MARCH 2008 WINNING SPINS BY GEORGE KANZLER Two musicians who spend a lot of their time playing at Big Apple clubs in varying contexts, Spike Wilner and Joe Locke, are leaders on this month's two Winning Spins albums. Pianist Wilner can be heard almost exclusively at Smalls, the Greenwich Village club where he's been a fixture for over a decade and which he now owns. Vibist Locke is more peripatetic; and you’ll find him all over town, from Smoke on upper Broadway to (descending Manhattan) Dizzy's, Iridium, The Jazz Standard and elsewhere. Each CD here represents a personal approach to a specific ensemble, a particular way of presenting that group's instrumental lineup. Wilner's Three to Go (Posi-Tone) is a quintet outing featuring the classic bop/hard bop lineup of trumpet (Ryan Kisor), tenor saxophone (Joel Frahm), piano (Wilner), bass (Ugonna Okegwo) and drums (Montez Coleman). Classic expectations are immediately fulfilled with the opening track, "How Am I To Know?," a song once crooned by Russ Columbo and, later, revived in a movie by Ava Gardner. Here, it's given the kind of muscular treatment the late Richie Powell once used to revamp old standards for the Clifford Brown-Max Roach Quintet. A similar approach is applied to "The Lamp Is Low," Wilner's scintillating piano in the lead and Coleman's snappy stick work reminiscent of Roach's. But this isn't simply a neo-hard bop album. Wilner has his own approach to the classic ensemble and a concept broader than just bop, one that encompasses swing and Ellingtonia, as well as a strategy for the horns that includes a generous helping of tandem soloing in a strong emphasis on extended out-choruses and codas. "Broken Penny," a lesser known Duke Ellington-Billy Strayhorn piece, is given an easy swing reading, the horns sharing the lead on the two A sections, then improvising through the bridge. Wilner's piano solo is full of Ducal flourishes. Duke's piano piece, "Reflections in D," is fleshed out in a quintet arrangement that frames the piano lead and solos. Wilner makes good use of the distinctive talents of Kisor and Frahm. They're given different rhythmic settings for their solos on the title track, which also employs elements of fugue and canon, making it Wilner's most involved original. Frahm's solo on Hampton Hawes' vampish "Black Forest" is supple bop-swing, while Kisor's trumpet solo builds from a ruminative entrance to a jumpy fray involving crackling drums and soaring high notes. Dizzy Gillespie's "Con Alma" is closer to a graceful tropical waltz than the hot Afro-Cuban jam it often becomes with others. Only in the closing choruses does it gather hard momentum, although until it comes you never miss it, because this rendition reveals fresh aspects of the tune. Sticks and Strings (Jazz Eyes) puts the sticks into the hands of vibist Locke and drummer Joe LaBarbera - and the strings under those of guitarist Jonathon Kreisberg and bassist Jay Anderson. The blend of vibes and guitar has been used before, but Red Norvo had a trio setting with bass but no drums, and George Shearing's quintet included the leader's piano. Here Locke strives for integrated intimacy, blending the vibes and guitar in ensembles, whether playing themes or improvising. LaBarbera's cymbals often dominate over drum heads, adding another layer of shimmer to the mix; and Anderson's bass is as apt to play a guitar-like counter melody or riff as keep time. Two standards - "All of You" and "I Fall In Love Too Easily" - are given smartly organized treatments that suggest the sort of care the MJQ used to invest in polishing familiar tunes. Anderson and LaBarbera contribute one original each, the drummer's "Sixth Sense" a rimose exploration of sonic possibilities in six time. But it's Locke's five originals that give the album a really singular feel, from the serpentine melody and ethereal feel of steel acoustic guitar strings, vibes and splashy cymbals on "Sword of Whispers" to the syncopated march and subtle dynamics of "A Word Before You Go," the Afro-Latin lope and rhythm section dropouts dramatically framing solos on "Terzani" to the accelerating momentum of "Appointment in Orvieto" as it gallops to the title destination. Spike Wilner leads a group each Sunday night at Smalls. He's also playing with headliner Ryan Kisor's quintet at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on March 4-8. Joe Locke appears at Dizzy's on March 25-30 in Moment to Moment: The Music of Henry Mancini featuring Geoffery Keezer, piano; George Mraz, bass; Clarence Penn, drums; Kenny Washington, vocals. He's also part of a Herbie Hancock tribute sextet at Iridium on March 8 - and with David Finck's sextet at the Jazz Standard on March 6. SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND GEORGE KANzler ROSANNA VITRO BLUE NOTE/MARCH 11-16 From her early days with soul-jazz tenor saxophonist Arnett Cobb in Texas through her dues paying years in NJ and NY to her studies of vocal techniques in India, singer Roseanna Vitro has always combined a love for American pop and jazz tradition with an adventurous spirit. Her Delirium Blues Project with pianist-arranger Kenny Werner is a genre busting album of R&B, blues and pop songs recorded live last year at the Blue Note being reprised for this CD release, featuring James Carter, sax; Randy Brecker, trumpet; Ray Anderson, trombone; Richard Bona, bass; Adam Rogers guitar and Joey Baron, drums. GK JON-ERIK KELLSO SYMPHONY SPACE/MARCH 19 One of the finest mainstream and neo-trad trumpeters to emerge during the 90s, he's gigged with Dick Hyman, Marty Grosz, Kenny Davern, James Dapogny Chicago-style outfit and Vince Giordano's Nighthawks. His most recent album - Blue Roof Blues: A Love Letter to New Orleans (Arbors) - is just that, a somewhat wistful glance back at that city's rich musical traditions that's also filled with numerous high-spirited moments. The band even assays a Monk tune. At this Sidney Bechet Society concert, Kellso will be part of a septet that also includes saxophonist-clarinetist Anat Cohen and trombonist Vincent Gardner. Info: www.sidneybechet.org. PB JASON LINDNER IRIDIUM/MARCH 19 One of last year's most impressive and exciting albums - Live at the Jazz Gallery (Anzic) documented the arranging skills of pianist-composer Lindner, who's been honing his chops for years at such downtown venues as Smalls. We've always been intrigued with his pianistics, which sometimes blend Hispanic and Middle Eastern elements with a slightly off-kilter boppish touch. Ab Aeterno (Fresh Sound, 2006) is a typically fine trio project. It'll be interesting to chart his progress in future - and if you aren't familiar with Lindner's work, this evening on E. 27th St. is a great place to make his acquaintance. Watch him work with rappers on YouTube videos, too. PB DUANE EUBANKS SMOKE/MARCH 13 He's part of a talented Philly family: Robin's and Kevin's younger brother (and Ray Bryant's nephew). But a musical career wasn't his original goal; he majored in business at college. Fortunately, he was sidetracked into the jazz studies program at Temple. Now he's passing on the tradition as a university-level teacher himself. Still, there's too little of trumpeter Duane's work as leader on CD, with just a pair of tough-to-locate albums on a label called TCB. Smoke's an ideal showcase for his sterling quintet: Abraham Burton playing tenor and a rhythm section teaming pianist Anthony Wonsey, bassist Ameen Saleem and drummer Eric McPherson. PB JIM ROTONDI KITANO/MARCH 7 AND 8 After years on the road with Ray Charles, Lionel Hampton and Charles Earland, Rotondi seems most home these days at Smoke, where he's frequently heard as part of the co-op sextet One For All. Call him a post-bopper, remarkable for a burnished trumpet tone and a seemingly endless string of good improvisational ideas heard on a series of fine CDs for Criss Cross and Sharp Nine. His latest, though, is a quartet outing (Four of a Kind) for the Positone folks. This booking at Kitano will see him leading a quintet that also includes saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, pianist Danny Grissett, bassist David Wong and drummer Jason Brown. PB ALVIN QUEEN JAZZ STANDARD/MARCH 18-20 Hot off a tour that'll have them playing clubs in Switzerland, Austria and Germany early this month, here comes drummer Queen (formerly with Horace Silver and Oscar Peterson) heading up a crackerjack quintet: Joe Magnarelli (trumpet), Jesse Davis (alto), Peter Bernstein (guitar) and Mike LeDonne (Hammond B3). It's almost the same band heard on I Ain't Lookin' At You (enja), released in 2006 and one of the few readily available albums on which Queen gets leadership credit. We see far too little of Alvin in these parts, since he's lived in Europe for the past two decades, so this gig is a must see. PB ADAM RUDOLPH Joe's Pub/March 26 The jazz avant-garde meets Afro-pop and ambient World Music meets Steve Reich and Philip Glass in the music of exotic percussionist Adam Rudolph's Moving Pictures, as he calls his unclassifiable band. Rudolph has studied in Ghana, garnered a degree in ethnomusicology here in the USA, and played and composed with jazz/world music innovator Don Cherry. His latest CD, Dream Garden (Justin Time), has echoes of Cherry in trumpeter Graham Haynes and suggestions of Reich minimalism in the almost static structure of some of his pieces. Besides this Joe’s Pub gig, Rudolph is every Monday night at Roulette; in March, the 10th, 17th and 24th. GK CHRISTIAN MCBRIDE TRIBECA PAC/APRIL 17 Bassist Christian McBride has led his own small groups and played with dozens of other leaders. For example, he's featured with drummer Jeff Tain Watts Ebonix quartet at the Jazz Standard, March 21-23. Still, this Highlights in Jazz concert is special: an exclusive New York appearance of his very own big band. One of the most in-demand young bassists in jazz (he is on the road this year with the Pat Metheny Trio), McBride is just as at home playing classic jazz or funk by James Brown, an idol of his. The Highlights program is billed as "Basses Loaded," since the co-headliner is bassist-singer Jay Leonhart in a duo with trombonist Wycliffe Gordon. GK ORRIN EVANS ZINC BAR/MARCH 25 AND 26 Ten years ago, a writer for this very magazine called him "the clear-cut best pianist of his time." One place to hear Evans in full flight is on Bobby Watson's fine Palmetto album Live and Learn. Another is the latest Sean Jones CD (Kaleidoscope, Mack Avenue), which Evans also produced. Or check out his work with the Charles Mingus Big Band heard on a regular basis at Iridium. He's also cut six discs for Criss Cross in recent years. Before Orrin heads to Europe with Dave Douglas next month, he'll do two Zinc nights with saxophonists Stacy Dillard and Tim Warfield, bassist Eric Revis and that ever-popular drummer TBA. PB RAVI COLTRANE BIRDLAND/MARCH 25-29 The son of jazz icon John Coltrane, Ravi Coltrane is also a tenor and soprano saxophonist. But he doesn't sound like his father (who died when Ravi was still an infant), as he's developed his own personal, more introverted style. Like his father, however, he did record with his mother, keyboardist Alice Coltrane. "I want to be involved with music that is truly honest," he says, "that's not trying to follow trends or fit into someone's idea of what jazz is. My goal is to acknowledge with love my influences, while attempting to move forward...to make music that's relevant to my present-day experience." At Birdland, Ravi Coltrane will be leading his own quartet. GK JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSH JOHN LEE SHANGHAI JAZZ/MARCH 28 AND 29 Veteran bassist, composer, producer and teacher Lee brings his stellar quartet into Madison's Shanghai. This foursome also features Argentinean Andres Boiarsky on tenor saxophone, Israeli Roy Assaf on piano and Karl Latham playing drums. Cognoscenti well remember Lee as Dizzy Gillespie's bass player for several years in the "Dizzy's Diamonds" period. John has continued that association with the Gillespie 70th Anniversary band and the United Nations Orchestra with which Diz is associated. Other past Lee collaborators include Rollins, Tyner, Jon Faddis, Gil Evans, Jimmy Heath and Claudio Roditi. He's a good man to have behind you. Solid. RICH PERRY WILLIAM PATERSON/MARCH 9 For this Jazz Room show, Perry will front the WP Jazz Orchestra, which just happens to include many of his own students. One of the more powerful tenor saxophonists on today's NY scene, Rich actually broke in with the Glenn Miller ghost band, then caught on with the Thad Jones-Mel Lewis aggregation. Twenty-two years later, he's still part of that talented mob, now known as the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra. He's also a standout soloist on Maria Schneider's Grammy-winning new album - and on fifteen small-group discs under his own name for the Steeplechase label. Or check out his contributions to Rufus Reid's Live at the Kennedy Center. JOSHUA BREAKSTONE GLEN ROCK INN/MARCH 6 Glen Rock continues its ongoing series of guitar presentations with Breakstone, who'll enjoy support from bassist Earl Saul. Originally keen on Frank Zappa and Jimi Hendrix, young Joshua found jazz one day upon hearing Lee Morgan for the first time. He proceeded to dig LPs by Clifford Brown, Bird, Bud and Tristano, and eventually became a student of Sal Salvador's. Later stints with Joanne Brackeen, Barry Harris, Warne Marsh, Pepper Adams and Jimmy Knepper further enhanced his resumé. Among his Capri CDs, all worth picking up, are a Wes Montgomery tribute (Tomorrow's Hours) and another (A Jamais) filled with romping originals. SF JAZZ COLLECTIVE SOUTH ORANGE PAC/MARCH 11 This year's edition of the all-star SF Jazz Collective includes Dave Douglas (trumpet), Robin Eubanks (trombone), Miguel Zenon (alto and flute), Joe Lovano (tenor), Stefon Harris (vibes and marimba), Renee Rosnes (piano), Matt Penman (bass) and Eric Harland (drums). Given that lineup, you just know there'll be a powerful musical experience awaiting you at SOPAC. Founded in 2004, the Collective concentrates each year on compositions by one significant outside composer - during 2008, Wayne Shorter - plus new writing from its own members. This octet, which critics have called as promising as any small ensemble on today's scene, also appears at Zankel Hall on March 5. MONTY ALEXANDER: REMEMBERING HIS ROOTS by Ken Dryden Monty Alexander has been immersed in music for nearly all of his life. Though a pianist identified primarily with jazz, his interests are decidedly wide-ranging. "My mother wanted to play piano just for fun," he recalls of his early years in Jamaica, "so we had one in the house. Something in me gravitated me toward it. I fell in love with making sounds on the piano, I played whatever I could, elementary things. It wasn't long before I was entertaining the neighbors and relatives. I had some piano lessons with the teacher at school, but that didn't grab me a lot, because I wasn't a good student. I was lucky to be playing boogie-woogie early and I was always able to pick out tunes." Once Alexander began playing, his music interests knew no barriers. "I was making up stuff, picking out notes and chords, I was a 'jazz guy' from the git-go. Any music that I heard made me go to the piano to try and play. Whether it was a pop song, a calypso tune or a cowboy number, it didn't matter, it was all music. One day I saw Louis Armstrong and I dug that, but no more than R&B from New Orleans, Fats Domino or Ray Charles. It was all good. I watched the local musicians, whom I so admired. They were playing Errol Garner, Nat King Cole, Cole Porter, Gershwin. I heard those songs when I was ten years old. I was getting this incredible repertoire without realizing it. I could sit at the piano and play all of them, I had this gift. I didn't go seeking it. I went for the camaraderie of musicians." After moving to the U. S. in 1961, the pianist caught several lucky breaks. "I met some friendly musicians around where I was living in Miami - and before I knew it, I was playing in a bar. He soon found himself playing with established artists. I worked with my own bands, I played Jilly's in New York with Frank Sinatra, I eventually recorded with the royalty of jazz like Milt Jackson and Ray Brown." But Alexander didn't forget the music of his homeland. "A part of my canon, my world of music, is what I grew up with, a Jamaican folk music called mento, a forerunner of reggae. That's a part of what makes me tick as a musician, a human being, my roots. I've been told that something in the way I approach a melody is very identified with the feeling of the music of the islands. That's also heard in the music of Wynton Kelly and Oscar Peterson. I'm a jazz guy who's honored to be given the chance to present my take on something that came from Jamaica and Trinidad, something that's vital to a lot of musicians who came from the West Indies, including Sonny Rollins, Carmen McRae, Oscar Peterson (whose father came from the area), Roy Haynes and others. All of them were island guys, and it's perfectly appropriate that jazz lovers should hear the origins of this music." Alexander is excited about his upcoming J@LC performances. "This is my reflection on the mento music that I heard in my formative years, the 1950s, which came out of Jamaican folklore. We heard Parker and Rollins records, 'Sly Mongoose,' 'Brown Skinned Girl,' songs of that nature. We're going to perform those, as well as songs that never made it out of the island. I'm inviting Jamaican players who don't operate in the jazz world. From the Trinidadian side, some wonderful artists will present reflections on Lord Kitchener. He was a great calypsonian, with melody and lyrics that were very pertinent to what was going on, social commentary as well as lighthearted songs, some very risqué, talking about social issues. All in all, it'll be a look at the Trinidadian experience and my personal experience growing up with calypso in Jamaica, actually called mento." In spite of writing a number of compositions over his five-decade career, Alexander is somewhat dismissive of his own writing skills. "I'm a terrible songwriter, even though I make up songs every time I'm at the piano. But I get bored quickly. I just don't have the order or discipline. It's been several years since I've written a song. That's a damn shame, because I can write some nice songs, I'm just lazy." Monty Alexander's group at the Allen Room on March 7-8 will include Hassan Shakur and David Williams (bass), Herlin Riley (drums), Carlton "Blackie" James (banjo/vocals), Pluto Shervington (guitar/vocals), Dean Frazier and Charles Dougherty (saxophones), Etienne Charles (trumpet), Clifton Anderson (trombone) and "Designer" (vocals). For the mento music, he'll add Joseph Bennett (shaker/vocals), Albert Morgan (rumba box) and Desi Jones (drums/percussion). TEDDY CHARLES: LANDED AT LAST by Paul Blair Very likely the most talented of all jazz players to have been born in Chicopee Falls, Massachusetts, vibraphone player Teddy Charles settled in New York in 1946 and soon found himself sharing 52nd Street bandstands with such notables as Red Norvo, Max Roach, Oscar Pettiford and Hank Jones. He did some studying at Juilliard; some touring with bands led by Benny Goodman and Artie Shaw; and some freelancing with Buddy DeFranco, Anita O'Day, Jackie Paris, Slim Gaillard and other leading lights of the day. Charles recorded with Mingus, Miles, Wardell Gray, Jimmy Raney, Chubby Jackson, Shorty Rogers, Art Farmer, Booker Little, Mal Waldron and Gigi Gryce, among others - and passed along hints for four-mallet playing to such peers as Don Elliott, Terry Gibbs and Tito Puente. Most significantly, he embarked on a landmarked series of small group recordings for the Prestige and New Jazz labels: LPs with titles like New Directions, Collaborations West, Evolution and Coolin'. It all sounds like the summary of a long and fairly successful musical career, right? But most of the above took place during the 50s, when Teddy Charles was one of the most active and omnipresent figures on the New York jazz community. The fact is that this vibist, who'll mark his eightieth birthday next month, has lived an extremely full life - both musical and nautical - in the years since then and is far from finished. He's still very much on the scene and will get top billing during a March engagement at the Vanguard. "I was first attracted to sailing during family vacations on the Connecticut coast," recalls Charles on the phone from his Suffolk County home. "Then later, I got back into it during the period when I had a group with Mingus - a musical genius, to be sure, but he was driving me out of my brain and I thought that sailing again would be a welcome relief. So I bought a share in a schooner with a trombonist named Dick Rath, who'd been playing with Eddie Condon. He started booking tours on it. As time went on, he'd ask me to serve as captain on those excursions. Gee, I remember the first such outing, heading up to Martha's Vineyard for a few days. Honestly, I didn't know what the hell I was doing but survived anyway. As the years went on, there were more boats and many more charter excursions. Spent lots of time in the Caribbean, generally away from music. Eventually, though, I moved back to New York and began to play more regularly at area venues. This was around 1980. We recently sold our last large vessel, though I've kept a smaller one just for my own pleasure. So am I now out of the charter business? Hopefully, yes!" Charles is looking forward to a couple of recordings soon for two labels - Steeplechase and Smalls - but says he's holding back until both band and material are fine-tuned. Meanwhile, he can frequently be heard at The Vine, a comfy spot in Greenport, and at weekly jam sessions in his own home. He'll also be playing with saxophonist Jimmy Halperin at Dix Hills Performing Arts Center on March 14 - and then leading a quintet at the Vanguard for a full six nights late this month. For that engagement, he'll use the same foursome that wins the day on saxist Chris Byars fine new Smalls CD Jazz Pictures at an Exhibition of Himalayan Art (Smalls). The other players are John Mosca (trombone), Ari Roland (bass) and Stefan Schatz (drums). "Teddy's a remarkable man, then and now," enthuses Byars. "Those Prestige sides were so bold, so daring, and they swung madly. Remember, it was tough going for jazz and jazz musicians from the mid-60s through the 80s. Guys like Gigi Gryce and Lucky Thompson, who'd had so much success earlier, just didn't know how to respond to changes on the musical climate. Teddy was another player who departed the scene for awhile. And maybe that's a good thing because he's not only survived but flowered. When we first made contact by phone last year, I was very clear in expressing my admiration for his work and the paths he's chosen to take over the years. And what diverse talents he's shown. He collaborated with Jimmy Guiffre, Bob Brookmeyer, Gil Evans and George Russell. Did an Ellington record with Hall Overton and Oscar Pettiford. Played a smoking date with Thad and Elvin Jones. Put out a "Guys & Dolls" album, and then another of Russian classical music played in a jazz style. He's always had much to offer. "Eventually, I trekked out to Riverhead with my group. We crammed into his living room and had a great time playing some charts I'd written on some of his tunes. Great fun! When we played at Smalls in October, we mixed blowing tunes with some of my own arrangements of his old numbers. At the Vanguard, though, it'll be more tightly focused sets. I promise you'll hear things that not just any band could do. In fact, there are even some of Teddy's tunes written in 2008. "Technique? Well, I don't know if he had a vibraphone out there on the boat during all those years. But he doesn't seem to have lost anything, in terms of chops. To put it metaphorically, I almost feel as if he's had a little golden statue that he's been polishing all these years, and saving it for us. You know, I really love records. CDs are truly great. Still, for someone like Teddy to offer all this excitement and emotion in person, with the audience sitting right there, that's so cool." The Teddy Charles Quintet headlines at the Vanguard on March 25-30. JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB … And many more This is a year of milestones for pianist Marian McPartland. For starters, it's the 29th anniversary of "Piano Jazz," her award-winning radio show. "I thought it would last a few months. I never thought it would go on this long, and I've had a lot of fun," she says. In the next month or so, Marian will be host to Sonny Rollins, "someone I've wanted to have on very badly." Her dream guest? Stevie Wonder. "But I don't know how to get him, he's always surrounded by a thousand people." Marian marks her 29th year with the Concord label with the release of her first studio CD in nine years, Twilight World. In addition to several of her own compositions, the album includes two by Ornette Coleman. "I always wanted to do something by Ornette. I always wanted to do 'Lonely Woman,' and 'Turnaround.' We can get a little far out. And we do 'Alfie,' a tune I really love. It was written by Burt Bacharach. I hope he likes how we do it." Marian will be celebrating her 90th birthday on March 20. Most people would call it a milestone, "but it's getting to be a millstone," she says. There's a birthday gig scheduled at Dizzy's on March 19 with special guests including singer Karrin Allyson and violinist Regina Carter. Looking ahead, keep your ears open for a special edition of "Piano Jazz" featuring Marian's symphonic piece "A Tribute to Rachel Carson," to be broadcast in April in recognition of Earth Day. Marian hopes to release a recording of the composition. "I'm very proud of that piece. It's not long enough for a record. I have to write something else to go with it. I have other symphonic pieces, but would like to have something new." May all her birthday wishes come true. Beyond bicoastal Vocalist Judy Niemack has apartments in Berlin and the Bronx, but she also spends several days each month teaching in San Sebastian, in Spain's Basque country. "I was asked to start a vocal jazz department there, and have been building it up for five years," she says. "Spain doesn't have a big history of jazz." Judy will be visiting these shores soon, to do workshops at the New School, the New England Conservatory and UCLA. "It will be fun to see how other people run jazz schools," she says. While she's here, Judy will be celebrating the release of her new CD, Blue Nights (BluJazz), with gigs at the Jazz Standard (March 4-5) and Trumpets (March 8). The theme for the CD is "a tribute to my roots. I've loved the blues since I was a kid. I wanted to treat this like a concert set, to include a variety of songs with the moods and energy of a live set." Among the tunes is "A Crazy Song to Sing," which features Judy's lyrics to Monk's "Misterioso." "I sang it for years without words," she says. "Then I sat down at lunch one day and the words just came. I had known the song for so long, my brain had been putting ideas together for years." Judy has written new lyrics to about sixty tunes, but she also knows her way around a standard, as demonstrated in her new book, Jazz Vocal Standards: Pro Women's Edition (Hal Leonard). No need to choose Mala Waldron laughs when asked if she considers herself a singer or pianist foremost. "It depends what day it is. I've been playing a lot longer than I've been singing, and I go through phases where one is stronger than the other," she says. At times, Mala has felt tempted to stop playing piano. However, "You look at all the big stars that start out playing an instrument, then they stop and they're out front dancing at the microphone. Giving up their instrument takes away what makes them unique." She points out, "There's a perception that anybody can sing. People feel it's not that big an accomplishment. That's not really true. But I always encourage singers to learn theory, to learn an instrument, to learn the musical language so you're respected by musicians. If you don't know your key and can't read music, you can't tell the musicians what you want. When I play piano and sing, they treat me with respect because they know I can play." Catch Mala solo at the Broadway Beanery in Lynwood, Long Island on March 7; with Barbara Sfraga and Center Search Quest at Minton's on March 15; or on March 29 with Louise Bethune at the Jazz Spot in Brooklyn, part of the sixth annual Lady Got Chops Festival. As always, bassist Kim Clarke has put together a great lineup for the festival. Check it out at http://thejazz.8m.com/lady08.html. Celebrate singers' CDs Never got a press release from a law firm before, so we might be breaking the law if we fail to mention that Jesse Palter is Beginnin' to See the Light (SuperString) at the River Room of Harlem on March 8 and at Zinc Bar on March 10 … Enjoy Sweet Dreams (Cadence) with Pucci Amanda Jhones at Kitano on March 5 … Singer/pianist Diane Schuur introduces Some Other Time (Concord) at the Blue Note on March 6-9 … Energetic octogenarian Othella Dallas states I Live the Life I Love (Swiss Artist Management) at Dizzy's on March 10 … Roseanna Vitro has unearthed some wonderful, seldom-heard material for the Delirium Blues Project (HalfNote); hear her at the Blue Note on March 11-16 … Libby York fetes Here With You (Libby York Music) on March 14 at the Metropolitan Room with guests Russell Malone and Warren Vaché … Melody Breyer-Grell focuses on Gershwin with Fascinatin' Rhythms (Rhombus) at the Triad on March 15: Commuters and early risers have no excuse for missing out on the fun - Mel's first set starts at 6. Congrats to … Organist Akiko Tsuruga, winner of Swing Journal magazine's New Star Award … Perennial award winner Maria Schneider, for her Best Instrumental Composition Grammy for "Sky Blue" … Winners of the ASCAP Foundation's Young Jazz Composer Award: Sharel Cassity, Linda Oh, Sherisse Rogers, and Grace Kelly. Catch 'em live Linda Ciofalo sings at brunch at the Priory on March 2 … David Berger's Sultans of Swing with pianist/singer Champian Fulton continue their Tuesday night residency at Birdland on March 4, 11 and 18 … Pianist Geri Allen guests with Trio 3 at the Jazz Standard on March 6-9 … Guitarist Lily Masse and the Suite Unraveling play at Goodbye Blue Monday on March 7, and at her performance space, the Bushwick Department of Public Works, on March 22 … Alexis Cole sings at Smalls on March 8 and at Enzo's on March 12 … Deanna Kirk sings at Kitano on March 12 and at Dizzy’s After Hours on March 18-23 … Vocalist Tessa Souter has put together a smokin' band for her gig at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on March 14-15 ... Bassist/guitarist/singer/composer Ann Belmont is the guest artist with Diane Moser's Composers Big Band at Trumpets on March 26 … Vocalist Fay Victor will be at Enzo's on March 26 … Chris McNulty sings with the Paul Bollenbeck Ensemble at the Brooklyn Lyceum on March 26 … Vocalist Carrie Jackson honors Sarah Vaughan at Trumpets on March 28 … Baritone saxophonist Carol Sudhalter's Astoria Jazz Band is at Shutters Café on March 29 … Amy Cervini and Melissa Stylianou sing at Joe's Pub on March 31. HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR CLUBBING DURING MARCH Clarinetist Andy Biskin, whose music sounds to some like an amalgam of Ives, Mingus, Welk and Raymond Scott, does a night at Joe's Pub on March 2 … A terrific Eric Reed quintet (Stacy Dillard and Seamus Blake on tenors plus marvelous drumming by Willie Jones III) holds forth at Dizzy's on March 4-9 … Ron Carter brings a nonet into Birdland on March 5-8 … The Third World Love quartet co-led by bassist Omer Avital and trumpeter Avishai Cohen appears on March 14 at Drom, located on Avenue A between E 5th and 6th Streets … Also on March 14, classy singer Libby York heralds the release of a new album (Here With You) at the Metropolitan Room … Tenorist Marcus Strickland does two sets at the Blue Note on March 17 … Trumpeter Russ Johnson explores new sonic possibilities at Merkin Hall on March 22 … Joe Chambers' Outlaw Band plays the Lenox Lounge on March 28-29 … Dave Brubeck and Ramsey Lewis appear at J@LC's Rose Theater on March 27-29 - with three more pianists (Marcus Roberts, Jonathan Batiste and Aaron Diehl) romping and stomping literally next door in the Allen Room on March 28-29. OTHER ROOMS, OTHER VOICES A trumpet battle - James Zollar vs. Mike Rodriguez, backed by the Xavier Davis trio - at Dizzy's on March 1 (two rounds at 1:00 and 3:00 PM - no charge) … A 10:00 PM set by UB313 featuring Marshall Allen (current leader of the Sun Ra Arkestra) on March 11 at Zebulon in Williamsburg … Organist Lonnie Gasperini at Cleopatra's Needle on March 13 … Sheila Jordan at Cornelia Street Café on March 20 … A Richard Wyands-Paul West duo at The Knickerbocker on March 21-22 … Tenor saxophonist Jed Levy holding down Wednesdays and Fridays at Vino Di Vino, a toney wine bar close to the Ditmars subway station in Astoria … Alto guy Pete Robbins curating the Sunday evening music all this month at Jimmy's No. 43, a Downtown Scene hotspot on E. 7th St. Consult www.freestylejazz.com for particulars … But you live in Brooklyn? OK, check the Sunday offerings at the Lyceum along Fourth Ave. in Park Slope, presented in what used to be one of the borough's more elaborate public baths … A three-day "Rhythm in the Kitchen" jazz festival at the Church of All Nations (417 W. 57th St.) on March 27-29 includes some familiar names (Ellery Eskelin, Gerry Hemingway, Steve Swell, Taylor Ho Bynum) and others less so. Door charges are extremely modest. The lineup's posted at www.hkculturalcenter.org … Jazz presenter Cobi Narita's 82nd birthday will be celebrated royally (and she deserves it!) at Saint Peter's Church on March 2, with loads of food from Copeland's, along with music by an impressive list of her most ardent admirers. Details: 516-922-2010. MOODY & FRIENDS It's now an annual event, we guess: a March 31 benefit concert at B.B. King's in support of the James Moody Scholarship Fund at Purchase College. The fund provides financial assistance to deserving students who might not otherwise be able to immerse themselves in the outstanding musical opportunities available through Purchase's program. Joining Moody on the bandstand this time will be Jon Faddis, Jimmy Owens and Roy Hargrove (trumpets), Paquito d'Rivera and Antonio Hart (reeds), Howard Alden and Russell Malone (guitars), Renee Rosnes, Bill Charlap and Jeremy Monteiro (piano), Todd Coolman (bass), Dennis Mackrel (drums) and Jon Hendricks and Roberta Gambarini (vocals). A pair of talented young Moody Scholars - trumpeter Max Darche and saxophonist Andrew Gould - will also play. It sounds like a single-night festival worth attending, right? www.jamesmoodyscholarship.com: that's how you can. DISCS WE DIG - AND GIGS TO MATCH Pete Malinverni quintet album Invisible Cities (Reservoir) might just be this inventive pianist's best yet for that label. He'll debut it live at Sweet Rhythm on March 21-22 with the same personnel: Tim Hagens, Rich Perry, Ugonna Okegwo and Tom Melito. Look for Pete, too, at the Watercolor Café in Larchmont with singer Jody Sandhaus on March 6; and at Purchase College on March 13, premiering a new suite for gospel choir and jazz orchestra … Two remarkable ensembles heard on a Venezuelan label called Cacao perform on successive nights at the Jazz Gallery this month. On March 6, it's Puerto Rican pianist José Negroni, who's now Miami-based. The next evening, it'll be stuff from a quintet led by Venezuelan guitarist Aquiles Báez, whose La Patilla disc we find particularly invigorating. Guesting with Aquiles will be vibist Alfredo Naranjo … You'll also probably admire new releases by pianist Marc Copland's trio (one including Gary Peacock and Paul Motian) and the group that keyboardist Nik Bärtsch calls Ronen. Marc's disc is Voices (Pirouet) and Nik's is entitled Holon (ECM). Marc brings a slightly different trio - with Bill Stewart instead of Motian - into Birdland on March 19-22, whereas Ronen can be heard at Joe's Pub on March 5 … A new one called Future Day (Soundbrush Records) spotlights the considerable talents of bassist David Finck fronting a group that also features Joe Locke, Jeremy Pelt and Bob Shepherd. On March 31, David leads a quartet at the Jazz Standard that'll include Locke, with Shepherd and Randy Brecker as guests … Dutch saxophonist Tineka Postma's quartet at Smalls on March 15 will include Rachel Z, Ed Howard and Matt Wilson. We admire her recent A Journey That Matters CD, issued on a label called Foreign Media … And guitarist Piers Lawrence heralds the debut of his Stolen Moments disc with a March 3 appearance at the Barnes & Noble store at Lincoln Center, along with gigs at Minton's (March 8), the Cutting Room (March 11) and the Puck Building on Lafayette St. (March 30).