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winning spins by George Kanzler
Should an album-from basically one leader and fairly consistent personnel - be unified in emotional tone and mood, or should it offer the listener a diverse variety of same? You can take your choice with the two CDs in this edition of Winning Spins. Coming down squarely on the side of diversity is Quartet, a new Palmetto album by Larry Goldings while the case for unity is made by Marc Johnson's Shades of Jade (ECM).
Pianist and keyboardist Goldings, who plays in drummer Matt Wilson's Arts and Crafts band, must enjoy the experience because for his own "Quartet" he's duplicated that band's instrumental lineup as well as half of its personnel (himself mostly on piano, but also some organ and electric keyboards, and Wilson), with John Sneider on trumpet and Ben Allison playing bass. He's also taken Wilson's eclectic/eccentric approach to repertoire and his penchant for bringing in guest singers. The seven tunes that are not originals by Goldings (2) or credited to the band collectively (3) cover the gamut from a Brazilian bossa to a civil rights anthem, from Monk to W.C. Handy, and from Bjork to Abdullah Ibrahim.
After an opening "Singsong" by Goldings, a freestyle exploration of a fragment from a children's song, classical composer Gabriel Faure's "Au Bord de L'Eau" is given an imaginative treatment, with alternating Afro-Latin and swing rhythms. The rhythm section sets up a swirling, centripetal rush on the bossa "Valsinha," Goldings' piano calmly stating the theme, with trumpet echoes, followed by lithe solos from both. The stately ceremonial quality of Ibrahim's "The Wedding" is captured by a deliberate rhythm (Wilson with brushes) and trumpet paired with Goldings' organ.
The band conjures a vintage jazz feel with organ and Wilson's hard brush stomp on snare drum on Handy's "Hesitation Blues," sung by Madeleine Peyroux in her Billie Holiday influenced drawl. Monk's "Jackie-ing" is brightly boppish as acoustic quartet, while Goldings' "Mario and Bario" finds him doubling accordion and piano in waltz time. Sneider steps up on growl muted and open trumpet for "A Dream About Jaki Byard," a scintillating group effort. Bjork's "Cocoon," with electric keyboards and moody trumpet, is more limp than limpid (What is this fascination with Bjork by jazz artists?); while the collective originals "Hidalgo" and "Denouement" are pleasingly eerie and spaghetti Western dramatic, respectively. Closing the CD is a piano-trumpet duet of "We Shall Overcome" that is genuinely limpid.
Bassist Johnson's Shades of Jade is a typically serious, sincere and often austere album of the kind that ECM is famous for producing. There isn't anything as lively as a mid-tempo until the fifth track, and good-spirited exuberance only shows up on the eighth- there are ten in all. But the music is often gorgeous and more captivating than it seems during a cursory first listening.
The core band is a quartet with Johnson's pianist wife Eliane Elias (composer or co-composer with him of six tracks), drummer Joey Baron and tenor saxophonist Joe Lovano. Guitarist John Scofield is on board for four tracks and organist Alain Mallet for two. Elias and Lovano are both in super fine fettle, soloing with lyricism and grace, and in Lovano's case, with a get down ferocity on that eighth track, Johnson's "Raise," a raucous waltz with shake and rattle Baron drums and gutsy organ backgrounds. That track and Johnson's "Blue Nefertiti," which quotes Wayne Shorter's "Nefertiti," are the only bright tunes.
The others are pensive explorations of moodiness, ranging from the gossamer noodlings of of the title track to the rapturous "In 30 Hours," the lovely bass feature "Since You Asked" to the intensely lyric piano trio version of Elias' "Snow." The album ends, portentously, with bowed bass and organ intoning a lugubrious Armenian folk song.
Larry Goldings brings a group into the Jazz Standard for sets on February 9-12. Marc Johnson's ensemble performs at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on the evenings of January 31 through February 5.
SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND George KanzlerBARBARA CARROLL
TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER/ MARCH 9
A pianist who lived the transition from Swing to Bop and actually played with Charlie Parker, Carroll has concentrated more on her cabaret-style singing in recent decades, when she's been a fixture at the Bemmelmans Bar of the Carlyle Hotel. But during this Highlights in Jazz concert, called "I Love a Piano," she'll highlight her formidable playing chops in a trio that also includes bassist Jay Leonhart and drummer Joe Ascione. Sharing the bill that evening will be the trio of Cyrus Chestnut, who brings gospel and blues flourishes to his own exuberant pianistics. GKCARDAMON QUARTET
THE STONE/FEBRUARY 10
Merely knowing that Uri Sharlin plays piano won't tell you much about the sound of the Cardamon Quartet heard on Reflections of the Road, a new Folk Dunes CD. From the very first track, it's apparent that this particular road passes through exotic hamlets in Turkey, Arabia and beyond. We suspect that this band's members love samba and tango as well. Reedman Harel Shachal takes the lead on alto and clarinet throughout; Jennifer Vincent plays both cello and bass; and Dan Aran is the drummer. (The album also includes two guest percussionists - and Sharlin's accordion adds color on several tracks.) Classy and compelling stuff! PBRALPH LALAMA & NICOLE PASTERNAK
THE GARAGE/FEBRUARY 1
Tenor saxophonist Lalama is most often heard in the muscular context of big bands like the every-Monday-night Vanguard Orchestra, or in hard-charging small groups, often duking it out with other tenors. So this gig, a CD-release party for singer Pasternak's In A Word (Garagista), represents a definite change-of-pace for him. As on the album, he'll be part of a drumless chamber jazz group that also includes Don Friedman's piano and Dennis Irwin's bass, blending Pasternak's intimate, unassuming vocals with Lalama at his most tender and lyrical. As a singer Pasternak leans toward understatement, emphasizing a conversational tone. GKOSCAR PEREZ
IDA MAE/FEBRUARY 15
Pianist Perez' website is bursting with enthusiastic reviews for his new CD, Nuevo Comienzo - and justly so. To his working quintet (which knocked 'em dead during a recent tour of Siberia!), he added Wycliffe Gordon's trombone and Peter Bernstein's guitar for guest spots. The pulse throughout is primarily Latin and the tunes are all Oscar's. Greg Glassman shines on trumpet and Stacy Dillard beautifully handles the saxophone parts. Bassist and drummer are Matthew Rybicki and Will Terrill. Ida Mae's, by the way, is a newish no-cover spot at 111 W. 38th St. between Broadway and Sixth Ave. Sets are at 7:30 and 9:00 PM. PBCURTIS STIGERS
BLUE NOTE/FEBRUARY 14-19
A tenor saxophone player with a bluesy tone and rock 'n' roll directness, Stigers began as a pop-rock singer, but has morphed toward jazz in this new century. He's garnered some enviable press clippings as a jazz singer, too (e.g., "his generation's answer to Tony Bennett," "the most convincing ballad singer in jazz") as well as comparisons to everyone from Hoagy Carmichael and Nat "King" Cole to Mose Allison and Jon Hendricks. But what he's really got going for him is an infectious enthusiasm for the material he sings, along with a welcome sense of humor. His latest CD is I Think It's Going to Rain Today on Concord. GKAYAKO SHIRASAKI
KITANO/FEBRUARY 9
Like Toshiko Akiyoshi, this pianist seems particularly inspired by Bud Powell's hard-driving keyboard approach. Happily, Ayako, a New Yorker since 1997, has the chops necessary to swing difficult Powell pieces like "Un Poco Loco," as her 2005 CD Musically Yours demonstrates. On this gig, she'll have Marco Panascia (bass) and Greg Hutchinson (drums) with her. Ayoko also plays for the tapper's jam at Cobi's Place (upstairs at 158 W. 48th St) every Wednesday at 6:00 PM, and will solo at Trinity Church (March 6) and Saint Peter's Church (March 8). Kenny Barron, formerly her teacher, admires her work. So do we. PBMARC MOMMAAS
CORNELIA STREET CAFE/FEBRUARY 25
Dutch tenor saxophonist Mommaas now lives in New York. But unlike many Apple-based jazz musicians, he doesn't limit his horizons. Hence, he'll bring a band he calls Global Motion into Cornelia Street, with Nikolaj Hess - piano, John Hebert - bass, Tony Moreno - drums and Rez Abbasi - percussions. Yet for a February 9 Sweet Rhythm gig, he'll lead a different group - Cotangent, a collective quartet he co-founded with drummer Tim Horner plus two musicians (pianist Bill Gerhardt and bassist Mike Holstein, who are charter members of the Jazz Composers Forum) based in Asheville, N. C. GKMANHATTAN BONES
SWEET RHYTHM/FEBRUARY 16
Four trombones plus a rhythm section make up this sonorous septet, whose repertoire includes fine treatments of compositions by J.J. Johnson ("Shutterbug"), Juan Tizol ("Caravan") and Wayne Shorter ("Tom Thumb"), or Gil Evans ("Where Flamingos Fly" and "Gone, Gone, Gone"). They're all heard on the group's Creative Jazz release Tribute. Leader Scott Reeves - who doubles as prof at Juilliard and City College - varies the sound blend by adding alto valve trombone and alto flugelhorn to the mix. Other members: trombonists Tim Sessions, Mark Patterson and Tim Newman; pianist Jim Ridl; bassist Mike McGuirk; and drummer Andy Watson. PBFRED HERSCH
VILLAGE VANGUARD/FEBRUARY 28-MARCH 5
Pianist Hersch is no stranger to this hallowed jazz basement, having led trios and quintets here as well as appeared as a sideman over the years. But this is a unique engagement for him and a rare occurrence for the Vanguard-a solo piano gig. If anyone's capable of pulling it off, it's Hersch. He brings an architectonic sensibility and probing mind to his solo playing, especially during exploration of works by such jazz composer/ pianists as Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington and Jimmy Rowles. Monk's "Evidence" and Rowles' "The Peacocks" are highlights on Hersch's new solo album, In Amsterdam: Live at the Bimhuis (Palmetto). GKCARMEN LUNDY
IRIDIUM/FEBRUARY 23-26
Ms. Lundy is finally garnering the critical praise and popular acclaim she's long deserved. Blessed with a remarkable vocal range and fine dramatic skills, she's equally adept at delivering funk, ballads, gospel tunes and more conventional jazz things. Recorded live last February during a Los Angeles theater concert, her two-disc Jazz and the New Songbook set plus DVD boasts outstanding production values, great instrumental support (from Robert Glasper, Bobby Watson, Mark Shim, Phil Upchurch, Steve Turre and a string quartet, among others) and a splendid lineup of new tunes, most by Carmen herself. Enjoy this singer as she commands the Iridium bandstand. PB
JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSHHOWARD ALDEN
GLEN ROCK INN/FEBRUARY 9
The Glen Rock may be the next best thing to guitar heaven. This month, the club offers interplay by two noted masters, as ubiquitous Californian Howard Alden teams with local master Jack Wilkins. Howard plays a seven string Benedetto with great clarity and tonal beauty. His song selection is eclectic and challenging, his phrasing versatile and swinging. Alden's resume includes work with Red Norvo, Ken Peplowski, Bucky Pizzarelli, Frank Vignola, Jimmy Bruno, Ruby Braff, Dan Barrett and more. Hear Alden paired with George Van Eps on Concord's Seven and Seven.RANDY JOHNSTON
CECIL'S/FEBRUARY 3
The straightahead, blues-infested guitar music of Detroiter Randy Johnston has been called effervescent, lyrical and soulful. He says he employs his technique - which is awesome - "in the service of music." Johnston has played with Warne Marsh, Lou Donaldson, Nick Brignola, Eric Alexander, Joey D., Fathead, Griff and Hamp. Among the influences he cites are Christian, Burrell, Raney, Martino and Grant Green. Is It You? (High Note) is Randy's most recent CD. And he'll soon release a DVD entitled Randy Johnson Trio Live at the Smithsonian Jazz Cafe. At Cecil's the band will also include organist Kyle Koehler and drummer Vince Ector.WINSTON BYRD
RAMAPO COLLEGE/FEBRUARY 18
It'll be an all-Jersey band saluting great trumpeters at this Ramapo College concert. Trumpet man Winston Byrd is from Madison. John Lee from South Orange will be the bassist; Montclair's Nick Rolfe on piano; Justin Robinson from Bloomfield on alto sax; and NJJS scholar Chris Brown, from New Brunswick, on drums. First drawn to this music by hearing Maynard Ferguson, Byrd cites other trumpet influences as well - but emphasizes Jon Faddis and Arturo Sandoval as favorites. His curriculum vitae includes stints with Jacquet, Slide Hampton, T.S. Monk, Bellson, the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra and the Dizzy Gillespie All-Star Big Band.NORMAN SIMMONS
TRUMPETS/FEBRUARY 4 AND CORNERSTONE/FEBRUARY 10
Norman Simmons has been at it for sixty years: playing, arranging and composing. He's perhaps best known, though, as THE accompanist of choice. Those who've counted on him for sympathetic backup include Dexter Gordon, Bird, Wardell Grey, Ernestine Anderson, Red Rodney, Carmen McCrea, Betty Carter, Clifford Jordan, Helen Humes, Carol Sloane and, for a long time, Joe Williams. He's played with everyone and arranged for them too. At Cornerstone he’ll back saxophonist Virginia Mayhew. Norman's philosophy is "get out of the way." He says he learned this from Ellington - and cites Jamal, Peterson and Hank Jones as other influences.
HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIRMARKING BLACK HISTORY MONTH
The Jazz Spot (375 Kosciuszko St. in Bedford-Stuyvesant) offers four afternoon sessions this month to celebrate the vibrancy of black culture, past and present. On February 5, the partitioning of Africa is the subject covered by Kean University's Dr. James Conyers; music will be provided by the African Drumming & Percussion Ensemble. "Where Do We Go From Here?" is the question being posed on February 12 by Elombe Brath of the Patrice Lumumba Coalition. Music this time will come from Mississippi Blues Project members. Poet-essayist Louis Reyes Rivers' topic on February 19 will be "Africans and the Diaspora." Also present that afternoon will be Mari Toussaint and the Haitian Jazz Sensation Quartet. The month's fourth and final presentation (being billed as a tribute to onetime Brooklynite Max Roach) is a February 26 seminar called "How Jazz Grew in Brooklyn," facilitated musicologist George Turner. Pianist Ed Stoute will perform with a group of notable local players, too. Admission to any event - each running 3:00-6:00 PM - is a mere ten bucks. For details, check http://thejazz.8m.com or phone 718-453-7825 ... We hope you've attended at least a couple of the fascinating programs at the Jazz Museum of Harlem. Telling their tales this month are tuba player/baritone saxophonist Howard Johnson on February 9 and Paul Robeson Jr. on February 23. Admission is free and you'll learn a lot. See their truly info-rich site www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org ... Sweet Rhythm's cooperative arrangement with the New School's Jazz & Contemporary Music Program continues to pay dividends. Four Monday attractions this month prove it: repertory groups from the school playing music of the masters. Hear the Charlie Parker Ensemble, directed by Dave Glasser, on February 6; the Blues Ensemble, directed by Junior Mance, on February 13; the Herbie Hancock Ensemble, directed by Peter Zak, on February 20; and the Art Blakey Ensemble, directed by Charles Tolliver, on February 27.
DRUMROLLS
Among those debuting new CDs at the Jazz Standard this month are groups led by baritone saxophonist Alex Harding and pianist Lucian Ban on February 8 (their albums, both on the Jazzaway label, are The Calling and Playground); pianist Larry Goldings on February 9-12 (his is Quartet on Palmetto); guitarist Charlie Hunter on February 17-19 (Cooperopolis on Ropeadope Records); and guitarist Wolfgang Schalk on February 28 (Space Messengers on Universal-Emarcy). Percussion stalwart Joe Chambers and his group play music from a new Savant release (The Outlaw) at the New School on February 28 ... And if you'd care to be present for the recording of a new album, come on into at the Standard on February 7 when Pete Zimmer's hard-boppish outfit cuts a new one - or Kitano on February 1-2 when alto saxophonist Mike DiRubbo's quartet does the same .. Singer Allan Harris and his Cross That River Band debuts material from their new CD (Cross That River) at the Blue Note on February 20. This album blends jazz and country blues in telling tales of the West's black cowboys.
GIG ALERTS
Drummer Ben Perowsky has a busy February planned. For example, he'll play with Uri Caine at The Stone on February 12; return to that club on February 16 with Swiss pianist Sylvie Courvoisier; and then lead a quartet at Barbès on February 19 ... That fine Dutch-born bassist Joris Teepe plays with a quartet that includes saxist Don Braden at Smalls on February 17-18; and then at B.B. King's on February 21. Joris' most recent CD, Going Dutch (Twinz) features Braden plus Randy Brecker, George Colligan and Gene Jackson ... Organist Gene Ludwig helps to celebrate Stanley Turrentine's legacy in J@LC's Allen Room on February 18, in the company of saxophonists Eric Alexander and Robert Stewart, with Dave Stryker playing guitar and Grady Tate on drums ... Composer Andy Middleton (himself a tenor and soprano specialist) premieres a new suite of five pieces commissioned by New Chamber Music America at the Jazz Gallery on February 22; and at Baruch College SUNY on March 6. The latest recording by Andy's octet (Reinventing the World, on the Intuition label) is a real winner ... Trumpeter Dave Ballou plays February 17-18 at the Kitchen as part of John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble, then joins a quartet led by Kevin Norton and John Lindberg at William Patterson on February 23. Dave's heard to good advantage on both Time-Space Modulator by Norton's Bauhaus Quartet (Barking Hoop) and his own Regards (Steeplechase) ... Reedman Marty Ehrlich continues to build a fascinating resume for himself. His News on the Rail disc on Palmetto is full of wonderful moments. Now he's set to appear with the Metropolis Ensemble of NY as soloist in a new work called "Singing in the Dark," composed by David Schiff and also featuring bassist Mark Helias and drummer Michael Sarin. The concert, which also features works by Aaron Copland and Benjamin Britten, takes place at the Angel Orensanz Foundation Center for the Arts at 172 Norfolk St. on February 16 ... Vibraphonist Tom Beckham plays tunes from his new CD Center Songs at Kavehaz on February 4. (For a sample, download the MP3 tracks available free at www.vibecybersummit.com.) Tom also appears on a fascinating new Fresh Sounds disc under Sam Bardfield's name entitled Periodic Trespasses ... Guitarist Ken Hatfield, whose new String Theory CD showcases his talents on nylon string guitar as well as dobro and mandolin, plays each Tuesday evening at Fetch, 1649 Third Ave. on the Upper East Side. Look for him soon at the 55 Bar as well ... On February 8 at Alice Tully Hall, Benny Golson conducts the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra in the world premiere of his own composition, "Above and Beyond," specially commissioned by Juilliard for its centennial celebration. Juilliard Jazz Director Victor Goines is tenor saxophonist and clarinet soloist for this piece that highlights an all-Golson evening. Benny's standards like "Stablemates," " I Remember Clifford," "Whisper Not," "Blues March," and "Along Came Betty," will be performed with the composer himself as tenor soloist and Goines conducting the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra. Admission is free, yet tickets are required. Check Julliard's website for details ... Trumpeter Avishai Cohen brings a highly promising quintet (including Mark Turner and Jason Lindner) into the Jazz Gallery for two sets per evening on February 3-4 ... Pianist/vocalist Emme Kemp is now entertaining at Copeland's Restaurant, 547 W. 145th St. in Harlem. Call 212/234-2357 to confirm dates.
BEYOND MANHATTAN
Alto specialist Bill Easley and singer Antoinette Montague are slated for a February 12 concert at First Presbyterian Church in Mt. Vernon. The Presbyterian Jazz Society's info number is 914/664-0623 ... Catch trombonist Joe Fiedler at the Barbès on February 15; his new one on the Clean Feed label, entitled Celebrates the Music of Albert Mangelsdorff, does precisely that ... Advance notice! The 7th Annual Central Brooklyn Jazz Coalition Festival takes place from March 29 through April 29 in several venues throughout the borough - and there are numerous events worth catching. We'll offer a more complete preview in next month's issue ... Tito Puente's Restaurant on City Island in the Bronx marks its tenth anniversary by beefing up its music programming in a big way. Of special interest are blues nights each Tuesday and Latin extravaganzas every Friday ...Parlor Jazz embarks on its fifth year of Sunday afternoon living room musicales when singer Lezlie Harrison drops by on February 8. Check www.parlourjazz.com for other upcoming attractions ... Yes, there's live jazz in Queens, too. Waltz is the name of a new spot at the end of the N line in Astoria: 23-14 Ditmars Blvd. Pianist Deanna Witkowski was a recent attraction there ... Night and Day (Fifth Ave. at President St. in Park Slope) now presents jazz at least a couple of nights per week. See their schedule at www.nightanddayrestaurant.com.
ON VALENTINE'S DAY
Can't get into Dee Dee Bridgewater's February 14 show at Rose Theater? Note that Andy Bey will be singing that same evening at Sweet Rhythm ... There's also a special program slated for Symphony Space that day: the three generations who comprise Canada's highly musical Arnstzen Family will appear, along with a group of talents familiar to those who've been attending Marjorie Eliot's Sunday afternoon jams at 555 Edgecombe Ave. in Harlem. You'll find a fuller explanation posted at www.BestandBrightest.biz.
FILM AT ELEVEN
It's always intriguing to read what musicians have to say about themselves. Consider drummer Matt Wilson, who's appearing with his Arts & Crafts quartet (Terell Stafford, trumpet; Larry Goldings, piano; and Dennis Irwin, bass) at Zankel Hall on February 8. The press release, which Mr. Wilson surely had a hand in composing, sums up the leader's career thusly: "Matt Wilson's versatility and enthusiasm keeps him busy in bands led by Charlie Haden, Dewey Redman and Lee Konitz, among numerous others. He was recently voted #1 Rising Star Drummer in the DownBeat Critics Poll for the third year in a row. He has made six critically acclaimed recordings for the Palmetto label and his next release, a new Arts & Crafts recording, will be released in early 2007. Matt has two different sized feet: his left foot is size 8 ½ and his right is 10½. He loves tractors and tapioca pudding."
THE ENVELOPES HAVE BEEN OPENED
Pianist Hank Jones and vocalist Freddy Cole are among the winners of New York's Nightlife Awards, to be presented at Town Hall on February 6. Our hero Hank was chosen Top Jazz Soloist; the other finalists were pianist Bill Charlap and tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander. Best Jazz Combo honors go to the quartet co-led by tenor Harry Allen and guitarist Joe Cohn, besting the Lee Konitz Nonet and the Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra. Freddy and Paula West were names Jazz Vocalists of the Year over Annie Ross/Sheila Jordan and John Pizzarelli/Allan Harris. They won’t be giving acceptance speeches – but they’ll all be performing, along with Eartha Kitt and a host of others – at Town Hall on the sixth. What’s more, Ticketmaster has tickets for you, if you hurry. www.theatermania.com/extras/nightlife2006 for the whole story.
DEE DEE BRIDGEWATER: FLUENCY AND THEN SOME BY YVONNE ERVINDee Dee Bridgewater has been acclaimed around the world as one of today's great jazz vocalists. She won a Grammy for "Dear Ella," a Tony Award for her role in "The Wiz" and a Victoire de la Musique for her leading role in the London production of "Lady Day." But the singer's latest nominations have stunned her.
"I was stupefied. I still am," she said of the Grammy nomination of her CD J'ai Deux Amours. "Why? Because it's in French and I've sold maybe ten copies."
She also was surprised to have been made the first American "Haut Conseil de la Francophonie," an organization which recognizes individuals on a global level who've made significant contributions to French culture and society. "It's ex-presidents, prime ministers, scientists, Nobel Prize winners, professors, hugely intellectual people, and me," she exclaimed. For the past seven years, she has been an honorary ambassador to the United Nations Food and Agricultural Organization. Dee Dee has also been hanging out with the presidents of Georgia and Austria, who are big fans.
She thinks the album of French music solidified her nomination to the high council. On it she recorded French classics like "La Vie en Rose," "Avec le Temps" and "La Belle Vie." Yet putting it together wasn't a walk in the Tuileries.
"I speak French; that's one thing," she said. "But singing in French - that's a nightmare. It goes against everything I know about singing. I couldn't improvise; I spent so much time just trying to get the words out of my mouth. I would go around the house just practicing phrases over and over again just trying to get my tongue and my mouth to work right. And it's more difficult to swing because the emphasis goes on different words than in English, so it affects the movement of the music. I started touring the repertoire in February of last year and it's taken me a year to say that I've finally got it."
The arrangements were a challenge, too, she recalls. "At first, I couldn't figure out what to do with the music and I knew I was tampering with French national treasures, so for France, this was going to be very risqué. It's just accordion, guitar, bass and percussion. I figured the way to do it was as a collective and come up with the arrangements ourselves."
The band comprises Louis Winsberg on guitar, Ira Coleman on bass, Marc Berthoumitux on accordion and Minino Garay on percussion. "They all have their own bands and they're all becoming superstars," Dee Dee notes. "That's created a problem because they're not always free. But they will be at the Lincoln Center gig."
Dee Dee has been living at least part-time in France for two decades (she's married to French concert promoter Jean-Marie Durand). But she wants to spend more time in Mali, in western Africa. "I finally decided to embrace the fact that my root is African although I don't like being called African-American because I have a lot of other bloods running. I think that my root is Malian. The music speaks to my soul," Bridgewater declared. "When I arrived at the airport, this old man came up to me and started to talk to me in a dialect and he was saying 'Welcome home.' He said I was from a nomadic Malian tribe. I feel very much at home there." She plans to record with Malian artists and hopes to make a documentary film there of the making of her album.
For five years, Dee Dee has been hosting NPR's Jazz Set program and says she loves doing it. "To me, it was one of the most wonderful things that has ever happened to me: the chance to host a show that provides a platform for musicians to be heard in a live setting. We're trying to diversify the show to have a wider appeal. There are so many musics that are not getting airplay. I've also discovered new people since I now hear musicians I'd never get to hear because I'm always on the road."
Dee Dee Bridgewater's Valentine's Day concert takes place at Rose Theater inside the Jazz at Lincoln Center complex.
GEORGE MRAZ: VIRTUOSO ON CALL by Ken Dryden
Blending the precision of a classical player with the intuitiveness of a top jazz improviser, Czech-born George Mraz has long been a first-call bassist, having worked with numerous greats during a career stretching over more than four decades. Just back from Europe and about to leave for Uruguay, Mraz spoke about his life in jazz.
"I started on violin at the age of seven, then later played clarinet and saxophone. I went to Prague Conservatory [to study double bass] and worked in clubs at night. I first heard jazz on the radio when I was thirteen. They'd present light opera and stuff like that, then stick in one hour of Louis Armstrong, which was so different than all the other voices I'd heard that day that I started looking into it. Most of the jazz I heard was through Willis Conover's Voice of America program."
The bassist made his recording debut in 1964. Around the time the Soviets invaded his homeland in 1968, he emigrated to the United States, eventually becoming a U.S. citizen. "I had a scholarship to Berklee School of Music and went for three semesters. I studied writing and played in the recording band with Alan Broadbent, Peter Donald, Gary Anderson and Richie Cole - they all became quite well known."
Mraz himself achieved wide recognition as a member of Oscar Peterson's trio between 1970 and 1972. This was followed by stints with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis Orchestra, Stan Getz, Walter Norris, Zoot Sims and the New York Jazz Quartet. Musicians who frequently booked him for record dates and tours included Pepper Adams, Sir Roland Hanna, Jimmy Knepper, Jimmy Rowles, Kenny Drew, Carol Sloane, Adam Makowicz and Don Friedman. While it's impossible for a musician as busy as George Mraz to list all his favorites among the recordings in which he participated - cut, he estimates, at about 1000 sessions - he does single out work with Getz, Sims, John Abercrombie, Joe Henderson, Tommy Flanagan, Hank Jones and Elvin Jones as particular highlights.
In 1977, Mraz did a three-day gig at the Village Vanguard with pianist Bill Evans and drummer Philly Joe Jones, not realizing that he was being auditioned. "I actually got the job when Eddie Gomez left," he recalls. "Unfortunately, I couldn't take it, because I'd already put together another group with John Abercrombie and had something like six weeks of concerts lined up in Europe." It's tantalizing to imagine Mraz in such a setting, given his ability to anticipate the next moves of fellow musicians.
In addition to his prolific career as a sideman, Mraz has been composing and arranging for recording dates as a leader. "If a melody jumps into my head, I work out the harmony on bass, on piano or sometimes without any instrument at all." When it comes to set lists, he says, "I try to have a variety of material so everything's not the same. It also depends on who's playing. I have to tailor certain things to achieve cooperation with the other guys." Mraz also enjoys unearthing overlooked compositions for his recordings, such as Bill Evans' infrequently performed "Your Story," a song that didn't appear on any of the late pianist's albums issued during his lifetime.
"Most things have been with Richie Beirach on piano, Rich Perry playing saxophones and Al Foster as the drummer. I've also recorded with Moravian musicians. [Singer Zuzana Lapcikova and pianist Emil Viklicky appear on Mraz's Morava album]. Milestone was part of the Fantasy catalog when Concord purchased it. I've been so busy that I'm not sure what company would handle future CDs. The Moravians have so much material that I'd like to make another record with them. I'd also like to do another of my own."
George Mraz plays at Birdland on February 8-11 as a member of pianist Adam Makowicz' trio, which also includes Al Foster on drums.She CAN write a book
Pianist/singer/arranger Gloria Cooper is busy compiling a second book of jazz tunes for singers. Like her first one, "Sing Jazz!" (Second Floor Music), this one will also contain "quite a variety of pieces by wonderful contemporary jazz composers, to add to the repertoire for jazz singers. Most singers are always looking to add to what they already do, to keep it interesting and challenging," she says. "I looked through a lot of material with an eye for variety, trying to find a mixture of tempos, a varied repertoire, a mixture of composers and lyricists. It's an interesting and intriguing adventure in the repertoire." Though no release date has been set for the new book, which will probably be called "Sing More Jazz!," Gloria's new CD, Dedicated to You (Origin) features some of her choices. She'll perform tunes from the CD and both books at Sweet Rhythm on February 7.
Class is in
Pianist/composer/teacher Kris Davis may be her own best student, right down to the homework part. "Most of my own compositions are writing assignments I gave myself," she says. She tries to make the assignments "pretty broad," and says they're similar to the ones she gives her composition students. Kris recently spent a year writing a solo piano piece. "I try to do a lot of background," she says. "I may write 100 pages of music, then the piece may end up being 20 pages. That way I have plenty of choices, I don't have to be satisfied with the first thing I came up with." Kris plays the Tea Lounge in Brooklyn with the Brooks Qawwali Party on February 10, and with her own quartet on February 16; she's at The Kitchen with John Hollenbeck's Large Ensemble on February 17-18.
Good Joe
Pianist Renee Rosnes first worked with tenor giant Joe Henderson in 1987, and their relationship lasted for almost as long as he continued playing. She's gathered some of his arrangements and compositions for a tribute to him that consists of "a lot of great material, not run of the mill, stuff that even he didn't play that much," Renee says. "I hope he'll be smiling in heaven." Renee and her quintet play "The Music of Joe Henderson: Phantom of the Bopera," at Dizzy's on February 7-12; she also appears at Kitano with Ben Wolfe on February 3-4.
Deepest sympathy
To pianist/singer Marjorie Eliot, on the recent loss of her son Michael. Marjorie is renowned for hosting concerts each Sunday afternoon at her home on Edgecombe Avenue in Harlem, with a who's who of jazz dropping in to play, as friends and fans from around the world gather to listen. She hasn't missed a Sunday in years, finding comfort in the music, even during her darkest moments. On Valentine's Day, February 14, Marjorie will take part in "An Evening of Love and Jazz" at Symphony Space, accompanied by family and friends with Arntzen... 3 Generations in Jazz.
Milestone
Singer Lil Phillips has announced that a memorial service for her late husband, composer/bassist Jim Phillips, will be held at St. Peter's Church on February 5.
Listen up
Singer Ellen Starr is at Midday Jazz at St. Peter's on February 1 ... Iqua Colson sings at the Montclair Art Museum on February 4 ... Bassist Kim Clarke and guitarist Tim Siciliano play Las Margaritas in Astoria on February 4 and 18 ... Ayana Lowe sings at 55 Bar on February 4 ... Vocalist Nora McCarthy is at Night and Day in Brooklyn on February 8 ... Pianist Ayako Shirasaki plays Kitano on February 9 ... Tessa Souter sings at 55 Bar on February 10. Chances are she'll be selling copies of her new book, "Anything I Can Do You Can Do Better." Most people familiar with Tessa' vocal chops would probably take issue with that title ... The Pan Asian Chamber Jazz Ensemble is at The Stone on February 10 ... Tenor saxophonist Virginia Mayhew is at the Cornerstone with pianist Norman Simmons on February 10, at Cecil's with the Ellington Legacy featuring singer Nancy Reed on February 6 and 27, and at the Garage on February 4 and 17, where she also plays most Mondays with Howard Williams' big band ... Flutist Jan Leder plays brunch at Rudy's Beau Rivage in Dobbs Ferry on February 12 and 26 ... Madam Pat Tandy sings at Cecil's on February 14 ... Check out multi-instrumentalist Anat Cohen at the Jazz Standard on February 16 ... Pianist Lenore Raphael plays Kitano on February 23 ... Singer Carmen Lundy is at Iridium on February 23-26; check out the totally smokin' arrangements she wrote for her fine new CD, Live at the Madrid ... Singer Michelle Walker is at 55 on February 25 ... Gretchen Parlato sings for brunch at the Blue Note on February 26.BACKSTAGE PASS
Jazz Anecdote by Bill Crow
Jazz bassist Bill Crow's popular book "Jazz Anecdotes" has been released in a new edition, "Jazz Anecdotes, Second Time Around," with added stories. It, and his second book, "From Birdland to Broadway," can be found at your favorite bookseller, both published by Oxford University Press.
Omar Clay and Al Plank were playing a duo gig in a club. A customer dropped a dollar on Al's piano along with a request for four tunes. During the next break, Al stopped by the man's table, apologized for only knowing three of the tunes, and handed him a quarter.
One night a couple of sailors wandered into Jim and Andy's, the musicians' bar, looking for some action. The guys at the bar told them that no single women came there, but there was a good place nearby called the Green Lantern. "Just look for the green light by the doorway," they told them, and then gave them directions to the nearby police station.
Bob Cranshaw, who is best known for his bass playing with Sonny Rollins, once played with the Clancy Brothers, and made some records with them. He said, "When I was with them, they called them The Clancy Brothers and The Brother."A Moment You Missed by fran kaufman
No sound check? No problem. Anguila Jazz Festival, 2005. The musicians were ready, but the instruments hadn't shown up. And no one could say when they would. Undaunted, Claudia Acuna, Craig Handy, Romero Lubambo, Stefan Harris and Nilson Matta took the rehearsal to Romero's hotel room, where they did a run-through with the instruments available--their voices, hands and feet, and Romero's very portable guitar.