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WINNING SPINS BY GEORGE KANZLERWhile Mark Murphy and Daryl Sherman - the two singers whose CDs comprise this Winning Spins - have very different voices and styles, they do share an innate musicality, that ability to get inside a song and put it across to the listener. They're also fine musical sleuths, adept at unearthing hidden gems among great volumes of standard and not-so-standard songs. What's more, they don't just know good songs when they hear them; they are also capable of writing them.
Murphy's Love Is What Stays (Verve), is a sumptuous reverie of an album with a wistful tinge. The jazz accompaniment, by the band of German trumpeter Till Bronner, who also produced, is augmented on seven of the thirteen tracks by the strings and woodwinds of the Deutsches Symphonie Orchester Berlin, helping give reign to Murphy's romanticist instincts. "Stolen Moments," one of the singer's signature numbers (he wrote the lyrics to Oliver Nelson's jazz standard), is used to open the album, and then reappears twice in brief interludes along the way. It reflects the overarching theme of the album: the fleeting nature of time as one grows older.
Murphy refers to himself as "a frustrated actor," and no one is better at infusing emotional character into a lyric than he. Listen to the way he drops into an aching conversational tone on the word "near" in "Angel Eyes," or how his coda on that song makes use of a yearning falsetto. Or hear how he converts part of the lyric of "My Foolish Heart" into intimate asides. The actor comes to the fore on his own "The Interview," the orchestra backing him as he recites his impressionistic poem about memory and time, bringing spoken word to jazz as he had over 25 years ago when he recited Beat prose and poetry as interludes on his Bop for Kerouac album.
There are some surprising choices here too, as Murphy turns Johnny Cash's "So Doggone Lonesome" into a slow, swaying country blues and, with a fine orchestral arrangement by Nan Schwartz, makes Coldplay's "What If" into a moody torch song with the aid of Bronner's atmospheric trumpet. Two melancholy ballads, the familiar "Too Late Now," and the more obscure "Did I Ever Really Love" provide a rich dramatic coda to this hopefully-not-final valedictory from one of jazz's finest singers.
Meanwhile, Daryl Sherman's Guess Who's in Town! (Arbors Jazz) is a decidedly more upbeat delight. Ms. Sherman can nail a torchy ballad like "Angel Eyes" with just the right clear-eyed wistfulness while eschewing sentimentality; and with the caressing help of Harry Allen's tenor sax, bring romantic elan to "Then I'll Be Tired of You." But she also has just the right touch, vocal and pianistic, for blithe spirit and whimsy. She opens the CD with "Love You Madly," Duke Ellington's familiar greeting set to music. Then, with Vince Giordano adding bass sax and trading vocal tags, she romps through the album's title tune. Sherman is at her sly, playful best on two "Southern" songs: "Carolina in the Morning" and "Tennessee Fish Fry," the latter, surprisingly, the work of Arthur Schwartz and Oscar Hammerstein.
Allen's tenor sax also contributes lyrical obbligato and solos to Sherman's own romantic reverie, "Welcome to Manhattan;" and he pairs with Giordano's bass sax on the British sentimental ode to the homeless, "Beneath the Arches." Bassist Jay Leonhart joins Sherman for an exquisite voice-bass duet on "Don't Worry 'Bout Me" that's an object lesson in how to phrase a lyric. And don't miss Sherman's coy reclamation of "Embraceable You" from too many over-sentimentalized versions. She does it by singing the rarely heard, teasing, verse and just as rarely heard, and also teasing, second chorus, as well as by swinging the choruses at a faster-than-usual tempo. British bassist Dave Green - along with guitarist Jon Wheatley, a member of Sherman's core trio - brought Johnny Mercer's rarely heard "Dream Awhile" (not to be confused with his familiar standard, "Dream") to Sherman. That tune ends the album in splendid fashion: just piano, bass and voice singing such lines as "Dream awhile, we've only a while to dream."
Mark Murphy sings at Dizzy's on March 13-18 - and marks his 75th birthday there on March 14. Daryl Sherman, who commands the spotlight at Shanghai Jazz on March 25 (with guitarist James Chirillo and bassist Boots Maleson), also plays at the Waldorf Astoria's Cocktail Terrace on Wednesday through Saturday afternoons beginning at 4:00 PM (1:00 PM on Saturdays).
SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR, ken dryden AND GEORGE KANzlerCAROL SLOANE
VILLAGE VANGUARD/MARCH 6-11
Ms. Sloane has always claimed Louis Armstrong and Carmen McRae as her most important influences, though her vocal approach resembles neither of theirs. What listeners do hear is a sound as warm, human and saxophonic as those produced by, say, Johnny Hodges or Ben Webster. Rather than pyrotechnics, there's real subtlety in phrasing, unerring pitch (her acapella intros are a kick), a certain wry wit and a most non-diva-like way of dealing with audiences. Once again, for her Vanguard stint she'll enjoy backing from a quartet led by Norman Simmons, the pianist most singers would choose if they could. PBBRUBECK BROTHERS
IRIDIUM/MARCH 8 AND 9
The Brubeck Brothers Quartet is jointly led by Chris and Dan Brubeck. Although they played with their famous father earlier in their careers, they've long since established themselves. Chris, who plays fretless electric bass, bass trombone and even piano ("So long as Dave's not around," he says), has also written extensively for symphony orchestras, including his recent Koch CD Convergence. Dan co-led a group called the Dolphins with guitarist Mike DeMicco (who's also a member of the BB Quartet). Rounding out this foursome is young pianist Taylor Eigsti, whose own star is rapidly rising. The band's newest album, Intuition, was recently issued by Koch. KDBOB CUNNINGHAM
LENOX LOUNGE/MARCH 9 AND 10
Road trips! Bassist Cunningham has taken loads of them over a career in support of leaders like Gillespie, Lateef and Hubbard. His arrangements of their tunes for his own quartet (pianist Bertha Hope, drummer Tootsie Bean and flautist singer Gabriel Romance) is what Lenox Lounge patrons will hear on these two nights. Bob's also a regular at those celebrated Parlor Jazz sessions each Sunday afternoon at 555 Edgecombe Ave. in Harlem - and at open-to-the-public jams at the Local 802 union hall on W. 48th St. every Monday beginning at 7:00 PM. You can also hear Bob at www.bobcunninghambass.com - and see him backing Diz on the MySpace site. PBJEB PATTON
KITANO/MARCH 28
If you've purchased the excellent DVD called Brotherly Love: The Heath Brothers (and you should!), you already know that Patton is a pianist whose reputation is quickly catching up with his talents. Jeb proudly claims the late Roland Hanna as a prime influence. Maybe some of that will be apparent when he brings his current trio (with bassist David Wong and drummer Peter Van Nostrand) to Kitano, which has quickly become one of the city's most welcoming piano showcases. You can also catch him at Cleopatra's Needle's Tuesday sessions, at Zinc Bar whenever Sachal Vasandani is featured there - and with Jimmy and Tootie Heath at the Vanguard on March 13-18. PBCHIP WHITE
BAHA'I CENTER/MARCH 27
In addition to drummer White's sextet, you'll likely hear singer Gail Allen do a song or two. Ask Chip for a copy of his self-produced Music and Lyrics CD, which features Allen plus tenor saxist Houston Person on eight White's songs, ranging from blues and bossa to shapely romantic ballads. White's also a songwriter with a fine ear for melody and lyrics. In addition to this Baha' i Center gig, he'll also be part of the rhythm section backing Person for two nights (March 16-17) at Trumpets - and join pianist Sayuri Goto's quintet on March 31 at the Hell's Kitchen event cited in our Hot Flashes section. GKBENNY POWELL
BOSENDORFER NEW YORK/MARCH 15
Master trombonist Powell has had a fruitful career over his 77 years, first garnering worldwide attention as an original members of Count Basie's "New Testament" band between 1951 and 1963. Powell’s at home in a wide range of jazz settings, mainstream to modern. For the last two decades he's been a pivotal member of Randy Weston's African Rhythms quintet. At this performance, he'll play with fellow African Rhythms team members TK Blue (flute and saxes) and pianist Sayuri Goto. This trio, along with bassist Essiett Essiett and drummer Chip White can also be heard at Metro Baptist Church on March 31. GKROME NEAL
TRIBECA PAC/APRIL 12
For a special Highlights in Jazz program celebrating the ninetieth year of Thelonious Monk's birth, Jack Kleinsinger presents Neal, Artistic Director of the Nuyorican Poets Café's theatre program, who's now taken his remarkable one-man show called "Monk" around the country and won great notices. In drawing his onstage profile, this skillful actor recounts episodes from Thelonious' life and times, drops a few familiar names and even dances a bit during musical interludes. Also on this bill are pianist Kenny Barron, vibraphonist Stefon Harris and Ben Riley's Monk Legacy Septet (whose Concord CD, Memories of T was one of last year's very best). PBGEORGE COLLIGAN
JAZZ STANDARD/MARCH 6
Though Colligan was actually a classical trumpet major at Peabody Conservatory (he's a pretty decent drummer, too), he's built a sterling reputation through sideman work on piano with the likes of Ravi Coltrane, Robin Eubanks, Cassandra Wilson, Gary Bartz and Vanessa Rubin, as well as a string of recordings under his own name for Criss Cross, Steeplechase and Fresh Sound New Talent, those European labels we count on to keep us current with today's scene. His quartet will include Steve Wilson playing alto, Vicente Archer on bass and E.J. Strickland behind the drumset. Copies of George's new CD, Blood Pressure, shoud be available, too. PBJIM SNIDERO
SMOKE/MARCH 15
Credits? Post-bop altoist Snidero has an abundance of them: two decades with Toshiko Akiyoshi's big band; tours with Mingus Dynasty groups; work with Maria Schneider, Eddie Palmieri and Jack McDuff; backup for Sting and Billy Joel; and four years in Sinatra's orchestra. He's also a noted clinician and educator. But we know him best as a brilliant improvisor whose approach is alternately hard-edged, biting, exuberant and tender. On one of his most recent CDs, Close Up (Milestone), he's inspired to new heights by the presence of tenor saxophonist Eric Alexander and pianist David Hazeltine, both Smoke regulars. PBARMEN DONELIAN
KLAVIERHAUS/MARCH 2
His pianistics have won him acclaim in Istanbul, Ottawa, Pori and Portsmouth. He's also taught at conservatories in Jyväskylä, Lisbon, Paris, St. Petersburg, Tblisi, and Zürich. In addition to leading his own ensembles, he's been featured with Chet Baker, Billy Harper, Mongo Santamaria, Billy Harper and others. At this midtown venue, though, it'll be a solo outing - part of the ongoing Faziolo showcase series. Expect to hear material from solo Donelian CDs like A Reverie and Full Moon Music, both issued on the Sunnyside label. (His newest, pairing him with Dutch tenor saxophonist Marc Mommaas and entitled All Or Nothing At All, is a winner as well.) PB
JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSHHOUSTON PERSON
TRUMPETS/MARCH 16 AND 17
The esteemed Mr. Person has been making music for decades, three of them in partnership with the late singer Etta Jones. His usual group includes pianist Stan Hope, bassist Per-Ola Gadd and drummer Chip White. By any measure, he's one of our era's great ballad players, in the tradition of Hank Mobley, Illinois Jacquet, Harold Land, Sonny Rollins and Ben Webster. His playing has been termed "passionate," "robust" and "refreshing." His extensive resume also includes work with Junior Mance, Rhoda Scott, Cedar Walton, Johnny "Hammond" Smith, Richard Wyands, Russell Malone and Pepper Adams. His latest album is Dialogues (High Note).JED LEVY TRIO
CECIL'S/MARCH 9 AND 10
Levy played tenor saxophone in organist Jack McDuff's touring group for more months than he cares to remember. These days, he's more often heard with backing by a more conventional piano-bass-drums rhythm section as on Gateway, the most recent of his outstanding CDs for the Steeplechase label. You'd likely also enjoy his work on a splendid Zoho album by the Jim Seeley-Arturo O'Farrill Quintet. For this outing, though, Jed revisits that organ trio period by teaming with up-and-coming Hammond B3 specialist Jared Gold. By the way, Jed's also leading a quartet at the Kitano on March 7 with Bill Mays on piano.NEVILLE DICKIE
BICKFORD THEATRE/MARCH 19
British by birth, pianist Dickie has been making regular visits to the colonies since the time he flew over for special appearances at Waterloo Village and with Dick Hyman at the 92nd Street Y. Neville is a stridester, a boogie woogie specialist and an interpreter of the music of keyboard greats like James P. Johnson, Fats Waller and Albert Ammons. Critics adore him, using such terms as "devastatingly accurate," "sheer speed" and "breathtaking" to characterize his art. Some of his best work has been documented on a series of romping-stomping albums for the traditionalist label called Stomp Off. Here he will present one uninterrupted 90-minute set.MICHAEL HASHIM
BIRCHWOOD MANOR/MARCH 4
Saxophonist Hashim will be one of the players making up the group called Kevin Dorn's Traditional Jazz Collective, appearing at this year's Pee Wee Russell Memorial Stomp event. He's had formal study with Phil Woods, Lee Konitz and Dave Holland, on top of inspiration from stylists like Johnny Hodges and Benny Carter. There were some glorious years, too, with the Widespread Jazz Orchestra, plus work with Roy Eldridge, Muddy Waters, Joe Temperly and Claudio Roditi. His most recent CD - Green Up Time (Hep) includes a string quartet and focuses on Kurt Weill, while previous ones concentrated on Fats Waller and Billy Strayhorn.
A GOLDEN JUBILEE FOR MONSIEUR LEGRAND by Lesley Mitchell-Clarke
"To play piano as part of a great rhythm section is a significant part of my life-my existence. It fulfills a very physical and spiritual need for me."
Though French-born composer, conductor, arranger and vocalist Michel Legrand (who celebrated his 75th year on February 24) is one of the most formidable figures on the film and theater music scene, he still burns passionately for what he views as the joyous, liberating and fulfilling experience of playing jazz. This month, Michel rolls into Birdland for a weeklong trio engagement alongside bassist Ron Carter and drummer Lewis Nash. Speaking on the phone recently, Michel sounded just as excited and filled with enthusiasm as he must have been as a teen-aged jazz piano prodigy, gigging in the smoky jazz boites of 1950s Paris. "I love to play jazz," he says, "and since I don't do it often, any opportunity is great for me. And it's such an extraordinary pleasure for me to play in New York with these exceptional cats. I'm going to feel like exploding for a week."
Michel's genius may represent a case of both genetics (he's the son of noted French composer Raymond Legrand) and an incredibly strong work ethic. "My father was a musician," he recalls, "but unfortunately, he left my mother when I was just three years old, so I didn't have him near me when I was growing up. I didn't see him again until I was more than twenty, when he found out that he had a musically talented son."
Even so, Michel's uncanny musical gift was obvious almost from the outset. "I began playing piano when I was three years old, and later I entered the Conservatory in Paris at a much younger age than what was required. From nine to twenty, I studied with such extraordinary teachers as Nadia Boulanger - seven years with her. I had complete musical training in both composition and piano". Incidentally, Michel wasn't the only gifted child in the Legrand family. His sister Christiane was lead vocalist in the top-selling Swingle Singers group.
Michel's infatuation with jazz began early. He says that he started listening to jazz at age five and especially loved the playing of violinist Stephane Grappelli and famed Gypsy guitarist Django Reinhardt. By the time he'd reached his teen years, Michel was a familiar face on the Parisian jazz scene, eventually working with and composing pieces for visiting luminaries like Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Stan Getz and Bill Evans. "Every time that I played in Europe or in the States with those monsters, they took my breath away. The 50s and 60s were probably the best time of my life!"
To date, M. Legrand has recorded more than a hundred albums in partnership with an incredible variety of singers: Frank Sinatra, Ella Fitzgerald, Lena Horne, Dame Kiri Te Kanawa, Johnny Mathis, Barbra Streisand and others. Beginning in 1953 with the short film, "Beau Fixe," Michel also began writing scores for movies. The one which first won him international recognition (along with the first of his three Oscars) was the classic musical "The Umbrellas of Cherbourg," which starred Catherine Deneuve.
Any longtime jazz record buyer will, of course, recall Legrand Jazz, a sensational 1958 Columbia recording (still in the catalog) for which Michel wrote arrangements to highlight solos by Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Ben Webster, Phil Woods, Herbie Mann and a host of other luminaries on classic tunes written by Monk, Hines, Beiderbecke and others.
Even during the peak of his "Hollywood" phase, Michel continued to play jazz whenever and wherever possible, and become a constant on the L.A. scene throughout the 70s and 80s. "When I was working on films in Hollywood, very often I was gigging with jazz musicians like my great friends Ray Brown, Red Mitchell and Shelly Manne - often at Shelly's own Manne Hole club."
Michel remains refreshingly non-analytical about the creative process. "When I'm composing for a film, I really don't know where my ideas come from. I work hard, and I dig very deep. I bleed until I get something that I like. Musicians can be compared to professional athletes, because we practice our art every day and every minute. It's like keeping your well of creativity full. Whenever you need ideas, you just dip into the well. The mind is a muscle. If you're working it with regularity, it is always there, always ready for you. No, I'm not a big believer in divine inspiration. I believe in work - all the time. That's how I like to live."
Michel Legrand celebrates his Golden Jubilee at Birdland on March 6-11.
MOODY'S MOOD FOR...SHARING by Paul Blair
You needn't address him as "Doctor," though he's already received several honorary degrees. "Mister" seems far too formal. So, in fact, does "James." Yes, he's an NEA Jazz Master honoree, a medal winner during a Juilliard ceremony last month and a not-unfamiliar face at the White House. But "Moody" is what he'd rather be called. And if you're ever in the same room with him, he'll sincerely welcome the chance to shake your hand.
Oddly enough, Moody's name is best known to members of the non-jazz audience through a song called "Moody's Mood For Love" that's already been recorded vocally by George Benson, Bill Laswell, Aretha Franklin, Quincy Jones, Eric Marienthal, Chuck Brown, Queen Latifah, Richard "Dimples" Fields and Van Morrison, as well as by Carmen Lundy, Karin Krog, Lionel Hampton and Tito Puente. Eddie Jefferson (who sang with Moody back in the day) wrote the vocaleze lyric. King Pleasure had a jukebox hit with it in the early 50s. And it was all based on a beautifully structured instrumental solo on "I'm In The Mood For Love" recorded in Stockholm by Moody in 1949 on a silver alto borrowed from Swedish saxophonist Lars Gullin. That delightful Moody solo, by the way, is still available as a download. Finally hearing it without those familiar words is itself a kick.
Of him, former employer and longtime cohort Dizzy Gillespie said this: "Playing with James Moody is like playing with a continuation of myself." Among Moody's career highlights are membership in Gillespie's pioneering big band, appearances with Miles Davis and Max Roach around Europe in the late 40s, numerous recordings with his own small groups for the Argo and Prestige labels, and then (after several years away from jazz with show bands in Las Vegas) a return to the scene with a new round of guest appearances and albums. First prominent on alto, Moody has long been one of the best improvisors on flute. His approach to the soprano saxophone is equally distinctive. Yet he insists that tenor is presently his main horn. His versatility and taste on all four instruments are well-displayed on a couple of Warner Brothers CD tributes devoted to the legacies of Frank Sinatra and Henry Mancini. What could have been over-produced and over-hyped "concept albums" aren't, thanks to Moody's commanding musicianship and innate good taste.
Look for Newark-reared Moody in New York once again this month for a special fund-raising event at B.B. King's to benefit a scholarship fund that he and his wife Linda established in 2005 to support deserving young musicians attending the Conservatory of Music at Purchase College. Among the notables on the bandstand will be trumpeters Jon Faddis (also serving as the evening's musical director), Jimmy Owens and Roy Hargrove; reedmen Paquito d'Rivera and Ken Peplowski; pianists Jeremy Monteiro (a Moody admirer based in Singapore), Mike Longo and Renee Rosnes; Israeli guitarist Yotam Silberstein; bassists John Lee and Todd Coolman (the latter, who heads up the jazz studies program at Purchase, has been Moody's bassist-of-choice in recent years); drummer Adam Nussbaum; and singer Roberta Gambarini; along with several other Moody admirers likely to fall by.
"Myself, I didn't have opportunities for formal music instruction," recalls Moody, newly returned from appearances in Thailand and Japan, on the phone from his San Diego home. "I just sort of jumped into it. Once, though, when Dizzy and I were sitting around talking, I was wishing out loud that I'd had more chances to study music. And Dizzy said, 'Well, you ain't dead!' A light sort of went on in my head, and soon I had theory books piled up to my eyeballs. Many other people helped, too: Tom McIntosh, David Baker, Mike Longo, to name just three. The Purchase program is assisting lots of deserving young musicians - and we definitely want to aid that program in any way we can."
Another honor just accorded to this master musician was the Grammy Foundation President's Merit Award, presented in Los Angeles on February 6, "...for his brilliant career as a pioneering bebop saxophonist and flutist, tireless educator and iconic improviser, whose solo on 'Moody's Mood For Love' has permanently enriched the legacy of instrumental and vocal jazz alike." We think it's simply a case of one long-established institution honoring another.
The James Moody Scholarship Fund Benefit Concert takes place at B.B. King's on March 26. (For ticket information, visit www.jamesmoodyscholarship.com or call 619-698-2988,) Then Moody's quartet with Renee Rosnes, Todd Coolman and Adam Nussbaum holds forth at the Blue Note for five nights - March 28 through April 1.
JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLBIt's all about evolution
Change is a constant in how singer Kendra Shank approaches her material. "As I live with a song, its meaning for me grows and I find deeper layers," she says. While preparing to record the Abbey Lincoln songbook for A Spirit Free (Challenge), "New layers of meaning were added over time. Everything I've learned or experienced in life gives the songs a whole different meaning." Kendra's band's longevity, too, contributes to the process. "The group has evolved beautifully over eight years," she says. "The arrangements come from playing gigs and letting the music evolve organically." Though they'd been playing Abbey's music for years, "When we went into the studio it still felt fresh," Kendra says. "There's a sense of the music being created in the moment. That's the magic of playing, the freedom to communicate and express whatever you're feeling." Kendra credits her search for material outside the Great American Songbook for bringing her to Abbey Lincoln. The same quest brought her to the compositions of pianist Kirk Nurock. She now does three of his songs, including "I'll Meet You There," the lyrics of which Kendra brought to Kirk's attention. Knowing that he enjoys setting text to music, she sent him a poem by Rumi, a 13th-century Persian poet. Kirk wrote music for it, and Kendra has been singing it ever since. Keep an ear open for an upcoming Shank/Nurock collaboration, part of his series at Sweet Rhythm. Kendra's CD release party for A Spirit Free takes place at the Jazz Standard on March 13.She'll take the fifth
Five years ago, the tune "Baby Got Back" motivated bassist Kim Clarke to start the Lady Got Chops Festival. "We're worth more than that," Kim says. "We're worth more than our physical appearance. The festival title is more about what we have to offer. It's about women's abilities, showcasing their chops, showing their skills on their instruments." Once again, Kim has donned her co-producer's hat to gather a stellar lineup of musicians and spread the word about the festival. But she'll be in bass-playing mode when she opens the festival at the Jazz Spot in Brooklyn on March 3 as part of Skorpe-Oh!, making music with fellow Scorpios guitarist Jane Getter and drummer Cindy Blackman. Check out Kim's CD, Live at the Earshot Jazz Festival, with her funk band, Magnets.Tension and release
In the three years since pianist Anat Fort recorded her new CD, A Long Story (ECM), she "alternated between being impatient and being very patient," she says. "Sometimes I got weirded out and wondered if it was ever going to happen." Anat's long-time dream of recording with drummer Paul Motian came true while recording the CD. Since Motian doesn't rehearse, they played together for the first time in the studio. "It was very inspiring, and very freakish at the beginning, when I realized what was happening, but I managed not to think about it too much," Anat says. "When I lifted my head and realized I was playing with Paul Motian, I felt like my fingers were about to freeze. I had waited so long for something like that to happen. I made a conscious decision to keep my eyes closed and keep playing." Anat's regular trio includes drummer Roland Schneider and bassist Ed Schuller. "I've been working with the trio since 1999, it's sort of like my home, that's where I'm based," she says. "I need my home base, plus creative tension moments with people I've never played with before. Being with ECM makes it easier to dream these dreams of working with Charlie Haden, Charles Lloyd, Jan Garbarek and others." Anat celebrates A Long Story's release at Birdland on March 13.
Listen up
Vocalist/band leader Catherine Russell presents a workshop for jazz musicians on "The Represented Artist vs. The Non-Represented Artist," at St. Peter's Church on March 26 at 7 p.m. The workshop is sponsored by the International Women in Jazz. Don't forget, the IWJ also presents a "First Monday" jam at St. Peter's on the first Monday of each month; it's on March 5 this time around.
Mark your calendar
Singer Melody Breyer-Grell has a regular thing with Big Apple Jazz at EZ's Woodshed on the first Saturday and third Friday of each month; it's an early gig, 5:30-8 … Vocal legend Annie Ross is at the Metropolitan Room every Tuesday; her new CD is Let Me Sing (CAP) … Guitarist Jane Getter plays the Cutting Room on March 1 … Celebrate the release of the Brooklyn Repertory Ensemble's Pragmatic Optimism (360 Degrees) at the Sugar Hill Supper Club on March 2 and hear Tulivu Donna Cumberbatch sing with some great players … Nora McCarthy sings at Enzo's on March 2 … Carrie Jackson sings at Shades of Hoboken on March 3 … Check out vocalist Linda Ciofalo at brunch at the Priory on March 4; Linda's got a new CD in the works … Vocalist Paula West and pianist Barbara Carroll are among the Highlights in Jazz presented by Jack Kleinsinger at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on March 8 … Vocalist Ayelet Rose Gottlieb is at the Bowery Poetry Club on March 8 … Vocalist Laurie Krauz is at Enzo's on March 9, with saxophonist Sue Terry in the band … Cecilia Coleman plays piano at the John Birks Gillespie Auditorium at the Baha'i Center on March 13 … Deborah Latz sings at Sweet Rhythm on March 13 … Another reason to celebrate: Pianist Mamiko Watanabe's CD release party for One After Another is scheduled for March 15 at Kitano … Lascivious Biddies play the BAM Café on March 17 … Jenny Powers sings Irving Berlin with Vince Giordano and the Nighthawks at the 92nd Street Y on March 17-19 … Jazz icon Jackie Cain sings at William Paterson on March 18 … Vocalist Judi Silvano and Celestial Voices perform at the Downtown Music Gallery at 6 p.m. on March 18 … Alto saxophonist Jessica Spinella plays Carnegie Hall with Paquito D'Rivera's Latin Jazz Project on March 19 … Catch "Vipassana" at Makor on March 20, and you'll hear trombonist Deborah Weisz, pianists Deanna Witkowski and Brenda Earle, guitarist Amanda Monaco and others … Yoon Sun Choi sings with the Restless Spirit Trio at the Cornelia Street Café on March 22 … Catch the Akiko Tsuruga organ trio at brunch at the Blue Note on March 25, celebrating the release of her new CD, Sweet and Funky … Pianist Myra Melford and Be Bread play the Jazz Standard on March 28 … Studio-bound: flutist Jamie Baum and her septet are at the Cornelia Street Café on March 29, and are set to record soon after … Mary Halvorson plays guitar and Jessica Pavone plays viola, violin and electric bass with Anthony Braxton at Iridium on March 29-April 1.
HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIRDURING WOMEN-IN-JAZZ MONTH
A March 1 concert at Merkin Hall, the Bang-on-a-Can All-Stars (most familiar from their activities over the years at BAM in Brooklyn) will join with pianist/composer Meredith Monk for the premieres of several new works. Ms. Monk, who's won two Guggenheim fellowships as well as a McArthur "Genius" award and a bunch of honorary doctorates, is always worth hearing, so tickets may be difficult to come by ... Many of Queens' most significant jazz musicians (among them, saxophonist Carol Sudhalter, cellist Diedre Murray, flautist Dotti Anita Taylor, organist Sarah McLawler and singers Myrna Lake and Emme Kemp) take part in a notable event at Laguardia Performing Arts Center in Long Island City on March 16. Called "Women Composers of Queens," it begins at 8:00 PM, with a panel discussion on the subject scheduled at 7:00 PM. Worthy contributions from such forebearers (and former Queens residents) as Lil Hardin Armstrong, Billie Holiday and Jutta Hipp will also be noted ... Singer/pianist/songwriter Meredith d'Ambrosio makes a welcome appearance at Dizzy's on March 19, with backup by pianist Ted Rosenthal's trio ... The Jazz Spot, a friendly venue in Bedford-Stuyvesant, is only open two evenings per week. Mondays are jam session nights. But here's what they have lined up on Saturdays this month: the Fifth Annual Lady Got Chops Festival. Attractions include a Jane Getter-Kim Clarke-Cindy Blackman trio on March 3; Nicki Mathis' Afrikan American Jazz ensemble on March 10; pianist Bertha Hope guesting with Carol Sudhalter's band on March 17; trombonist Toli Reid & Femme Nameless Afrobeat Jazz on March 24; and Mala Waldron's group on March 31. Consult http://thejazz.8m.com for more on Jazz Spot offerings.
GETTING FESTIVE
Artists from the roster of the forward-looking Los Angeles-based Cryptogramophone label - most of whom rarely play NYC dates - bring their CryptoNights festival to the Jazz Standard for a six-night run beginning on March 26. It's your chance to hear SoCal players like violinist Jeff Gauthier, trumpeter Bobby Bradford, pianist Alan Broadbent and guitarist Nels Cline (all critical favorites) right here in town. Congratulations to the Standard foks for another great booking ... Equally promising is the Hell's Kitchen Cultural Center's "Rhythm in the Kitchen" event taking place on March 29-31 at Metro Baptist Church (410 W. 40th St.). Take in all three evenings (8:00 PM onward) and experience a wide variety of styles and moods, thanks to participants like J.D. Parren, Benny Powell, Michael Attias, Dick Griffin, Michael Marcus and William Hooker. Admission is $15 per day ($12 for students and seniors) and a three-day pass costs just $35. Info: and www.HKCulturalCenter.org or 212-765-8446.
GIG ALERT
The Swingle Singers at Joe's Pub on March 11 ... Rob Reddy conducting the nineteen-member ensemble he calls Small Town through a program of this own originals at Tribeca P.A.C. on March 14-15 (details: www.reddymusic.com) ... Paquito d'Rivera and some talented young artists from other nations in concert at Zankel Hall on March 19 ... Bassist Jerry Granelli plus guitarist Brad Shepik at the Bowery Poetry Club on March 20 ... Saxophonist Chris Byars leading groups of various sizes at Dizzy's (March 10), Smalls (March 22-24) and Joe's Pub (March 28) before heading off to do the same in Turkmenistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan.
AT THE KEYBOARD(S)
Junior Mance at Kitano on March 2-3 ... Myra Melford at Joe's Pub on March 3 ... Pete Levin (once a standout on synthesizer with Gil Evans and now specializing on B3 organ) at the Knitting Factory on March 5, with Joe Beck playing guitar ... Bill Mays backing Jed Levy for Jed's March 7 Kitano appearance ... Emilio Teubal showcasing his current group as half of a double bill at the Consulate of Argentina (12 W. 56th) on March 16 ... Pianist Bill Cunliffe's fine trio (with Martin Wind, bass and Tim Horner, drums) play at a special event at Dizzy's on March 18: a luncheon (11:00 AM ff) organized by the Metropolitan Black Bar Association in support of its scholarship fund. Tenor saxist Benny Golson will be on hand, along with other special guests and honorees. Info: 212-787-6566 ... The admirable Amina Claudine Myers on the bill with Vijay Iyer at Merkin on March 19 ... Michael Weiss heading up a quintet that includes Steve Wilson's alto at the Vanguard for six nights beginning March 27 ... Michele Rosewoman's group Quintessence (featuring Mark Shim's tenor) at the Rubin Museum on March 30.
jazz anecdote by bill crowBill 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.
Kathy Beaver hadn't driven far on her way to a club date one night, when she felt one of her tires go flat. She pulled into a gas station, but the attendant couldn't leave his work to help her. She decided to try changing the tire herself, but she couldn't figure out how to work the jack, so she locked the car and left it, borrowing another car to get to work. The next morning, she told her husband, saxophonist Gene Scholtens, what had happened, and he went to change the tire and retrieve the car. He came back laughing. "Do you know why you couldn't jack up the car? You were trying to jack it up with my baritone sax stand!"One of Bill Mays' first gigs in New York was with Ron Carter's group at the Knickerbocker. During a set, a man came up to the bandstand, handed Ron a five dollar bill and made a request for a song. Ron handed back the five and said, "Sorry, that's a twenty dollar tune."