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winning spins by George KanzlerBoth of this month's albums come complete with marketing strategies, although the music transcends the hype in each case.
Robert Glasper's Canvas (Blue Note) is the much-anticipated label debut of a young (26) pianist who's been the subject of considerable buzz in jazz circles around the Big Apple recently. Moreover, the compound word "hip-hop" figures in much of that buzz - and in that emanating from Blue Note Records, too (for example, "On first listen, Canvas sounds decidedly mainstream. The second time around, though, the true hip-hop nature of the music reveals itself, not as much aurally as sensually.")
Well, sorry Blue Note - but "aurally," I don't get it - and by the way, isn't hearing one of the senses? What I heard on Canvas is a highly confident jazz pianist with a distinctive trio conception - call it hip-hop inspired if you must - and most notably, that rare (in any jazz composer) penchant for memorable melodies.
Despite such cited (by Glasper himself or by Blue Note) influences as Keith Jarrett, Herbie Hancock and Mulgrew Miller, Glasper belongs more to that alternate school of jazz piano including Duke Ellington, Thelonious Monk, Herbie Nichols, Randy Weston and Abdullah Ibrahim. Like the first three, Glasper has a technique and approach far from the traditional European norms for the instrument, as well as a very distinctive melodic sense; and like the last two, he seems to draw upon the spirit of African music. Both the title tune and "Chant" on Glasper's CD would sound completely at home on an Ibrahim album.
In his improvising, Glasper eschews filigree and ornamentation, instead exploring and expanding on melodic kernels (much as Nichols often did), layering on skittering lines, or developing parallel, locked-hand chordal lines, as on "Enoch's Meditation," a tune with a ringing, open melody played over a beat from bassist Vincente Archer much like that of a bass drum, and rumbling tom-toms from drummer Damion Reid. In this trio, the drummer is the most kinetic, almost hyper-active presence, often double-timing the beat or swirling dervish-like through drum heads and cymbals, while the bass provides a - to borrow a favorite hip-hop word - phat solid bottom.
The tenor sax of Mark Turner and wordless crooning of soul singer Bilal add ritualistic weight to "Chant," which also has the added textures of kalimba and Fender Rhodes keyboard from Glasper. Turner is back on Herbie Hancock's "Riot," interacting with Glasper's Fender Rhodes and acoustic pianos. A recording of Glasper's mother singing a blues introduces "I Remember," the other track with crooning by Bilal, over a rich processional rhythm.
Glasper isn't averse to odd time signatures and rhythms; but the 5/4 and 5/8 of "Chant," the 4/7 of "Jelly's Da Beener," 3/4 of "Portrait of an Angel" and 6/8 of "North Portland" all have an organic, natural good feel to them, much as polyrhythms in African music. The same can be said for all of Glasper's music; it feels good. Maybe that's what that Blue Note hype meant by "sensually."
Joe Locke is one of the best mallet players/vibists on the jazz scene today. He's got a rich and varied discography: everything from vibes-piano duets to bands with saxes and ones with electric instruments. But even Locke can use some help getting a gig sometimes, and nothing helps today's jazz musicians as much as evoking a legendary name from the music's past. And who could be more legendary, as a mallets/vibes player, than the late Milt Jackson?
Although Rev-elation (Sharp Nine), featuring Joe Locke and an outfit named the Milt Jackson Tribute Band, may represent a bit of a marketing ploy, it's also first-rate mainstream modern jazz. Jackson was one of Locke's inspirations, and the leader fits comfortably into this program of tunes associated with or dedicated to Bags (one of Jackson's nicknames, "Rev" was another), as recorded live at Ronnie Scott's in London. Locke's a more angular, less blues-drenched player than Jackson, but he can be just as unrelenting a swinger. He's joined here by Jackson's last regular working band: pianist (and Fender Rhodes player on some tracks) Mike LeDonne, bassist Bob Cranshaw and drummer Mickey Roker. This isn't the kind of jazz you analyze. You just sit back, put it on, and enjoy. There's a lot to enjoy here too, and not a bad track or solo on the CD.
Robert Glasper trio plays at the Village Vanguard on November 1-6. Joe Locke can be heard at Smoke in partnership with pianist Hilton Ruiz on November 11-12.Good vibrations
In spite of being an in-demand pianist with a long list of recording credits, Renee Rosnes finds time to focus on composing. "I'm always writing something," she says. "It's all about music, all about making the most you can out of it. Sometimes I write things that are really difficult to play. I don't do that on purpose. They just end up like that. Then you get onto the bandstand and have the added ingredient of the other musical personalities - that's part of the fun, part of the magic. It can be a different animal from what you started out with, but that's perfectly fine." Renee is looking forward to an upcoming gig with vibraphonist Bobby Hutcherson. "Any time I get the opportunity to play with Bobby, it's a treasure, very inspiring" she says. "I learn so much from him. He's got a great aura, he's very positive, very happy. Just being around him you get good vibes in a lot of ways." She appears at Dizzy's with Bobby Hutcherson's quartet on Nov. 9-13.Ives of March
Many musicians like to record new compositions immediately, then take 'em on the road, but flutist Jamie Baum prefers the opposite approach. "I like to play the music a lot before recording it, that way it develops a personality of its own before we put it on a CD," she says. Jamie expects to go into the studio in March, to record, among other things, some recent Charles Ives-inspired compositions. "Ives wrote interesting stuff. He was into improvisation and to leaving music open to interpretation by musicians. I wanted to explore that," she says. "Jazz musicians are always checking out other music to get ideas. There are a lot of ways to get inspired, to add to your bag of tricks. I'm using Ives' ideas to expand what we're doing, but the music is very jazz-based." Catch Jamie and her septet at Sweet Rhythm on Nov. 9.Career crisis
Annie Sellick was studying to become a gerontologist until she started hanging out at guitarist Roland Gresham's gigs. "I fell in love with his playing," she says. "I found the swing rhythm very compelling." She sat in with Gresham, which resulted in a year-long stint with his band. Her only previous singing experience had been a few school musicals. "I figured at school they only picked me because I wasn't afraid to jump up on stage," she says, laughing. "But I had so much fun with Roland, I had to decide between a 'me focus' or an 'other focus.' Was I going to work in nursing homes or become a jazz singer?" Music won out, and the Tennessee-based vocalist now has three CDs as a leader, including the recent A Little Piece of Heaven, and several guest appearances, including on Steve Shapiro and Pat Bergeson's Low Standards (Sons of Sound). Annie joins Steve, Pat and their band at the Jazz Standard on Nov. 28.Teach me tonight
Andrea Brachfeld will never forget the first time she met fellow flutist Hubert Laws. He approached her after a charanga gig she played with Cuban violinist Alfredo De La Fe. "Hubert was so funny," she recalls. "He asked, 'Can you teach me how to do what you do?' I told him he had it backward, I had a lot to learn from him." In spite of their long-running mutual admiration, Andrea and Hubert are scheduled to play together for the first time at the Cape May Jazz Festival on Nov. 12, at a concert celebrating Herbie Mann. "It should be interesting," she says. There won't be a chance to rehearse, "But I'm hoping to hear from him in advance, to find out what tunes we're going to play."
Condolences…
To singer Lil Phillips, on the loss of her husband Jim on Oct. 9. Jim played bass with Horace Silver, Leon Thomas, and others, and composed all the music on Lil's CD, Pull Out Those Dreams. He always had a sparkle in his eyes and something nice to say, especially about his wife. I'll miss seeing him around town.Scene
Marlene VerPlanck sings at Iridium on Nov. 9 … Catch flutist Jan Leder every Friday and Saturday at La Prima Donna … Vocalist Sandy Stewart joins pianist Bill Charlap in the Algonquin's Oak Room Nov. 8-19; bet they'll play tunes from their new CD, Love is Here to Stay (Blue Note) … Dominique Eade is part of the Tessa Souter-produced vocal series at Sweet Rhythm on Nov. 15; help Sheila Jordan blow out 77 candles there on Nov. 17 … The aptly named Melody Breyer-Grell displays her unique song stylings and warm humor on Nov. 16 at Trumpets; Michele Rosewoman is guest composer with Diane Moser's Composers Big Band at the same Montclair venue on Nov. 23 … Clark Terry joins singer Ernestine Anderson at Iridium on Nov. 23-27 … Pianist Deanna Witkowski fetes her new CD Length of Days (ArtistShare) at Europa Club in Greenpoint on Nov. 27 … Singer Barbara Sfraga celebrates the release of Under the Moon (A440) at Satalla on Nov. 30.
Heard
Nnenna Freelon's creating quite a stir with her Blueprint of a Lady: Sketches of Billie Holiday (Concord Jazz); count me among those who like it a lot … I'm also enjoying pianist Amina Figarova's September Suite (Munich) and saxophonist Ada Rovatti's Airbop (Apria) … Check out Maria Schneider's new one, Live at the Jazz Standard: Days of Wine and Roses (ArtistShare).
BILL KIRCHNER: SQUEEZE PLAY by Paul BlairPerhaps arranger Bill Kirchner's hectic teaching schedule - classes in jazz composition and jazz score analysis at the New School, in jazz history at New Jersey City University and in Ellingtonia at Manhattan School of Music - leaves him too little time for recording. His outstanding Trance Dance set, issued in 1999, documented a concert by his nonet that had actually taken place nine years earlier. Since then, there's been little of Bill's new playing on disc. The appearance of a new CD called Everything I Love (on the Evening Star label) is, therefore, a welcome surprise.
It's apparent that lots of thought went into this one: eleven highly varied tracks that range from lush Brazilian romances and a Cole Porter standard to a multi-tracked tribute to Steve Lacy on which Bill's soprano saxophone seems to come at the listener from four different directions. And instead of using a nine-member ensemble this time, most tunes feature only the leader's soprano, along with Ron Vincent's drum work and Eddie Monteiro extracting astounding textures and rhythms from his MIDI-accordion. Just as surprising is the fact that, aside from "For Steve Lacy," this session involved virtually no overdubbing. As a result, this group can easily perform the same material for a live audience. They'll soon do just that at the New School's Jazz Performance Space. Monteiro handles vocals on the Portuguese-language tunes and scats in a crazy unison with his accordion on uptempo numbers. Also present for this show will be Jackie Cain (for decades, the soaring half of Jackie & Roy), who sings two exquisite numbers on the new CD as well.
Those unfamiliar with Kirchner as academic, composer, arranger and player may well have encountered him elsewhere. He researches and hosts "Jazz From the Archives," on WBGO-FM each Sunday, highlighting contributions made by figures who aren't as well known as they ought to be. (His hour-long November 6 show, which profiles the Vanguard Jazz Orchestra, airs at 11:00 PM and can be heard over the Internet as well.) Or maybe you've read Bill's liner notes. Demanding labels like Mosaic, Blue Note and the Smithsonian Collection often call upon him to produce and sequence their reissue compilations. His annotation for Columbia's Miles Davis-Gil Evans package actually won a Grammy Award in 1997.
In fact, Bill's thoughtful, informative and witty notes for his own new CD are yet another reason to search it out. In them, he recalls his first attempt to introduce himself to Monteiro back in 1980. "When I got Eddie's answering machine, a recording of an excerpt of 'Lady of Spain' came on, followed by: 'This is Eddie. If that's what you want to hear, you've got the wrong number!'"
Bill Kirchner and friends appear at the New School on November 28. They'll play beginning at 8:00 PM in the school's Jazz Performance Space, located on the fifth floor 55 W. 13th St., between Fifth and Sixth Aves.
SPOTLIGHT BY PAUL BLAIR AND GEORGE KANzler
EDDIE ALLEN
FLUSHING TOWN HALL/NOVEMBER 4
A busy guy, Eddie. In addition to organizing those open rehearsals every Friday (11:00 AM ff) at Local 802 on W. 48th St., this trumpeter will play with a Muhal Richard Abrams ensemble at the Community Church of New York on November 11 and with Earl McIntyre's big band at the Brooklyn Conservatory of Music on November 20. He'll also run several band clinics at upstate universities. One especially noteworthy member of the quintet he brings to FTH is his drummer brother Carl. Their repertoire? Eddie promises fresh takes on several classic tunes recorded by Silver, Blakey and the like for Blue Note. PBGENE ESS
BLUE NOTE/NOVEMBER 13
Here's another superactive up-and-comer: guitarist Ess' quartet at the Blue Note will include saxophonist Dave Liebman, drummer Ted Poor and bassist Harvie S (a non-relative!). But Messrs. Ess and S will also comprise half of another quartet playing at Freddy's Backroom in Brooklyn on November 14. In addition, Gene's lined up a duo gig at ABC-No Rio on December 4, at which he'll be playing laptop as well as guitar. By the way, his recent album Sandbox and Sanctum (on the SIMP label) is getting lots of favorable attention: eight original Ess compositions, with solo work by reed player Donnie McCaslin also impressive. PBLUDOVIC BEIER
BIRDLAND/NOVEMBER 8-13
Yes, accordion has long been a part of the Gypsy Jazz tradition - and Parisian Beier is one of the masters. He'll return again this year to take part in Birdland's 6th annual Django Reinhardt Festival. Also back from previous events are the father-and-son guitar team of Dorado and Samson Schmitt. Newly added to the roster are virtuoso jazz violinist Pierre Blanchard and rhythm guitarist Tchavolo Hassan. Bassist Brian Torff is again musical director. Guest players on various nights include Ken Peplowski (Tues.), Harry Allen (Wed.), Lew Tabackin (Thur.), Roger Kellaway (Fri.), Joel Frahm (Sat.) and trumpet phenom Dominick Farinacci (Sun.) PBBEBO VALDES
VILLAGE VANGUARD/NOVEMBER 8-13
If you manage to catch Cuban pianist Valdes and famed Spanish bassist Javier Colina at the Vanguard, count yourself lucky. Seats will be hard to come by - and it's their only U.S. club engagement this season. This duo was featured in the award-winning documentary entitled "Calle 54." (Incidentally, Calle 54 will be recording the last three nights for eventual release.) There's just one set per evening, starting at 9:00 PM. Can't make it to the club? Get hold of a 2005 release called Bebo do Cuba that includes two CDs full of music plus a 22-minute video documentary on this Latin jazz pioneer. PBJULIUS TOLENTINO
SMOKE/NOVEMBER 17
Here's someone you'll hear much more about in future. Youngish alto player Tolentino's new CD Just the Beginning (Sharp Nine) showcases him in fine company through quartet, quintet and sextet performances. Among those joining him on various tracks are Jeremy Pelt (trumpet), Steve Davis (trombone) and Jeb Patton (piano). Julius is keeping busy these days with club work, too. In addition to hosting the Tuesday evening jam sessions with his quartet at Cleopatra's Needle, he's also doing the after-hours sets at Dizzy's with his Full Circle organ sextet on November 1-5, plus will be with his quintet at Cecil's in West Orange November 18-19. PBJASON LINDNER
JAZZ STANDARD/NOVEMBER 2 AND 3
Though Lindner is obviously a gifted pianist, it's his compositions and pleasingly unconventional arrangements that primarily account for the plaudits he's earned. Regular appearances by Lindner-led ensembles at Smalls were one reason the club garnered so much press attention and so many customers early on. To mark a full decade of music-making with his big band, Jason brings the whole bunch (typically, eleven members altogether) into the Standard for two evenings. They'll also help the Jazz Gallery, where he's often appeared in the past, celebrate its own tenth anniversary November 25-26. PBKENNY DAVERN
TRIBECA PERFORMING ARTS CENTER/highlights in jazz/december 1
We recall when this high-stepper also used to soar on soprano saxophone, as half (with Bob Wilbur) of the front line in a scintillating quintet called Soprano Summit. He's a recovering big band vet, too. But the clarinet holds his loyalty these days. His mastery of the instrument - and the wit with which he plays it - has won him legions of fans. This Salute to Kenny Davern concert will feature his quartet (James Chirillo, Greg Cohen and Tony DeNicola), along with Statesmen of Jazz specialists like Wycliffe Gordon, Houston Person, Harry Allen, Jon-Erik Kellso and Norman Simmons. PBPETER APFELBAUM
SYMPHONY SPACE/NOVEMBER 4
The large (11 + guests) ensemble Apfelbaum calls Hieroglyphics is like none other in jazz. Its new CD (It Is Written on the Act label) includes guest appearances by rock jam band guitarist Trey Anastasio and West African singer/griot Abdoulaye Diabate. The band's string section is two guitars and violin; while the rhythm section boasts Afro-Latin percussionists. Although Apfelbaum, who led larger editions of Hieroglyphics in San Francisco before moving to Brooklyn seven years ago, is a saxophonist, his writing begins with - and is dominated by - rhythms, not melodies. His polyrhythmic approach can be downright explosive. GKDEBORAH WEISZ
DIZZY GILLESPIE AUDITORIUM/NOVEMBER 8
This trombonist's appearance as part of the Jamie Begian big band at the Baha'i Center's hall provides us with the perfect excuse to praise Grace, Deborah's new Va-Wah CD, which also features the work of Andrew Sterman (reeds), the estimable Sheryl Bailey (guitar) and - on half the tracks - Olivier Jer Ourio, a French player of the chromatic harmonica who fits beautifully into the music. Ms. Weisz, who grew up in Phoenix and started playing professionally as a Las Vegas resident, also adds to the excitement on a new album called TNT by the Diva big band. PBJONATHAN KREISBERG
LA LANTERNA/NOVEMBER 2, 9, 16, 23 AND 30
Wednesdays at this McDougal St. venue (also known as Bar Next Door) belong to guitarist Kreisberg's trio. Look for him, too, with his quintet at Fat Cat on November 4-5. Jonathan teaches at the New School, at City College, at Mannes School of Music and at Philadelphia College of the Arts. Two of his recent CDs are especially deserving of repeated hearings. New For Now (Criss Cross) also features Gary Versace and Mark Ferber; while on Unearth (for the Mel Bay label), his cohorts are trumpeter Scott Wendholt, keyboard player Aaron Goldberg, bassist Matt Penman and drummer Anthony Pinciotti. PB
JAZZ IN JERSEY BY FRED McINTOSHSTEPHANE WREMBEL
WATCHUNG ARTS CENTER/NOVEMBER 4
Although guitarist Wrembel, who hails from the French city of Fontainbleau, isn't a gypsy, he fell under the spell of Reinhardt-style gypsy jazz while in his 20s. During this Watchung appearance, Stephane's group - which he calls the Hot Club of New York - will celebrate the 70th anniversary of Reinhardt's recording of "Djangology." Eric Rodgers will be present on rhythm guitar and Jared Engel on bass. Stephane has dedicated his life to this music. He's performed at Django festivals around the world - and now also plays one night weekly in a series of Brooklyn clubs, among them Barbès, Fada, Chez Oskar and Bar Tabac.JOHN COLIANNI
BICKFORD THEATER/NOVEMBER 28
He's played in the past with Mel Torme, Lionel Hampton - and the Midiri Brothers, too. You might also have heard him backing Les Paul on Mondays at Iridium. A master of Swing-era piano styles, this Garden State native's work has sometimes been compared to that of Art Tatum and Oscar Peterson. Teddy Wilson, Monty Alexander and Dave McKenna are also obvious influences, as a listen to the Colianni entry in Concord's Maybeck Recital Hall solo piano series recordings (CD4643, to be precise) will quickly demonstrate. Joining him at the Bickford will be MVP bassist Jay Leonhart. Expect a superlative musical experience.DEREK SMITH
SHANGHAI JAZZ/NOVEMBER 2
Every time we hear Smith, we're energized by his sophisticated and powerful pianistics. His approach is nimble, audacious and unswerving. Since moving from the England of his birth, he's been a fixture on the jazz scene in ensembles headed up by Dankworth, Goodman, Gillespie, Terry, DeFranco and Bellson. He's backed Sinatra, too, and played in the "Tonight Show" band for a lengthy spell. High Energy from Arbors Records captures the excitement he's able to generate. In the past, Derek's often performed at those invitation-only jazz parties organized by rich guys out west. Here's your chance to enjoy him in far more democratic surroundings.ORNETTE COLEMAN / THE BAD PLUS
NJPAC/NOVEMBER 26
It's a mighty long road from the blues clubs in Fort Worth to a concert hall at Newark's New Jersey Performing Arts Center. Over the years, septuagenarian Coleman has followed that road. It's taken him through a lengthy stay in Los Angeles, a move to New York, the development of what he calls "harmolodic" music and endorsements from notables like John Lewis and Leonard Bernstein. Decades ago, he added trumpet and violin playing to the alto saxophone work for which he's best known. Still, he may be most celebrated for his compositions, now often covered by other artists. Also on this NJPAC bill: The Bad Plus.
HOT FLASHES BY PAUL BLAIRDOWN CAPE MAY WAY...
This fall's Cape May Festival, taking place over the November 11-13 weekend, includes a Herbie Mann tribute featuring Dave Valentin and Larry Coryell; guitar work from groups led by Charlie Hunter and Joshua Breakstone; some high-energy organ playing by Gene Ludwig; Andy Bey's and Mary Stallings' vocalizing; blues by Byther Smith and the Night Riders; a program memorializing the late Oscar Brown Jr.; sets by Bobby Watson, Hubert Laws and T.K. Blue; hefty doses of Latin music; a Sunday gospel brunch; workshops and semi-formal jam sessions; workshops for young musicians; appearances by student ensembles; a wine-tasting; and lots of hanging out with listeners of a similar bent. It all takes place in at least a half dozen ventures around town. And that's not the whole story. Go to www.capemayjazz.com for that.
...AND EVEN FARTHER SOUTH
Anguilla, a mere dot on the British West Indies map, provides the backdrop for this year's Tranquility Jazz Festival. In fact, between November 10 and 14, it'll be the biggest show on the whole island, Marlena Shaw sings on the first evening. Friday's attractions include sets by Poncho Sanchez, Trio de Paz (with guests Stefon Harris, Claudia Acuna and Craig Handy) and Ravi Coltrane. Saturday evening will bring out Freddie Cole, Eric Alexander, Mulgrew Miller, Kenny Garrett and Nicholas Peyton, among others; while local groups bring things to a presumably swinging close on Sunday. For details about tickets and accommodation, see www.anguillajazz.org. It'll truly be jazz in a minor cay.JAZZ FOR PEACE
It's an idea that singer/pianist Rick DellaRatta is committed to: benefit concerts that raise consciousness about - and funds for the solution of - societal problems. One such concert will take place beginning at 6:00 PM on November 9 at the Cathedral of St. John the Divine (Amsterdam Ave. @ West 112th St.). It will generate monies to further the work of New York Interfaith Disaster Services, which supports disaster readiness, response, and recovery services for the city's neediest. Rick's been organizing similar events for years - 75 during the past year alone here in NYC. There'll be another in the Bronx on November 26. And for his new Jazz For Peace CD, Rick managed to arrange participation by Eddie Gomez, Lenny White, Paquito d'Rivera... and the London Symphony Orchestra. For details about participants and ticket purchases call the organizers at 212-947-1104 or go to their website: www.jazzforpeace.org.BROOKLYN DOINGS
Dr. Eddie Henderson brings his trumpet to the Brooklyn Conservatory on November 5 for an 8:00 PM concert with backup by the Conservatory's Community Orchestra. Eddie promises a program that blends standards and originals. For ticket info, phone 718-622-3300 ... Mobscene in a Brooklyn bar? We're not speaking here of gritty video captured by "Cops" cameramen but rather of the regular Wednesday evening jazz sessions hosted by trumpeter Bill Mobley at a bar called Hank's. The house band on those nights includes saxist Danny Walsh, pianist Gary Fisher, bassist Ed Schuller and drummer Pete Davenport. Visiting hornmen are, of course, welcome. There's no cover charge and beers costs two bucks each. Things get rolling around 11:00 PM. You'll find Hank's at the corner of Atlantic and Third Aves., just one block from the Atlantic Ave. and Pacific St. subway stops ... Guitarist Michael Musillami's trio with Jon Fonda on bass and George Schuller on drums (plus trumpeter Tom Christensen as guest) play at Barbès in Park Slope on November 9. They're also booked at Detour in the East Village three nights later. Dachau (on Playscape Recordings) is Michael's latest CD ... If you missed the chance to see Lourdes Delgado's striking exhibit of photos depicting jazz players in their own homes during Lourdes' prior shows at the Jazz Gallery and WBGO, here's another chance. They'll hang at the Brooklyn Public Library's Windsor Terrace Branch through November 27 ... Saturday jazz sets in a Brooklyn brownstone? Yes, they're continuing at Parlor Jazz in Fort Greene. Details are posted at www.parlorjazz.com ... Sista's Place in Bed-Stuy has lined up gigs by the Brooklyn Sax Quartet (November 5) and Akua Dixon's Quartette Indigo (November 19).
HILARY PLAYS BIRDLAND
We're speaking here about vocalist Hilary Kole, who helped to create - and then starred in - a couple of well-received musical reviews: "Our Sinatra" and "Singing Astaire." A New York Times reviewer (caught up, perhaps, in an alliterative fit) called her "swinging... sultry... sexy." Ok, this time, she's put together a whole evening of music by songwriters Alan and Marilyn Bergman. And what a splendid band she'll have backing her on the nights of November 16-19; it includes pianist Alan Broadbent and bassist Jay Leonhart, along with a few string players....AND YET MORE
Clark Terry, Benny Powell, Jimmy Heath and Barry Harris - a Dream Team if ever there was one - do an evening at Flushing Town Hall on November 11 ... You might not expect to hear much in the way of great jazz from a pianist who played keyboards behind the Beach Boys for more than a decade - and who spends much of his energy these days running a restaurant in Puerto Rico. But Carli Munoz is a revelation. He'll introduce material from his new CD Maverick at a Jazz Standard gig on November 30. Bassist Eddie Gomez will be on hand, along with drummer Lennie White and other guests ... Armen Donelian, whose pianistics we've always admired, brings a trio to Trumpets on November 4 ... You needn't journey all the way to the Malaysian resort town of Penang to hear singer Francina Connors. She performs in the downstairs lounge at the Upper West Side restaurant bearing that same name every Wednesday from 8:00 PM until midnight. With her is guitarist Michael Howell. Penang's at the corner of Columbus Ave. and W. 71st St ... If you knew about an easy-to-reach Manhattan club devoted to offering adventuresome jazz nightly on a no-cover basis, you'd want to check out their schedule, right? Kavehaz on W. 26th St. is the venue we're talking about here. Among the forward-looking groups appearing this month are those led by Jeremy Udden (November 2), Ron Horton (November 5), Curtis Fowlkes (November 11), Mark Turner (November 19), T.K. Blue (November 19) and Bern Nix (November 25). For details on these month, visit www.kavehaz.com. It's an outstanding lineup in a club that deserves your support ... The multi-ethnic Trio Tarana (Jason Kao Hwang , The multi-ethnic Trio Tarana (Jason Kao Hwang playing violin, Ravish Momin handling percussion and Shanir Ezra Blumenkranz on both oud and bass) introduces new compositions at the Rubin Museum of Art on November 18 ... Canadian pianist/composer Francois Bourassa makes a rare NYC appearance at the Jazz Gallery on November 9 ... Eddie Palmieri's La Perfecta ensemble plays at Tarrytown Music Hall on November 12 ... The Jolly Madison Towers, a fine hotel on E. 38th St., has inaugurated a jazz series that'll feature Heather Bennett Qnt., Bill Moring Qrt., Joe Magnarelli Qrt., Sheryl Bailey Trio, John Hart Trio and Center Search Quest Trio on various Wednesdays and Fridays this month. Sets begin at 7:00 and 9:00 PM. Phone 212-265-7223 for details ... Jim Hall (whose forthcoming ArtistShare CD pairs him with Geoff Keezer) plays at the Vanguard from November 29-December 4. That final night? It'll be Jim's 75th birthday ... Other Jazz Standard booking worth your attention include Jerome Sabbagh (November 1), Frank Morgan (November 10-13), Maria Schneider's orchestra (November 22-23 and 26-27) and harmonicat Hendrick Meurkens (November 8). Hendrick also blows at the Cornerstone on November 2 ... Pianist Cyrus Chestnut is due at Iridium as a member of James Carter's group for five nights beginning November 30.AL AND ZOOT RECALLED
No one who caught tenor saxophonists Al Cohn and Zoot Sims together on the bandstand at the old Half Note will ever forget the experience. Concert organizer Paul Weinstein, who often heard the pair at that storied club, has planned an upcoming evening at the Jazz Gallery (which lies, coincidentally, nearly opposite the Half Note's former location on Hudson St.) that's certain to please. Returning to New York especially to play on November 8 will be Ross Tompkins, longtime pianist with the Cohn-Sims quintet who's been playing close to home in Los Angeles for the past couple of decades. Also present on the Jazz Gallery bandstand that evening will be Joe Cohn - Al's son, and today one of our city's top guitarists - plus saxist Harry Allen, who's carrying on the Al-and-Zoot tenor tradition in superb fashion. We're expecting some timeless music that evening. Since reservations may be difficult to come by, perhaps you'd better make yours soon.
JAZZ ANECDOTES BY BILL CROWJazz bassist Bill Crow has written two entertaining books, available in paperback from Oxford University Press: Jazz Anecdotes, a collection of stories about jazz and jazz musicians, and From Birdland to Broadway, a personal memoir of life in the jazz world. You can order them from your favorite bookseller.
A charter bus took Count Basie and his band to the Denver airport to catch an early morning flight to their next gig. At that hour, the airport was deserted. Then a flight landed, and some people came into the area where the band was waiting. Basie was wearing his favorite yachting cap. A lady came over to him and said, "Boy, take these bags, and get me a taxi." Basie jumped up, grabbed the bags and shuffled after her with exaggerated servility. He found her a cab, loaded in her luggage and held the door open for her. As she got inside, she handed him a fifty cent tip. He pocketed it and shuffled back to his laughing musicians.
Lester Young went to a jazz club to hear some friends play. He intentionally sat in a dark part of the room, hoping not to be recognized, but someone spotted him, and he heard them whispering, "Wow, that's Lester Young!" "Maybe we can get him to sit in!" Lester leaned over to the table and whispered, "I don't dig being dug while I'm digging."
A poster in a midtown New York musicians' hotel gave instructions on "WHAT TO DO IN CASE OF FIRE." Someone had penciled in: "Grab your coat, and get your hat. Leave your worries on the doorstep."
von freeman's back in town by Yvonne ErvinSaxophonist Von Freeman has spent most of his 83 years in Chicago and is, in fact, a legend in the Windy City with even a street named after him. "But when New York speaks, I believe it," Freeman said on the phone from his home in Chicago. "That's the way it is; they've got the best. Anybody who doesn't realize that, there's something wrong with their brain."
However, aside from a short period in New York during the 40s, Freeman has spent his entire life in Chicago. "I'm a homeboy," he explained. "First I put it on my mother, then I put it on my wife and then on my dog and now they're all gone. I tell everybody around here that I see, 'Get out and go to New York as fast as you can.' My hometown is beautiful, but there's no place like New York."
His son Chico, also a tenor saxophonist, did go to New York in 1977 and stayed. "I've watched my son go through his cycle of fame and whatnot. If your time comes, you'd better jump on it because it may not come back," he said. "A lot of people say, 'You missed the boat!' But you see, I never was on the boat because there was no boat!"
Freeman started playing professionally at age twelve, in a roadhouse in Gary, Indiana, 40 miles east of Chicago. By age 16, he was playing with Horace Henderson's band. As a member of the house band at the Pershing Hotel, he backed Charlie Parker, Roy Eldridge and Dizzy Gillespie in the early 1950s. He later recorded with Parker, Andrew Hill and Jimmy Rushing. Then in 1960, he dropped out of sight until 1972, when Rahsaan Roland Kirk produced Freeman's first recording as a leader. In the three decades since then, he's recorded nearly a dozen CDs under his own name plus three more with his son.
"I got lost," Freeman said of the lapse in his recording career. "I got married in 1947 then the children started coming, so I just kinda got lost. I never was the one to go around and ask for jobs, which is what I should have been doing, 'cause there was plenty of work around."
Freeman has had all kinds of musical work: from heavy metal to church music to the Sun Ra Arkestra. But it was many years of playing eight-hour gigs in a burlesque theater that truly shaped him as a musician. That much blowing made him very strong. He would play the piano when the pianist needed a break - and the drums whenever the drummer got tired. (He'd learned a little bit of all the instruments at the famed DuSable High School in Chicago where some of his classmates included Gene Ammons and Dinah Washington.) He also learned a lot of very different musical styles because the performers came from around the world.
"What I looked at as a complete drag turned out to be one of the most important things I've ever done in my musical career," the tenorman said. "It gave me a wide breadth of playing and respect for all types of music, which I learned the hard way. It's not really what you play, it's how you play it."
Staying in Chicago did have its benefits: in addition to his own street, Northwestern University gave him an honorary doctorate. "When you get in your 80s you kinda look back," Freeman said. "And, I'm very happy. I'm at complete peace with Von Freeman, with the critics and with the magazines. I have no regrets, I just keep on blowing."
Von Freeman teams with fellow saxophonist Eric Alexander for sets at Dizzy's Club Coca-Cola on November 22-27.
holiday gift guide by George Kanzler
Some of the most legendary names in improvised music - along with one almost-forgotten giant of orchestral jazz - are represented this year by boxed sets and collections that would make ideal holiday gifts for deserving enthusiasts.
Listen to the eight discs making up The Complete Clef/Verve Count Basie Fifties Studio Recordings (Mosaic) in order is hearing the development of a great band, the "New Testament" Count Basie Orchestra that became, by the end of the period chronicled here, the most popular post-Swing Era big band in jazz. Formed in late 1951, almost two years after Basie disbanded his final "Old Testament" band that he'd started in Kansas City in the mid-30s, the new one was more a well-oiled and polished vehicle for arrangers than its soloists- and rhythm-dominated predecessor. Norman Granz not only recorded this band as it was developing, but also cut the small group sessions with Basie included here too. By the fourth and fifth discs, the band had acquired all the pieces (Thad Jones, Frank Foster, Frank Wess, singer Joe Williams) that made it the classic, and best, version of Count Basie's "New Testament" big band.
The six CDs comprising The Cellar Door Sessions 1970 (Columbia/Legacy) document six sets recorded over a four-day period in December of 1970 by Miles Davis' post-Bitches Brew electric funk-fusion band. Members at the time were Gary Bartz, alto and soprano saxes; John McLaughlin, guitar; Keith Jarrett, electric piano and organ; Michael Henderson, electric bass; Jack DeJohnnette, drums; and Airto Moreira, percussion. For Miles completists, these live sessions are quite a find. But only if you're into the fusion/funk side of his music. If not, it's just too much of the same thing, as the band explores slightly different ways of approaching a small basic repertoire of tunes played multiple times.
The Complete Village Vanguard Recordings, 1961 (a 3-CD set on Riverside) represent all five sets that the Bill Evans Trio played on the afternoon and evening of June 25, 1961 at the legendary Big Apple club. This was the influential and highly interactive trio of pianist Evans with bassist Scott LaFaro and drummer Paul Motian. LaFaro died in a car accident less than two weeks after these recordings. They represent the apex of this iconic trio, and this new box set is the most complete version yet. New remastering captures every detail and nuance of their exquisite music.
This year's most ambitious and comprehensive anthology album is the 4-CD box called Progressions: 100 Years of Jazz Guitar (Columbia/Legacy). Like any endeavor claiming completeness, this collection can be quibbled with, i.e., if purporting to show all technical and stylistic innovations, why no Stanley Jordan? However, Jordan's unique touch/tap technique may well be the only missing link here, where everything from ragtime, Hawaiian steel, Western Swing and Gypsy guitar to rock stylists Jimi Hendrix and Carlos Santana is included. And as for swing, bop, hard-bop, soul and fusion, almost every significant guitarist is represented. Yet despite the staggering variety, what is really impressive are the similarities that emerge.
Johnny Richards (1911-1968) is best known for his suite "Cuban Fire," which he composed and arranged for Stan Kenton's orchestra. But Richards also made some significant albums of his own, some with his working big bands, in the decade or so before his death. Mosaic Select 17: Johnny Richards (3-CDs) rescues six of Richards' LPs from that period from oblivion. "Wide Range," one of the original LP titles, best describes Richards' music. It ranges from chamber jazz to hell-for-leather big band swingers, from Afro-Latin dance rhythms to ambitious explorations of South American and African musical styles and forms. It was also some of the most exciting and adventurous big band music of its time, and very welcome back.
Tenor saxophonist Sonny Rollins emerged from the cocoon of his two-plus years "sabbatical" in 1962, and during the next two years recorded a baker's half-dozen albums for RCA. Those albums have always been overshadowed, critically and popularly, by his earlier and later recordings, yet they contain some of Rollins best playing. The Essential Sonny Rollins: The RCA Years (RCA, 2 CDs) is a very good cream-of-the-crop selection from those albums, ranging from his supple quartet with guitarist Jim Hall to his forays into Ornette Coleman territory with Coleman's former bandmates, from his meeting with tenor sax forefather Coleman Hawkins to calypsos and standards in the company of such stellar players as Herbie Hancock and Ron Carter.
Two single-disc albums of previously unknown classic live recordings released this year should be in every jazz lover's collection. Dizzy Gillespie-Charlie Parker: Town Hall, New York City, June 22, 1945 (Uptown Records) captures the creators of bebop developing, and playing expanded solos on, some of the music's iconic tunes, even before all of them had even been recorded in the studio. At Carnegie Hall, by the Thelonious Monk Quartet with John Coltrane (Blue Note), is the best live recording (courtesy of Voice of America) of this seminal quartet toward the end (November, 1957) of its almost half-year life. The Monk-Coltrane rapport is splendid - and Monk, obviously delighted to have use of a fine concert hall piano, makes the most of it.