WINNING SPINS BY GEORGE KANZLER Here are two fine Winning Spins from female singers with accomplished jazz chops: Tierney Sutton and Alexis Cole. The latter is a rising star in the jazz world who recently won jazz vocal awards at the Montreux Festival and from Jazzmobile. Sutton, meanwhile, is among today's finest jazz singers, adding to her luster by delivering a brilliant concept album rather than just a collection of songs. And both singers also make fine, collaborative use of the musicians with whom they work. Sutton's On the Other Side (Telarc Jazz) is an exploration of that great American theme: the pursuit of happiness. "Happy" occurs in the titles of eight of the CD's eleven songs (two appearing twice in contrasting versions) and the idea isn't far removed from the other titles. That this isn't going to be a standard take on ideas of happiness is signified early on with the first track, as muffled, dirge-like drums introduce a crawling "Get Happy" that builds ominously from insistent percussion and basses (two are used here and on three other of the thirteen tracks) but at deliberate slowness as Sutton's voice rises to her highest register briefly, only to end in a coy tone on the "chase all your cares away" last line. "Happy Days Are Here Again" is taken at a fast clip with swing and sprung rhythms alternating and the singer adding some joyous scatting to complement pianist Christian Jacobs' solo. These two song recur as the penultimate tracks, with tempos reversed: "Happy Days" at a long, lazy pendulum swing; "Get Happy" at a fast boogie-shuffle swing. Between those paired songs, the heart of the album ranges from a forlorn yet exquisitely tender, melodic take on "You Are My Sunshine;" a "Glad to Be Unhappy" as sumptuous as it is melancholy; a hip "Happy Talk" vocal-piano duet with exuberant scat; and a most diaphanous, legato version of "Haunted Heart" that is a marvel of wafting vocal timbres. There's also a vocal duet - in intricately changing time signatures from 3/4 to 4/4 to 2/4 - with trumpeter Jack Sheldon on "I Want to Be Happy," a fast rhythmic workout on "Great Day!" and a "Make Someone Happy" wherein Sutton, at her seductive best, hauntingly embraces the lyrics. And for mastery of nuance and modulation, don't miss the way Sutton, with only piano accompaniment, moves from wistfulness to soft epiphany on the concluding "Smile." Like the full band arrangements throughout, it's a creatively fresh and revelatory take on a familiar song. Ms. Cole's Zingaro (Canopy Jazz), isn't ambitiously conceptual like Sutton's album, but Cole is adventurous in her context, choosing to sing with just the duo of guitar (Ron Affif) and bass (Jeffry Eckels). This creates a warm, intimate setting for a voice that can be both forthright and supple, one in a contralto range that melds well with full-toned guitar and bass. Cole brings a tour-de-force feel to "Stompin' at the Savoy," changing tempos and rhythmic accents and scatting with élan as well as singing lyrics. At faster tempos, Cole can be playfully hip, as on "Sweet Lorraine" and especially "Walkin'," exuberantly swung and scatted infectiously (from an earlier recording date with Saul Rubin, guitar, and Jon Roche, bass). Her approach to slower tempos is a bit problematic. It's hard to tell if she's merely pitchy on "God Bless the Child" or trying to reharmonize with microtones she learned studying vocal techniques in India. Either way, it's too busy for Billie Holiday's message. Cole's re-harmonizing is more successful on "Over the Rainbow." But when she's really comfortable with a song, like "I Thought About You," she can enchant you, as she does with a tenderly sighing version of "Body and Soul" with just Eckels' bass; a liltingly light feel for the bossa nova underpinnings of the title song; and her vamping with a sexy drawl on the just-slow-enough-to-beguile tempo of "Gee Baby Ain't I Good to You." Tierney Sutton appears at Iridium on August 9-11. Alexis Cole performs at the River Room on August 4. SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND GEORGE KANzler DAVE HOLLAND SEXTET BLUE NOTE/AUGUST 21-26 Since leaving his native England to join Miles Davis in 1968, bassist Holland has been a major figure on the jazz scene, playing with everyone from Chick Corea and Anthony Braxton to Pat Metheny and Muhal Richard Abrams. He recently won the Bassist and Small-Group-of-the-Year awards in the annual Downbeat Critics Poll. But never one to rest on his laurels, he's added pianist Mulgrew Miller to his band for this gig. Expect the ensemble also featuring Alex Sipiagin (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Antonio Hart (alto) and Eric Harland (drums), to delve into some of the odd meters Holland champions. GK JOHN McNEIL/BILL McHENRY VILLAGE VANGUARD/AUGUST 21-26 This inspired trumpet-tenor pairing certainly deserves Manhattan exposure. They've been handling Sunday nights at Biscuit BBQ for some months now - cooking not brisket but a repertoire of great tunes by Russ Freeman, Wilbur Hardin, Denzil Best and other 50s jazz composers. If you've heard Omnitone CDs under McNeil's leadership (three since 2003) and/or caught McHenry in the company of guys like Ethan Iverson, Chris Lightcap, Ben Monder or Guillermo Klein, you have some inkling of the momentum and, yes, twinkle this partnership can engender. Joining them at the Vanguard: bassist Joe Martin and drummer Jochen Rueckert. PB EHUD ASHERIE SMALLS/AUGUST 28 Yet another Israeli-born musician now flowering in New York, pianist Asherie arrived in town at nine, caught jazz fever as a Smalls patron five years later, was mentored there by the late Frank Hewitt and now plays regularly at the club in saxophonist Grant Stewart's group or leading his own trio. Another fruitful collaboration has him recording on organ with Brazilian guitarist Vinício "Bina" Coquet. See and hear how well they work together at ehudasherie.com, which also include clips of Asherie's work with Stewart and on a solo gig. The debut album under his own name - Lockout (Posi-Tone) - is already one of our 2007 favorites. PB JOHN JORGENSON ROSE THEATER/AUGUST 1 Guitarist Jorgenson has been a first-call player on the L.A. studio scene; recorded with artists as diverse as Pavarotti, Streisand, Sting and Benny Goodman; mixed it up with “dawg music” guys like Darol Anger and David Grisman; and co-founded the popular Desert Rose country band. These days, though, he devotes most of his attention to the gypsy jazz tradition, where his remarkable plectrum chops are put to wonderful use. At this "Spirit of Django Reinhardt" concert, he'll join guitarists Dorado and Samson Schmitt, accordionist Ludovic Beier, violinist Pierre Blanchard, extraordinary Colombian jazz harpist Edmar Castaneda and bassist Brian Torff. PB GARY PEACOCK BIRDLAND/AUGUST 22-25 A pianist who only took up bass when the bassist in his jazz band in Germany (where he was serving in the U.S. Army) left in 1956, Peacock has become one of the most admired and widely accomplished bass players in jazz, working with avant gardists like Albert Ayler and Don Cherry as well as mainstream modern pianists like Bill Evans and Keith Jarrett, in whose Standards Trio he's played for the last quarter century. He'll be reuniting at Birdland with drummer Paul Motian, with whom he teamed in one of Evans' better trios; and pianist Paul Bley, a frequent trio partner ever since the 60s. GK ELIOT ZIGMUND BROOKLYN BURGER BAR/AUGUST 4 A host of leaders - Bill Evans, Michel Petrucciani, Jim Hall, Fred Hersch, Benny Golson, Joanne Brackeen, Stan Getz, Lee Konitz - have prized veteran drummer Zigmund for his ability to listen and play with tasteful sensitivity to the ebb and flow of their improvisations. He recorded the music of Burt Bacharach with Sicilian harmonica player Giuseppe Millici at an Italian music festival last year. Recently, he's also been working with cornetist Warren Vaché and saxophonist Virginia Mayhew. Here, he'll be helping to break in a new jazz venue in Park Slope as part of a group featuring pianist Mike Kaman. GK LARRY RIDLEY MARCUS GARVEY PARK/AUGUST 10 One of the most recorded bassists in jazz, Ridley's c.v includes sessions back home in Indianapolis with Freddie Hubbard, James Spaulding and Wes Montgomery; 60s recordings with Max Roach, Red Garland, Art Farmer, Sonny Rollins, Horace Silver and Slide Hampton; a lengthy stint (1970-73) with Monk; and an impressive career in academia, most notably heading up the jazz program at Rutgers. Joining him will be Doug Harris, woodwinds; Krystle Ford, violin; Richard Wyands, piano; Greg Buford, drums; Jaime Benitez, Latin percussion; and Jackie Jones, vocals. Several of these folks, were once among Dr. Ridley's most promising university-level students. PB DIEGO URCOLA JAZZ STANDARD/AUGUST 6 Though we're rarely impressed with Grammy nominations, Urcola richly deserves his three nods. This superb Argentinean trumpeter, best known for work with Paquito d'Rivera, Jimmy Heath and Gillespie-alum big bands, has also gigged with groups led by Joe Henderson and Steve Turre. His 2006 CD Viva (CAM Jazz) was a special delight, boasting guest shots by a number of players more prominent at this point than Urcola is. At the Standard, his quartet includes pianist Manuel Valera, bassist Matt Clohesy and drummer Eric Doob. Latin traditions inform every note this hornman plays, but he's a straightahead jazzman at heart. PB NATIVE SOUL KITANO/AUGUST 29 It's a cooperative quartet comprised of guys active in some of the New York jazz scene's more intriguing corners: saxophonist Peter Brainin, pianist Noah Haidu, bassist Marcus McLaurine and percussionist Steve Johns. All boast impressive professional resumes. But we have only space enough here to urge that you visit myspace.com/soulnative (no, not a typo) to enjoy their amble through 5:46 of a track called "River's Edge," which comes from their 2006 CD Rough Jazz on the Apria label. Rough it ain't. Three other tracks audible in full on that site suggest the remarkable variety of moods and instrumental texture these four can generate. PB GREGG AUGUST JAZZ GALLERY/AUGUST 31 A multitalented bassist well worth your attention! August's interests range from the classical world (he's assistant principal with the Brooklyn Philharmonic) to Bang on a Can happenings. But the focus is largely Latin on Late August (Iacuessa Records), a marvelous 2003 disc particularly distinguished by his composing and arranging skills. Happily, there's another CD in the works, slated for September 27 release at a Smoke gig. This August appearance will spotlight the talents of several players prominent on the older album and/or the new one: Myron Walden (alto), Yosvany Terry (tenor), John Bailey (trumpet), Sean Higgins (piano) and E.J. Strickland (drums). PB JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSH TOMOKO OHNO CORNERSTONE/AUGUST 24 Soon after Tomoko Ohno arrived from Japan, she entered William Paterson University's top-rank jazz program, where she studied under Rufus Reid and Harold Mabern. Since then, this pianist/composer/teacher has performed with Carrie Jackson, Wynton Marsalis, Benny Golson, Slide Hampton, Andres Boiarsky and more. We first heard her as a member of the world's greatest all-female big band, Diva and Five Play, Diva's band-within-a-band. Her talents are apparent on the 2005 Arbors Records release called Five Play...Plus. Here she'll perform with Nick Scheuble (drums), Tim Givens (bass) and Don Braden (tenor sax). HERBIE HANCOCK COUNT BASIE THEATRE/AUGUST 28 Hancock's been at it for over fifty years now. One of Herbie's smashes was entitled "Chameleon," a title that could serve to epitomize his career. In addition to his jazz playing, he's been a force in the creation of fusion and a best-selling artist in the pop and hip hop spheres. Don't forget his scoring assignments for film and TV, and his work as Monk Institute chair. He'll tell you that Oscar Peterson and Bill Evans were early keyboard inspirations. His lengthy 60s stint with Miles brought him to universal attention. For this Basie Theatre show, his sidemen include Lionel Loueke, Vinnie Colatuta and Nathan East. BILL EASLEY NJ PAC/AUGUST 23 Easley's quartet will be a part of a free outdoor concert where it'll serve to back vocalist Antoinette Montague. (Wycliffe Gordon's also appearing.) Easley's a solid talent equally adept on alto, tenor, clarinet and flute. In fact, he's a Cannonball Adderley devotee who's played in the past with a horde of equally notable improvisors, among them Charlie Earland, Bucky Pizzarelli, Benny Carter, Illinois Jacquet, George Benson, Lena Horne, Louis Bellson and Mercer Ellington. For aural evidence, check out Easley Said, a disc on which he's heard with George Coleman, Bill Mobley, Donald Brown, Ron Carter and Billy Higgins. FREDDY COLE SHANGHAI JAZZ/AUGUST 17 AND 18 Singer/pianist Freddy Cole performs with bass and guitar support. (His brother Nat, you may recall, had a wee bit of success with that same format.) While Freddy sounds somewhat like Nat, he has his own sophisticated style. The Coles were a notably talented family, with four of the brothers eventually becoming musicians. Freddy's own career began with a stint with an Earl Bostic band that also included Benny Golson and Johnny Coles. He cites Eckstine as a major influence. His newest High Note CD pairs him with Bill Charlap's trio. But backing him at Shanghai will be guitarist Royce Campbell, bassist Elias Bailey and drummer Curtis Boyd. HOD O'BRIEN OVER THE LONG RUN by Paul Blair Of the "Hundred Gold Fingers" on proud display a few weeks ago at a series of sixteen piano jazz concerts around Japan, ten belong to Hod O'Brien, who's been a valued contributor on the U.S. scene since the late 50s. Other worthies taking part in that Japanese tour were Kenny Barron, Cedar Walton, Junior Mance, Toshiko Akiyoshi, Cyrus Chestnut, Benny Green, Don Friedman, Joao Donato and Gerald Clayton, fast company into which O'Brien fits easily. "I especially enjoyed playing duos plus rhythm with Benny and Gerald," enthuses Hod on the phone from his home in Charlottesville, Virginia. "Audiences there are wildly appreciative. But the funny thing is that they prefer standards, and that's what the promoter asked us to concentrate on. When I tried a few jazz originals like 'Un Poco Loco,' they seemed to go right over listeners' heads." That O'Brien would assay a Bud Powell tune isn't the least bit surprising, since his playing is squarely in the Powell tradition: long melodic lines, surprising harmonic twists and a relentlessly romping pulse on uptempo numbers. His talents are beautifully displayed on a series of three newish Reservoir CDs documenting two evenings of work at Blues Alley in Washington during July of 2004, heading up a trio that also includes Ray Drummond and Kenny Washington. One of the great pleasures of these albums is the repertoire. Yes, there are some Great American Songbook choices. But O'Brien loves to present his choices among lesser-known jazz standards - that is, pieces composed by jazz musicians that are almost never heard in contexts other than jazz. Volume I, for instance, includes Bob Dorough's "Nothing Like You," Joe Zawinul's "Frog's Legs," Freddie Redd's "Thespian" and Mel Rhyne's "It's Love." On Volume II, the triodoes Rollins' "Pent-Up House," Strayhorn's "Snibor" and Randy Weston's "Little Niles." The third volume - just issued and anything but the dregs - features invigorating takes on Howard McGhee's "Double Talk" and no fewer than five Tadd Dameron compositions: "Our Delight," "The Squirrel," "If You Could See Me Now," "Dameronia" and "On a Misty Night." We're not talking about an emerging young talent here. When he was barely old enough to vote, O'Brien, who'd relocated from Connecticut, was already working around New York with established players like Art Farmer and Donald Byrd. Bebop mavens will recall his participation on guitarist Rene Thomas' 1960 LP Guitar Groove. Other associates during that period included Oscar Pettiford, J.R. Monterose, Kenny Burrell and Pepper Adams. Yet despite this success, O'Brien dropped out of music for a full decade (1963-73) to study mathematics at Columbia, then work in the field of statistical research. "At some point, I decided I wasn't really interested in what I was doing," recalls the pianist, "so I dropped back into jazz. Believe it or not, I actually opened and ran a club called St. James Infirmary in the West Village for a while. It was a good idea but a bad time to try something like that. Anyway, it's been music ever since." At some point, he began partnering with singer Stephanie Nakasian (a member of Jon Hendricks' vocal ensemble for a time) who's now his wife. They're even rearing a jazz vocalist of their own back home in Charlottesville. Veronica, just thirteen, will be recording a CD of her own in New York this month. Stephanie, for her part, is receiving lots of airplay these days on the strength of two recent CDs. On Thrush Hour: A Study of the Great Ladies of Jazz (VSOP), she pays super-effective tribute to no few than twenty classic singers; while I Love You (Savvy) collects fourteen tracks, mostly ballads. Her pianist of choice on both is Mr. O'Brien. He'll also be backing her, naturally, during their evening at Dizzy's, as will bassist Neal Miner and drummer Jeff Brillinger. Also featured that night will be their daughter, who's now performing as Veronica Swift. These days, O'Brien's recording more often under his own name than ever before. (There's some brilliant sideman work as well: hear him in that role on guitarist Joe Cohn's new Arbors CD called Restless.) This pianist - a marathoner who's finished in Boston and New York at least five times already - is obvious in it for the long haul. Catch Stephanie Nakasian and Hod O'Brien at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on August 6. CATCHING CECIL - AT CECIL'S by Ken Franckling Most jazz musicians who play one club frequently would seem to have a chummy relationship with the club owner. Drummer Cecil Brooks III doesn't need to do that. He himself is the club owner. And on the first three weekends in August, he'll be featured with his own trio - billed as the CB3 Band - at Cecil's Jazz Club in West Orange, New Jersey. Sharing the bandstand will be Kyle Kohler on organ and Matt Chertoff on guitar. "This is in celebration of the club's fourth anniversary," Brooks says, adding that he's planned a special treat for the middle weekend. His father, drummer Cecil Brooks II, will join the musical party on August 10-11. Father and son will alternate rhythm duties and, at times, play together with two drum kits on stage. Cecil's dad can be heard on the 1952 Savoy recording called The Bebop Boys (SJL-2225), originally released on two Hi-Lo 78s with singer Eddie Jefferson and pianist Walt Harper's quintet. The elder Brooks is part of Pittsburgh's long and distinguished drumming legacy, which also includes Joe Harris, Art Blakey, Kenny Clarke, Roger Humphries and, more recently, Jeff "Tain" Watts. "This will be my dad's first time playing at the club," Brooks says. "Playing with him sounds just spectacular - the kind of synchronicity you can only get with your father is unexplainable. I’m looking forward to it. He just turned 79 this year and yet he looks more like my brother." After these three weekends of featured performances, Brooks III, who's now 46, said he plans to close the club for a week's vacation. It's a week long overdue for this second-generation jazzman, whose many hats include working musician, club owner and producer of more than forty recordings. "This is going to be our first week off in four years. We've been pounding it from the start. I now have so much more respect for venue-holders. It's truly a labor of love. I've been humbled as an artist to open a jazz club and sustain it for four years. If it hadn't been for Bill Cosby, who came in and did two sold-out shows for our grand opening, I probably wouldn't be here today. This music really struggles. Everything I make, I dump back into the club. Everything I invested in the club was to pamper the musician and extract the best performance - the sound, the lighting, the piano. We even installed 1,000 pounds of sand under the stage to absorb the sound. It is probably one of the greatest sounding stages on the East Coast." In addition to bringing in jazz greats, Brooks also schedules gigs for emerging musicians, and has several steady features. For example, Cecil's Big Band is led by Mike Lee each Monday. Tenor sax player Bob Ackerman and singer Pam Purvis perform together on Sunday afternoons. "Everything is geared toward the music," Brooks said. "Now that we have the venue together, with live recordings about every other week, it's all about the music and having as much positive control in order to extract the best performances." Among those live recordings are tenor saxophonist Don Braden's newest High Note CD (Workin') and pending releases by drummer Winard Harper and Brooks himself. Brooks can be heard now and then in the occasional all-star jazz amalgam or as a sideman. But he says the club has made such activity more difficult. "It just naturally happened that way," he said. "I got so involved in the club, even if they want to call, they assume I'm busy. And the assumption may be correct. I'm also producing recordings for High Note and Savant." His own musical credentials since the late 1980s include recordings and/or performances with Geri Allen, Braden, Benny Green, Russell Gunn, John Hicks, Geoff Keezer, Christian McBride, Houston Person, Lonnie Plaxico, Jimmy Ponder and Greg Osby. Now, however, the club has first priority. "The fact that we've been able to pay artists for four years, 365 days a year, makes me feel good - that musicians and club staff can walk out of here with money in their pockets. And I look forward to more great live recordings being made here. Live records have true significance in this day and age. My hat's off to people who've been there to help the music. It's really not about independence, it is about interdependence. Artists, producers, club owners, musicians, writers all have to work together, if this thing we love called jazz is to survive." "This is not a livelihood at this point," Brooks said. "But as long as I make enough to keep it going, that's enough." Cecil Brooks III leads his own trio at his own club on August 3-4, 10-11 and 17-18. JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB Tell it like it is Singer Ayana Lowe is about to go into the studio, but she's still choosing tunes for her new CD. "I want ones I feel really connected to, that speak to me and my experience - songs that tell about who I am," Ayana says. "I'm an emotional person and an emotional singer. My music is gutbucket, earthy stuff, that's what appeals to me. It helps me cope in this world." In addition to standards, Ayana has some originals, such as "Mississippi Match.Com Blues" and "He's a Chicken-Fried Romeo," that she may record this time around. She includes Big Mama Thornton, Ida Cox and Marian Anderson among her influences. "They're all people who made me feel they were telling a story and not ashamed of who they were," Ayana says. "Being honest makes me feel like a better person. I'm happier when I'm open and can tell people who I am." Pianist Patrizia Scascitelli will be in Ayana's band at the 55 Bar on Aug. 4. Movin' on After studying music at Interlochen, at William Paterson College, and with giants like Jackie McLean and Yusef Lateef, saxophonist Sarah Manning moved to California to work on her sound. "Living in the Bay Area allowed me to focus on things not directly musically related," she says. "The slower pace and beautiful setting gave me a chance to find out what's going on in my head, by stripping away everything else." Sarah recently released a CD of originals, Two Rooms Same Door (ArtistShare). The title suite is "coming from a non-California place in some ways. In our thought process, in our society, there's a constant chatter going on. It's easy to be anxious. We have to choose either to let those things go or hold on to them, to get away from the state of hyper-alertness coming out of things that have been happening over the recent years." Sarah is writing material to record with her new group, Shatter the Glass, and relocating to New York is the next step on her agenda. "I've always dreamed of playing the famous jazz venues, and hope to have a chance to do that some day," she says. Sarah and Shatter the Glass are at the Jazz Gallery on Aug. 4 and Saint Peter's on Aug. 5. Pianist Deanna Witkowski's quartet shares the Aug. 4 date. Getting it together Australian-born saxophonist Lisa Parrott played classical clarinet and piano until she was about 15. Then her concert band teacher introduced her to jazz and a bass-playing neighbor gave her some Sidney Bechet recordings. "That's when I got hooked," she says. Before long, Lisa put together a band, pulling the "I'm the big sister" routine to get her piano and flute playing younger sibling Nicki to take up bass. "At 17, I was the oldest of the group," Lisa recalls, "but all of us are still playing professionally." Lisa came to the U.S. for the first time in 1993, to study with Steve Coleman. "I had no idea how lucky I was. He really wasn't taking private students. It was very freeform, not strict at all, but I learned a lot." She enjoys playing in different time signatures and believes that's among the reasons Coleman accepted her as a student. "I'm pretty sure I can play any bebop tune in 7," Lisa says. The repertoire is likely to be different on her Aug. 16 BargeMusic gig in Brooklyn, with her bass-playing sister Nicki, and pianist John di Martino: They'll play jazz arrangements of Australian folk songs. "There are times I get homesick," she says. Lisa hopes to record the tunes soon. Congrats... To this year's Jazz Journalist Award winners Anat Cohen (up-and-coming musician and clarinetist categories); Vision Festival's Patricia Nicholson Parker (jazz event producer); Maria Schneider (jazz arranger); Roberta Gambarini (female jazz singer); and Regina Carter (strings). Sound choices Pianist Toshiko Akiyoshi guests with Lew Tabackin's trio at Birdland on Aug. 1-4 … Pianist Joan Stiles celebrates the release of Hurly-Burly (Oo-Bla-Dee) at Smoke on Aug. 2 … Vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottleib appears with John Zorn at The Stone on Aug. 2 ... Guitarist Amanda Monaco's quartet plays Iridium on Aug. 3 ... Clarinetist Anat Cohen will be at the Blue Note with the Waverly Seven on Aug. 5 ... Stephanie Nakasian and 13-year-old Veronica Swift sing with the Hod O'Brien Trio at Dizzy's on Aug. 6; check out Stephanie's new CDs: I Love You (Savvy) and Thrush Hour (VSOP) … Violinist Jenny Scheinman is at Joe's Pub on Aug. 6 - and at the Turning Point in Piermont on Aug. 9-10 ... Elin sings at Kitano on Aug. 8, with pianist Deanna Witkowski in her trio ... Catch vocalist Andrea Wolper at the 55 Bar on Aug. 8 … Bassoonist Janice Grice and the Vento Trio play in Law Memorial Park in Briarcliff Manor on Aug. 10 ... Check out singer Deborah Latz on the Yonker's City Pier on Aug. 10; she and her band, which includes pianist Daniela Schaechter, will perform songs from Deborah's upcoming CD ... Vocal group Zap Mama plays Summerstage in Central Park on Aug. 12, celebrating the release of Supermoon (Heads Up) ... Singer Sofia Koutsovitis and flutist Anna Povich de Mayor are with Folklore Urbano at the Jazz Standard on Aug. 13, part of the New Dimensions in Latin Jazz series ... Vocalist Roseanna Vitro records Delirium Blues with Kenny Werner at the Blue Note on Aug. 14-19 ... Trio da Paz, with singer Maucha Adnet, presents the music of Antonio Carlos Jobim and Stan Getz at Dizzy's on Aug. 14-19 and 21-26 ... Sanni Orasmaa sings at Smoke on Aug. 14 … Florida-based vocalist Patti Wicks will be at the Metropolitan Room on Aug. 16 ... It's Jest Jazz to vocalists Joan Crowe and Sue Matsuki at Birdland on Aug. 19 ... Michelle Walker sings at Zinc Bar on Aug. 20 ...Vocalist Adela Dalto is at Flushing Town Hall on Aug. 24 ... Flutist Jamie Baum plays Iridium on Aug. 31; heard she's been in the studio with her septet recently. New stuff Keep an ear out for Sky Blue (ArtistShare) from composer Maria Schneider … Cellist Anja Lechner makes beautiful music with Dino Saluzzi (bandoneon) on Ojos Negros (ECM) … Guess how many tunes are penned by drummer Sheryl Mebane on Mebane's Eleven from the Tangria Jazz Group (Blastfamous) … Havana Carbo sings Through a Window: Like a Dream (MODL Music) … Diane Wernick plays sax and Diana Fischer plays keyboards with the Shimon Ben-Shir Group on Ways (Ben-Shir Music) … Pianist Lenore Raphael plays standards and more Live (Swingin' Fox) … Check out Flurry (ArtistShare) from Nordic Connect, including keyboardist Maggi Olin, trumpeter Ingrid Jensen and saxophonist Christine Jensen. HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR OUTDOOR FREEBIES This year's Charlie Parker Jazz Festival (the fifteenth annual, by the way) takes place over two days: Aug. 25 at Marcus Garvey Park and Aug. 26 at Tompkins Square Park in the East Village. Appearing both days will be Abbey Lincoln and Chico Hamilton, along with other groups. Details at harlemonestop.org ... Check online, too, for this month's Jazzmobile sked, which includes groups led by Jimmy Heath (Aug. 1), Benny Powell (Aug. 3), Winard Harper (Aug. 8), Wycliffe Gordon (Aug. 15), T.S. Monk (Aug. 22) and Jeremy Pelt (Aug. 24). Jazzmobile events happen all over town and they're free ... Brian Lynch's exciting Spheres of Influence group plays outdoors at Citicorp Center on Aug. 16 … And at Riverbank State Park (W. 145th St. at Riverside Dr.) on Aug. 19, it'll be percussionist Joe Chambers' quintet plus guest Jeremy Steig playing flute. GIG ALERT Our man Jed Levy playing tenor at Kitano on Aug. 1, with pianist Mark Soskin behind him … on that same evening, the much-praised Respect Quartet at The Tank (279 Church St. downtown) … German B3 organist Barbara Dennerlein at Joe's Pub on Aug. 2 … trombonist Steve Davis at Smoke on August 3-4 … bassist Ben Allison's quartet (with Ron Horton, Steve Cardenas and Jeff Ballard) at Barbès on Aug. 8 … altoist Loren Stillman (whose new Steeplechase CD Trio Alto, Vol. II is most invigorating) at the Tea Lounge on Aug. 9 … trumpeter Theo Crocker (who happens to be Doc Cheatham's grandson) at the Rubin Museum on Aug. 10, debuting music from his new CD, The Fundamentals … Bay-area tenorist Mitch Marcus at Smalls on Aug. 11… trombonist Alan Ferber's nonet plus a string quartet at the Center for Improvised Music (295 Douglass St. in Park Slope) on Aug. 13 … trombonist Rafi Malkiel at Cornelia Street on Aug. 23 … saxist Marcus Strickland doing two late-night sets at Iridium this month (Aug. 4 and Aug. 25) with two different groups … and a bunch of expert players leading bands at The Garage: saxist Virginia Mayhew on Aug. 3 and 14; guitarist Pete McGuinness on Aug. 28; and tenor man Patience Higgins there on the same date. PIANISTS IN ABUNDANCE Great ones, too. Prime choices around town this month include David Hazeltine at Bargemusic on Aug. 2 - and Pete Malinverni at Smalls that same evening … Michael Weiss at Kitano on Aug. 3-4 (with Bob Sheppard on saxophones) - and Helen Sung (plus saxophonist Steve Wilson) at the same toney Park Ave. venue for two nights beginning Aug. 31… John Colianni at The Garage on Aug. 5 and 19 … Marc Cary doing the Charlie Parker Festival's uptown half on Aug. 25 … Bob Dorough at Joe's Pub on Aug. 30 for a 7:00 PM show … and Barry Harris playing a Jazzmobile program in Marcus Garvey Park on Aug. 31. JUST NORTH OF 125TH The Jazz Museum in Harlem's highly informative and enjoyable seminar series continues this month with a pair of guests who have much to say: trumpeter Wilmer Wise on Aug. 9; and bassist Earl May on Aug. 23 … And here's another encouraging sign of Harlem's revitalizing jazz scene: the opening of Bill's Place at 148 W. 133rd St, between Lenox and Seventh. This renovated four-story brownstone, situated on a block once so full of after-hours jazz joints that it was known as "Jungle Alley," used to be occupied by Tillie's Chicken Shack, a popular musicians' hangout, and then later by Covan's Club Morocco, where Slim Gaillard and Slam Stewart's celebrated duo got its start. The Bill running things these days is Bill Saxton, esteemed saxophonist. For their weekend music schedule and more on Mr. Saxton's own resume, consult billsaxton.com - or phone 212-281-0777. Blue lights, a red canopy over the door and BYOB. Note, too, that Bill's playing at an Aug. 30 block party on W. 132nd St., right around the corner, beginning at 7:00 PM. 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. Though Bobby Hackett was often associated with Dixieland and included the old tunes in his repertoire, he didn't like the two-beat feeling that many Dixieland rhythm sections played. He preferred four-four swing. When a bass player asked him whether he should play in two or four, Bobby said, "Play four... it's twice as good as two." On another occasion, Bobby's drummer couldn't seem to avoid slipping into a two-beat feeling whenever the band played a traditional Dixieland tune. Finally, Bobby told him, "We're going to play 'Muskrat Ramble.' But you play 'Perdido,' and everything will be okay." John Thomas was watching the Jazz channel on cable TV. The caption at the top of the screen identified the film: "Let's Get Lost," and listed the trumpet player as "Chet Atkins."