Featured Artists

winning spins by George Kanzler

Two saxophonists - Jimmy Greene and Vincent Herring - who've been illustrious sidemen on the scene for over one and two decades respectively, have new albums out by working bands. Of course, "working bands" today aren't what they were thirty or forty years ago. Nowadays, a group that's able to get together a handful of times each year and score some weeklong gigs is as close to a working band as most non-A list celebrity jazz artists can get.
Herring and Greene showcase working bands that are quartets on their CDs, although both leaders also employ the same guest trumpeter, Jeremy Pelt, on some tracks. Herring's rhythm section is his "European band," the one he's worked with mostly on that continent, although the players aren't necessarily based there. It consists of Danny Grissett, piano; Essiet Essiet, bass, and Joris Dudli, drums. Greene's New York based rhythm section is Xavier Davis, piano; Reuben Rogers, bass, and Eric Harland, drums.
Ends and Means (High Note), remains true to alto saxophonist Herring's roots in hard bop and soul jazz, roots planted early when he was chosen by Nat Adderley to carry on the legacy of Julian "Cannonball" Adderley in Nat's tribute band to his late brother. The title track is firmly in that tradition, structured around a winning tension-release song form. Swiss-born, Vienna-based drummer Dudli contributes spunky, off-kilter funk rhythms to two of his originals, "Tom Tom," marked by a pronounced backbeat, and "Thoughts," with a slinky rhythm aided by unison piano and bass, and a tonally distinct combo of Harmon-muted trumpet and soprano sax (Herring's one outing on that instrument).
Grissett, whose piano solos consistently stand out, also contributes an asymmetrical arrangement of Irving Berlin's "The Song Is Ended" for the quintet, with suspended A sections and an Afro-Latin tinged bridge. A surprising standout track is a quartet version of the Beatles' "Norwegian Wood," done in the style of John Coltrane's "My Favorite Things," that surges along with stirring momentum and passionate solos from both the leader and Grissett.
If Herring's album is an affirmation of his roots, with some funky contemporary touches, Jimmy Greene's True Life Stories (Criss Cross), is a more searching, stylistically open album. Not only is tenor saxophonist Greene's repertory more varied - from pop standards to Thelonious Monk to religious music - but he employs a variety of configurations, from duo to quintet to two different quartets. There's a pliable, open quality to the rhythms too, largely a product of Harland's singular style, with its unusual, for these times, reliance on sticks on drum skins as much or more than on cymbals.
Greene has a wide command of tenor tone, and can keep it light and keening, as on his mid-tempo "Re-Affirmation," with the rhythm section; gritty and shouting on "Evidence/True Life Stories," a conflation of a Monk tune and his own melody done in a piano-less quartet; or warm and breathy on a romantic duo (with Davis) version of "My Ideal." He also has a clean, bright and tuneful soprano sax sound, displayed on both his own multi-tempo "Song for Isaiah" and the traditional hymn, "How Great Thou Art." His other foray into religious themes, the contemporary gospel number, "A Closer Walk," is given a Stevie Wonder twist made overt with Greene's "Isn't She Lovely" coda. And speaking of good pop songs, don't miss the closer, a lush, heart-beat tempo rendition of Harry Connick Jr.'s macho ballad "Take Advantage."
Trumpeter Pelt, a welcome presence on Herring's album, is even more essential in his three appearances with Greene, offering a meaty, contrasting solo to the soprano on "Isaiah" and interacting and soloing strikingly on the two pianoless quartet tracks, both definite album high water marks.

Jimmy Greene plays at Smoke on Aug. 18-19. Vincent Herring will be featured with the Cedar Walton group at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on Aug. 8-13 and 15-20.

SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND GEORGE KANzler

DON FRIEDMAN
SAINT PETER'S CHURCH/AUGUST 10
Such a resume! Recordings in the 50s and 60s with Chet Baker, Dexter Gordon and even Ornette Coleman. Fruitful New York alliances later with Jimmy Giuffre, Pepper Adams, Booker Little, Attila Zoller and a host of others. A great deal of collaboration over the years with Clark Terry, for whom Friedman remains the pianist of choice. Don's keyboard touch - and his knack for rediscovering great old tunes -- reminds some listeners of Bill Evans. Check out Friedman's three most recent trio CDs on the 441 label. He'll head up a trio at Kitano on Aug. 11 and 12. At St Peter's, though, it'll be strictly duo: Don plus a bassist. PB

FRANCISCO MELA
BLUE NOTE/AUGUST 7
Since emerging on the scene a decade ago, this 38 year-old Cuban drummer has worked with Kenny Barron, Joe Lovano, David Sanchez, Jane Bunnett and John Scofield. He calls his concept "free jazz Latin" and ably showcases it on his first album, Melao (Ayva Music), which features saxists Lovano, Anat Cohen and George Garzone, along with guitarists Lionel Loueke and Nir Felder, in a program of nine Mela originals and an Ornette tune. Mela's pliant, often melodic approach to rhythm suggests a cross between Paul Motian and fellow Cuban Ignacio Berroa. Joining him here: reedmen Paquito D'Rivera and Mark Turner, pianist Jason Moran and others TBA. GK

KEVIN HAYS WITH AL FOSTER
VILLAGE VANGUARD/AUG. 29-SEPT. 3
The quartet that drummer Foster leads for this Vanguard week includes saxophonist Eli Degibri, bassist Doug Weiss - and pianist Hays, who'll be enroute from a club appearance in Albuquerque to concerts in Germany. He's collaborated in the past with Roy Haynes, Benny Golson, Joe Henderson and Bob Belden. Among his own recent CDs, Open Range (ACT) is an atmospheric aural portrait of the American Southwest, where he now makes his home. For Heaven's Sake (JazzEyes) is a more conventional trio date. And the self-produced One Little Song documents a duo session with Debibri on both soprano and tenor. They're all quite different and all nice. PB

DREW GRESS
JAZZ GALLERY/AUGUST 19 AND 20
Bassist-composer Gress' most frequent associates are fellow luminaries in what's often termed "contemporary improvised music": David Binney, Fred Hersch, Tim Berne, Uri Caine, Ellery Eskelin, Tom Varner, Andy Laster and so on. It's a close-knit community of smallish groups with ever-shifting lineups coming together for one-off live performances and recordings typically done for smaller and braver Europe based labels. We hope the group Drew brings here includes the same guys heard on his recent 7 Black Butterflies CD. That'd be Ralph Alessi on trumpet, Berne on alto, Craig Taborn on piano and Tom Rainey on drums, all underlined by Drew's bass work. PB. B

McCOY TYNER
CARAMOOR FESTIVAL/AUGUST 5
Pianist Tyner made some of his most exciting and influential records for the Impulse label, both as a leader and (earlier on) as a member of John Coltrane's seminal quartet. This summer on the festival circuit, with an assist from arranger Bob Belden, Tyner is returning to those thrilling days of yesteryear, leading a septet to recreate the rushing, roiling music he made for Impulse. Joining his Impulse Story Sextet are two veterans of those storied years - saxophonist Dave Liebman and trombonist Steve Turre - along with three spirited younger players: Charnett Moffett (bass), Nicholas Payton (trumpet) and Donald Harrison and Eric Alexander (saxophones). GK

MONTY ALEXANDER TRIO
JAZZ STANDARD/AUGUST 9-13
Alexander has enjoyed a long and successful career as the leader of trios modeled on those headed up by some of his idols and early influences - among them, Nat "King" Cole, Eddie Heywood and Oscar Peterson. But unlike those pianists, Alexander doesn't hail from North America; he's Jamaican by birth. Lately, he's been exploring his Caribbean roots, most recently on a Telarc CD called Concrete Jungle on which he mixes Bob Marley's music with his own trio plus Jamaican musicians. At the Standard, therefore,expect him to blend his usual jazz, pop and blues standards repertoire with some tastes of reggae and ska. GK

MATT DARRIAU
CORNELIA STREET CAFÉ/AUGUST 18
Reedman Darriau's Paradox Trio (which paradoxically includes four musicians) plays what he calls "Balkan gypsy-inflected jazz and groove music." The outfit includes guitarist Brad Shepik, cellist Rufus Cappadocia and percussionist Seido Salifoski. Though downtown scene vet Darriau is better known for the waves of good feeling engendered by his larger Ballin' the Jack ensemble, which breathes new life into early swing-era tunes, this smaller configuration - reflecting seven years of ferment - employs a different tonal and rhythmic vocabulary to great effect. Their new Enja CD (Gambit) is likely to win Matt a passel of new admirers. PB

MARK KRAMER WITH EDDIE GOMEZ
IRIDIUM/AUGUST 24-27
Pianist Kramer and bassist Gomez garnered enthusiastic reviews for their 2005 CD, The Art of the Heart (Art of Life), on which they mixed solid jazz playing with a bit of classical feeling. They'll perform some of that same über-romantic repertoire on these four evenings, along with other mid-century material rarely done in jazz. They'll also debut some leading-edge original compositions they've been working on, along with a few standards. You could call their approach "jazz minimalism." Gomez is, of course, best known for his membership in one of Bill Evans' great trios. This'll be a trio, too, with the addition of Gene Jackson on drums. PB

ART LILLARD
THE GARAGE/AUGUST 6
A drummer of wide-ranging experience, Lillard brings a trio into The Garage twice this month. His Aug. 6 gig begins at noon, while another on Aug. 21 starts at 11:30 PM. The roster of his part associates includes Dave Douglas, Billy Bang, George Garzone, Frank Kimbrough, Patience Higgins and John Hicks. Many know him best, though, for the Heavenly Big Band he leads at various venues around the metro area. In fact, that hard-charging aggregation will be playing outdoors on Aug. 27 at a festival in Brooklyn. Find them at the corner of Brighton Beach Ave. and Brighton Beach 14th St. from noon to three. PB

PETER BEETS
ROSE THEATER/AUGUST 1
"Impeccable technique...an incisive sense of swing...very New York-like," opines one critic on Beets. "Marvelous chops...remarkable warmth and maturity," says another. The best young pianist I've heard in the last ten years!" exclaims a third. This young Dutchman is part of the troupe performing for this year's Spirit of Django Reinhardt concert. Also confirmed are three remarkable French gypsy guitarists named Schmitt (Dorado, Samson and Tchavolo), French accordionist Ludovic Beier and Romanian violinist Flirin Niculescu, along with a pair of Yanks - saxophonist Joel Frahm and bassist Brian Torff. (The same talented bunch plays at Caramoor July 29). PB

JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSH

VANESSA RUBIN
CECIL'S/AUGUST 4 AND 5
Vocalist Vanessa Rubin backup trio will include the wonderful Danny Grissett on piano, Neal Caine on bass and Alvin Atkinson on drums. Apart from singing, Ms. Rubin wears a number of other hats: A&R director, producer, arranger, composer and teacher. She's the creator of "The Dameron Project," too. Her most recent album is Girl Talk (Telarc). Vanessa cites Barry Harris and Frank Foster as two established pros who have mentored her in years past. Other jazz vets who've admired her work enough to use her on their own projects include Monty Alexander, Houston Person, Toots Thielemans, James Williams, Mercer Ellington and Lionel Hampton.

BRANDON WRIGHT
DANCING GOAT/AUGUST 11
Those listeners who heard Brandon at the New Jersey Jazz Society's June festival (or on the Trumpets bandstand in July) are already aware that he's the real deal. This tenor man - he also doubles on alto - brings a hard-charging trio into the Goat, with Radam Schwartz on organ and Pat Van Dyke playing drums. Wright's playing is decidedly soulful. At the same time, it reflects the benefits of past study with Rufus Reid and Walt Weiskoff. His performance credits already include work with Maria Schneider, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, Monica Mancini, Clark Terry, Bob Mintzer, Ira Sullivan, Claudio Roditi and other worthies.

TED BROWN
TRUMPETS/AUGUST 27
When Warne Marsh left us in 1987, the torch he'd been carrying was picked up by tenor saxophonist Ted Brown. Influenced by Bird, Lester, Dex and Bud, Brown was a student of Lennie Tristano's and a colleague of fellow Tristano-ites Lee Konitz and Sal Mosca. At Trumpets, he'll be backed by Don Messina on bass, Jon Easton on piano and Bill Chattin on drums. Brown's highly personal improvising style has been described as clear, cohesive, honest, logical and sensitive. His work's been documented in the past on recordings with Jimmy Raney, Hod O'Brien and Ronnie Ball. We think you'd especially enjoy a 2003 Steeplechase album called Preservation.

JOHN DI MARTINO
J.J. BITTING BREWING/AUGUST 4
A former student of Lennie Tristano and Don Sebesky, pianist Di Martino will play at this establishment, located at 33 Main St. in Bridgewater. He's recorded most recently for the Japan-based label called Venus: So In Love, a trio effort that also offers gorgeous stereo sound. He's backed lots of notable singers in the past (e.g. Jon Hendricks, Freddy Cole, Diane Schuur, Grady Tate, even Billy Eckstein); and collaborated with the likes of Kenny Burrell, Pat Martino, Avishai Cohen, James Moody, Eddie Henderson, Eddie Gomez, Ray Barretto and Paquito D'Rivera.

DAVID HAZELTINE: TEACHING, LEARNING by Paul Blair

"Hey, I'm at camp all this week and next!" reports pianist David Hazeltine on the phone from Louisville. "It's a Jamie Aebersold jazz camp being held at a local university. Several other New York musicians are down here with me: Rufus Reid, Jim Rotondi, Eric Alexander, Jim Snidero, guys of that caliber. Our students are a varied lot. Some are youngsters. Some are kids who came to study with their parents. We even have older professionals like doctors and lawyers who enjoy playing jazz on the side. Our aim is to get them from here to there - or at least a little closer to there. Sure, we work on improvisation and certain technical aspects of their instruments. But we also deal with more nebulous concepts, such as how they can incorporate more of a jazz feeling in their playing. For some who come out of strong classical background, this can be a real problem."
Hazeltine himself has benefited from exposure to a whole series of great teachers in the past, although insights were transmitted in a far less formal manner. He says he started playing piano at thirteen. Five years later, when a new club called the Jazz Gallery opened in his home town of Milwaukee, he was already able to find work as part of the local rhythm section backing visiting hornmen. He recalls with delight those opportunities to play behind Sonny Stitt, Chet Baker, Pepper Adams and other pace-setters.
"Stitt was booked at the club on four or five different occasions. When he later returned well after that first gig on which he'd used me, he specifically asked for me again, which was obviously a real boost to my confidence. Then around 1981, I decided to try my luck on the New York scene. It was difficult at first. Within a year, though, I was playing regularly at a great little place called the Star Café on W. 23rd St., where lots of great musicians like Woody Shaw enjoyed hanging out and the regular house band included people such as Junior Cook and Curtis Fuller.
"New York was really a different city in the early 80s, a bit more dangerous in many respects, and for a variety of reasons, I left after a couple of years, returned to Milwaukee and took a job as head of the jazz department at Wisconsin Conservatory of Music. I stayed there ten years - about four years too long, I realize in retrospect - and then came back to New York in the early 90s. But by then I was ten years older and meeting new guys who were at least a decade younger than I was. The advice I'd give to any musician eager to try making it on the New York scene is this: better come when you're young. Otherwise, you'll be treated as a young person even if you're somewhat older!"
Some of the connections Hazeltine made in Milwaukee actually helped him once he got to New York. "Buddy Montgomery, Wes' brother, was living there at the time and working regularly at a local hotel. He and a fabulous drummer named Ray Appleton, who was also from Indianapolis, taught me a lot. They recommended me to Marlena Shaw. Then Slide Hampton heard me with Marlena and he began recommending me, too. Ultimately, this led to lots of jobs with wonderful players."
Today, Hazeltine is much in demand. He's part of the cooperative sextet named One For All that also includes Eric Alexander, saxophones; Jim Rotondi, trumpet; Steve Davis, trombone; John Webber, bass; and Joe Farnsworth, drums. Their latest CD, The Lineup (Sharp Nine) is a gem. He's also featured on a new Jon Faddis' disc entitled Teranga (Koch) that local jazz broadcasters seem to like a lot. He's caused a bit of a stir in Japan as well: the Japanese label called Venus has already commissioned six recordings from him. And the newest release under his own name is Perambulation (Criss Cross), on which he's joined by drummer Farnsworth and bassist Peter Washington.

David Hazeltine leads a quartet at Kitano on Aug. 18-19. He'll also be part of Jon Faddis' sextet at the Jazz Standard on Aug. 1-6 and back Jim Rotondi at Smoke on Aug. 25-26.

OSCAR PETERSON: ONE OF THE FEW by Ken Dryden

Recall an outstanding 1981 album called Ain't But a Few of Us Left? It brought together Milt Jackson, Ray Brown and Oscar Peterson, along with Grady Tate, for a truly memorable quartet session. Jackson and Brown are gone, of course. But Peterson - easily one of the most recorded pianists in jazz history - is happily still on the scene and still capable of playing up a storm.
Growing up in Montreal, Oscar Peterson initially emulated the jazz styles of Teddy Wilson and Nat King Cole, quickly developing a formidable technique that was often compared to Art Tatum's. He first gained exposure after winning a Canadian Broadcasting Corporation amateur contest in 1939, the prize for which was a regular 15-minute radio broadcast that helped spread his name. The young musician was active during the 40s as a sideman with Johnny Holmes' dance band. Soon he was leading his own group and recording for Canadian RCA, though his records for them emphasized boogie-woogie.
Impresario Norman Granz sprang Peterson upon an unsuspecting Carnegie Hall audience during a 1949 Jazz at the Philharmonic concert. The highly positive response ultimately led to frequent tours as a member of JATP all-star ensembles, a voluminous output of albums for Granz's Verve and Pablo labels, and an enduring friendship between the two that ended only with that producer's death.
This pianist has been equally at home leading various trios, playing solo and jamming onstage with other jazz greats. Peterson's early trio with bassist Ray Brown and guitarist Herb Ellis is widely viewed as one of the music's best-ever small groups, though his later trio with bassist Niels Pedersen and guitarist Joe Pass was perhaps the most virtuosic of any Peterson group. "The era with Joe Pass was hard to describe," Peterson recalls, "because the musicality that took place every night intrigued all of us. Joe was such a talent, such a gifted player and person. He brought something very special to the group.
"The first thing I had to learn was how to support the other soloists in the group, primarily the guitarist. I had to learn how to leave a pathway for them to pick up wherever I left off at my solo's end. I had to try and fire them up by virtually attacking them musically on certain tunes - and on others, by staying out of their way, especially with Joe Pass. Because he was such a lyrical, profound player, I always tried to be very careful with what I played behind him. Neither one of us knew what was going to happen from night to night, since we never used a set list."
Now working in his seventh decade as a professional, Peterson has been battling arthritis since childhood. A 1993 stroke affected his left side to some degree. Yet his tremendous drive and will to swing keep him on the road to delight sellout crowds in clubs and concert halls around the world. On the other hand, he's been touring somewhat less frequently in recent years. "You have to attack yourself mentally," he explains. "You cannot succumb to all the things you've heard are going to happen when you have a stroke. When they told me, I pretended that they were wrong - because otherwise I think I might have self-destructed musically. The stroke wasn't heavy enough to paralyze me so I was fortunate in that respect. Traveling isn't as easy or as courteous as it used to be and I've devoted more time to writing over the last few years." He says that his desire to be off the road and close to his family has also been a factor.
This pianist's gifts as a composer can't be overlooked, either. Peterson has published over 300 works, including individual pieces ("Blues Etude," "Hymn to Freedom" and "Nigerian Marketplace") and extended compositions ("Canadiana Suite") that have become durable elements in his vast performance repertoire. "Ideas for tunes often come around while I'm lying in bed or getting up. One of my synthesizers has a memory that digests and retains whatever you play until you're ready to form it into a composition. I use it whenever I can get to it; most of the time, though, I'm caught away from it."
In his 2002 autobiography (Oscar Peterson: A Jazz Odyssey), he shared numerous anecdotes about his favorite musicians, as well as the demands he's placed on himself over the years to hone his skills. He's justifiably proud of numerous awards he's received over his career, including several honorary doctorates and plenty best-of poll plaques. His proudest achievements, he says, include his investment as a Companion in the Order of Canada by his home country, the Glenn Gould Prize - and a 1997 Grammy for Lifetime Achievement.

The Peterson Quartet, which also includes guitarist Ulf Wakenius, bassist David Young and drummer Alvin Queen, appears at Birdland on August 22-27.

JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB

Bass is the place
This may be the season when the livin' is allegedly easy, but baritone saxophonist Lauren Sevian is staying busy. Among her regular gigs is the Mingus Big Band at Iridium most Tuesdays. Getting into that band was one of her goals when she first came to New York. "The baritone player in a big band usually plays a lot of whole notes, we call them 'footballs'," Lauren says, laughing. "The Mingus band has great baritone charts, they're very challenging. Plus, there's a lot of baritone features and opportunities to solo." She also plays in Mingus-alumnus Howard Johnson's five baritone ensemble, the Bear-Tones. "It's a really fun group," she says. "Some of the music is arranged in five-part harmony, there is such a wide spectrum of sound. It would be great to record with that band. Howard is an inspiration to me as a musician and a person." She, Claire Daly and other Bear-Tones will help Howard celebrate his 65th birthday at Sweet Rhythm on Aug. 5. Lauren also plays Tonic on Aug. 18 with Bjorkestra. She hopes to get some projects under way with her own band, playing her original compositions. One especially intriguing concept involves tenor player Ada Rovatti and alto maven Tia Fuller. "The music scene is tough, but I'm here to slug it out and play some good music," Lauren says.

Keys that please
Pianist Linda Presgrave will wear a couple of different hats at a dual CD release party for her own CD The Journey (Metropolitan) and singer Debbie Gifford's self-produced So Many Songs About Love, scheduled for Aug. 10 at the Triad. "When you work with a singer, your role is completely different," Linda says. "You go from being the leader of your own group to being an accompanist. But I've done a lot of gigs with Debbie, so it's not hard to jump over into that mode. Our music is very different, but it works when you put it all together." Linda will literally need a hat, preferably a broad-brimmed number, when she plays solo piano in Bryant Park at noon on Aug. 7, 9, 11, and 14. The two venues will require different repertoires. At the Triad, she'll play material from her CD, which features five originals, plus music by other female composers, including Mary Lou Williams and Alice Coltrane. "The music is really listenable," she says. "It doesn't go so far out on a limb that listeners can't get a hold of it." At the park, Linda will focus on standards, maybe mix in some of her own compositions, and definitely some ragtime. "They stipulate that you have to play a rag," she says of the Bryant Park gig. "It's great music, but not something I usually play. It's interesting to do, but a little bit of a shift for me."

'Zing' go the strings of my Strat
Chick Corea's band Return to Forever primed guitarist Jane Getter's ears for jazz. Then a friend took her to hear Joe Pass and Jane's first thought was: "I want to be that! It was the beginning of my relationship to jazz," she says. Jane finds that her young music students are open to jazz, especially if they're introduced to it through fusion or jazz-rock. "They can relate to the grooves and beats, with other stuff going on on top," she says. "It's not just like all this foreign stuff going on that alienates them. It opens their minds to different kinds of music. It's going to be different and new to them, but they find it exciting, especially if they're really into music." Jane will co-lead a jazz-rock quartet with keyboardist Adam Holzman at School of Rock in South Hackensack on Aug. 20.

See, hear
The Wall Street Jazz Festival in Kingston features pianist Francesca Tanksley, singer Jay Clayton, baritone saxophonist Claire Daly and others on Aug. 5 … Pianist Sayuri Goto plays Tower Records at Lincoln Center on Aug. 5, Kitano on Aug. 9, and the Baha'i Center on Aug. 29 … Michelle Walker sings at 55 Bar on Aug. 11 … Pianist Liz Magnes plays the Cornelia Street Café on Aug. 13 … Vocalist Marlene VerPlanck will be at Memorial Park in Fairlawn, N.J., on Aug. 13 … Check out "University of Sheila Jordan" alumnas Fatima and Erika singing at Sweet Rhythm on Aug. 15 … Catch violinist Jenny Scheinman at the Jazz Standard on Aug. 17-20, with Paul Motian and Jason Moran … Vocalist Tania Maria appears at the Blue Note on Aug. 22-27; bet she'll perform some tunes from her new CD Intimidade (Blue Note) … Singer Yoon Choi and the E String Band are scheduled to appear at the Perch Café in Brooklyn on Aug. 24.

Congrats to …
Jazz Journalists Association award recipients: arranger Maria Schneider, singer Dianne Reeves, soprano saxophonist Jane Ira Bloom, violinist Regina Carter (check out her new Verve CD: I'll Be Seeing You: A Sentimental Journey), and "A Team" award winners Gretchen Valade, Dolly McLean, Phoebe Jacobs, Sandra Jaffe, and Ann Ward, recognized for their contributions to the music.

In a spin
Singer Antoinette Montague puts her own stamp on familiar tunes on Pretty Blues (CAP) … Vocalist Barbara Sfraga and keyboardist Mala Waldron shine on Center Search Quest's Timelessness Frozen in Time (SyncTimiCity) … Singer Louise Rogers plays jazz for kids on Bop Boo Day (RILO) … Singer Kelly Sweet says We Are One (Razor & Tie) … Pianist/vocalist Ramona Borthwick turns over A New Leaf (Whaling City Sound) … Monica Heidemann sings on the self-produced Monica H. Band's Bright … Vocalist Aimee Allen has a new one, Dream (C-Age) … Singer Laura Hull creates a Hullabaloo (Hullarious) … Drummer Kim Thompson and bassist Meshell Ndegeocello are smokin' on Mike Stern's Who Let the Cats Out? (Heads Up) … Sylvia Bennett sings on Lionel Hampton's There Will Never be Another You (Outofsight).

HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR

NEW CDS WITH GIGS TO MATCH
Pianist Geri Allen does the Vanguard on Aug. 22-27 with Darryl Hall on bass and Jimmy Cobb playing drums. It's a party marking the release of her multi-faceted new Telarc CD Timeless Portraits and Dreams … Drummer Winard Harper's sextet will likewise party at the Jazz Standard on Aug. 29-30. His latest disc, Make It Happen (Piadrum) does precisely that. Winard's also doing Jazzmobile concerts on Aug. 1, 6 and 12 … Guitarist Larry Coryell (who's most recent disc on Chesky should delight his admirers) holds forth at the Blue Note on Aug. 29-30 … It turns out that that TC III, a vocalist gifted with good taste and impressive chops (and for whom Eddie Jefferson was obviously an inspiration), is the son of Philly jazz notables Bill Carney and Trudy Pitts. He sings every Sunday at St. Nick's Pub starting at 10:00 PM - and can also be heard on a new release called Mega Jazz Explosion, on which he enjoys stellar backing by Gary Bartz, Eddie Henderson, Don Braden, Joey DeFrancesco, Orrin Evans and his own parents … Michele Ramos, a guitarist of remarkable skills, displays them on Mick & Mundy, which presents him as half of a duo with Mundell Lowe. They'll play selections from that disc on Aug. 21 at Havana Dreams, 63-10 Woodhaven Blvd. in Rego Park. The previous evening, Michele will have played with Gene Bertoncini at Christ and St. Stephen's Church, 120 W. 69th St. … Alto saxist Jon De Lucia, whose Face To Face (Jonji Music) marks him as an up-and-comer, plays at the Bowery Poetry Club on Aug. 8 … Tunisian-Swiss pianist Moncef Genoud is slated for two area appearances this month: at Cecil's on Aug. 21 and at the Jazz Standard on Aug. 22. His Aqua CD (Savoy) includes guests Michael Brecker and Dee Dee Bridgewater.

OTHER NOTEWORTHY GIGS
Double threat man Howard Johnson, whose work on tuba and/or baritone saxophone has enriched some of the last four decades' best recordings, marks his 65th birthday with twin dates at Sweet Rhythm: on Aug. 4 with Gravity, his you-gotta-hearum five-tuba group; and on Aug. 5 with the sextet he calls The Beartones, a showcase for his baritone playing … Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola remembers the excitement that Rahsaan Roland Kirk used to engender with special shows on Aug. 29-September 3. two sets each evening by Kirk alum Steve Turre and a septet that also includes Vincent Herring, Billy Harper, David Valentin and Mulgrew Miller - and then After Hours sets by baritone saxophonist Claire Daly's Bright Moments group (including vibist Warren Smith, who also used to play with Rahsaan) … Tuba man Marcus Rojas (a Threadgill associate) is at Cornelia Street twice this month on Aug. 1 and Aug. 27 … Miguel Zenon's Rhythm Collective plays at the Jazz Gallery on Aug. 5-6 … Richie Beirach brings a quartet to Birdland for three nights beginning Aug. 30 …and Charles Tolliver's big band holds forth at Iridium on Aug. 17-20.

LOCAL FREEBIES
The 14th Annual Charlie Parker Jazz Festival once again offers an usually broad range of talents in neighborhoods where Bird himself once lived and worked. On Aug. 26 in Harlem's Marcus Garvey Park, you can hear groups led by Chico Hamilton, George Coleman, Sonny Fortune and Greg Osby. On Aug. 27, the action moves to Tompkins Square Park in the East Village for sets from bands led by Ray Mantilla, Joanne Brackeen, David Sanchez - and Chico again. Music runs from 3:00 to 6:00 PM on each day. This year's fest celebrates Mr. Hamilton's 85th birthday. (Note that the indominable Mr. H is also playing with Buster Williams at Lincoln Center's Out-of-Doors Festival on Aug. 18.) … Meanwhile, this year's J&R Jazz Festival festival will take place in City Hall Park over the course of three days (Aug. 24-26), with music starting at 5:00 PM on Thursday and Friday and at 1:00 PM on Saturday. Though bookings aren't firm as we go to press, the attractions will soon be posted at www.jr.com. Or simply phone 212-238-9000 … The lively seminars continues at the Jazz Museum in Harlem this month with guests John Sanders (an Ellington trombonist for five year and a Connecticut priest for the past quarter-century) on Aug. 10; and Charli Persip (a favorite Gillespie drummer, now the leader of the Supersound big band) on Aug. 24. Check www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org for more on this engrossing and valuable series … Alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo plays outdoors at 425 Lexington Ave. at E. 43rd on Aug. 11, beginning at 12:30 PM. The sked for 12:45 PM concerts on the plaza outside Saint Peter's Church at the Citicorp Center includes Terrell Stafford (Aug. 3); the Harlem Blues & Jazz Band (Aug. 10); Yoron Israel (Aug. 17); and Steve Turre (Aug. 24) … Well-travelled percussionist Pheeroan akLaff, who obviously relishes both the Coltrane and Motown traditions, brings his fusion of Afro-Asian dance Music (Taiko drumming included) to Flushing Town Hall on Aug. 18. Playing with him will be bass guitarist Jerome Harris, among others … Marty Ehrlich's wonderful News On the Rail sextet plays on July 30 in MOMA's Sculpture Garden.

YET MORE JAZZ GETAWAYS
If late-summer festival fatigue hasn't yet hit you, consider these upcoming events, all well beyond the reach of the subway system: Mauriac in the south of France (July 31-Aug. 15; www.jazzinmauriac.com); Telluride in Colorado (Aug. 4-6; www.telluridejazz.com); Belleayre in the Catskills (Aug. 11-19; www.belleayremusic.com); the Long Island Summer Festival out in Oyster Bay (Aug. 11-13; www.fotapresents.org); the annual Chicago blast (Aug. 31-September 3; www.jazzinstituteofchicago.org); the West Coast Jazz Party & Cruise (sailing from Irvine, CA on Aug. 31; www.westcoastjazzparty.com); and Vail (September 1-4; www.vailjazz.org).

YOU SING?
OK, here's your path to new acclaim. The third annual Jazzmobile Vocal Competition, taking place under Anheiser-Busch sponsorship between mid-Aug. and the end of September, kicks off on Aug. 14 with a round of auditions at Harlem School of the Arts, followed by four weeks of sessions at B.B. Kings, Sweet Rhythm and the River Room Restaurant in Harlem. The judges? They're all established jazz singers and vocal coaches. For the ultimate winners, there's some cash plus the assurance of a booking at a future Jazzmobile event. There's no fee to enter - although you must be at least 21 and have a modicum of performance experience. If you've ever been under a recording contract (and that's most of us), you're ineligible. But you must apply by Aug. 14. Call 212-662-6828 for particulars.

jazz anecdote by bill crow

Bill Crow's books "Jazz Anecdotes" and "From Birdland to Broadway" can be found at your favorite bookstore, and at www.billcrowbass.com along with many interesting photos and links.
Spanky Davis used to work at a club where the band played for singers and comedians. One of them, comedian Jackie Curtis, found himself working with a substitute drummer one night. During one of his stories, he said "...and the car ran off the road and hit a tree," and he gestured to the drummer, who hit a rim shot. Jackie said. "No, a big tree." And the drummer gave him a snare roll and a thump on the bass drum. "No," said Jackie, "it was a BIG tree...with cymbals!"
At a Princeton reunion party, one of the bandleaders brought an orange and black banner to cover the back of the upright piano. It read, "BEAT JUILLIARD."
When Larry Siegel first came to New York, he found a lunchtime gig at a cafe in the South Street Seaport. After working there a few months, he brought in a promo sheet he had printed up, which included pictures and quotes. He laid one on the cafe counter and then started his set. One of the waitresses, who had heard him play for months, began reading the promo, and at the end of his set, Larry asked her what she thought. "I didn't know you were this good," she said.

A Moment You Missed by fran kaufman
Noted arranger and accordionist Gil Goldstein told me Richard Galliano was the best accordion player in the world. So when I learned that Galliano was coming to make a rare state-side appearance at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola, I got myself to the club to hear him. I wasn't surprised to see Goldstein in the audience. Their post-set conversation was so intense, I asked Gil what they were planning. "Lunch," said Goldstein, "and he gave me some really good pointers."