winning spins by George Kanzler
There's nothing like the sheer, visceral power of a big
band cooking on all cylinders, and the two groups in this Winning Spins
fill the bill. Charles Tolliver's Big Band came on like
gangbusters in 2003, reviving a concept the trumpeter managed to record
two albums with during the 1970s. Charli Persip's big ensemble,
Supersound, has been around the Big Apple scene a lot longer (25 years),
purveying a personal style forged by its drummer-leader. Both
aggregations have hard-charging new albums out this year.
Emperor March, recorded live at New Yorks Blue Note jazz club last July
by the Charles Tolliver Big Band, impressively conveys the intensity and
rambunctious spirit of this ensemble. They revel in creating thick,
dense multiple layers of sounds that overlap and shift like tectonic
layers during an earthquake or flow in waves like lava during a volcanic
eruption. Take "On the Nile," the modal track that opens the CD. It
begins with a long prelude in which fanfares mix with flutes, then these
give way to staccato jabs and parries from various horn combinations
before a rocking theme comes from some horns as others create rival
lines - as if a massive sound sculpture is being created by pouring
different streams of molten metal atop and around one another. Out of
this emerges a Marcus Strickland tenor sax solo scorching just this side
of a scream, echoed by agitated, fiery ensemble riffs. Stanley Cowell's
piano solo follows, encroached upon by expanding ensemble figures that
threaten to overtake and engulf it - a fine example of a jazz piano
concerto feel. Then Tolliver's bristling trumpet rides the coda,
slashing out a solo over the ensemble crescendos.
Four of the album's other five tracks (the exception is the tenor
saxophonist Billy Harper's feature, "I Want to Talk About You," a
Coltrane tribute) have their complex ensemble moments and stretches
where multiple lines and riffs are layered on like some crazy-quilt
pattern. Tolliver finds inventive new ways to expand the big band
palette through reconstituting sections into such combinations as flutes
and muted trumpet, a flute with trombones, and massed horn waves played
off against a convoluted bop line voiced by trumpet and piano. But
through it all, no matter how complex the multiple strands of the band
arrangements, soloists are given ample room to assert themselves. Thus,
the unit maintains a perfect balance between enveloping ensemble sounds
and personal solo statements.
Superband's Intrinsic Evolution (issued under the Charles Persip
Productions imprint) doesn't venture as far out as Emperor March, but it
also brings adventurous twists and turns to the big band concept. The
relationship between sections - trumpets, trombones, reeds, rhythm - has
more of the settled give-take, push-pull of classic jazz big bands. The
arrangements themselves are complex, often multi-part offerings full of
changing, shifting tempos and rhythms, including some idiosyncratic ones
concocted by the leader at his drum kit, like the odd, jangled splits of
"Return of the Prodigal," a piece with continually churning, topsy-turvy
motions.
"Double Visions," by trombonist James Zeller, mutates from an abstract,
rubato prelude emphasizing tonal colors to a swinging theme with fleet,
bright solos. Joe Henderson's "Punjab" uses the sectional counterpoint
and quicksilver time of Joe Chambers' chart to frame singular solos. And
"Meantime," a Gary Anderson tune Persip calls "our take on fusion"
combines fusion funky sections with frisky bop ones, as well as a
soulful shuffle slowdown under a tenor sax solo. This band also features
more traditional vocal selections, with the honey-toned Chelsea Crowe
doing a soul-tinged "Save Your Love" and an orchestrally fulsome "God
Bless the Child," plus trombonist Eric Hoffman doing a Vegas-show-ready
version of "The Impossible Dream."
Charli Persip & Supersound can be heard at York College on February 6 as
part of the Live Jazz series that will end with Toshiko Akiyoshi trio on
April 3. The Charles Tolliver Orchestra appears at Town Hall on February
26 for the "Thelonious Monk At Town Hall 50th Anniversary Celebration,"
and next month (March 17-22,) its performance at Blue Note will support
the release of its new CD.
SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL
BLAIR AND
George Kanzler
CAROL FREDETTE
IRIDIUM/FEBRUARY 4
"As good as they come," Stan Getz, notoriously stingy with compliments,
once said of this outstanding singer, whose new CD, Everything In Time (Soundbrush
Recordings), is a total delight. It's packed with well-chosen songs; the
backing under bassist David Finck's direction cossets her voice
perfectly; and Ms. Fredette sings in tune throughout. At a recent
memorial service for trumpeter Dick Sudhalter at Saint Peter's, at which
several dozen first-class musicians performed, no number moved us more
than Carol's. Also highly recommended is her 1998 album called
Everything I Need (Brownstone). PB
MICKEY BASS
CREOLE/FEBRUARY 6
It took seven years for anyone not present at Birdland on August 4, 2001
to hear the bebop played that evening by bassist Mickey's Bass' stellar
quintet: Antonio Hart and Craig Handy on saxophones, the late John Hart
playing piano and Eric Allen behind the drums. But the four longish
tracks on newly released album called Jazz Corner more than justify the
wait. This Creole Restaurant gig will serve as a CD release party, with
as many of the original band members as possible on hand. By the way,
the cover photo depicts the original Birdland on Broadway, just above W.
52nd, where Mickey was often heard in support of top jazz stars like
Blakey. PB
TERENCE BLANCHARD
VILLAGE VANGUARD/FEBRUARY 17-22
A contemporary of Wynton Marsalis in many ways (age, instrument and New
Orleans rearing), trumpeter Blanchard has forged a unique ensemble style
with his quintet, a style embracing lush textures, often
slow-to-the-point-of-glacial tempos, and an impressionistic, cinematic
sweep. That last is no surprise, since Blanchard has contributed to
dozens of film soundtracks, including those for most of Spike Lee's
movies. He won a 2007 Best-Large-Jazz-Ensemble-Album Grammy for A Tale
of God's Will -A Requiem for Katrina- (Blue Note). Lately, Blanchard has
also been incorporating elements of African music into his playing. GK
TERENCE BLANCHARD
VILLAGE VANGUARD/FEBRUARY 17-22
A contemporary of Wynton Marsalis in many ways (age, instrument and New
Orleans rearing), trumpeter Blanchard has forged a unique ensemble style
with his quintet, a style embracing lush textures, often
slow-to-the-point-of-glacial tempos, and an impressionistic, cinematic
sweep. That last is no surprise, since Blanchard has contributed to
dozens of film soundtracks, including those for most of Spike Lee's
movies. He won a 2007 Best-Large-Jazz-Ensemble-Album Grammy for A Tale
of God's Will -A Requiem for Katrina- (Blue Note). Lately, Blanchard has
also been incorporating elements of African music into his playing. GK
JOEY CALDERAZZO
JAZZ STANDARD/FEBRUARY 4 AND 5
Though pianist Calderazzo first gained prominence with Michael Brecker's
late-80s bands, he has been associated with high-energy saxophonists
like Brecker, Jerry Bergonzi, Rick Margitza and Branford Marsalis, in
whose Coltrane-inspired quartet he ably plays the McCoy Tyner role. But
Tyner is far from a dominant influence. In recent years, Calderazzo has
broadened his career to include small group projects under his own name.
His last album, Amanacer, had a tropical tinge and included duets and
trios with singer Claudia Acuna and guitarist Romero Lubambo. Here he'll
be joined by bassist Boris Kozlov and drummer Jeff 'Tain' Watts. GK
HELEN SUNG
RUBIN MUSEUM/FEBRUARY 6
As this pianist prepares to head overseas as part of a touring "Rhythm
Road" effort backed by the U.S. State Department, she has an especially
busy month planned: the duo gig with bassist Ron Carter at the Rubin; a
live recording (heading up a quartet that features Seamus Blake) at the
Jazz Standard on Feb. 17; and a presentation called "Sung With Words"
featuring vocalist Carolyn Leonhart at Tribeca PAC on Feb. 27.
Meanwhile, she basks in the good reviews generated by her last Sunnyside
disc, Sungbird. And she's playing electronic keyboards on a forthcoming
CD by bassist Richie Goods' Nuclear Fusion group. PB
TED ROSENTHAL
DICAPO OPERA THEATRE/FEBRUARY 6
It's a program called "Images Of Monk," with pianist Rosenthal heading
up a quintet (Joel Frahm, tenor; Mike Rodriguez, trumpet; Martin Wind,
bass; and Quincy Davis, drums) to play material from his much-praised
1992 CD with the same title, on which he reharmoized and expanded upon
more than a dozen of Thelonious' compositions, stitching them cleverly
together into a suite. Rewarding! Ted, a dependable member of Gerry
Mulligan's last quartet, will also be backing singer Ann Hampton
Calloway at Dizzy's over the course of two weeks (Feb. 17-22 and Feb.
24-Mar. 1) with a trio that includes bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer
Victor Lewis. PB
STEVE NELSON
KITANO/FEBRUARY 20 AND 21
Better known as a sideman than a leader, mallet man Steve Nelson exudes
the same joyous sense of swinging involvement in the music on vibraphone
as one of his early influences, the late Milt Jackson. While Nelson has
developed his own crisp sound and attack, he has, like Jackson, worked
empathetically with tenor saxophonists (e.g., David 'Fathead' Newman -
and check him out in a YouTube clip with Bennie Wallace's trio). But
he's also versatile enough to have been a mainstay of Dave Holland's
avant-leaning quintet and part of George Shearing's quintet. At this
gig, his vibes and marimba will be front and center in a hornless
quartet with a pianist TBA. GK
JONATHAN VOLTZOK
SMALLS/FEBRUARY 13 AND 14
Distinguished guests on Israeli-born trombonist Voltzok's new album,
More To Come (Kol Yo Records) include Slide Hampton and Antonio Hart.
Hampton, who employed Jonathan in his long-running "World Of Trombones"
project, is slated to drop by to play on both these nights. The CD
presents Voltzok as a facile bebopper on uptempo tunes such as "Shaw
Nuff" and Horace Silver's "Opus De Funk," but also as one quite capable
of caressing slower numbers like "Round Midnight." It's an auspicious
debut recording from a player from whom we're expecting great things in
the future. PB
GABRIEL ALEGRIA
TRIBECA PAC/FEBRUARY 5
An Afro-Peruvian jazz ensemble? Yes, this leader is a trumpeter from
Lima (son of a famed author and grandson of a leading playwright) whom
some of us heard during a recent IAJE convention. His compositions
incorporate several elements traditional in the music of his homeland,
including hand drumming and zapateo dancing. Other group members are
saxophonist Lauran-drea Leguia, acoustic guitarist Yuri Juarez, bassist
Ramon De Bruyn, drummer Hugo Alcazar and percussionist Freddy "Huevito"
Lobaton. Their handiwork is given radiant display on a new Saponegro CD
entitled Nuevo Mundo. The same lineup will be performing at Flushing
Town Hall at 2:00 PM on Feb. 8. PB
JAZZ IN JERSEY BY SHEILA ANDERSON
FIVE PLAY
ARTS GUILD/FEBRUARY 20
All-female bands have always tended to garner a bit of extra media
attention. But well beyond any idea of novelty, here's an ensemble that
richly deserves to be heard. From the DIVA Jazz Orchestra, led by
drummer Sherrie Maricle since 1999, has emerged Five Play, a quintet
putting its distinctive spin on classic and contemporary standards, as
well as new music composed by group members: Maricle herself plus
Janelle Reichman, (reeds), Jami Dauber (trumpet and flugelhorn), Tomoko
Ohno (piano) and Noriko Ueda (bass). The group's newest recording, What
The World Needs Now, was issued last August as a worthy follow-up to two
previous albums also released on the Arbors label. For a preview, check
several of their video clips posted on YouTube.
RON BLAKE
WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY/FEBRUARY 15
A Virgin Islands native now based in New York, Blake is a multi-talented
saxophonist who inhabits many musical worlds. He's worked with Roy
Hargrove and is currently an integral part of Christian McBride's small
group. In addition, he's recorded three CDs as a leader. Yet his total
discography also includes more than fifty other recordings on which he's
been either guest or sideman. Of 2007's Shayari (Mack Ave), his most
recent disc, he says, "It's more introspective than my earlier projects
- an acoustic collection of trios that also features performances by
some talented friends: drummer Jack DeJohnette, violinist Regina Carter
and percussionist Gilmar Gomes."
VALERY PONOMAREV
TRUMPETS/FEBRURARY 21
This Russian-born trumpeter's personal history thus far is proof that
dreams can indeed come true. A disciple of Clifford Brown as a youth,
Valery fantasized about one day playing with Art Blakey's Jazz
Messengers. In the mid-70s, he defected from the Soviet Union, moved to
New York and managed to sit in with Blakey's band, whose repertoire he
already knew from records. Blakey was so impressed that when Bill
Hardman left the Messengers, he picked Valery to take over his spot,
which he held for four years before turning things over to Wynton
Marsalis. During this gig, he'll be covering some Blakey classics in the
company of Miki Hiama, piano; Ruslan Khain, bass; and Jerome Jennings,
drums.
HARLEM JAZZ & BLUES BAND
BETHANY BAPTIST CHURCH/FEBRUARY 7
One of the most authentic swing groups on today's scene, the Harlem
Blues & Jazz Band stars veteran players whose musical roots stretch back
to the classic styles of the 20s and 30s. Some of these stalwarts
actually jumped at the Woodside and stomped at the Savoy with the
Ellington, Calloway, Basie and Hampton outfits. Founded in 1973 by
one-time King Oliver trombonist/blues singer Clyde Bernhardt and jazz
aficionado Al Vollmer, this aggregration's seasoned personnel represents
a tremendous wealth of talent - from trumpeter/vocalist Joey Morant,
who's quite the entertainer, to 92 year-old tenor man Fred Staton. Their
success over the years is a testament to great musicianship and
wonderful traditions.
THE
MULTIPLY-GIFTED DICK HYMAN by Paul Blair
It's difficult to pin ultra-versatile pianist Dick Hyman down to a
single musical category since he's done so much over six decades: worked
early on in groups led by Red Norvo and Benny Goodman; recorded ragtime
under the pseudonym "Knuckles O'Toole;" served as Arthur Godfrey's
musical director; played anonymously on a bunch of rock 'n roll records;
served as key member of several repertory jazz ensembles; composed and
arranged for ballet troupes; assembled music for a long series of Woody
Allen soundtracks; partnered trumpeter Ruby Braff on numerous duo dates;
and recorded a 1977 LP on which he plays Thad Jones' "A Child Is Born"
eleven different ways, as if it were being interpreted by a range of
stylists stretching from Scott Joplin to Cecil Taylor.
After two full decades as director of jazz programming at the 92nd
Street Y, Hyman handed over the leadership reins to Bill Charlap five
years ago and backed out of the Y's summer concert series. But he'll be
back again next month for another "Dick & Derek's Piano Party" event
with fellow keyboardist Derek Smith and a host of other stars.
And there he is on YouTube, backing Charlie Parker and Dizzy Gillespie
playing "Hot House" on an old television show. "Yes, you can now trace
my whole bloody career online!" says Hyman. "That clip was pirated from
a 1951 show on the old Dumont Television Network. At that time, I was
primarily a studio musician in New York but also hosting a TV program
called 'A Date On Broadway.' Usually, it was just me and a bass player
backing singers of the period. But on this occasion, they brought in a
drummer [Charlie Smith] because Bird and Diz were set to receive an
award from Leonard Feather. In some versions of this clip, they've
trimmed the ending in such a way that I'm not seen. But it you watch
very carefully during the alto solo, my profile is visible for just a
second."
A more recent clip viewable on the YouTube site shows Hyman roaring
through the James P. Johnson showpiece called "You've Got To Be
Modernistic." It offers visual insight into the demanding stride piano
style's mechanics. But dig a bit further into the YouTube archive for
Hyman analyses of exactly how Jelly Roll Morton moved beyond ragtime
conventions, how Earl Hines used tremulos to create a distinctive new
trumpet-like keyboard approach and how Errol Garner crafted his own
unmistakeable sound. Those excerpts come from a CD-ROM set entitled
"Dick Hyman's Century of Piano," done about ten years ago. Now Arbors
Records is ready to reissue it as a boxed CD set that also includes a
video DVD. "My intention," says Hyman, "was to analyze the styles of
maybe a dozen great piano stylists from the past.
"When I was a college student," recalls Hyman, "I used to go to a little
club called The Pied Piper down on Barrow St. in Greenwich Village where
James P. was the intermission pianist, alternating with a Max Kaminsky
group that had Willie 'The Lion' Smith as its pianist. I got to know
Willie a bit. He was extremely talkative, very much the self-promoter.
James, by contrast, was somewhat shy and retiring."
Long fascinated by the work of cornetist Bix Beiderbecke, Hyman recorded
Thinking about Bix (Reference) a year ago. It includes distinctive piano
versions of several classic Beiderbecke band pieces ("Ostrich Walk" and
'Singin' The Blues," among others), as well as his own treatments of
pieces that Bix composed and then recorded himself as piano soloist: "In
A Mist," "In The Dark," "Candlelight" and "Flashes."
Another fruitful recent collaboration has been with singer Lorraine
Feather, with whom he appeared at the uptown Y a couple of seasons ago -
and with whom he can be heard on a marvelous 2001 album called New York
City Drag. "I sent Lorraine a piece of mine called 'A Barrel Of Keys,'"
reports Hyman, "so that she could add her own lyrics and vocal. The new
title is 'Scrabble' and it'll be recorded eventually, I trust.
"I also enjoy doing solo lunchtime presentations at Saint Peter's every
couple of years. And for the Jack Kleinsinger 'Highlights In Jazz'
program on the following night, I think I'll be playing with David
Ostwald's Gully Low Jazz Band, Wycliffe Gordon, Anat Cohen and my old
friend Joe Wilder. There'll also be a mystery guest present. I know who
it'll be but I can't tell you."
Catch Dick Hyman at Saint Peter's Church at 1:00 PM on February 18 - and
then again at Highlights In Jazz concert at Tribeca Performing Arts
Center celebrating the 36th anniversary of the series, on the evening of
February 19.
LEWIS NASH: TIME IS OF THE
ESSENCE by Ken Dryden
Since Lewis Nash is one of the busiest drummers on the current scene,
it's not surprising to learn of his early interest in music, though it
took him awhile to discover jazz. "I'm the only musician in the family.
A lot of the first music I heard was in church and around the house -
gospel and rhythm-and-blues," he recalls. "My parents told me I was
interested in percussion even as a toddler. I'd repeat beats I heard on
records. Later, while other kids played outside, I'd gather boxes and
sticks to make my own drum kit. I joined an elementary school band in
fourth grade, where I began to learn how to read music. There was some
marching stuff but it was mostly concert music. Through junior and
senior high, I was invol- ved in a few funk and R&B groups but no jazz."
Yet Nash chose a different path in college, attending Arizona State on
an academic scholarship as a broadcast journalism major, inspired by the
late Max Robinson, the first black ABC News anchor. At the same time,
the drummer was taking some music electives. One day, a professor asking
about his plans exclaimed, "You're not a music major? I think you're
making a mistake!"
He was now playing jazz on campus and around Phoenix, where others
helped to pique his curiosity. "The older, more experienced local
musicians pointed me toward players they said I should listen to. I
didn't really know the chronological history of jazz at the time, so
they loaned me records to tape and hear." Nash also played with
distinguished visitors to the city, including Sonny Stitt, Art Pepper,
Barney Kessel and Lee Konitz.
A trip north changed Nash's career path. "I arrived in New York in the
summer of 1979 to study with Freddie Waits, who'd come to Phoenix as
Billy Taylor's drummer. I was enjoying college, but when I had an
opportunity to join Betty Carter's trio, based on Freddie's
recommendation, I didn't hesitate." The singer, who always encouraged
the many talented young players working with her, proved to be a great
teacher. "Betty was good at challenging younger musicians to strive for
excellence and avoid being on autopilot: 'Be bold,' she'd say. 'Be
daring. Try stuff.'"
There were many more helpful veterans as Nash's career blossomed. "Ron
Carter is another mentor I worked with early on. I call him 'The Beacon'
because when we're in an airport, he's easy to spot since he's really
tall. He taught me about choosing tones that don't interfere with the
bass range and answering my questions in detail. And I think of Tommy
Flanagan as my graduate school. Playing with him was ten years of pure
joy. He didn't have drum charts written out, so I was learning on the
bandstand every night. Although we didn't have actual rehearsals, he
always seemed comfortable with my progress. Once while I was playing the
Vanguard with Tommy, I got a call to record with Oscar Peterson in
Canada and Tommy insisted that I take the final night off to go for the
experience. I met Slide Hampton at Arizona State when he did a clinic
there. I've played with him often since then, including on a new Dizzy
Gillespie Alumni Big Band recording to be released later this year. I'm
proud to have played with masters like Dizzy, Benny Carter, J. J.
Johnson, Sonny Stitt, Horace Silver and Sweets Edison. Those are
experiences you can't get anymore."
Nash still teaches and runs clinics, though not as often. "I also enjoy
being a parent. My wife Teresa sings with me occasionally. She took time
off to raise our two daughters. The older one is going to college in the
city and the younger is a high school senior. My older plays flute, the
younger, violin. Both have excellent voices, and they're actresses,
too."
Blue Note 7, an all-star septet formed to commemorate the Blue Note
label's seventieth birthday, is currently touring the U.S. with a lineup
that includes Nicholas Payton (trumpet), Steve Wilson (alto), Ravi
Coltrane (tenor), Peter Bernstein (guitar), Bill Charlap (piano), Peter
Washington (bass) - and Lewis Nash behind the drumset. They'll wrap up
their travels with six nights at Birdland in mid-April. "It's been going
great musically," says Nash on the phone, "and we all get along as the
result of mutual respect. I can't wait to hear what the other guys are
going to do each night. So far, each concert has had its own character.
Since we have about twenty arrangements in the book, we can rotate the
program every night, and we're adding more as we go along. Audiences
have been attentive and responsive."
After finishing the first leg of the Blue Note 7 tour, Nash returns to
Manhattan to lead his working band at Birdland. "My quintet features
Peter Washington, Rene Rosnes, Jimmy Greene and Jeremy Pelt. I've played
Birdland many times in the past but never as leader of my own group.
We'll make a new recording sometime in the late spring or early summer.
There's also the sextet that I recorded in Japan last November: Frank
Wess, Terell Stafford, Jesse Davis, Mulgrew Miller, Peter Washington and
me. And sometime I want to record my duo with Steve Wilson."
Lewis Nash leads his quintet at Birdland on February 4-7.
JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB
Musical healing
Violinist Regina Carter took a break from the road during the
past year to enroll in an Introduction To Music Therapy course from
Western Michigan University. "I'm drawn to working with hospice
patients, and also with kids who have intellectual and physical
disabilities. It's pretty amazing stuff," she says, citing how people
with traumatic brain injuries can remember music, retain their musical
training, or "hear music all the time. I want to know the 'why' of it."
Don't worry, Regina isn't thinking of giving up the jazz life. She's
been "researching and collecting music from the African Diaspora" to
record later this month. Her earliest choices included a William Grant
Still composition, a Puerto Rican folk song arranged by Papo Vazquez and
an African piece from The Constant Gardener. She'll record this new
material with a pianoless quintet that also includes kora and accordion,
following what she calls a Newark-to-Newark mini-tour consisting of two
gigs: one at NJPAC in Newark, NJ, on Feb. 14 and another in Newark,
Delaware. These days, Regina is aiming for "a more acoustic,
chamber-like sound." Though she "drew from an acoustic sound from the
beginning," Regina found inspiration in adversity. "We had a gig where
the sound system just blew up," she recalls. The concert went on without
amplification, and the band and the audience enjoyed the experience. Now
she uses just an overhead mic, without a pickup on her violin, for a
sound that's as natural as possible. "We still get a boost, but it's not
in-your-face," she says. "Musicians always think of dynamics while
playing. This gives us chances to try new things, explore our
instruments."
Double play
Pianist Sumi Tonooka, who didn't put out any new CDs for a
decade, is now making up for lost time. Last year, a friend gave her the
key to his studio before leaving for Europe, and, she recalls, "I knew
I'd be sorry if I didn't take advantage of it." She recorded two CDs
that week: Long Ago Today (Artists Recording Collective) with her trio;
and another, with the working title Initiation, with the quartet she
co-leads with saxophonist Erica Lindsay. "Erica is under-rated and
under-recognized," the pianist says. "Her music brings out something in
me that my own music does not, and vice versa." That album will come out
later this year. Sumi grew up listening to jazz. When she was thirteen,
her mother took her to hear Thelonious Monk, at the Aqua Lounge in
Philadelphia. "There was something about his music that really tickled
me and made me laugh," Sumi says. "It was a weird night. He apparently
didn't feel like playing the first two sets. On the third set he decided
to play, and that was well worth waiting for." Hearing Monk made the
young pianist certain that the jazz life was for her. The key to
enjoying jazz is "experiencing it live and becoming part of what it is."
Sumi celebrates the release of Long Ago Today with a BargeMusic concert
in Brooklyn on Feb. 19 with bassist Rufus Reid and drummer Jonathan
Blake.
Early bird
Vocalist Lisa Hearns has been singing since she could talk.
"I started playing a little piano by ear when I was three," she says. "I
remember when I was little my sister would pound on the wall to get me
to shut up because I sang myself to sleep. I always knew I wanted to
sing, but I didn't know what." Lisa worked the blues circuit for a
while, and met giants like John Lee Hooker, B.B. King and Buddy Guy.
"John Lee told some great stories," she recalls. "He'd get together with
B.B. and Buddy, remind them of episodes they'd been through and have
them on the floor laughing." Having always listened to jazz, Lisa
decided to focus on it when she went to Berklee. "That's when things
started happening for me, to click more," she says. In choosing the
material for her new CD, I Got It Bad and That Ain't Good, "I was
attracted to songs I find challenging, songs with difficult intervals or
unusual harmonies - things that stand out and are different." Lisa sings
at brunch at McCann's on Feb. 8 and 22, and at The Cellar on Staten
Island on Valentine's Day, Feb. 14.
Congrats
To saxophonist Lakecia Benjamin for performing at an inaugural ball
with singer Regina Belle
to singer Pam Purvis for earning the New
Jersey Jazz Society's Nick Bishop Award for Outstanding Service to Jazz;
Pam plays Van Gogh's Ear in Union, N.J. on Feb. 8 and The Hibiscus in
Morristown on Feb. 26
to bassist Esperanza Spalding, who's been
nominated for an NAACP Image Award; she plays the Jazz Standard on Feb.
12-15
and to singer Kate McGarry for her Grammy nomination for If Less
is More (Palmetto); Kate also has a spring tour in Asia as a Jazz
Ambassador on her schedule.
Out on the town
Robin McKelle sings at the Blue Note on Feb. 1
Pianist Renee
Rosnes plays Birdland with the Lewis Nash Quintet on Feb. 4-7
Catch
singer Amy Cervini at the 55 Bar on Feb. 5
Lizz Wright sings at JALC's
Allen Room on Feb. 6, part of the Great American Songbook series; Lizz
has a new CD, The Orchard (Verve)
Drummer Cindy Blackman plays the
Jazz Standard on Feb. 6-7; check out her CD Music for the New Millennium
Go on the record when guitarist Sheryl Bailey documents Jazz Guitars
Meet Hendrix at the 55 Bar on Feb. 8
Vocalist Marlene VerPlanck will
do material from her new CD, Once There was a Moon, at Iridium on Feb.
10 and at the Ba'hai Center on Feb. 24
Singer Hilary Kole celebrates
Valentine's Day and a new CD, Haunted Heart, at Birdland on Feb. 10-14
Flutist Jamie Baum, drummer Sylvia Cuenca and saxophonist Ada Rovatti
join pianist Patrizia Scascitelli for her CD release party for Open
Window at the 55 Bar on Feb. 10
Vocalist Cassandra Wilson plays the
Blue Note on Feb. 10-15
Maria Guida sings at Kitano on Feb. 11
Diane
Moser's Composers Big Band plays "In the Spirit of Mingus" at the New
School on Feb. 11
Vocalist Tessa Souter is celebrating a decade of
singing this month with gigs at the 55 Bar (Feb. 13), Cornelia Street
Cafι (Feb. 14) and Kitano (Feb. 25)
Guitarist Mary Halvorson plays
Roulette on Feb. 13
Singer Ann Hampton Callaway has a new CD, At Last
(Telarc) and a gig at Dizzy's on Feb. 17-22 and Feb. 24-March 1
Singer
Wendy Lewis joins the Bad Plus at the Bowery Ballroom on Feb. 17,
celebrating the release of For All I Care (Heads Up)
Give German
bassist/composer Iris Ornig a warm Big Apple welcome when she plays
Kitano on Feb. 18
Jody Sandhaus sings at Weill Hall on Feb. 18 with
pianist Pete Malinverni, the Devoe Street Baptist Church Choir of
Brooklyn, and the Soul Voices Gospel Choir from Purchase College; Jody
and Pete are also at the Unwind Cafι on Feb. 25-27
Dianne Reeves sings
at JALC's Rose Theater on Feb. 19-21, part of the "Blue Note Records
Takes New York" series
Pianist Linda Presgrave celebrates the release
of Inspiration (Metropolitan) at Iridium on Feb. 25, Allison Miller will
be on drums
Pianist Kerry Politzer shares a double bill with hubby
George Colligan at the Cornelia Street Cafι on Feb. 28.
Try this at home
Pianist/vocalist Eliane Elias tells Bossa Nova Stories (Blue Note)
Jane Monheit sings for The Lovers, the Dreamers and Me (Concord); she
also guests on Tony DeSare's Radio Show (Telarc)
Carol Fredette sings
Everything in Time (Soundbrush)
Luba Mason sings of Krazy Love
(Sunnyside)
Vocalist Sutton Foster is releasing her solo debut CD, Wish
(Ghostlight)
Composer Ayn Inserto's Jazz Orchestra includes pianist
Carmen Staaf and bass trombonist Jennifer Wharton on Muse (Creative
Nation Music)
Singer Laura Hull says Take Me Home (Hullarious)
Check
out Brandee Younger's harp on Ravi Coltrane's Blending Times (Savoy
Jazz)
Karolina Strassmayer plays alto and flute on Drori Mondlak's
Point in Time (Lilypad)
Pianist Satoko Fujii has three new releases:
Orchestra Nagoya (Bakamo), Summer Suite, and Chun (both on Libra)
Scott Yanow writes about vocalists from Susanne Abbuehl to Monica
Zetterlund in The Jazz Singers: The Ultimate Guide (Backbeat Books).
HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR
ON THE MOVE
It'll be a busy month for reedman Dan Levinson. In addition to gigs
with Vince Giordano's Nighthawks outfit at Sofia's on Feb. 2 & 9, he's
also playing France, Italy and California, as well as the yearly
Groundhog Jam at the Ocean County Library in NJ (Feb. 4) and swing
concert in Deep River, CT (Feb. 8); also look for him early next month
at the 40th annual Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp in Whippany, NJ
Chances to catch the exceptional accordionist Victor Prieto locally this
month include nights at Joe's Pub (with Pablo Aslan, Feb. 8), at K.B.
Gallery (leading his own small ensemble, Feb. 12), at Dizzy's (with
Emilio Solla's NY Tango Project group, Feb. 17-21) and at Bar Next Door
(with bassist Alexis Cuadrado's outstanding trio, Feb. 26).
PIANISTS DOING WHAT THEY DO
Pianist Joan Stiles with Joel Frahm and Matt Wilson at Smalls (Feb.
4)
Bill Charlap, along with Houston Person and Freddy Cole, has
musical Valentines to present at the Allen Room (Feb. 13-14)
Ayo
Shirasaki headlines at Flushing Town Hall with a trio (Feb. 15)
Pete
Malinverni appears at Weill Recital Hall as soloist and also as director
of a gospel choir performing his compositions and arrangements (Feb. 18)
Tobias Gebb's Trio West welcomes tenor saxophonist Ron Blake as guest
at Smalls (Feb. 19)
Cedar Walton brings a trio and octet into the
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music (Feb. 21).
NOTES FROM ALL OVER
There's a CD release party for guitarist Will Sellenraad (whose
quartet include reedman Abraham Burton) at the Blue Note (Feb. 2)
John
Patitucci will be joined by keyboardist Jon Cowherd and percussionist
Rogerio Boccato at the Marjorie S. Deane Little Theater at the West Side
YMCA (Feb. 3)
Benny Golson marks his 80th birthday at Dizzy's with a
new Jazztet that also includes Eddie Henderson, Steve Davis, Mike
LeDonne, Buster Williams and Carl Allen (Feb. 3-7)
Art Lillard's
Heavenly Big Band does Midtown Jazz at Midday at Saint Peter's (Feb.
4)
Trumpeter Brian Lynch flies high with Eddie Palmieri at Rose
Theater (Feb. 6-7), then guests with the William Paterson Latin Jazz Big
Band at the WPI in NJ (Feb. 22)
Alto saxist Steve Coleman heads up a
Brooklyn Music Wide Open program at the Belarusian Church (Feb. 7)
Percussionist Cindy Blackman brings a quartet into Kitano (Feb. 6-7),
followed by drummer Rashied Ali's quintet (Feb. 8)
John Pizzarelli
does Birdland (Feb. 10-12) and the Allen Room (Feb. 21)
Trumpeter Jon
Hassell, whose new ECM CD is actually entitled Last night the moon came
dropping its clothes in the street, headlines at Zankel Hall (Feb. 10)
Bassist Ray Drummond sits in with Peter Leitch at Walker's (Feb. 15)
Trumpeter John McNeil and saxophonist Noah Preminger share the Puppets
Jazz bandstand in Park Slope for two Wednesday shows (Feb. 18 & 25)
Alto saxophonist Tim Green leads a quintet that also includes
virbraphonist Warren Wolf and pianist Aaron Parks at the Jazz Gallery
(Feb. 19) ... Tenorist Jimmy Greene solos in front of the Purchase
College Jazz Orchestra at Dizzy's (Feb. 23)
Reedman Michael Blake's
MBand at Cornelia Street Cafι, along with guitarist Ryan Blotnick on the
other half of a double bill (Feb. 24) ... Two Irish lads - pianist Greg
Felton and drummer Sean Carpio - encounter local trumpeter Jacob Wick at
Barbθs (Feb. 25).
STEADY GIGS WORTH REMEMBERING
Guitarist Ron Affif's trio at Zinc Bar's new W. 3rd St. location on
Mondays
David Berger's Sultans Of Swing at Birdland on Tuesdays
Tenor man Patience Higgins at Minton';s Playhouse in Harlem on
Wednesdays .. and pianist Eri Yamamoto at Arthur's Tavern every Thursday
though Saturday evening.
