WINNING SPINS BY GEORGE KANZLER Drummers often make exemplary leaders, as the two albums in this Winning Spins abundantly illustrate. Although Matt Wilson, 42, and Rashied Ali, 71, come from different generations, both have had long-running associations with legendary tenor saxophonists: Wilson with Dewey Redman, who died last September, and Ali with John Coltrane, whom he partnered on the classic 1967 duo album Interstellar Space (Impulse). And although their latest CDs are very different affairs stylistically, both drummers provide the spark the best members of their profession have always proffered as band leaders. The Scenic Route by Wilson's Arts & Crafts quartet (Palmetto) is the third album from one of Wilson's two working quartets. It's also the first for organist/pianist Gary Versace, who replaces Larry Goldings in the Arts & Crafts lineup. Still on board, though, are trumpeter/ flugelhornist Terell Stafford and bassist/clarinetist Dennis Irwin. "A band like this allows the music to go places and courageously goes along for the ride," comments Wilson. "While the destinations are of importance, how we get there is often what's most rewarding. Smooth roads, bumpy roads, beautiful landscapes, weird detours and nice surprises all combine here for The Scenic Route. We hope you enjoy the journey." For a band essentially comprised of a rhythm section and trumpet, Arts & Crafts is surprisingly versatile, and not just because Versace doubles on piano and B3 organ. The choice of repertoire and arrangements, as well as Versace's idiosyncratic organ style and Stafford's use of mutes, has a lot to do with it. Those arrangements - credit Wilson and the band - are superbly layered, adding and subtracting individual instruments, and their relative weight, at just the right times. A perfect example is the stunningly lyrical take on Bobby Hutcherson's ballad, "Little B's Poem." Ruminating piano opens, alone, giving way to bass plucking the melody over spare cymbal-based time-keeping; the piano returns embellishing the melody and evolving it into a piano improvisation with rhythm section. Harmon-muted trumpet then comes in for a solo, more than three and half minutes into the 6 1/2 minute track, followed by a bass solo with cymbal support segueing to muted trumpet on the melody until everyone but the piano drops out, piano ending it solo. It's the kind of spare, memorable take that the Miles Davis Quintet with John Coltrane was famous for. The album is full of such fetching touches. Stafford's trumpet or flugelhorn often jousts with Versace's organ, blending solos in tandem or slowly shifting the emphasis from one instrument to the other as both play - catch "25 Years of Rutabagas" or "In Touch With Dewey" - and there's a rendition of "Tenderly" Wilson borrowed from Duke Ellington's arrangement that has trumpet then organ playing the melody. The Swayettes, a female vocal trio joined by Wilson's voice, appears on "Feel the Sway," a piece inspired by Wilson's yoga teacher that taps into the feel of Donald Byrd's classic Cristo Redentor album; and on the final track, a melding of Donald Ayler's "Our Prayer" and the Beatles's "Give Peace a Chance" - both inspiring examples of spirit-tinged jazz. Judgment Day, Vol. 1, a Survival Records release by the Rashied Ali quintet, is propelled by the leader's forward-leaning beat in a program of hard-bop and slower tunes, plus a finale that ventures into the avant-garde turf Ali explored during the 60s and 70s. His quintet features all players a generation or more younger than their leader, with two comparative veterans - bassist Joris Teepe and pianist Greg Murphy - in the rhythm section, and the fiery youngsters - trumpeter Jumaane Smith and tenor saxophonist Lawrence Clark - out front. Teepe and Ali are a perfect combine, as both lean into the beat with perfervid enthusiasm and drive. With their example, the band is ferocious as it barrels through a program highlighted by fast burners leavened by ballads and blues. This is a record that affirms jazz traditions by doing what's considered quite familiar, really, with a verve and drive that makes it special again. Matt Wilson leads his Scenic Route quartet at the Jazz Standard on February 7-11 - and can also be heard at Fordham University (for students only) on February 13. Rashied Ali's quintet plays on Feb. 11 as part of the Sculptured Sounds festival at Saint Peter's Church. SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND GEORGE KANzler MARILYN CRISPELL VILLAGE VANGUARD/FEB. 27-MAR. 4 It's easy - but certainly not accurate - to characterize Crispell as a pianist totally intoxicated with Cecil Taylor's keyboard approach. She's a Taylor admirer, to be sure. But she's also cited the work of Monk, Coltrane and Paul Bley as influences. There's no mistaking this New England Conser- vatory grad for a bebopper, though. Her distinctive compositional work, her remarkable hand speed and the percussive effects she achieves have won her prominence on the avant garde scene. Audiences hear her most often playing solo, but here it'll be a trio adventure, with Mark Helias on bass and Paul Motian on drums. PB IVAN LINS BLUE NOTE/FEB. 27-MAR. 4 This Brazilian double bill brings Lins, one of the great bossa nova and samba composers, to the same stage as Trio Da Paz (Romero Lubambo, guitar; Nilson Matta, bass; and Duduka da Fonseca, drums/percussion) for a week that should conjure up the spirits of Carnaval in Rio de Janeiro. Lins, who sings in the relaxed style of a Brazilian Dean Martin, will be leading his own group from the piano, doing many of his songs that have been recorded here by the likes of Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan, Carmen McRae, Kenny Burrell, Barbra Streisand, Frank Sinatra and George Benson. His latest CD? It's Acariocando (EMI) GK SCOTT HAMILTON BOGARDUS MANSION/FEBRUARY 16 They’re billing it as “The Return of the Two Tenors.” It’ll be Harry Allen’s superb quartet (featuring the masterful John Bunch on piano) again welcoming Scott Hamilton, the saxophonist who was one of Harry’s earliest inspirations, as special guest. Hamilton’s a committed neo-traditionalist whose 1977 debut LP revealed him to be a 23-year old enamoured with then-less-than-fashionable Swing Era saxophone stylists like Hawkins, Webster, Young and Byas. The worm has since turned, of course, with Respect For Tradition now being hailed as The New New Thing. (We’ve always dug that first album’s title, too: A Good Wind Who Is Blowing Us No Ill.) PB FREDDIE REDD MERKIN HALL/FEBRUARY 19 Here's a story local journalists ought to be all over: an American jazzman, active on the scene for a half-century but probably better known in Europe than at home, returns to the city of his most notable musical triumph to recreate the role for which he's best known. Pianist Redd composed music for "The Connection," a gritty Obie-winning 1960 play (and later a film) about heroin addicts, then appeared onstage as a hooked pianist. That score will be performed again with Redd at the keyboard, altoist Lou Donaldson filling in for the late Jackie McLean, Mickey Bass on bass and Ben Riley on drums. It's a must-attend event. PB VICTOR GOINES DIZZY'S/FEBRUARY 13-18 So what's "mainstream jazz" these days? Maybe it's typified by what Goines is playing. Take his most recent CD, New Adventures (Criss Cross), which reflects the best of the bebop tradition, celebrates the music of Sidney Bechet and Lester Young, and swings like mad throughout - even on the ballads. In addition to Goines' saxophonics and clarinet work, those catching one of his sets at Dizzy's will hear piano standout Danny Grissett, bassist Peter Washington and drummer Jerome Jennings, with Vanessa Rubin handling vocal chores. This guy's so busy as administrator within Juilliard's jazz studies program that it's surprising he still finds time to accept club dates. PB LEEANN LEDGERWOOD KITANO/FEBRUARY 7 We can only conclude that Ledgerwood isn't on everyone's Top Ten Pianists list only because too few people have yet heard her play. But you can't fault the Danish label Steeplechase, which has carefully documented her playing over the course of five fine CDs heavy on quality material by composers like McCoy Tyner, Wayne Shorter, Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Bill Evans (who's perhaps her primary keyboard influence). Walkin' Up is her most recent. Congrats to the bookers at Kitano for bringing her back to be part of a group led by bassist Ron McClure, another Steeplechase artist with whom she's also recorded. PB RALPH TOWNER IRIDIUM/FEBRUARY 15-18 An acoustic guitarist with a formidable "pianistic" technique, Towner co-founded the best-selling quartet called Oregon in 1970 with other former members of the Paul Winter Consort. The group, a precursor to New Age and World Music, was a band that combined classical, jazz, ethnic and Third World music in an acoustic setting that stretched the boundaries of chamber jazz. Joining Towner, who also plays piano and brass instruments, in this edition of Oregon will be original members Paul McCandless (oboe, English horn, bass clarinet) and Glen Moore (bass, violin, piano and flute), along with the foursome's newest member, percussionist Marc Walker. GK T.S. MONK BIRDLAND/FEBRUARY 21-24 Yep, the son of that most famous of Monks - yet someone who's neither overmining his father's rich compositional lode nor coasting on family reputation. Instead, his drum work drives a terrific sextet: Freddy Jackson (trumpet), Tia Fuller (alto), Willie Williams (tenor), Helen Sung (piano) and Dave Jackson (bass). Their material? With about 80 tunes in the playbook, it's exceedingly varied. Given his responsibilities as Thelonious Monk Institute director, work on that new CD has lagged a bit. But - contrary to what those non-smiling album cover photos suggest - he's full of enthusiasm and always eager to ensure that audiences genuinely enjoy themselves. PB JAY LEONHART TRIBECA PAC/MARCH 8 You've probably heard him sing about flying coast-to-coast while seated next to Leonard Bernstein. Leonhart, a jazz bassist and singer whose wry songs are often autobiographical vignettes, is also a sought-after accompanist (he'll be backing Maureen McGovern at her Carnegie Hall concert on Feb. 9) and a solo act. (New Jerseyans can catch his one-man show, entitled "The Bass Lesson," at Ocean County Community College on Feb. 7.) For this "Highlights in Jazz" concert, Leonhart will be part of singer-pianist Barbara Carroll's quartet, along with reedman Ken Peplowski and drummer Joe Ascione. Vocalist Paula West's on the bill, too. GK DAFNIS PRIETO HARLEM STAGE/FEBRUARY 16 We expect Jazz Gallery shows to offer the unexpected. And here's something new: presentations at places some distance from the Gallery's Hudson St. digs. The initial offering in their "Directions in 21st Century Music" series takes place at Aaron Davis Hall and features the same Absolute Quintet that Cuban-born percussionist Prieto leads on his most recent Zoho CD - the one currently in contention for a Best Latin Jazz Grammy. By the way, they've planned future shows even further north: at Tarrytown Music Hall, the Paramount Center in Peekskill, the Bardavon in Poughkeepsie and the Hudson Opera House. Upstaters, rejoice! PB JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSH BARRY HARRIS RAMAPO COLLEGE/FEBRUARY 9 Since the middle of the last century, Barry Harris has devoted his life to the cause of modern jazz. He is still at it, too, as pianist, composer and educator. With him for this Berrie Center appearance will be tenor/flute virtuoso Frank Wess and trumpet veteran Joe Wilder, along with an ultra-dependable rhythm matchup: Earl May on bass and Leroy Williams playing drums. Harris' playing has graced recordings by Coleman Hawkins, Cannonball Adderley, Hank Mobley, Dexter Gordon, Al Cohn, Charles McPherson and a host of others. By the way, he still leads workshops in NYC each week for singers and instrumentalists eager to learn from a genuine master. DAVID SCHNITTER CORNERSTONE/FEBRUARY 2 Happily, tenor saxophonist Dave Schnitter is back on this side of the Atlantic. After living for a time in Europe, where he played with Johnny Griffin and Tete Montoliu, Dave is once again a U.S. resident. At the Cornerstone, he'll enjoy the services of pianist Larry Hamm and bassist Tom Di Carlo. Schnitter's a composer, arranger, educator (at the New School ) and Art Blakey University grad. Reviewers have compared his muscular playing to that of Dexter Gordon, Sonny Rollins and Hank Mobley. Over the years, he's also gigged in fast company with the likes of Freddie Hubbard, Charles Earland, Groove Holmes and Red Rodney. ONAJE ALLAN GUMBS CECIL'S/FEBRUARY 2 AND 3 It'll be a CD release gala at Cecil's on Groundhog weekend. Gumbs' new release is Sackful of Dreams on a label called 18th & Vine Records. As producer, keyboardist, composer and arranger, he's contributed to such historically significant jazz releases as two of Woody Shaw's very best (Rosewood and Moontrane) and Stanley Jordan's Magic Touch. He's also spent time in Betty Carter's and Nat Adderley's groups. Success in the R&B field with artists like Angela Bofill, Jeffrey Osborne and Gerald Albright hasn't cost him his jazz chops. Joining him this time out are guitarist Bob Devos, bassist Rondew Monroe, drummer George Gray and percussionist Gary Fritz. HORACEE ARNOLD WILLIAM PATERSON UNIVERSITY/FEBRUARY 18 William Paterson faculty member Arnold leads his quartet to mark the thirtieth year of the university's Jazz Room concert series. In fact, drummer Horacee himself has been teaching at WPU during that entire three-decade stretch. Over the course of his career, he's studied with Max Roach, played with Charles Mingus, Stan Getz, Ornette Coleman, Chick Corea and Bud Powell; toured Asia with Alvin Ailey's dance troupe; and even taken guitar lessons with Ralph Towner. For this appearance, he's lined up Marcus Strickland on alto, George Colligan on piano and Buster Williams on bass. By the way, that mysterious second "e" in his first name is silent. ANNIE ROSS: A HEART-STOPPER STILL by Ken Dryden Although singer Annie Ross is perhaps best known as a member of Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, her discography includes so much more. Long before joining that celebrated vocal partnership, her career was well underway. Relaxing in her Manhattan home on a quiet New Year's Eve afternoon, the vocalist explains that she first performed when she was just two and one-half year old. "My mother and father were vaudevillians in Scotland. I came over here at the age of four. I won a talent competition with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra and a token contract with MGM. I'd always listened to Lady [Billie Holiday]. I even had a copy of her recording of 'Strange Fruit,' which you couldn't easily get, because my uncle bought someone's record collection. It had things by Errol Garner, Billy Eckstine and Chick Webb. The first song I ever learned in America was Ella Fitzgerald's 'A-Tisket, A-Tasket.' I didn't know what I was listening to - but I wanted to sound like that!" Ross made her recording debut singing with pianist Jacque Dieval's group in 1950. Two years later, she led her own date for Dizzy Gillespie's Dee Gee label, waxing four songs with three-fourths of the Modern Jazz Quartet (Milt Jackson, Percy Heath and Kenny Clarke) plus Blossom Dearie on piano. That same year, she wrote lyrics for and recorded vocalese treatments of two bop milestones, "Farmer's Market" and "Twisted." In 1953, she took part in a Charlie Parker recording session as a member of Dave Lambert-led vocal group, though it would be 1957 before she again worked with Lambert. "Lambert and Jon Hendricks were planning to do an album using session singers," she recalls, "because they were wonderful at sight-reading and they figured that if they wrote out all the parts, they would be ready to record. One day I got a phone call saying, 'Can you get over here and coach these singers to sing Basie?' I laughed and I went down, but there was nothing I could do. They were straight-up-and-down singers, so they left. Jon, Dave and I, plus producer Creed Taylor didn't know what to do. Then Dave said, 'We'll multi-track.' I agreed, although though I really didn't know what he meant. We got the first line of harmony down, then the second and the third. And it was just unbelievable. The reaction of hearing it played back was incredible." And what about the rumored invitation to a second female singer to join? "Well," Ms. Ross responds, "Dave and Jon wanted one more girl singer and I said no. 'You either do it with me or forget it,' I told them. Then Jon put those notes onto the CD set and I was furious." Since leaving the group in 1962, Annie Ross has stayed busy, recording frequently and acting in major films and on stage, on Broadway and in London. She's upbeat about her current booking: "I have an open-ended Tuesday night gig in a wonderful Manhattan club called the Metropolitan Room. I begin at 7 and go until about 9. Tardo Hammer is my pianist, with Warren Vaché on cornet, Neal Miner on bass and Jimmy Wormworth playing drums. I'll be doing a recording there, with a lot of Johnny Mercer, Harold Arlen, Yip Harburg and Jerome Kern." Audiences also expect Ross' early hits. "I perform 'Twisted' nearly every night. I'm also doing a lot of things that I did with Jon and Dave, but I'm doing all the parts myself." Ross' practice routine hasn't changed. "I sing every day. I have my piano player come over to go over stuff and warm up. Every Tuesday, before I go to work, Tardo is here with me to go through songs. I never choose a set until I'm practically on the stand. If someone wants to hear something special, I throw that in. We don't have any music, we just do it. He's got a good head for tunes and knows my keys." While Ross doesn't choose favorites among her recordings - she says that she doesn't listen to them - taking part in Dave Brubeck's "The Real Ambassadors" project was obviously a memorable experience. "I just love Dave. He's one of the sweetest men I know, and the most talented. Doing that record was a trip-and-a-half, because it also involved Louis Armstrong. So we were with Louis and Carmen McRae every day." Brubeck himself recently shared his own memories: "I enjoyed working with Lambert, Hendricks & Ross. After their rendition of 'Who's the Real Ambassador,' Louis said to me, 'They sang so fast, they sounded like they had a mouthful of hot beans and rice.' Annie was so beautiful as a young singer and remains so in her golden years. I last saw her in a Broadway play. She comes from a long line of actors and entertainers in England and she continues the tradition." Annie Ross sings at the Metropolitan Room every Tuesday. Her February 6 performance will be recorded for an upcoming CD. REGGIE WORKMAN: SIMPLY A QUESTION OF EXPOSURE by Paul Blair Aren't bassists the most selfless of jazz musicians? Could be. After all, they're the players toward the rear of the bandstand, patiently underlining everyone else's work and generally spotlighted last if they get to solo at all. Yet as the organization force behind this month's multi-faceted Sculptured Sounds Music Festival at Saint Peter's Church, bass stalwart Reggie Workman has gone well beyond the norm in terms of generosity. "If you glance at the list of artists being featured during this festival," he notes, "you'll see lots of people who simply aren't getting the kind of exposure in New York that we believe they deserve. In other words, a lot of the music created by our most talented colleagues rarely gets heard locally. Musicians being embraced by record companies are really the ones getting into prominent venues. That's because many clubs tend to bring in only musicians who're getting support of one kind or another from labels, in terms of salary or advertising or maybe a guarantee of seats filled. Too many other creative people are stuck playing for the door at this place or that place. So exposure, broader attention - that's our goal with this effort. And we're really offering a wide range of music. Avant garde, some of it, but good listening experiences in every instance. "For example, on February 4 at Saint Peter's, we'll present Brew, a trio which involves Gerry Hemingway's drums, my bass and a koto player named Miya Masaoka who's heavily into electronics; along with BassDrumBone, another trio made up of Gerry plus Mark Helias' bass and Ray Anderson's trombone. All this leads up to a set by the six-member Reggie Workman Ensemble, which includes spoken contributions by Amiri Baraka. There'll also be participation by Umberto Grati, a remarkable computer-savvy Italian sound improvisationalist who paints onscreen as music is playing. By the way, Gil Noble will serve as host each week. "The following Sunday, we'll have Billy Harper's Great Friends group with Sonny Fortune, Stanley Cowell, Billy Hart and me; followed by Rashied Ali's quintet. The poet and spoken word artist Kayo has another part of the program; and Ashley Kahn, who's written so well about those famous Miles Davis and John Coltrane recording sessions, will speak. "On Feb. 18, Charles Gayle's trio will play. So will Billy Harper. And the headliners that night will be the Ashanti's Message group headed up by J.D. Parrin, who plays all sorts of woodwinds and reeds. We're also very excited about an appearance by the M.A.D Youth Dancers, who come from the Montclair Academy of Dance. "The greatest number of artists, though, will appear at the final installment on February 25. We'll open with a string quartet called Sojourn; then hear from a Matthew Harrison group called Paradigm. The main attraction spotlights the African-American Legacy Project, which is largely a tribute to prominent composers who've laid the groundwork for much of what we do today. It involves an eighteen-member orchestra conducted by Charles Tolliver and a twelve-member chorus led by Richard Harper. We've performed in the Washington and Boston areas but just once before in New York - outdoors at Lincoln Center. That's why we'd like more local exposure. We're geared up to take this into schools in the future, too." Workman's own professional credentials are, of course, solid as can be: recordings with Gigi Gryce and Roy Haynes as long ago as the late 50s; membership in Coltrane's 1961 quartet; tours with Art Blakey's 1962-64 Jazz Messengers troupe; and subsequent partnerships with Yusef Lateef, Thelonious Monk and Archie Shepp. Later associations with Max Roach, Mal Waldron, David Murray, Andrew Hill, Marilyn Crispell and David Murray have been equally fruitful. Much of his efforts during the 90s were focused on Trio Three, which teamed him with Oliver Lake and Andrew Cyrille. He's led groups of his own, too, on recordings like Summit Conference (1993) and Cerebral Caverns (1995) that reward careful listening. "Wait, one more thing you just have to mention," says Reggie, "is that none of this would be taking place without the dedication of Francina Connors, our production coordinator, and lots of other people who really do treasure this music." For a detailed schedule listing all Sculptured Sounds Music Festival events and artists, visit www.sculpturedsounds.com - or phone 212-642-5277. Reggie Workman’s Sculptured Sounds Music Festival takes place at Saint Peter’s Church every Sunday in February at 7PM. JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB Amazing grace After a year that included two CDs (Timeless Portraits and Dreams on Telarc and Zodiac Suite: Revisited with the Mary Lou Williams Collective on Smithsonian Folkways), tireless touring and teaching, and the debut of a major new commission ("For the Healing of a Nation"), pianist/composer Geri Allen has no intention of slowing down. "I have a lot of reasons to stay busy," she says. "I don't take these opportunities for granted. I want to ride the wave of grace I've been given." Geri, along with bassist Darryl Hall and drummer Jimmy Cobb, will perform the music from Timeless Portraits and Dreams at Zankel Hall at Carnegie Hall on Feb. 28. "This smaller group is the core of what I do; everything else is built around that," she says. "I'm using the core to bring focus to the great Jimmy Cobb, not that he needs it. When people hear him, it'll take their breath away." At the top of Geri's current list of projects is finding more venues to perform "For the Healing of a Nation," a work for large ensemble and voices she composed to recognize the victims and survivors of Sept. 11. "It's a spiritual jazz work and I'm very proud of it," Geri says. "My goal is to have it performed in all the major centers around the country and to have it recorded." Let's hope we'll have a chance to hear it in the Big Apple in the near future. Both sides now Most of the tracks on vocalist Tierney Sutton's new CD, On the Other Side (Telarc), have some reference to happiness in the title. However, she plumbs the lyrics and delivers an unusual, introspective take on familiar tunes such as "Get Happy," "Happy Talk" and "Sometimes I'm Happy." Tierney, who earned a degree in Russian language and literature from Wesleyan University, links her major subject to her fascination with "darkness and light together, when tension interacts with beauty. That's more interesting to me than a Madison Avenue idea of happiness." The CD's title was chosen for a variety of reasons, including its ambiguity. Besides being a lyric from "Get Happy," the phrase also "means lots of things," Tierney explains, including "an implication of death, and the opposite of what you might think. As with all of my recordings, this is a collaborative effort with the members of the band," she says. "We all went to places with this record that we didn't expect. We felt that as a group we came to a different place than we'd been before." Tierney and her band, which has been together for fourteen years, will celebrate the new CD's release at Joe's Pub on Feb. 13. A word to the wise Pianist/composer Ayn Inserto followed Bob Brookmeyer's advice in 2001 when he told her, "You need to put together a big band." Ayn and her big band are on the schedule at Dizzy's on Feb. 19. "I'm just conducting," she says, "I'm not playing unless my piano player forgets to show up or something. The show must go on." Ayn, a winner of ASCAP's Young Jazz Composer Award in 2006, studied with Brookmeyer, and counts Maria Schneider, Gil Evans and Jim McNeely among her influences. Though she's written for other configurations, "I really like the big band sound; it's become my main signature thing," Ayn says. However, "I have to listen to some pop music once in a while to make sure I'm still with it. I stick to mainly '80s stuff. Right now I'm mostly concentrating on the Dizzy's gig. I hope I don't forget to bring the music." Higher power Alice Coltrane, who died on Jan. 12, was occasionally tempted to take on a music student. "I thought it would be nice, because there are a lot of things that can be shared beyond records. But [the students] are so advanced today that I don't think they need it, the ones that I know," she said, laughing. Mrs. Coltrane herself never stopped being a student - of music and of life. Of her spiritual quest, she said "It's been very, very enlightening, and very rewarding in many ways because there are so many things that we don't know about ourselves. We're sort of limited to our academia and to our environment, external things. But we need to acquaint ourselves with that which is higher than what we perceive here on earth, something greater than what we know about exists. We have a right to know about our souls, our spirit, a higher dimension of spiritual thought and experience and revelation; we owe it to ourselves." What's goin' on Mala Waldron sings and plays keyboards at the Westchester Council for the Arts in White Plains on Feb. 3 … Gretchen Parlato sings at the Blue Note on Feb. 5 … Vocalist Ellen O'Brien is scheduled for a Blue Note brunch on Feb. 11 … Catch vocalist Ernestine Anderson at the Jazz Standard on Feb. 13-18 … Celebrate Valentine's Day with singer Janis Siegel at Iridium on Feb. 14 … Lascivious Biddies are at Makor on Feb. 14 … Patricia Adams sings at the Brooklyn Public Library on Feb. 15, with Ray Santisi joining her on piano … Catch vocalist Linda Ciofalo at Enzo's on Feb. 16 and at Mannahatta on Feb. 27 … Hilary Kole sings at Birdland on Feb. 14-17 … Vocalist Michelle Walker and her quartet are heading for Kitano on Feb. 22 … Judy Bady sings at St. Peter's on Feb. 25, part of Reggie Workman's African-American Legacy Project … Antoinette Montague sings with Mike Longo's big band at the New York Baha'i Center's John Birks Gillespie Auditorium on Feb. 27. Tune in… To PBS on Feb. 6, for Billy Strayhorn: Lush Life, a documentary on the great composer/arranger/ pianist, which features vocalist Dianne Reeves. The soundtrack is available on Blue Note. New releases Alto saxophonist Tia Fuller is in a Healing Space (Mack Avenue) with her band, including drummer Kim Thompson, pianist Miki Hayama, and bassist Miriam Sullivan … Check out the lyrics on vocalist Leonisa Ardizzone's Afraid of the Heights … Vento Trio, including Janet Grice on bassoon and Sarah Koval on clarinet, plays Brazilian Dances and Inventions … Vocalist Fay Victor Cartwheels Through the Cosmos (Artist Share) … Singer Janice Borla has chosen great material for From Every Angle (Blujazz). HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR DURING BLACK HISTORY MONTH Components of the First Annual Freedom Jazz Festival include Cecil Brooks' CB3 band at Sweet Rhythm on Feb. 22; Amiri and Amina Baraka's group Blu Ark at Creole Jazz & Supper Club on Third Ave. in East Harlem on Feb. 23; and violinist Billy Bang's quintet with saxophonist Henry P. Warner at Sista's Place in Bed-Stuy on Feb. 24. Organizers say that this festival, dedicated to the memory of activist Fannie Lou Hamer, is "committed to the idea of bringing great music to the masses at affordable working-class prices" ... The Louis Armstrong House Museum in Queens is worth visiting anytime. But a new presentation highlighting Louis' views on the civil rights struggle and his contributions to that cause is now open, with one exhibit even offering a look at this great man's FBI file! If you haven't yet made the easy trip to 34-56 107th St. in Corona, here's added incentive. See www.louisarmstronghouse.org for particulars ... Bassist Avery Sharpe brings his show “Raisin Cain” to the Apollo Theater on Feb. 18 ... And the good people hosting those Parlor Jazz events on Sundays in Brooklyn mark their fifth anniversary with sets on Feb. 10 by Ty Stephens, recent winner of Jazzmobile’s Best Jazz Vocalist competition ... And here's another reason to visit NYC's largest and most culturally diverse borough this month: music from sub-Saharan Africa at Flushing Library (41-17 Main St.) on Feb. 3. Among the presenters are Alisha Zebulon Sow (voice and dance), Francis Mbappe (guitar and bass) and Pheeroan akLaff (percussion). Given the 2:00 PM start time, it'll be an ideal experience for kids, too. And there's no admission charge. JUMPIN' AT JUILLIARD ... It's a notable month for jazz on this campus, with various Juilliard ensembles offering a program called "New Orleans Now" at Paul Hall on Feb. 12. (Tickets are free but must be picked up in advance.) Meanwhile, Feb. 27 is a special evening at the school's Peter Jay Sharp Theater, when Frank Wess, James Moody, Marian, McPartland, Clark Terry, Joe Wilder and Dr. Billy Taylor are all being honored with medals for their decades of achievement. Kenny Barron and others will play. There's a gala diner beforehand, too. Of course, you'd already know about these events yourself, if you were on Juilliard's mailing list. Ask the good people at news@juilliard.org to add your name. ... AND AT WILLIAM PATERSON, TOO Our Jersey writer Fred McIntosh has already told you about the Feb. 18 concert by Horacee Arnold's quartet. But here's the larger picture. It's just one part of an ongoing series at this jazz mecca on WPU's Wayne campus. Esteemed pianist Andrew Hill's trio performs on Feb. 11 - and trombonist Wycliffe Gordon's quartet does the same on Feb. 25. Note that this music is heard in Shea Center, that each 4:00 PM concert is preceded by a meet-the-artist opportunity one hour earlier, and that tickets cost just $15 (and even less for students and seniors). PIANISTS UP TO HERE The Carnegie Hall neighborhood is full of piano showrooms - and here's one of particular interest to us: the Fazioli Salon at Klavierhaus, 211 W. 58th St., where a promising series of weekly performances by jazz greats is already underway. Slated for Friday concerts this month are Gil Goldstein (Feb. 2), Jean Michel Pilc (Feb. 9), Don Friedman (Feb. 16) and Ronnie Mathews (Feb. 23). For bios and ticket purchases, visit www.pianoculture.com. As this site indicates, there's a similar series taking place in Easton, PA, which isn't all that far west of us. ALSO WORTH CATCHING The Charles Tolliver Big Band at Iridium between Jan. 30 and Feb. 3 - and Jimmy Scott singing at the same club on Feb. 22-25 ... pianist Guillermo Klein at Merkin Hall on Feb. 15 for a program that also involves saxist Bill McHenry, guitarist Ben Monder, bassist Matt Povolka and drummer Jorge Rossy (the last-named also dueting on piano with Klein) ... Trumpeter Wallace Roney's group on Valentine's Day evening at Abrons Art Center, 466 Grand St. on the Lower East Side ... trombonist Benny Powell's outstanding quintet playing a free concert at 7:00 PM on Feb. 1 at Nubian Heritage, Fifth Ave. at 126th St. ... trumpeter Brian Groder's quartet (featuring guitarist Rez Abassi) at Jimmy's Backroom in the East Village on Feb. 25 ... pianist John Colianni playing Sunday brunches at The Garage on Feb. 4 and Feb. 18 ... bassist Martin Wind leading a splendid quartet featuring Scott Robinson at Kitano on Feb. 23-24 .. multi-instrumentalist Dan Willis heralding the release of his Velvet Gentlemen CD (on which he plays eleven different woodwinds) at the East Village's Nightingale Lounge on Feb. 17 ... tenor monster George Garzone appearing at Dizzy's on Feb. 19 in the company of the Ayn Inserto Jazz Orchestra ... Marcus Goldhaber singing at Penang's Downstairs Room each Sunday evening ... Clarinetist Rick Bogart leading a trio at Seppi's on W. 56th every Monday, Wednesday and Thursday starting at 8:30 PM (plus Sunday brunches, too) ... and saxophonist Dan Pratt presenting his organ quartet at, get this, the famous Bohemian Hall Beer Garden in Astoria on Feb. 1 (and every first Thursday thereafter). Given this month's climate, we trust they'll be cooking inside by the fireplace, instead of outside under the elms. SEMINAR SCENE This month's workshop in the ongoing Midtown Arts Common / Chamber Music America series deals with forming and nurturing international collaborations, a subject of keen interest to jazz musicians. The date is Feb. 6, Saint Peter's Church is again the location - and there's no cost for participants. Information and registration via William Pace at 212-242-2022, ext. 14 ... Meanwhile, those fascinating Harlem Speaks events at the Jazz Museum continue this month with noted record producer George Avakian detailing his adventures (and fielding questions) and Feb. 8; and Basie trombonist Bill Hughes doing the same on Feb. 22. FESTIVAL ALERT Fleeing to a warmer SoCal clime this month? Consider the Newport Beach Jazz Party at the Marriott in Newport Beach, taking place over the Presidents' Day weekend, Feb. 15-18. The organizers promise an event that's "straightahead... right down the middle," with special prominence given to players and groups who've proven especially popular at past events. Some are personalities already familiar on the NYC scene (John Pizzarelli, Ken Peplowski, Lewis Nash and Benny Green, for example), while others are West Coasters not often heard around our town. Notable events include a Saturday dance with Houston Person presiding, a gospel brunch on Sunday, and a special presentation of Jobim's music. The entire lineup's posted at www.newportbeachjazzparty.com. 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. Ron Vincent was explaining the families of musical instruments to a group of young school children. To make sure they got the idea, he asked questions: "What family does the violin belong to? The trumpet?" The kids were doing well with the answers until he asked, "And my drums belong to what family?" A young boy quickly raised his hand. "I know! They belong to the persecution family!" When Ted Rosenthal played at the Litchfield Jazz Festival in Goshen, Connecticut, he found an ad in the Waterbury Republican listing all the jazz stars that were slated to appear, but his name wasn’t among them. But there was a Red Tosenthal in the lineup. Ted liked it so much, he’s thinking of making it his stage name.