistakeably distinctive voice that had an inherent musicality.
Despite some well documented drug and medical problems, Scott Heron had made a recent comeback of sorts with his 2010 release " I'm New Here" and the single" Me and The Devil"

which introduced the erascible poet to a whole new generation. Reportedly he was taken ill during a recent European trip and was eventually brought to St. Luke's hospital in New York City where he passed on Friday.With his passing the world of music and poetry has certainly suffered a terrible loss.

A memorial service has been scheduled for 10:30 a.m. Thursday June 2 at Riverside Church; there will also be a public viewing from 6-9 p.m. at Frank E. Campbell Funeral Home at 81st Street and Madison Avenue.
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