winning spins by George Kanzler The tradition of the bass player- band leader has a long history in jazz. Bassist-leaders have prominent in every decade since the 1920s (Walter Page), with some of the greatest coming out of (Oscar Pettiford, Charles Mingus) and after (Charlie Haden, Dave Holland) the bebop era. Two bassists who've emerged as leaders as well as composers in the last decade, Harvie S and Ben Allison, bring contrasting versions of quartets to us on the two albums comprising this Winning Spins. Harvie S actually was a leader back in the 1980s, but as Harvie Swartz. As Harvie S, he not only changed his name (legally) but also his direction in jazz, fully embracing Latin jazz to the extent of traveling to Cuba in 1996 to study with Afro-Cuban jazz masters. Funky Cha (ZoHo), is his fourth CD of Latin jazz and features his working quartet, plus guest musicians on five tracks. The core quartet is rounded out by Daniel Kelly, piano, William "Beaver" Bausch, drums, and Jay Collins, saxes and flute. Even without the extra percussionists added on four of the CD's nine tracks, the core rhythm section impresses in its mastery of Latin jazz clavé time and the often polyrhythmic, intricate beats of Afro-Latin dances. Kelly has a formidable technique that adds percussive accents from the keyboard, while Beaver Bausch - utilizing cow bells and rim shots as well as a well-tuned arsenal of cymbals and drums - stirs up a tropical storm on his drum kit. Harvie's bass nails down the Afro-Latin feel with big, rolling ostinato or montuno grooves and melodic elasticity. The album presents a variety of Afro-Latin rhythms, from the rumba take on Thelonious Monk's "Rhythm-a-ning" to the solid clavé beat of "S," and from the guaracha drive of "Earquake," a Kelly original with a two-fisted conflagration of a solo by the composer, to the smooth son montuno of "Mariposa en Mano," featuring a trio of flute, trumpet and tenor sax. The one track with no overt Latin rhythm, Cole Porter's "What Is This Thing Called Love," even manages to create an ethereal tropical feel, and the leader has transformed his "A Bright Moment" from its original hard bop vibe to a new Latin tumbao feel, even though it’s just a tenor sax, bass and drum trio track. While there's a heavy groove generated by the interlocking tandem feel among the rhythm players, and even horns, in the Harvie S group, the interactive dynamic among the quartet on Cowboy Justice (Palmetto), is quite different - more cubist than Cuban. Like his contemporaries drummer Matt Wilson and pianist-organist Larry Goldings, Allison has fielded a quartet whose only horn player is a trumpeter, in this case Ron Horton. And he's rounded out the group with another string player, guitarist Steve Cardenas, in lieu of a keyboardist, completing it with drummer Jeff Ballard. Allison has said that he wanted this configuration because "nothing really rocks like guitar, trumpet, bass and drums." But any rocking this group does is definitely of an art rock variety, one amply leavened by jazz sensibilities. The group achieves a highly individual and distinctive sound, one characterized by a multilayered sense of time combined with an airy spaciness, no matter how many notes may fill up a measure. This is a product of the instrumentation and how those instruments are used. "Tricky Dick," for instance, opens with cleanly strummed guitar at a fairly fast clip along with long-toned lines from trumpet, gradually adding bass, playing as much countermelody to the trumpet as rhythm, and drums, favoring a chattering high mix of rims and cymbals. "Talking Heads" finds the guitar strings struck with a piece of hardwood instead of plucked, offering an even greater contrast to Horton's long lines, this time played on flugelhorn. Space is built into "Hey Man," shuffled along with a reggae feel by drummer Ballard and a bass ostinato reminiscent of the one on Coltrane's "A Love Supreme." As on many of the tracks, the individual instruments don't so much solo as take turns rising to the top of the ongoing collective ensemble. The only non-Allison original, "Midnight Cowboy" (the movie theme), is an exception, with dominant solos by trumpet and guitar over a slowly loping Western epic beat. Counterpoint reigns as much as the boasted "countrified" take on "Weazy," while "Ruby's Roundabout," with Ballard adding a baby rattle to his arsenal, has elements of a classical round, and the concluding "Blabbermouth" puts together combinations of tandem solos and duos with the intricacy of a cat's cradle. All in all, Allison's new quartet may well have one of the most original sounds and conceptions in 21st Century jazz. Harvie S brings his Funky Cha group to Cornelia Street Café on May 4 - and to Iridium on May 24. Ben Allison's quartet appears at the Jazz Standard on May 18-21. SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR, KEN DRYDEN AND George Kanzler KLAUS SUONSAARI COBI'S PLACE/MAY 13 This master percussionist's journey, begun in Helsinki, has taken him through Boston (Berklee) and Rochester (Eastman) to residence in New Jersey - and increased prominence on the NYC scene, in company with the likes of Tom Harrell, Bob Berg, Geri Allen, Bobby Short and Diana Krall. For aural evidence of his skills, check the Radio Station link on www.klaussuonsaari.com, offering full tracks from CDs on his own KSjazz label, many of which introduce other Finnish talents. These sets will co-feature pianist Frank Carlberg, heard dueting with Klaus on an exquisite new KSjazz disc called Fallingwater. PB VINCENT GARDNER DIZZY'S/MAY 9-14 In an ideal jazz world, great trombonists would garner as much ink and acclaim as tenor giants. Gardner - these days, a member of the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra - is worthy of such attention now. On his latest quintet CD, Elbow Room (Steeplechase), he shares the front line with fellow LCJO guy Walter Blandings Jr., who'll join him on tenor at Dizzy's to recall music from Blue Train, that splendid Coltrane date for Blue Note on which Curtis Fuller played. Also on hand for this look back - and forward: trumpeter Nicholas Payton, pianist Marc Cary, bassist Greg Williams and drummer Quincy Davis. PB BOB MINTZER SWEET RHYTHM/MAY 10 AND 17 Saxist Mintzer (a thirteen-time Grammy nominee) emerged onto the New York scene in the 70s, playing fusion early on but later gaining wide exposure as a tenor/soprano player and arranger with bands led by Buddy Rich, Mel Lewis, Sam Jones and Jaco Pastorius and eventually forming his own large ensemble in 1984. Six years later, he joined the contemporary jazz band called the Yellowjackets. Mintzer has written loads of new material for his popular big band - much of it presented on Old School, New Lessons, his new MCG Jazz label release that features not only his Yellowjackets colleagues but also vocalist Kurt Elling. KD MARK TURNER VILLAGE VANGUARD/MAY 9-14 The collective trio called Fly brings a contemporary, post-modern approach to a format once explored by Sonny Rollins and Joe Henderson. Tenor saxophonist Mark Turner, bassist Reid Anderson and drummer Jeff Ballard bring a new dimension of group interaction - definitely structured, not avant-garde free - to this bare bones, but hardly ascetic, jazz setting. Add to the subtle interplay and rhythmic variety of Fly an adventurous sense of repertoire: Their book includes Jimi Hendrix's "Spanish Castle Magic" as well as a tribute to Motown bassist Jerry Jemmott and another piece featuring a Ghanaian rhythm. Fly is also the title of their debut CD on the Savoy label. GK NEW JAZZ COMPOSERS OCTET AMNH/MAY 5 These are guys you've heard - or should: trumpeter and leader David Weiss, trombonist Steve Davis and reedmen Myron Walden, Jimmy Greene and Norbert Stachel, with Xavier Davis, Dwayne Burno and E.J. Strickland as the rhythm section. At this concert they'll perform compositions by Weiss and pianist Davis from the next octet CD, The Turning Game - including some commissioned by Chamber Music America's Doris Duke Jazz Ensembles Project. Formed ten years ago and growing (in renown, if not numbers) ever since, this is a group worth catching anytime they appear locally. PB ENRICO GRANAFEI B.B. KING'S/MAY 4 At Manhattan School of Music in the early 90s, he was Toots Theilemans' sole student. Although Enrico's masterful on both classical guitar and chromatic harmonica (sometimes even simultaneously), he's devoted much of his time over the past six years to running Trumpets in Montclair and performed more frequently abroad than closer to home. But he'll play at this Jazz ItaloAmericano gala at which selected musicians being honored - Joe Lovano, Bucky Pizzarelli, Gap Mangione among them - may well be heard, too. The evening's featured band is Mark Morganelli's Jazz Forum All-Stars. Phone: 732-229-5877. PB SCOTT FEINER SMOKE/MAY 6 Feiner calls his group "Pandeiro Jazz" because it provides a vehicle through which he can introduce the distinctive sound of that Brazilian hand drum into a jazz context. It's also the title of his disc, just released on the Delira Musica label. Joining him at Smoke will be guitarist Freddie Bryant, saxophonist Joel Frahm (both heard on the CD) and bassist Ugonna Okegwo. It's a homecoming of sorts for Scott, who now resides in Rio. When he last played at this Upper West Side hot spot in the early 90s, it was called Augie's - and he was then an up-and-coming guitarist. PB JOHN ABERCROMBIE BIRDLAND/MAY 24-27 Guitarist Abercrombie is a welcome addition to any recording session or concert date, because of his creativity as an improviser and his ability to shift among many different jazz styles. A Berklee student in the early 1960s, Abercrombie worked with Johnny Hammond Smith, Chico Hamilton, Gil Evans and Gato Barbieri during his first decade as a performer, though he'd become best known for leading his own trios or playing in lyrical duo settings with either Ralph Towner or Andy LaVerne. He's equally accomplished playing electric or acoustic guitar and guitar synth. For this outing, his quartet also includes Don Byron, Eddie Gomez and Lenny White. KD PLANET JAZZ SMALL'S/MAY 27 AND 28 This sextet originated almost twenty years ago under drummer Johnny Ellis as an outlet for his composing and arranging concepts - ideas rooted in Swing Era recordings by Ellingtonian small-groups and John Kirby's Sextet. Though Ellis died in 1999, the group's 1991 formulation (Grant Stewart, tenor; Joe Magnarelli, trumpet; Peter Bernstein, guitar; Spike Wilner, piano; and Neal Miner, bass; but with Joe Strasser now on drums) has been revived and will preside over this CD release party. In Orbit (Sharp Nine) features five appealing Ellis originals, as well as tunes from the Ellington and Kirby books and a Wilner arrangement of Hampton Hawes' "Sonora." GK ORRIN EVANS ZINC BAR/MAY 16 AND 17 It's two different ensembles: Luv Park, Evans' electric band, on Tuesday; then Orrin & Friends, a generally acoustic outfit, on Wednesday. Though pianist Evans has moved back to the Philly of his youth, he's still heard at New York venues like Kitano and the Zinc. Over the years, he's been part of various Bobby Watson groups and the Mingus Big Band. He's now running Imani, a record and production company of his own that captures both his electronic and more hard-boppish sides. His most recent on Criss Cross is Easy Now. But there'll soon be an Imani disc documenting a recent live gig. PB JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSH PAQUITO D'RIVERA NJPAC/MAY 14 Clarinetist D'Rivera's outstanding Latin group (which includes trumpeter Claudio Roditi and trombonist Jay Ashby) joins the New York Voices for a program called "Brazilian Dreams" that recaps a recent Manchester Craftsmen's Guild CD of the same name. Following the show, the ever-amiable Paquito will also sign his copies of his autobiography "My Sax Life." After helping co-found both Irakere and Orquestra Cubana Musica Moderna, he flew the Cuban coop in 1980. Since then, he's won six Grammys (plus an honorary doctorate from Berklee) and topped numerous polls. You'd doubtless enjoy several of his Chesky releases, among them Salsette. TERRY BLAINE SHANGHAI JAZZ/MAY 4 Her path into the world of jazz wasn't a straight one. A classical flute major at college, Terry worked with Top 40 bands in the 70s (including a stint with Franki Valli) and did loads of commercial work in studios. Teaming up with pianist Mark Shane, she edged into jazz: a four-year gig at Café Society, a well-received album called Whose Honey Are You? and more appearances with her own group in clubs across the country, at festivals and on cruise ships. Her Too Hot For Words: Great Ladies of Song CD salutes noted female vocalists of the 20s through 40s. Allan Vaché will join her for this New Jersey performance. STEVE SLAGLE TRUMPETS/MAY 20 Slagle's alto is the horn in the Stryker-Slagle Band, where his frontline partner is guitarist Dave Stryker. A teacher, composer and arranger who also blows soprano and flute, he's served as musical director of the Mingus Big Band and played in groups led by Joe Lovano and Ray Barretto. His resume also lists work with Milton Nascimento, Carla Bley, Jack McDuff, Ryan Kisor, Steve Kuhn, Kenny Drew Jr., Hamp, Woody, Machito, Cab and even Stevie Wonder. If you haven't heard his recordings, Steve Slagle Plays Monk (Steeplechase) is a good place to start. Meanwhile, Stryker-Slagle latest is Live at the Jazz Standard (Zoho). ALLEN FARNHAM CORNERSTONE/MAY 26 A 1983 Oberlin Conservatory grad, pianist Farnham won heightened visibility early on accompanying vocalists Susannah McCorkle, Leon Thomas, Mel Torme and Mark Murphy. Along with work as arranger and record producer for the Concord label, he's also played with Arthur Blythe, Howard Alden, Ken Peplowski, Tom Harrell, Frank Foster - and the reborn Glenn Miller Orchestra. If you're familiar with Concord's Maybeck Recital Hall discs, you already know that his was #41 in that valuable CD series. Farnham's quartet at the Cornerstone will feature trumpeter Joe Magnarelli, whose five Criss Cross releases crackle with excitement. DANNY MIXON: COMFORTABLE AT THE LENOX by Paul Blair When Harlem's Lenox Lounge first opened its doors in 1939, owners of the well-established midtown celebrity nightspot called El Morocco threatened to sue. Why? Because the distinctive upholstery in the new club's Zebra Room was reminiscent of the older place's look. El Morocco's long gone, while the Lenox carries on in fine style. The Lenox's entertainment manager, keyboardist Danny Mixon, is responsible for the good music heard nightly at the club. Wednesday, for example, is organ night. Thursdays are given over to sets with an R&B flavor. Bigger jazz names are featured on Fridays and Saturdays, while the vocal jams (backup provided by the Lafayette Harris Trio) every Sunday often lure turnaway crowds. Equally popular Wednesday jams are run by saxophonist Patience Higgins, who formerly presided over the scene at St. Nick's Pub. Mixon's own playing (on piano and organ) pulls them in, too. "I was born right here in Harlem," he says. "Started tap dancing at three and took lessons for years at a studio located in the Hotel Teresa, pursued dance at the High School of Performing Arts. But I gradually became more interested in playing piano, especially after hearing Ahmad Jamal's Poinciana album. I thought, 'Gee, if I ever get to be a pianist, that's the guy I want to sound like!' Once my grandparents took me to an afternoon show at the Apollo and we caught Horace Silver, who really knocked me loose. My first road trip as a pianist actually involved backing Patti & the Bluebelles at some place in Atlantic City." Since then, Mixon has had extended gigs with Mingus, Yusef Lateef, Frank Foster and Lionel Hampton (whose band Danny refers to as "the Big Army"). One of his most memorable and fruitful collaborations was as a member of Betty Carter's backup trio - which during his stint with her also included bassist Buster Williams and drummer Louis Hayes. "I'd been playing with Blakey at Slug's," he recalls, "and somehow got word that she wanted to audition me. I was with Betty in 1972-74 and helped move her into that row house at 117 St., Felix Place in Fort Greene that she later purchased. Lots of musicians lived on that block then: Gary Bartz, Stafford James and some others." As part of the celebration of its 67th year, the Lounge presents "Love Notes to Betty" on two nights close to what would have been Ms. Carter's birthday. Mixon's current trio (with Lyle Atkinson on bass and George Gray on drums will back singer Rochelle Thompson. "Rochelle grew up in Pittsburgh," Mixon notes, "and that's where Betty and I first met her on a gig in that city, during a period when things were so slow for Betty that she was even sewing her own outfits. But Rochelle loved her work and was so close to her in approach that people started calling her 'Little Betty.'" The Lounge is literally just steps from a subway exit on the 2 and 3 lines at W. 125th St. When retired police officer Alvin Reed acquired the place in 1999, he was willing to spend whatever was necessary to revive its glory days. Removing several decades of smoke stains from the ceiling is said to have taken twenty-two cans of oven cleaner. With its rare Deco lighting, trademark floor tile and polished hardwood surfaces, the place has become a popular setting for fashion shoots, music videos and film scenes - and a must-see destination for visiting Japanese jazz enthusiasts. You'll also see Billie Holiday's favorite banquette in one corner. A neighborhood resident herself, she never sang in the club. Rather, she came solely to relax and listen. Danny Mixon's "Love Notes to Betty" sets at the Lenox Lounge are scheduled for May 19-20. GERI ALLEN: AN ADVENTURESOME SPIRIT by Ken Dryden Geri Allen has led a busy life since her graduation from Howard University in 1979. Currently a New Jersey resident, she spends two days per week as a professor at the University of Michigan in Ann Arbor, in addition to juggling her myriad responsibilities as a parent, pianist, composer/arranger and bandleader. "I'm completing a new project called Timeless Portraits and Dreams," she reports. "We've included one of Mary Lou Williams' compositions, 'I Have a Dream,' which was part of her Mass For Peace. She directly inspires me and was a definite influence in the direction of this forthcoming recording. Having been involved with her mass over the last several years, as well as with her 'Zodiac Suite,' has definitely informed my writing in significant ways. "I'm also thrilled that Jimmy Cobb and Ron Carter are on the new CD. Carmen Lundy, Wallace Roney, George Shirley [the first African-American tenor to sing for the Met, who's also Allen's fellow faculty member] and Detroit tenor saxophonist Donald Walden [also on the UM faculty] are on selected tracks, too. About a third of the CD is vocal-oriented and features the Atlanta Jazz Chorus, directed by Dwight Andrews, a UM music school grad who now teaches at Emory University. It's a different direction for me, one greatly inspired by Donald Byrd's recording of 'Cristo Redentor' [from his New Perspectives album, which included gospel choir voices]. Dr. Byrd actually came to Cass Tech, my high school in Detroit, and taught us this music. That experience greatly affected me, and I'm sure it's part of the inspiration for Timeless Portraits and Dreams. Coltrane's A Love Supreme, Miles' Nefertiti, Herbie Hancock's The Prisoner, Horace Silver's That Healin' Feelin' and Marvin Gaye's What's Going On have also been influences. "Jazz is spiritual music. It's the intention behind the music that makes it spiritual. The idea is that it's all from one pool. Within the context of this recording, we visit a lot of different places that are all connected to that same source. For me, Timeless Portraits and Dreams was an amazingly fulfilling project to have done, and each person contributed in a very deep way. The work was commissioned by the Walt Whitman Art Center in Camden, in conjunction with Meet the Composer. It's part of a suite that'll be performed on September 11 as a tribute to the victims and survivors of 9/11. My favorite time to write is late at night when everyone else is sleeping. That gives me a real sense of freedom." Fortunately, she adds, her family is used to her after-hours playing. "They sleep right through it." Geri Allen's most recent release, credited to the Mary Lou Williams Collective, is Zodiac Suite: Revisited. This pianist seems an obvious choice to interpret Williams' music, since she demonstrates an equally adventurous spirit in her performing and writing. "She was a spirit who transcended eras, since her career spanned so many years. From her very early writing onward, you can hear advanced approaches to harmony and orchestration. There were always surprises that keep you on your toes and paying attention." Allen was already very familiar with Williams' various recordings of The Zodiac Suite. She says she talked with Father Peter O'Brien (a Jesuit priest who was Williams' manager and close friend), in order to achieve a "living and breathing interpretation of her already-classic work. At first, we played it too close to the chest, from his perspective." But the trio worked on it until they developed a definitive take. "It continues to evolve. Every time I play the piece, I learn something new. "The Mary Lou William Collective," she adds, "provides a wonderful platform from which to perform her music and reach young jazz fans as well as older ones. Mary Lou's own record company is now being revived through Father O'Brien's passion, while the Mary Lou Williams Foundation's primary mission which is to reach out to today's youth and expose them to her great music." These days, Allen particularly enjoys making music with her husband, trumpeter Wallace Roney, whom she met while they were students at Howard University in the late 1970s. "We were practicing and studying together way back then. It's been great taking this journey through the music with him as partners in a wonderful experience. We get to do a lot of playing together. We wrote a number of songs together for this CD, including "In Real Time." It's been a blessing to have such a best friend and a soul mate to go through all of this with." The Geri Allen Trio with drummer Andrew Cyrille (who actually played with Mary Lou Williams) and bassist Kenny Davis will be performing at Iridium on May 4-7, including originals from her upcoming Telarc CD Timeless Portraits and Dreams (to be released July 28) and The Zodiac Suite (Mary Records). JAZZWOMEN! BY ELZY KOLB Global warming to jazz To prepare for her recent tour as a Jazz Ambassador, singer Roseanna Vitro looked over the nine albums she'd recorded over the past 25 years. She wanted to choose material she thought would appeal to audiences across the globe, regardless of their native languages. "Great melodies, great rhythms and passion, that's what's international," Vitro says, "plus improv. That's what non-English-speaking audiences responded to." While performing in such locales as Cypress, Albania, Bulgaria, and Turkey, she invited local musicians to join her onstage with whatever instruments they played. "Even if they didn't speak English, jazz is a language. If you know jazz, come in and sit in with me," Roseanna says. She and her trio (pianist Kenny Werner, bassist Dean Johnson and drummer Tim Horner) recorded the final concert on the tour, and will celebrate the release of Live at Kennedy Center at the Blue Note on May 29. Kindred spirits Last year, in a meeting with her label about what to record next, pianist Deidre Rodman surprised herself by announcing that she was going to do a duo CD with bassist Steve Swallow. "I just blurted it out, before even talking to Steve," Deidre says. "But when I called him, he was completely on board." They'd met in 2000, on a tour that "involved a lot of long drives at night," she recalls, adding that she immediately felt they had a lot in common: "We were both kind of silly on the road, but also a little pensive." As far as the new recording, "I wish I could tell you how much fun it is to play with Steve," she says. "He really helped to bring the music to life in a way that no one else could have." Deidre and Steve will introduce the music from Twin Falls (Sunnyside) at a CD release party at Joe's Pub on May 12. Voodoo child Sheryl Bailey comes from a family of classical musicians, but when she started playing guitar, her goal was to be a rock star. "It was an unconscious way to assert my identity in a different way," she says, laughing. "And there was the shock value, all the things that go on in a 13-year-old's head!" After focusing on blues and heavy metal early on, Sheryl now plays everything from straight-ahead jazz to klezmer. "They're all part of me, and I don't believe in separating them," she says. "I concentrate on what the music has in common, as opposed to the differences." Maybe she's getting back to her roots with her May 8 gig at Smith's: a jazz guitar tribute to Jimi Hendrix. "His melodies are so strong, the hooks on the songs are so strong, they can be done in a lot of different styles," Sheryl says. "We'll play some straight-up heavy grooves, but we're going to take some things in another direction." Party on Pianist Kris Davis celebrates the release of her new CD, The Slightest Shift (Fresh Sound), at Cornelia Street on May 7. Kris says the title refers to "the form of one of the tunes. It's instrument against instrument. You can't tell where the form begins. It's a blurring of the lines. The whole thing is kind of an experiment with that." … Nancy King sings with pianist Fred Hersch on May 9-11, a CD release gig for Live at the Jazz Standard … Singers Jody Sandhaus and Yvette Glover join Pete Malinverni at the Devoe Street Baptist Church in Williamsburg to perform music from Pete's new CD/DVD, Joyful! (ArtistShare) on May 6 … Drummer/percussionist Sarah Hommel celebrates the release of Drum All (SaharaFord) at the Cutting Room on May 20 … Vocalist Shaynee Rainbolt does the release party thing for At Home (33) at the Jazz Standard on May 22 … Reed maven Anat Cohen joins Cliff Korman at Bosendorfer New York on May 24 to play selections from his new one, Mood Ingenuo. Around town May 4 is a Great Night in Harlem, when the stars come out for the Jazz Foundation of America. Catch Abbey Lincoln, Odetta, Johnnie Mae Dunson, and many, many more. A good time will be had by all, with proceeds benefiting this life-saving organization … Andrea Wolper sings at Sweet Rhythm on May 2 … Elisabeth Lohninger sings at 55 Bar on May 4 … Saxophonist Jessica Jones and her quartet are back the Last Poets at Spoken Words Café on May 5 … Michelle Walker sings at Smoke on May 7 … Blossom Dearie sings at the Tribeca Performing Arts Center on May 11 as part of the Highlights in Jazz series … Singer Ernestine Anderson and the Juilliard Jazz Orchestra play Ellington at Dizzy's on May 16-21 … Lenore Rafael tickles the ivories at St. Peter's Midday Jazz on May 17 … Pianist Eri Yamamoto's trio plays the Blue Note on May 17 … Singer Nora McCarthy is at Cornelia Street on May 25 with bassist Dominic Duval … Catch singer Teraesa Vinson at Langan's every Saturday. New and notable Andrea Brachfeld and Chembo Corniel take a fresh look at old favorites on their new CD, Beyond Standards (CAP) … Also check out The Journey (Metropolitan) from pianist Linda Presgrave; I Walk Alone (self-produced by Ellynne Plotnick); Bright Moments (self-produced by Josephine Livoti); The Sky Could Send You, from Sherri Roberts (Pacific Jazz); and Detour Ahead (Idea Dog) from Christine Rosholt. Sing, sing, sing Who would imagine that a new CD from singer Anita O'Day, Indestructible! (Kayo), would come out at the same time as the 50th anniversary edition of Billie Holiday's autobiography, Lady Sings the Blues (Harlem Moon) … Shirley Horn is the guest of honor on Marian McPartland's latest Piano Jazz (Jazz Alliance) release … Vocalist April Hall and pianist Pamela Hines team up for Hall Sings Hines (Spice Rack) … Marilyn Scott declares she's Innocent of Nothing (Prana) … Mary Redhouse sings and plays Native American wood flute on Oliver Lake's Live (Passin' Thru) … Dena DeRose lends her voice to Jazz In Jazz Out from Joris Teepe's Groningen Art Ensemble … Nicole Guiland makes a guest appearance on Joe Chambers' The Outlaw (Savant) … and Jamie Davis' band features pianist Shelly Berg and bari player Nancy Newman on It's a Good Thing (Unity). HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIR MAY 4: ANOTHER GREAT NIGHT IN HARLEM Memphis gave us pianist Harold Mabern, a strong piano presence on the New York scene since 1959. Admirers and fellow musicians call him "Mabes" and he's played with the best around town, most regularly at Smoke. Early this month, though, he's one musician who'll be giving back - at the Jazz Foundation of America's fifth annual Apollo Theater fundraiser. Also slated to appear are Abbey Lincoln, Blood Ulmer, Ron Carter, Jimmy McGriff, Clark Terry, Gary Bartz, Odetta, Bill Cosby, Danny Glover, several New Orleans ensembles (Michael White's Original Liberty Jazz Band, the Rebirth Brass Band and the Newbirth Brass Band) and a rapidly growing list of other music world celebrities. The focus this year, of course, is urgent assistance to Louisiana musicians who've suffered post-Katrina. Fighting to provide relief for them is the JFA, whose inspiring work is detailed at www.jazzfoundation.org. Check that site for details on a pre-concert dinner at the historic Alhambra Ballroom - and word on an extraordinary upcoming auction of rare jazz treasures (Miles' snakeskin jacket, anyone? A painting executed by Ornette? The Blue Note's Bosendorfer?) Phone? It's 212-245-3999, ext. 29. MAY 14: JAZZ GREATS OF THE UPPER WEST SIDE Here's the concluding event of the April 28-May 14 Upper West Fest, presented by Symphony Space and sponsored by Zabar's. Actually, this concert will benefit Symphony Space itself and has been planned as a tribute to longtime neighborhood resident Max Roach. On the performance sked for this 7:00 PM concert are Lew Tabackin, Peter Bernstein, Jerry Dodgion, Richard Wyands, Jay Leonhart, Walter Blandings Jr. and a host of others. Basically, it's music by a bunch of neighborhood guys who just happen to be world-famous. Harry Belafonte will host. Details at www.symphonyspace.org, or 212-864-1414. MAY 21: HARMONY IN HARLEM Jazz Museum in Harlem is planning a party and you're invited. Being held in the home of Susan and Derek Johnson at 51 Hamilton Terrace in the landmarked Hamilton Heights neighborhood, it'll be cohosted by CNN's Paula Zahn and Museum co-director Christian McBride. Proceeds from this benefit will serve to advance the Museum's community and educational programming efforts. For particulars, phone the Museum at 212-348-8300. Better yet, check www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org to see what else is going on. MAKING IT HAPPEN Whenever Pat Philips has one event sizzling the pan, you can bet there are at least three or four more soaking in batter. Stratta-Philips Productions, the company she co-heads with Ettore Stratta, organizes concerts year-round in New York and elsewhere in the world. Two of their recent successes were Carnegie Hall tributes to Paquito d'Rivera (in 2005) and Toots Thielemans (two months ago). In fact, there have been several dozen other star-filled concerts over the past two decades. One of the most memorable, she says, was "From Harlem to Hollywood," saluting the Nicholas Brothers. On hand paying tribute to Fayard and Harold were Lena Horne, Bill Cosby, Maurice Hines, Ben Vareen, Savion Glover's troupe and others. "It's thrilling to recall, even now!" she says. Another highlight was an 80th birthday party for Stephane Grappelli, for which her team brought together Yo Yo Ma, the Juilliard String Quartet, Michel Legrand and Toots, among others, on the Carnegie stage. Pat eased from artist representation into the event-organizing sphere in 1980, when she put together the 92nd St. Y's first-ever jazz series. Stratta-Philips shifts its popular "Spirit of Django Reinhardt" concert program to Rose Hall this year; August 1 is the date to save for that one. They're also doing a Brazilian music festival at Birdland in October - and a tango-meets-jazz fest at the Jazz Standard in December. So what's required to succeed in Pat's demanding field? "A passion for the music," she says. "A certain degree of business sense. Some imagination with regard to how different elements can effectively be put together. A love for working with musicians. And a desire to create golden moments that only happen once." REMEMBERING THE BOHEMIA Another installment in the Lost Jazz Shrines series recalls the grand old days at Café Bohemia, once located on Barrow St. in the Village. A May 12 concert featuring Louis Hayes' Cannonball Legacy Band celebrates the Adderley brothers, who made their first local splash there in 1955. On May 26, it's Dr. Lonnie Smith and Reuben Wilson remembering how Jimmy Smith used to rock the house. Each concert begins at 8:30 PM at Tribeca Performing Arts Center - and there are free seminars beginning at 7:00 PM on both nights. Ever wonder what inspired Oscar Pettiford (once the club's musical director) to pen "Bohemia After Dark"? This story and others will be eloquently told. FIELDWORK McCoy Tyner's trio welcomes guest Savion Glover to the Blue Note on the evenings of May 9-14 … Free lunchtime jazz concerts on MetroTech's Brooklyn campus begin on May 5: bebop, Latin, klezmer and more. Phone 718-488-8200 or visit www.metrotechbid.org … Spirit Songs (Sons of Sound) is one of this year's most spirited CDs. Ascent, trumpeter Anthony Branker's pleasingly Messengers-like ensemble, will play tunes from that worthy disc at Iridium on May 17 … appearing at Harlem's Tribal Spears Gallery this month are Winard Harper (May 1), T.K. Blue with Benny Powell (May 8) and Alex Blake (May 15) … Merkin's fine two-piano series continues on May 22 with Paul Bley and Frank Kimbrough … Shows at East of Eighth this month include Jesse Elder's quintet (May 4) and singer Kim Kalestri (May 11) … It's a battle of the Latin bands, reminiscent of those good old days at the Palladium: The Machito Orchestra vs. The Legends of El Ray at Rose Hall on May 11. Mambo madness will surely prevail … A memorial service celebrating the life and work of late saxophonist Steve Marcus takes place at Saint Peter's Church on May 28. BACKSTAGE PASS 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. Fred Stoll once played a brunch with a traditional jazz band on a Superbowl Sunday. Since all the customers were abuzz about football, the musicians were trying to think of a tune appropriate to the game. No one could come up with anything until Bobby Pratt suggested, "How about Giant Steps?" After a concert by a dixieland band that had been put together at the last minute, a fan asked, "How often do you boys play together?" Trombonist Herb Gardner answered, "Oh, about every five measures." Joe Puma was once carrying his guitar from the band room to the showroom at a New York hotel. A guest poked a finger at Joe's instrument and asserted, "Gibson. Right?" Joe smiled noncommittally. "How much did that set you back?" demanded the guest. "Oh," said Joe, "about thirty years." A Moment You Missed by fran kaufman Whenever violinist Regina Carter tours, she offers master classes as part of the package. So it is no surprise that, even when she was home in NYC for the Jazz at Lincoln Center premiere of "Black Bottom," her composition for jazz ensemble and spoken voice, she would do the same. Carter describes master classes as "a fun, healthy period of language immersion," in which "teachers, students and audience can all learn from each other." 5th grade student Jonathon Russell is seen here with Regina.