March 2013 - The New York City Jazz Record

Transcription

March 2013 | No. 131
Your FREE Guide to the NYC Jazz Scene
nycjazzrecord.com
JENNY
SCHEINMAN
Bringing It All Together
EN ”
M ZZ
O JA E
“W N SU
I IS
CLAUDIA •
MIN
•
ACUÑA
XIAO-FEN
VALERIE
CAPERS
•
LIBRA • EVENT
RECORDS
CALENDAR
“BEST JAZZ CLUBS OF THE YEAR 2012”
SMOKE JAZZ & SUPPER CLUB • HARLEM, NEW YORK
FEATURED ARTISTS / 7pm, 9pm & 10:30
ONE NIGHT ONLY / 7pm, 9pm & 10:30
RESIDENCIES / 7pm, 9pm & 10:30
Friday & Saturday March 1 & 2
Wednesday March 6
Mondays March 4, 18
Wednesday March 13
Mondays March 11, 25
BILLY
HARPER QUINTET
featuring Francesca Tanksley
Michael Dease Quintet
Rick Germanson Quintet
“BLOWIN’THE BLUES AWAY”
Wednesday March 20
MIKE LEDONNE QUINTET FEAT. Cynthia Holiday
LOUIS
HAYES
Wednesday Feb 27
Jeremy Pelt (tr) • Gary Smulyan (bar sax) • Ira Coleman (b)
ERIC REED QUARTET
Grant Stewart (sax) • Matt Clohesy (b) • Willie Jones III (d)
CELEBRATING HAROLD
MABERN’S 77TH BIRTHDAY
HAROLD
MABERN TRIO
John Webber (b) • Joe Farnsworth (d)
FRANK WESS QUINTET
Dee Daniels
LATE NIGHT RESIDENCIES
The Smoke Jam Session
Tue Mike DiRubbo B3-3
Wed Brianna Thomas Quartet
Thr Nickel and Dime OPS
Fri Patience Higgins Quartet
Sat Johnny O’Neal & Friends
Sun Roxy Coss Quartet
Mon
Captain Black Big Band
Jason Marshall Big Band
Tuesdays March 5, 12, 19, 26
Mike LeDonne
Groover Quartet
Eric Alexander (sax) • Peter Bernstein (g) • Joe Farnsworth (dr)
Thursdays March 7, 14, 21, 28
Gregory Generet
Sundays March 3, 10
SaRon Crenshaw Band
Sunday March 17, 31
Allan Harris Band
Sunday March 24
Scott Sharrard Blues & Bugaloo Soul Revue
featuring Ian Hendrickson-Smith
Sundays
Jazz Brunch
With vocalist Annette St. John and her Trio
212-864-6662 • 2751 Broadway NYC (Between 105th & 106th streets) • www.smokejazz.com
SMOKE
W elcome, dear readers, to The New York City Jazz Record’s “Women in Jazz” issue.
4
6
7
9
10
New York@Night
Interview: Claudia Acuña
by Suzanne Lorge
Artist Feature: Min Xiao-Fen
by Kurt Gottschalk
On The Cover: Jenny Scheinman
by Sean Fitzell
Encore: Valerie Capers
by Brad Farberman
11
12
Lest We Forget:
Patti Bown
by Suzanne Lorge
MegaphoneVOXNews
by Kali. Z. Fasteau
by Katie Bull
Label Spotlight:
Libra Records
Listen Up!:
Roxy Coss & Lakecia Benjamin
by Ken Waxman
14
38
45
47
CD Reviews: Kris Davis, Champian Fulton, Marilyn Crispell,
Karin Krog, Lorraine Feather, Ig Henneman, Claire Daly and more
We are certainly not the first to highlight the contributions of women in the history
of the music but we would like to take advantage of March being Women’s History
Month to debunk the notion that women should be thought of as separate from
their male musician counterparts. Women in jazz, frankly, are nothing new (wider
acceptance, perhaps, may be). Not even mentioning all the important vocalists of
the past century, female instrumentalists have been active in jazz as far back as the
‘20s and only gaining prominence in the subsequent decades, from Mary Lou
Williams and Lil Hardin Armstrong to Mary Halvorson and Nicole Mitchell. Next
time someone says there haven’t been too many women in jazz, ask them to name
their three favorite soprano saxophonists and watch them squirm.
We have dedicated much of our coverage to this theme (as well as reaffirming
the international nature of this music). West Coast violinist Jenny Scheinman (On
The Cover) is both a compelling leader and valued collaborator with Bill Frisell.
She leads a trio with the guitarist and drummer Brian Blade at Zankel Hall. Chilean
vocalist Claudia Acuña (Interview) is a leader in both the jazz and world music
scenes. She brings her group to Harlem Stage Gatehouse. And Chinese pipa player
Min Xiao-Fen (Artist Feature) has thrived not only as a woman, but as a foreign
player on an unfamiliar instrument. She celebrates a new album at Brooklyn Public
Library and also appears at Avery Fisher Hall and Museum of Chinese in America.
We also have features on pianist Valerie Capers (Encore, appearing at Jazz at
Kitano); pianist Patti Bown (Lest We Forget, who passed away five years ago this
month); a Megaphone by multi-instrumentalist Kali. Z. Fasteau, who will perform
at Brecht Forum; a Label Spotlight on pianist Satoko Fujii’s Libra Records; two
up-and-coming women, Roxy Coss and Lakecia Benjamin, featured in our Listen
Up! section and the opening portion of our CD Reviews (pgs. 14-18) given over to
new albums from a wide swathe of female jazzers.
Laurence Donohue-Greene, Managing Editor
Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director
On the cover: Jenny Scheinman (John Rogers/Johnrogersnyc.com)
Event Calendar
Corrections: In what we readily admit as the worst error in our history, last month’s
Globe Unity: Slovenia triple review included an introductory paragraph that spoke
of Slovakia and Slovakian musicians. We deeply regret the error.
Club Directory
Miscellany: In Memoriam • Birthdays • On This Day
Submit Letters to the Editor by emailing feedback@nycjazzrecord.com
US Subscription rates: 12 issues, $30 (International: 12 issues, $40)
For subscription assistance, send check, cash or money order to the
address below or email info@nycjazzrecord.com.
The New York City Jazz Record
www.nycjazzrecord.com / twitter: @nycjazzrecord
Managing Editor: Laurence Donohue-Greene
Editorial Director & Production Manager: Andrey Henkin
Staff Writers
David R. Adler, Clifford Allen, Fred Bouchard, Stuart Broomer, Katie Bull,
Tom Conrad, Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman, Sean Fitzell, Graham Flanagan,
Kurt Gottschalk, Tom Greenland, Alex Henderson, Marcia Hillman,
Terrell Holmes, Robert Iannapollo, Francis Lo Kee, Martin Longley, Wilbur MacKenzie,
Marc Medwin, Matthew Miller, Sharon Mizrahi, Russ Musto, Sean O’Connell, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon, Jeff Stockton, Andrew Vélez, Ken Waxman
Contributing Writers
Duck Baker, Brad Farberman, Kali Z. Fasteau, Laurel Gross, George Kanzler, Suzanne Lorge
Contributing Photographers
Tom Greenland, Alan Nahigian, John Rogers, Monika Sziladi, Jack Vartoogian
To Contact:
The New York City Jazz Record
116 Pinehurst Avenue, Ste. J41
New York, NY 10033
United States
Laurence Donohue-Greene: ldgreene@nycjazzrecord.com
Andrey Henkin: ahenkin@nycjazzrecord.com
General Inquiries: info@nycjazzrecord.com
Advertising: advertising@nycjazzrecord.com
Editorial: editorial@nycjazzrecord.com
Calendar: calendar@nycjazzrecord.com
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | March 2013
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Fred Ho @ Ginny’s Supper Club
Zmiros @ Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia
By tradition, the winner of the annual Thelonious
Monk Competition is the first to play in the Tribeca
Performing Arts Center ’s annual Monk in Motion
series. Jamison Ross, the 2012 victor, obliged with a
strong showcase of his Joy Ride sextet (Feb. 2nd). Ross’
swing feel was spry and deeply interactive; his take on
the postbop language of Harold Mabern, Cedar Walton
and Joe Henderson was without flaw. But this Florida
native and current New Orleanian had a swampier
rhythmic element, a deep affinity for the blues, at the
heart of his sound. He opened the first set with the
funky “It Ain’t My Fault”, by legendary New Orleans
drummer Smokey Johnson, and closed with a stirring
vocal rendition of Muddy Waters’ “Deep Down in
Florida”. The funk surfaced in a different way on
“Sandy Red” (Ross’ variation on “Cantaloupe Island”),
a feature for fired-up percussionist Nate Werth.
Trumpeter Alphonso Horne and tenor saxophonist
Troy Roberts were consistently solid in the frontline,
although the most interesting moment was the slow
trio reading of “Stompin’ at the Savoy”, featuring just
Ross, pianist Chris Pattishall and bassist Corcoran
Holt. One could call it an anti-orchestration, sparse as
can be, with Ross’ delicate breaks on brushes replacing
parts of the main melody. It was clear enough what
wowed the competition judges: Ross knows the jazz
tradition cold and uses what he loves from every time
period, every genre, to bring his own voice into focus. (DA)
Tyshawn Sorey’s musical course changes direction as
Photo by Monika Sziladi
EREZ I
P
O
L
DANI PATITUCC
JOHN BLADE
N
BRIA
on,
Introducing the Zmiros Project at Symphony Space
(Feb. 6th), World Music Institute Director of Marketing
and Programs Alexa Burneikis referred to the venue’s
Leonard Nimoy Thalia theater as her organization’s
“living room on the Upper West Side”, which proved
to be an apt descriptor for the trio’s recital of songs of
devotion and gratitude. It described the setting, that is,
even if it may have been an opportunity for a living
room the band never had. “I grew up on Long Island in
a very reformed household,” Frank London said to an
audience that was quick to complete the musicians’
thoughts when introducing songs and even came
together to sing when a title was mentioned without
the band’s accompaniment. Through a selection of
Sabbath songs, they held sway, Rob Schwimmer on
piano and London on keyboard and trumpet with
Lorin Sklamberg’s sonorous tenor (and some additional
accordion and guitar) steadying the course. The concert
hit a peak with the impromptu addition of Michael
Winograd on piano and singer Sarah Gordon, but the
real high point came with a lovely, nearly a cappella
piece sung by Sklamberg with London and Schwimmer
chiming in on off-mic harmonies. That piece was
dedicated to the late Symphony Space Founding
Artistic Director Isaiah Sheffer. When the three played
as a piano/accordion/trumpet trio, they were airy and
familiar, the familiarity one might reasonably expect to
find among three friends sitting in a living room on the
Upper West Side.
- Kurt Gottschalk
© 2013 Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos
G
URIN
FEAT
It can’t be easy to say the words “2013 could be my last
year.” But that’s what the audience heard when Fred
Ho’s Green Monster Big Band performed at Ginny’s
Supper Club (Feb. 9th). Ho seemed in good spirits and
conducted the band with vigor, but he played no
baritone sax (a role given to Ben Barson, the club’s
co-manager). The early set erupted from the start with
Ho’s first big band piece, “Liberation Genesis” (1975),
which took on new meaning in light of the composer ’s
cancer fight. Keyboardist Art Hirahara, bassist Ken
Filiano and drummer-percussionist Royal Hartigan
laid the foundation for an edifice of reeds and brass,
including the paired altos of Bobby Zankel and Marty
Ehrlich and the bass trombones of Earl McIntyre and
Dave Taylor. The band was obstreperous yet tightly
coordinated, marrying modernist harmony and raw
groove, breaking away on occasion to free-improvising
duos (one of them led off the Ellington ballad “In a
Sentimental Mood”). Ho took a moment before “Iron
Man Meets the Black Dog Meets Dave Taylor” to
recount how he met the remarkable Taylor during his
days as a sub with the Gil Evans Orchestra. Aspects of
Evans’ approach, Ho explained, have decisively
impacted his own. “Float Like a Butterfly, Sting Like an
AfroAsian Bumblebee”, a movement from Sweet Science
Suite (Big Red Media), found Ho speaking about future
plans in spite of his illness: the “music and martial arts
extravaganza”, as he described it, will be staged at
BAM in the fall of this year.
- David R. Adler
4 March 2013 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
easily as he himself changes instruments. He can be
setting rhythm for a driving jazz group one moment
and guiding another ensemble through glacially paced
chamber compositions the next. Or he might be
drumming in an extended avant jazz improv duet with
vocalist Fay Victor and then four months later (Feb.
5th), leading a driving brass quintet in a late-night set
at Korzo. The group opened with a swell of New
Orleans harmonies before quickly ramping up into a
healthy maelstrom held steady by Dan Peck’s tuba
then slowly - in no rush despite the tempo - descending
into a brass morass. It would be too easy to liken it to a
New Orleans funeral march, but the emotional range
of the brass family - so often overlooked - was on full
display. Especially satisfying was Peter Evans pulling
out his piccolo trumpet and undercutting the trombones
(Sorey and Ben Gerstein), playing well below the
instrument’s usual range. As the set progressed the
group’s sound (completed by second trumpeter Dave
Ballou) was further augmented with horns taken apart
and the trombonists switching to melodicas before
they eventually fell into a wonderful passage of pops
and drones. There were some eardrum-wringing
midrange battles that shook the bar ’s backroom and a
certain amount of bluster and blunderbuss was to be
expected, but they found that crucial groupthink that
carried them through the set. With all he does, it’s good
to see Sorey just having fun. (KG)
WHAT’S NEWS
In his debut as a leader at the Village Vanguard pianist
David Virelles performed compositions from his
critically acclaimed new CD Continuum (Pi), a bold
amalgam of folkloric traditions from his native Cuba
and avant garde jazz under the influence of mid 20th
Century iconoclasts like Cecil Taylor and the Art
Ensemble of Chicago, music that more than almost any
other today matched the latter ’s pronouncement of
being from “ancient to the future”. Unfolding
dramatically, the young leader ’s set (Feb. 2nd) freely
developed around the percussion and vocal chants of
Ogduardo Roman Diaz, who opened with a traditional
Yoruba canto that flowed into his own original Spanish
language poetry, as bassist Ben Street and drummer
Andrew Cyrille embellished his earthy rhythms with
their own delicate cadences. This set the stage for
Virelles’ vigorously rumbling piano, which slowly
evolved into the jagged melody of his Monkish “One”.
The group improvised collectively, all but abandoning
the concept of soloist, each player interjecting creative
ideas and contributing equally to the totality of sound,
which moved from intriguing to spellbinding on “El
Brujo and The Pyramid” and “The Executioner”. The
music’s intensity grew with the addition of alto
saxophonist Román Filiú, his piercing tone and jagged
lines at times recalling Henry Threadgill (who guested
with the group earlier in the week) as he dynamically
expanded the tonal environment on “To Know” and
the closer “Unseen Mother”. - Russ Musto
The winners of the 2012 Grammy Awards have been
announced. Bassist Charlie Haden received the Lifetime
Achievement Award. Other relevant winners were: Best
R&B Album: Robert Glasper Experiment - Black Radio
(Blue Note); Best Improvised Jazz Solo: Gary Burton &
Chick Corea - “Hot House” (Hot House, Concord); Best
Jazz Vocal Album: Esperanza Spalding - Radio Music
Society (Heads Up International); Best Jazz Instrumental
Album - Pat Metheny - Unity Band (Nonesuch); Best Large
Jazz Ensemble Album: Arturo Sandoval - Dear Diz (Every
Day I Think Of You) (Concord); Best Latin Jazz Album:
Clare Fischer Latin Jazz Big Band - Ritmo! (Clare Fischer
Prod./Clavo); Best Blues Album: Dr. John - Locked Down
(Nonesuch); Best Instrumental Composition: Chick Corea
- “Mozart Goes Dancing” (Chick Corea & Gary Burton - Hot
House, Concord); Best Instrumental Arrangement: “How
About You” (Gil Evans Centennial Project - Newly
Discovered Works of Gil Evans, ArtistShare); Best
Instrumental Arrangement Accompanying Vocalist(s):
“City Of Roses” (Thara Memory & Esperanza Spalding Radio Music Society, Heads Up International); Best
Compilation Soundtrack for Visual Media: Various Artists Midnight In Paris (Madison Gate Records). For more
information, visit grammy.com.
As part of the 40th anniversary celebration of the founding
of New England Conservatory’s Contemporary
Improvisation department by Gunther Schuller and Ran
Blake in 1972, events will take place Mar. 17th-23rd at
Cornelia Street Café, Symphony Space and Barbès,
featuring such musicians as Blake, Anthony Coleman,
Hankus Netsky and John Medeski. For more information,
visit necmusic.edu/ci40.
©John Rogers/WBGO
Tom Greenland, Midnight Son Music
H eavy snow piles and plunging temperatures
dissuaded all but the faithful few from the fourth
annual birthday celebration of Joe Maneri’s passing at
Douglas Street Music Collective (Feb. 9th). Still the
event made up in fortitude what it lacked in multitude.
Hosted by son Abe, who set the musical mise en scene
with remembrances of his father and a piano soliloquy,
the round-robin affair saw contributions from
vibraphonist Matt Moran, acoustic bassist Ed Schuller,
tenor saxophonist Ben Jaffe, pianist Lucian Ban,
drummer Juan Pablo Carletti, poet Steve Dalachinsky,
guitarist Sten Hostfalt, dancer Savina Theodorou,
baritone saxist Josh Sinton, electric bassist Simon
Germyn, alto saxophonists Nicole Kampgen and Noah
Kaplan and pianists Sekai Ishizuka and Jesse Stacken,
culminating in an 11-part free-for-all that aptly
captured Maneri’s enduring spirit and message. Along
the way, participants offered anecdotes and
observations of Maneri - his urging to students, “Don’t
let the music die!” or his high praise for musical “love
lines” (as opposed to “burgers”) - that revealed how
he’d touched each of them. High-points were Schuller ’s
rock-tinged bass solo, soon joined by Jaffe’s brawny
tenor; Dalachinsky’s recitation of poetry and
autobiographical sketches; Hostfalt and Theodorou’s
visually dramatic duets; Sinton and Jermyn’s equally
dynamic duet; Kaplan’s operatic microtonalism and
the final soiree, an extended tribute to Maneri’s living
memory. - Tom Greenland
Ed Schuller @ Douglass Street Music Collective
David Virelles @ Village Vanguard
nights at ABC No-Rio are always
unpredictable, but the Feb. 10th benefit (to help fund
new
building
construction)
was
particularly
carnivalesque, mainly because host/alto saxophonist
Blaise Siwula scheduled each act into 10- and 12-minute
sets, ensuring variety yet forcing performers to make
their musical ‘points’ succinctly. After an informal
opening jam, multi-instrumentalists Kali. Z. Fasteau
and Daniel Carter set a high bar for those following.
Stand-out moments included: five taut sketches by
tenor saxophonist Jason Candler and tuba player Jesse
Dulman; three pieces by soprano saxist Rocco John
Iacovone and bassist Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic; a
duet by cellist Diana Wayburn and duduk (Armenian
double-reed) player Edith Lettner; an exciting matchup with Siwula and guitarist Cristian Amigo; an
impromptu set with four saxophonists (Carter, Siwula,
Candler, Iacovone) and pianist Constance Cooper; a
‘free-funk’ outing with guitarist On Ka’a Davis and
drummer Vin Scialla; the avant-improv theater of Anne
Bassen and Emmanuelle Zagoria; a challenging but
riveting piece by guitarist Chris Welcome; Dikko
Faust’s trombone painting; flutist Cheryl Pyle’s trio
with Carter and Letman-Burtinovic; a low-end duet by
bassoonist Claire de Brunner and bassist Jochem Van
Dijk; Siwula and Iacovone’s sax summit; pianist Evan
Gallagher and drummer David Gould’s rowdy têtê-àtêtê and the gentle closure of violinist Cecile Broche
and bassist Francois Grillot. (TG)
Long heralded as much for his compositional skills as
for his prowess as an instrumentalist, it was perhaps
inevitable that the day would come that one would
find the name of Wayne Shorter along with those of
Beethoven and Charles Ives on a program at Carnegie
Hall’s Stern Auditorium (Feb. 1st). The evening,
celebrating the 40th Anniversary of the Orpheus
Chamber Orchestra, paired the innovative classical
ensemble with Shorter ’s long-standing quartet of
pianist Danilo Pérez, bassist John Patitucci and
drummer Brian Blade on the concert’s second half,
following the orchestra’s recitals of pieces by the
aforementioned classical masters. Opening with
“Pegasus”, a Shorter composition previously
developed in concert with the Imani Winds, Orpheus
and the quartet joined forces to expand the subtle
dynamics of the music, built upon a recurring threenote motif, reinforced by Shorter ’s soprano and Pérez’
piano, with Patitucci’s rich sound providing a tonal
center and Blade’s interjections modulating the tempo.
Flutes and woodwinds with strings filled out the lush
harmonics of “The Three Marias”, as the quartet’s
sound took center stage with organically developed
explorations. The world premiere of “Lotus”, the set’s
centerpiece, utilized the orchestra’s full dynamic range
to expound upon the exotic Eastern-tinged melody,
setting the stage for Shorter ’s most impassioned solo.
The show concluded in a delicately melancholic mood
with “Prometheus Unbound”. (RM)
Sunday
The Brooklyn Conservatory of Music is the recipient of
a $25,000 award from the Amy Winehouse Foundation in
support of its Teen Jazz Scholarship, which “provides
weekly private lessons, music theory classes, large and
small ensemble rehearsals, and performance opportunities
to young music students in need who demonstrate
dedication to their music studies and strong moral
character, for little or no cost.” The foundation is
administered by the parents of the late pop singer, whose
mother was born in Brooklyn. For more information, visit
bqcm.org.
Legendary Dutch drummer Han Bennink has been named
the recipient of the eighth annual Jazzahead! ŠkodaAward, worth €15,000. The 70-year-old Bennink joins such
past winners as Joe Zawinul, Norma Winstone and John
McLaughlin. For more information, visit jazzahead.de.
In addition to the festivities of this year’s Prez Fest,
celebrating Milt Hinton and taking place Mar. 3rd at Saint
Peter’s Church (including musical performances and a film
and panel discussion), photographs taken by the late
bassist will be on display at the Living Room of Saint
Peter’s through the day of the concert. For more
information, visit saintpeters.org.
The Vilcek Foundation has named Armenian jazz pianist
Tigran Hamasyan one of the winners of its Prizes for
Creative Promise in Contemporary Music, in order to
“recognize a younger generation of foreign-born artists.”
The prize amount is $35,000 and follows Hamasyan’s
winning the Thelonious Monk Jazz Piano Competition and
second place showing at the Martial Solal International
Jazz Competition. For more information, visit vilcek.org.
The Seattle Women’s Jazz Orchestra has announced its
first annual Jazz Ensemble Composition Contest for
Women Composers. The winning piece will be performed
and recorded live at the 2013 Earshot Jazz Festival. For
more information, visit swojo.org.
The 2013 Women in Jazz Festival will take place at Saint
Peter’s Church Apr. 13th. For more information, visit
internationalwomeninjazz.org.
Submit news to info@nycjazzrecord.com
5
INT ER V I EW
Photo: by Alan Nahigian
Claudia
Acuña
by Suzanne Lorge
C laudia Acuña moved to New York City from Santiago,
Chile in 1995. She’d been working as a singer with some
success in her home country, but American jazz is what
captured her imagination. She worked her way up through
the New York club scene during the late ‘90s, impressing
many influential personalities in the jazz world with her
compelling voice and rhythmic acuity. Her first record deal
came from Verve in 1999 and other companies and producers
soon followed - MAXJAZZ, ZoHo Music and Marsalis
Music. Acuña spoke with The New York City Jazz Record
about how she turned her career visions into reality.
The New York City Jazz Record: What were your early
days as an unknown jazz singer in New York like,
newly arrived from a foreign country?
Claudia Acuña: My first years here, I didn’t know at
the time much English. I couldn’t afford to go to school
and I didn’t know how to apply for scholarships. So I
started going a lot to places like Smalls, where I met
[pianist] Harry Whitaker, an amazing musician and
composer. We used to get together almost every day at
Smalls and we’d just do repertoire or arrangements.
He was the first one to encourage me to arrange and
write.
TNYCJR: Who were your other teachers and mentors?
CA: I participated in the workshops of Barry Harris
and one of the first drummers I worked with, Jeff
Ballard, used to teach me. Then I worked with people
like Jason Lindner, who became a very strong
collaborator. We co-wrote songs and worked
consistently for almost 12 to 13 years. I also had the
fortune [to meet] people with so much history, like
Frank Hewitt, Jimmy Lovelace and Stanley Turrentine.
And also to work with [bassist] Avishai Cohen and Avi
Leibowitz and Pablo Ziegler - it just doesn’t stop. It’s a
beautiful journey of having the honor and blessings
and working with people who have been very patient
and generous.
TNYCJR: And the singers?
CA: I had the amazing blessing to meet one of my
idols, which was Abbey Lincoln. She really opened her
world to me. She had a lot of stories and experiences
and just thoughts. Just to be in her presence was a
master class. A few of [these singers] I have been very
blessed to get to know and call them even friends, like
Dianne Reeves, someone who is an amazing singer and
also a mentor. We became friends and [she is] someone
where I can pick up the phone and ask a question.
TNYCJR: Your music contains many different elements.
Do you draw more on your Chilean musical sensibilities
or on your American influences?
CA: I feel both. To be honest, if I’d never moved to this
country, I would never have had the opportunity to
meet the people who were my teachers, who inspired
me and motivated me to work harder to become the
artist or singer or songwriter that I’m dreaming to
become. I would not ever have been influenced or
learn about so many [different types of] music. I
consider myself a New Yorker and I do also consider
myself an ambassador from my country. Because ever
since I moved from Chile I promised to myself and I
think that’s why I’ve always made an effort, from my
first album, to have even one song in Spanish. [With
these songs] I’ve paid tribute to people like Violetta
Parra, who was a great inspiration and one of the
greatest singer-songwriters from Chile, along with
Víctor Jara and others. Even though I’ve been here for
17 years, my roots are from Chile.
TNYCJR: Parra and Jara were part of the politicallyinfluential La Nueva Canción Chilena [New Chilean
Song] movement. Do you identify with them personally
as an artist or is your interest more broadly cultural?
CA: Violetta Parra was the first musician, female
singer, that I heard in my life, in my consciousness. I
was very intrigued and she had a very strong impact
on my life as a child. At the time I was too little to
understand what exactly the words and what the
movement was, in a country that was taken by a
dictator. I was a little baby and had no knowledge or
understanding about what was going on in my country.
For some reason I was very attracted to people like her
and like Víctor Jara. Along the way, when I left my
country and came here to do what I was doing, I
decided that I was going to tribute the first couple of
singers who influenced my life. As I grew up, I could
sympathize with a lot of the words that they express
and a lot of them touch a deep part of how I think or
feel about life and about my country.
TNYCJR: How did you start working with Verve?
CA: It was kind of an accident. I was so driven - I’d go
to the Vanguard and from one jam session to another.
…I started singing and doing things with different
bands, doing my little gigs and getting little reviews
here and there and the word started to spread out.
Someone said you should try to get a record deal, but it
didn’t even occur to me that there was even a
possibility, because I was very discouraged at the
beginning. At the time Sweet Basil was open...and the
[A&R] person who signed me came to see me at the
club. It was an amazing experience to go into the studio
with that kind of support, with the history of that label
and being a Spanish-speaking, South American person,
making the dream come true and going a little further
than maybe I could have imagined.
TNYCJR: On your first two recordings, for Verve, you
perform mostly standards, but when you moved to
MAXJAZZ in 2003 you recorded almost all Latin jazz
in Spanish. What was behind the shift?
CA: I’ve always tried to be respectful of where I am
musically. I felt because that’s the beauty of the
recording, the possibility of documenting a moment in
your life as much as you can. At the time on the first
two records I was singing a lot of standards and I loved
them. I felt that the idea of what I wanted to accomplish
later was to get back to my roots, to the emotion of that
repertoire and with the concept that, yes, I am a Chilean
singer. So by the time I signed with MAXJAZZ I was
stronger and ready to present [myself like this].
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 46)
JERRY GRANELLI TRIO
Briggan Krauss (sax) / J. Granelli (bass)
SPECIAL GUEST: JAY CLAYTON
SUNDAY, MARCH 10TH 8PM (ONE SET ONLY)
SHAPESHIFTER LAB
18 Whitwell Place Brooklyn (bet. 1st and Carroll)
AR TIST F EA T U RE
© Jack Vartoogian/FrontRowPhotos
Min
Xiao-Fen
For more information, visit bluepipa.org. Xiao-Fen is at
Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch Mar. 3rd, Avery
Fisher Hall Mar. 16th and Museum of Chinese in America
Mar. 22nd. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:
• John Zorn - Filmworks VIII (Tzadik, 1997)
• Derek Bailey/Min Xiao-Fen - Flying Dragons
(Incus, 1999)
• Ned Rothenberg - Ghost Stories (Tzadik, 1999-2000)
• Leroy Jenkins - The Art Of Improvisation (Mutable, 2004)
• Wadada Leo Smith Mbira - Dark Lady of the Sonnets
(TUM, 2007)
• Min Xiao-Fen - Dim Sum (Blue Pipa, 2012)
by Kurt Gottschalk
Last month, pipa player Min Xiao-Fen was at Flushing
Town Hall in Queens, playing a matinee concert with
the Momenta Quartet in a program that included her
own compositions as well as a piece by the celebrated
Chinese composer Tan Dun, one of the first
contemporary composers she worked with after
moving to San Francisco 13 years ago. Playing Tan’s
concerto for pipa and string quartet she fell in with the
staccato of the string quartet and played so fast
sometimes that her plectra against the pipa strings
sounded like the scratching of a bow pulled lightly
over violin strings. On her solo piece “ABC (American
Born Chinese)”, she played with a slide, coaxing ‘blue’
notes and half- and quarter-tone wavers from her
instrument. She further explored those bent tones in
her “Tan Tan, Chang Chang”, a piece that borrowed
from Southeast Chinese traditions as well as American
blues and bluegrass, played on the banjo-like sanxian.
A week later - on Chinese New Year - she played
solo for the Jazz Vespers Sunday evening service at
Saint Peter ’s Church. Opening the service with a sort
of improvised meditation, she steadily ramped up to a
level that may have surprised some for a house of
worship. The corners of her mouth betrayed a smile as
she ululated in an improvised lingo inspired by her
native tongue. After the service she played again, this
time with her Blue Pipa Trio, a jazzier setting with
acoustic guitar and upright bass.
While the sources Xiao-Fen drew from in those
two appearances ranged from Chinese folk and
classical music to jazz, blues and bluegrass and the
lessons she’s learned collaborating with free
improvisers around the world, what’s notable about
her artistry isn’t the diversity but the fluidity with
which she moves between different streams.
It’s the music of a virtuosic performer certainly,
but it also may be the product of a restless spirit. Even
as a child in a family of musicians – a pipa master
father, a sister who is a celebrated erhu player and an
orchestra conductor brother – her interests were often
diverted. “I played erhu, then finger-painted,” she
said. “Somehow I’m not the kind of person - like my
father, like my sister - that can focus on one thing. But
society, family, only want you to do one thing. I’m not
the kind of person who wants to stay on one thing.”
As a child, she interspersed music lessons with her
father - who was forbidden from teaching under
Chairman Mao’s rule - with art lessons (she still paints
and designs her album covers), but as a teenager
dedicated herself to the instrument her father played.
“My father was my teacher,” she said. “I remember I
was kind of a little bit afraid of him. And I had a very
famous sister so my father had very high expectations.
I studied six years with him, strict traditional music. I
was pretty lucky because just as I graduated from high
school the Cultural Revolution was about to end but
the colleges were not ready; they were closed and my
father focused on me. ”
Under her father ’s tutelage she found a talent for
the Chinese lute and when musical ensembles finally
awoke from their state-imposed dormancy, Xiao-Fen
was quickly able to find work with the Nanjing
Traditional Music Orchestra. She stayed with the
orchestra for a decade before again growing restless
and relocating to San Francisco, where she was soon
working with some of the great innovators of
contemporary Chinese composition, including Tan
Dun, Zhou Long and Chen Yi. She began touring the
country playing their music and found herself playing
solo in Chicago on a program with a composition by
trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith. After the concert he
approached her and said he wanted to write a piece for
her. That piece, “Lake Biwa”, was featured on the first
recording she made after moving to America. She also
began playing with him, learning improvisation and
cementing one of her closest musical relationships.
“His music is like ‘take time, follow your feelings,’”
she said. “I had to tell him I don’t improvise, I don’t
know how to improvise. And his score was graphic, it
was hard for me. I was already scared and then he
looked at me and said ‘improvise’ and I was, like,
sinking into a hole. I was so sweaty, my hand just
stopped. I never had that experience before. We were
trained that you can’t make mistakes.” “I didn’t like
improvisation,” she added. “It took me like 10 years
before I started to like it, started to feel comfortable.”
A similar meeting after moving to New York City
in 1996 led to two other formative relationships. After
a concert at the old Knitting Factory she was
approached by John Zorn, who had an idea for a
record. “He said, ‘Do you know Derek Bailey?’” she
remembered, “And I said ‘I don’t do it, I don’t
improvise.’ He gave me CDs and said, ‘I’ll give you
one week.’ I told myself, ‘I have to take a chance,
otherwise I’ll never change.’” She went to the studio
without ever having met the guitarist and while the
resulting Viper isn’t the record she’s proudest of (her
second session with Bailey, Flying Dragons, is stronger),
she said she has a fondness for it. “I can feel it, my
innocence. I was a little bit careful and just followed
him. It was a very innocent experience.”
Last year she released her boldest album yet. Dim
Sum, on her own Blue Pipa imprint, employs such
devices as string preparations and a distortion box for
her most experimental effort to date (made possible by
a grant from the Peter S. Reed Foundation). “I went to
China this year and showed my father my new CD. He
listened to the whole thing and he said, “This is very
interesting.” He was so happy. I dedicated it to him
and he said it’s a little strange for him but at least he
listened to the whole thing. I told him, ‘This is myself,
I came to America, I found myself. I was always so
nervous in China. You have to be perfect.
“Little by little I feel more comfortable and more
competent and little by little I feel so happy to be
onstage,” she added. “A door totally opened for me.
This is what’s so great about being in New York and
being in America. You can always do what you want.” v
JSnycjr0313
2/14/13
3:18 PM
Page 1
“Best Jazz Venue of the Year” NYC JAZZ RECORD“Best Jazz Club” NY MAGAZINE+CITYSEARCH
FRI-SUN MAR 1-3
3
RAVI COLTRANE:QUARTETS
FRI MAR 1 WITH JASON PALMER - CHRISTIAN McBRIDE - BILL STEWART
SAT-SUN MAR 2-3 WITH DAVID VIRELLES - DEZRON DOUGLAS - JOHNATHAN BLAKE
TUE-WED MAR 5-6
NAPTOWN
LEGACY
KILLER RAY APPLETON’SALL-STARS
BRIAN LYNCH - IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH - TODD HERBERT - PETER BERNSTEIN
RICK GERMANSON - ROBERT SABIN - LITTLE JOHNNY RIVERO
THU-SUN MAR 7-10
&
ANTONIO SANCHEZ MIGRATION
DAVID BINNEY - DONNY McCASLIN - JOHN ESCREET - ORLANDO LE FLEMING - THANA ALEX
TUE MAR 12
THE 3RD
AFROHORN:INCARNATION
SAM NEWSOME - ABRAHAM BURTON - ARUAN ORTIZ - RUFUS REID
ROMAN DIAZ - FRANCISCO MORA–CATLETT
WED MAR 13
CLARENCE PENN QUARTET
CHRIS POTTER - ADAM ROGERS - BEN STREET
THU-SUN MAR 14-17
SFJAZZ COLLECTIVE
AVISHAI COHEN - MIGUEL ZENÓN - DAVID SANCHEZ - ROBIN EUBANKS
STEFON HARRIS - EDWARD SIMON - MATT PENMAN - OBED CALVAIRE
TUE MAR 19
THE MUSIC OF
CHICK
COREA
ELEVENTH
BAND
JOHNATHAN BLAKE HOUR
JALEEL SHAW - MARK TURNER - BEN STREET
WED MAR 20
CAMILA MEZA QUARTET
FEATURING AARON GOLDBERG
THU-SUN MAR 21-24
SOLO
ROOTS & 3/21-22
TRIO
BEYOND 3/23-24
HENRY BUTLER:
TUE-WED MAR 26-27
KENDRICK SCOTT: ORACLE
JOHN ELLIS - MIKE MORENO - TAYLOR EIGSTI - JOE SANDERS
THU-SUN MAR 28-31
DAVE DOUGLAS QUINTET
JON IRABAGON - MATT MITCHELL - LINDA OH - RUDY ROYSTON
MON MAR 4, 11 & 25
MINGUS BIG BAND
50TH
B’DAY
WEEK
MON MAR 18
MINGUS ORCHESTRA
JAZZ FOR KIDS WITH THE JAZZ STANDARD YOUTH ORCHESTRA EVERY SUNDAYAT 2PM [EXCEPT MAR 3 & 31] - DIRECTED BY DAVID O’ROURKE
7
O N T HE CO VER
John Rogers/Johnrogersnyc.com
JENNY SCHEINMAN
Bringing It All Together
by Sean Fitzell
During a typically rollicking show with her band
Mischief & Mayhem in February 2012, a visibly
pregnant Jenny Scheinman told the crowd it would be
her last New York City appearance for a while. After 13
years, the violinist was moving back to California and
taking time off from touring. This news came after the
band played one of the most talked-about sets of
Winter JazzFest 2012 and was prepared to release their
first CD with the lineup of guitarist Nels Cline, bassist
Todd Sickafoose and drummer Jim Black. From a career
standpoint the timing wasn’t ideal. But Scheinman has
often confounded others’ expectations in pursuing the
music that inspires her.
She’s built a loyal following and received critical
notice as composer and player over the course of seven
releases as a leader. Her work in several of guitarist
Bill Frisell’s groups and alongside singer-songwriter
Bruce Cockburn has been praised and brought her to
wider attention. The recent change of scenery proved
inspiring for Scheinman, who wrote 20 “fiddle songs”
and decided finally to join her two musical personas instrumental improviser and singer-songwriter. This
month she makes her Carnegie Hall debut, joined by
Frisell and drummer Brian Blade, in a program that
combines her vocal songs and instrumentals.
“A lot of it came from Bill’s encouragement; I’ve
always sort of segregated my singing music from the
instrumental music,” Scheinman says. In January, the
group played two shows in Oregon and recorded new
music. Of the experience, she says, “it just seemed to
be a really exciting, unusual show that didn’t jerk me
around the way I always thought it would; it just
flowed right together.”
The trio made its debut during a stint at the Village
Vanguard in December 2011. At the time, Scheinman
chose tunes from her instrumental catalogue that she
thought would work for the players. Since she hadn’t
previously performed with Blade, she wanted a relaxed
atmosphere to put the focus on playing rather than the
compositions. Enjoying the results, Scheinman wanted
to explore future possibilities for the trio and when she
decided to do “songs with words and songs without”,
the lineup seemed ideal.
“My feeling was I didn’t see why they couldn’t
co-exist,” says Frisell. “With music, I’ve never had a
problem with things being put up against each other
that maybe on the surface [are] being opposed or
something. Somehow you’re always going to find
some relationship between it.” Frisell’s career has
exemplified that idea and in many ways, so has
Scheinman’s.
She grew up the daughter of folk musicians in a
remote part of Humboldt County in northwestern
California. She took piano and violin lessons in the
nearest town, some two hours away. Scheinman also
competed in fiddle festivals, gave solo piano recitals
and attended chamber music workshops. Piano was
her focus until she was 17 years old and became drawn
to the violin’s more vocal and intimate qualities. She
studied at Oberlin Conservatory before graduating
from UC Berkeley with an English literature degree.
With this swirl of influences, she started playing
around the Bay area in the Hot Club of San Francisco,
a take on guitarist Django Reinhardt and violinist
Stephane Grappelli’s music. She also performed with
the Rova Saxophone Quartet and with experimentalists
like clarinetist Ben Goldberg, guitarist John Schott and
fellow singer-violinist Carla Kihlstedt. Composing
more often, Scheinman formed her own bands, often
with drummer Scott Amendola and guitarist Adam
Levy. “I was attracted to her composing, which I felt
was very original and, kind of like mine, was
uncategorizable,” says Cline, who first noticed and
then played with Scheinman in Amendola’s band.
In 1999, Scheinman moved to New York and built
a reputation within the creative improvising scene.
Favoring long melodic lines and clean tones over
vibrato and pyrotechnic displays, her playing has a
lyrical elegance. Her debut CD Live at Yoshi’s (Avant)
was recorded in 1999 and featured her compositions,
displaying a range of influences and crisp performances.
The Rabbi’s Lover for Tzadik’s Radical Jewish Culture
series followed two years later. It explored Jewish
modes and themes with moments of sweeping drama,
combining originals and arrangements of two
traditional songs. Shalagaster (Tzadik, 2003) also
experimented with Eastern modes and Scheinman
paired with Myra Melford’s piano and harmonium. It
included a thrilling arrangement of a Turkish melody
on “Zeynebim” and her “American Dipper” themes,
which she has returned to in other settings.
Her fourth release, 12 Songs (Cryptogramophone,
2004), had an immediacy and cohesive ambiance with
familiar song forms embellished with improvisation.
Scheinman wrote with Frisell in mind. She plumbed
folk and blues to conjure memorable melodies and
coaxed dynamic contributions from the group. The
music distilled many of her disparate influences into a
more developed personal sound.
“My music in general has a real folk foundation.
But with words added, they definitely sound like folk
songs,” she says. “I’m calling it ‘folk music’ as sort of a
general term to mean music that doesn’t have too much
color in the chords in the harmony and is a sort of
stable structure.” Scheinman also started a weekly
residency at the Brooklyn club Barbès, which became
an incubator for ideas and a chance to play with
different musicians and instrumentation. For example,
she tried out chamber music with other string players
and later brought Cline and Black together for the first
time. In this comfortably supportive atmosphere,
Scheinman started singing songs more frequently.
The Barbès workshops provided seeds for her next
three albums. 2008 saw the near-simultaneous releases
of Crossing the Field and her eponymous vocal debut
(Koch). For those not frequenting the weekly Barbès
shows, the latter was a surprise. Combining her own
heartfelt songs with covers of notable songwriters like
Tom Waits and Lucinda Williams, the album had an
earthy veracity with accessibly sincere vocals. Known
for his extensive work as a bassist for Sex Mob and
Frisell, Tony Scherr is also a singer-songwriter and
assisted Scheinman. His gritty slide guitar work and
effective backing vocal harmonies combined for a rich
sound: at times roadhouse rough or hauntingly
atmospheric. In reality, the release wasn’t a drastic
departure, as Scheinman had worked on vocal records
by Williams and Scherr, as well as Norah Jones’
breakout debut. Even her instrumental writing was
taking song forms, as was her work with Frisell.
It “brought her closer to her love of singersongwriter music and folk music and blues music; and
I think that when she started singing, I think that was
a bold move and one that made total sense to me,”
Cline observes of her work with Frisell.
Schedules permitting, she also worked with the
lineup of Cline, Black and Sickafoose that emerged
from Barbès and became Mischief & Mayhem. Initially
taking music from her earlier records, Scheinman later
wrote new music with a band feel. The interaction
among players draws out different aspects of their
talents: Cline and Black temper their wilder proclivities
to suit the songs while their company elicits sparks
from the violinist.
But Scheinman felt it was time for another change
and during her break from the road wrote new
instrumental music and refined vocal songs, gradually
joining them for a unified personal expression. “In
contrast to all my other records, I wanted a record
where I was really the person singing the song,” she
says. “I’ve been criticized for being an overgenerous
musician, where it’s all about the other players and
where I don’t take the center quite enough.” Putting
herself out front, Scheinman needed the right musical
complement and both Frisell and Blade have worked
extensively with singers and in improvising bands.
“They’re really committed musicians and create a lot
of magic,” she says. “They can play a song and be as
passionate about finding a feel as they are when they
have 10 minutes to solo.”
Tentatively titled The Littlest Prisoner, the new trio
CD may be out this summer. Scheinman will also be
recording with Frisell’s 858 joined by drummer Rudy
Royston and joining a project with country guitarist
Will Kimbrough. She thrives on the diversity and not
staying in one place. “It’s just something about
breaking things up a little, sometimes brings out
creative stuff I think. I don’t know, I’m still guessing,”
she muses. “If I knew where I could go to write good
music, I’d go there all the time.” v
For more information, visit jennyscheinman.com.
Scheinman is at Zankel Hall Mar. 23rd with Bill Frisell and
Brian Blade. See calendar.
• Jenny Scheinman - Live at Yoshi’s (Avant, 1999)
• Jenny Scheinman - The Rabbi’s Lover (Tzadik, 2001)
• Bill Frisell - Richter 858 (Songlines, 2002)
• Jenny Scheinman - Shalagaster (Tzadik, 2003)
• Scott Amendola Band - Believe
(Cryptogramophone, 2005)
• Jenny Scheinman - Mischief and Mayhem (s/r, 2010)
9
E NC OR E
Valerie Capers
by Brad Farberman
30 seconds into the
piano
solo
from
“Bebop”, captured on
the
recorded-in-1981
Dizzy Gillespie concert
film In Redondo, the
leader yells, “Whoa!”,
smiles at trombonist Tom McIntosh, plays a little air
keyboard and laughs. That’s high praise coming from a
man who, by that point, had worked with ivoryticklers like Bud Powell, Thelonious Monk, Mary Lou
Williams and Chick Corea, but Valerie Capers earns it.
Over the guitar of Ed Cherry, the bass of Michael
Howell, and the drums of Tommy Campbell, the
singer-pianist scurries, shimmers, splashes and
dazzles, pouring her all into the eighty-eight keys
afforded her that night in Southern California. All said
and done, though, Dizzy’s approval that evening is
merely one highlight from a five-decade career that’s
full of bright moments. And Capers is still on the case.
A lifelong resident of the Bronx, Capers, who has
been blind since the age of six, entered the jazz world
in the early ’60s, after finishing up at Juilliard. Her
brother, the late saxophonist Bobby Capers, had just
joined Mongo Santamaria’s band and encouraged her
to write for the conguero. The sweeping 6/8 steamer
“El Toro”, which opens the 1963 LP Mongo at the Village
Gate, was her first effort. Other tunes for the bandleader,
like “Chili Beans” and “La Gitana”, followed.
“Bobby said, ‘Mongo, I’m gonna get my sister to
write something for you’,” remembers Capers fondly.
“And Mongo said, ‘Okay.’ And then Mongo loved [‘El
Toro’]. So Mongo swore after that that I had to have
had some spiritual existence in another world - another
Latin world - to come up with ‘El Toro’.”
After getting started with Santamaria, Capers
scored a record date for Atlantic through famed
producer Joel Dorn. Her resulting debut album, 196566’s Portrait in Soul, was a stirring exploration of Latin
music, soul jazz and postbop featuring players like
saxophonists Frank Perowsky and Robin Kenyatta.
The questing, John Coltrane-like “Odyssey” towers
above the other tracks in both length and intensity.
“I like Greek mythology and different things like
that,” explains Capers about the inspiration behind
“Odyssey”. “I remember The Odyssey being Ulysses
and his journey. [The song] wasn’t about Ulysses
particularly, it was the idea of journey. A moving-
about.”
In terms of studio time, though, the pianist stood
still between the mid ’60s and early ’80s. Capers
wouldn’t cut her sophomore album, Affirmation, until
1982, due to a pileup of personal issues.
“I’d had a fall and I injured my back,” recalls
Capers about the era between her first and second LPs.
“And that came right on top of my brother and father
dying. And I just wasn’t able to [work on a recording].
So when I finally decided that I was gonna go ahead
and do that album, that’s why I call it Affirmation.
Because I figured that this album would represent
affirming myself to be a musician and just to get back
into life.”
Another long wait ensued between Capers’ second
and third albums, but 1995’s Come on Home came in like
a lion. Featuring trumpeter Wynton Marsalis,
saxophonist Paquito D’Rivera, bassist Bob Cranshaw
and Santamaria, among others, Come on Home houses
an update on “Odyssey”, the tender Capers original
“Out of All (He’s Chosen Me)” and a take on Gillespie’s
“A Night in Tunisia” in an unusual time signature.
“[Gillespie] had just gotten back from his first trip
to Africa when he came and had lunch with me and he
told me how excited he was about the fact that he
heard this African group play ‘A Night in Tunisia’ with
one of the Yoruba 6/8 rhythms,” remembers Capers
about stumbling upon the arrangement of “A Night in
Tunisia” she recorded for Come on Home. “And so he
sat down at the piano and showed it to me! And I said,
‘Oh, Dizzy, that’s fantastic.’ So I said to him, ‘Listen,
I’m getting ready to do an album. Would you allow me
to use that 6/8 rhythm playing ‘A Night in Tunisia’?’
In his own inimitable fashion, he said, ‘Oh, yeah!’”
Concurrent to her life as a performer and recording
artist, Capers has enjoyed a long career in music
education, instructing at the Manhattan School of
Music for a stretch in the ’70s and at Bronx Community
College from 1971-95. Though she has focused on her
own sounds since retiring, she continues to take on the
odd private student and conduct workshops in the US
and beyond.
“It’s bringing the awareness of music to people,”
says Capers on teaching. “All kinds of music. The other
thing, of course, is to help students develop a sense of
dedication, focus and discipline in their music. Things
are so fast these days. You got American Idol. If you go
on a computer and you don’t get to the internet in less
than two seconds, then things are slow. And then what
you have to do there with the students, who are so
eager, is let them know that this is a long process. This
doesn’t happen overnight. You’ll be learning and
growing all of your life.” v
For more information, visit valeriecapers.com. Capers is at
Jazz at Kitano Mar. 23rd. See Calendar.
Seattle University and later at the University of
Washington and by the late ‘40s she was thoroughly
enmeshed in the Seattle jazz scene. There she
established one of her most formative professional
collaborations, with childhood playmate Quincy Jones.
In 1959, the year after the release of her solo
album, Bown toured Europe in the Harold Arlen jazz
musical, Free and Easy, as the pianist in Jones’ jazz
orchestra and, in 1961, Jones released a recording based
on this work - The Quintessence (Impulse) - with Bown
playing on six of the eight cuts. The orchestra
performed with Jones at the Newport Jazz Festival that
same year and the live recording of that performance
includes Bown’s primary contribution as a composer,
the blues tune “G’won Train”.
From the late ‘50s onward, Bown, now in New
York City, remained active in the studio, recording
albums with saxophonists Gene Ammons and Oliver
Nelson; trumpeters Art Farmer, Harry Edison and Cal
Massey; reed player Roland Kirk; drummer Ed
Shaughnessy and bandleaders Duke Ellington and
George Russell. Bown also worked with many singers
throughout her career: Dinah Washington, Aretha
Franklin, James Brown, Etta Jones, Sarah Vaughan and
Leon Redbone among them.
When jazz slipped from the popular music charts
in the ‘60s, Bown sought out other performing
opportunities. She worked as a pit musician/musical
director on Broadway and gigged locally at highprofile jazz clubs like The Village Gate and Weston’s.
She played at Carnegie Hall in 1985 in the Kool Jazz
Festival and, in 1997, at the Kennedy Center in
Washington, DC, as part of the second Mary Lou
Williams Women in Jazz Festival. In 2006 this same
organization granted Bown the Festival’s Achievement
Award for her “lifetime of service to jazz”.
In her later years, Bown continued to perform but
also taught and spoke publicly about her jazz career.
She died from diabetes-related conditions on Mar. 21st,
2008, in a nursing home in Media, Pennsylvania. v
• Valerie Capers - Portrait in Soul (Atlantic, 1965-66)
• Valerie Capers - Affirmation (KMArts, 1982)
• Valerie Capers - Come on Home (Sony-Columbia, 1995)
• Valerie Capers - Wagner Takes The ‘A’ Train
(Elysium, 1998)
• Valerie Capers - Limited Edition (Valcap Music, 2001)
March 5th
Warren Smith and the
Composer’s Workshop Orchestra
March 12th
Russ Kassoff Orchestra
with Catherine Dupuis
March 19th
Mike Longo’s NY State of the Art Jazz
Ensemble with Dee Daniels
March 26th
Vibraphonist Warren Chiasson
George Shearing Tribute
New York Baha’i Center
53 E. 11th Street
(between University Place and Broadway)
Shows: 8:00 & 9:30 PM
Gen Adm: $15 Students $10
212-222-5159
bahainyc.org/nyc-bahai-center/jazz-night
LE ST WE F OR GE T
Patti Bown (1931-2008)
by Suzanne Lorge
Little has been written about Patti Bown. Even so, she
stands out for her prolific body of work as a pianist,
accompanist and arranger for some of the foremost
jazz and soul performers of the 20th century. (Bown’s
lack of recognition might have contributed to a
common misspelling of her name, which in turn makes
it harder to find her in this digital age; even Columbia
Records, which released her first and only solo album
in 1958, Patti Bown Plays Big Piano, spelled her name as
“Patti Brown” on one version of the album cover.)
Patricia Ann Bown was born on Jul. 26th, 1931, in
Seattle, Washington. Her parents encouraged her
musical interests and Bown began her piano studies
early, demonstrating a keen ear for jazz especially. She
continued her music education on scholarship at
ME GA PHON E
Spontaneous Composition
in the Round
by Kali. Z. Fasteau
Music
offers a sweet alternative to the mundane,
transporting us to a non-logical enjoyment of being. If
you read this journal, you feel the power of music. We
musicians are lucky making music that feels good to us.
Rather than ‘improvising’ (improving) upon a
preset structure, I prefer composing music in real time,
shaping the sound energy coming through me without
forethought. The body and spirit seem electrified by
the high-voltage energy of contouring sound live.
Spontaneous composition is almost magical, producing
amazing results when the musicians are well chosen.
Since our society awards predictability, spontaneous
music may benefit from a theoretical basis for what I
and others do naturally. Long ago, I applied the
philosophy of Taoism, the moving dance of opposites,
yin and yang, to music. Music lives in a multidimensional sphere encompassing all possible sounds:
high and low, soft and loud, slow and fast, smooth and
rough, legato and staccato. The spontaneous composer
is free at every moment to create and juxtapose these
yin and yang parameters of sound so as to enhance
their unique qualities moving through time.
Transcending this dynamic balance, the vital power of
heart energy animates the sound so it can be felt and
savored. Chops are required but to resonate in others,
the sounds must carry deep spirit and sincere emotion.
Society and culture both reflect and create each
other. Music influences thought. The mind follows
sound consciously and unconsciously. New shapes of
sound can create new cellular connections in the brain.
Awakening consciousness with music involves more
than changing the lyrics to conventional song forms or
expanding preset forms. Sailing uncharted sonic
waters provides a musical template for living in the
moment.
It’s said that women usually initiate lateral,
egalitarian, informal (yin) communication of ideas,
outside the constraints of patriarchal ‘chains of
command’. Although I certainly admire and enjoy
many large ensemble works and have led and
participated in some, at this time I have no desire to
control or direct other musicians’ energy flow. Neither
the (yang) hierarchical organization of orchestras and
big bands, nor the division of labor separating
composer, performer and conductor, prevalent in most
‘Western’ music of recent centuries, suits my creative
temperament. Many musicians are comfortable and
happy working toward their desired sound through
these structures and/or must for financial reasons. I
prefer action composing live and direct from the
source, the bliss of instantaneous communion in sound
creation with other musicians of similar aesthetic. Our experiences, both inherited and selected,
inform our musical vocabularies. From a deeply
musical and ‘free-thinking’ family and steeped in
Euro-classical, blues, soul and some world music, I
found free/avant garde jazz to be a perfect fit. After
eight years of piano lessons with Olga Heifetz, I had
dreamed and then played freely from age 14. Multiinstrumentality is natural for me since studying piano,
cello, flute and singing in childhood. I’ve always loved
bringing forth the uniquely beautiful sounds of each
family of instruments: woodwinds, strings, percussion
and the voice. For decades, I navigated the rivers of
music on four continents, performing, living and
enjoying the work of my brother and sister musicians.
My music is the elixir of an adventurous life. Generalist,
multi-instrumentalist, world traveler, musicologist,
flute-maker, I also practice Tai-Chi and Chi-Gong,
research health and nutrition, love nature, audio
engineer and produce recordings, use Feng-Shui
principles for interior and exterior design and graphic
arts, swim long distances and much more. Versatility is
yin; specialization is yang. We are all individuals with
infinite capacities.
You can create yourself at every moment. Don’t let
others define you. The open arms of jazz have embraced
motifs, timbres, rhythms and instruments from many
musics of the world. Innovation is its unique attribute
and source of vitality. Creating in the moment,
forgetting the box, energy is strong.
The sounds of animals and natural forces, although
rhythmic, never repeat exactly. They are very refreshing
to hear and inspire appreciation and ongoing invention.
Crickets, frogs, waves, birds, rocky streams all create
beautiful intricate non-repeating sound designs.
Nature always changes.
Your body is your first instrument - tune and tone
it kindly. Whether you play or listen (we need you too),
cultivate your health, your posture, slow breathing,
relaxation, positive thoughts and research your food.
When your musical mind seeks familiarity, relish your
joys of recreating and listening to old and new
favorites. If your musical mind relishes creating on the
threshold of the unknown, then hone your chops and
let the life energy stream sound through you. In the
moving circle of Tao, yin maxes into yang and yang
maxes into yin, change is the only constant. Do your
best work, help others and wear at least a little smile. v
For more information, visit kalimuse.com. Fasteau is at
Brecht Forum Mar. 16th as part of Lady Got Chops Festival.
See Calendar.
Velez Cultural Center ’s LES gallery, a true bastion for
fresh vocal innovation (Mar. 3rd). Kitamura’s voice is
an instrument of crystalline tonal purity and moves
like a hummingbird’s wings.
The Vital Vox Series at the edgy Roulette features
cream of the crop inter-arts avant garde jazz vocalists.
Hear an equitable balance of male/female sounds with
Sabrina Lastman, Philip Hamilton and Sarah
Bernstein (Mar. 25th-26th).
Jay Clayton is a pioneer of jazz vocal envelopeexpansion, who sings in layers of contrasting texture
and exquisite nuance. She can be heard with legendary
drummer Jerry Granelli’s trio at the hip Shapeshifter
Lab (Mar. 10th).
In the more straightahead vein, the Lady Got
Chops Festival features a steady stream of solid, gutsy
vocalists (and instrumentalists) at various locations,
including the fun Sistas’ Place. Hear the deep currents
of singer/pianist Mala Waldron there (Mar. 16th).
Seasoned Greek-rooted goddess Maria Farantouri
sings with saxophonist Charles Lloyd’s quartet at the
Metropolitan Museum of Art’s Temple of Dendur (Mar.
15th) in the New York debut of their disarmingly
beautiful collaboration Athens Concert (ECM).
Over in the classy Metropolitan Room the licks
will be tight: hear scat vocalese connoisseur Anita
Wardell in a double bill with warm, smokey Perez
(Mar. 5th); bouncing-in-the-pocket Rebecca Kilgore/
Harry Allen Quartet (Mar. 6th-10th) and one of our
greatest singer/lyricists - Lorraine Feather – who will
celebrate the CD release of Fourteen (Relarion) by
Nouveau Stride, her innovative and humorous duo
with killer 26-year-old stride pianist, Stephanie Trick
(Mar. 28th).
Speaking of strides, this March let’s applaud the
ways jazz has made progress towards trumping
gender-based division. If you go to a gig, regardless of
the gender of those performing, during Women’s
History Month, remember - as all the jazz greats say “It’s about the music.” v
Kali. Z. Fasteau composes and performs on piano, nai flutes,
voice, drum set, viola, mizmars, soprano sax and more. For
14 years she lived in Europe, India and Africa, playing in
music festivals and concerts, radio, TV and film soundtracks.
Fasteau has recorded 18 albums as a leader, 12 on her Flying
Note label.
KARIN KROG &
MORTEN GUNNAR
LARSEN
IN A RAG BAG
(MEANTIME RECORDS)
“A great partnership between singer
and pianist… Karin’s singing
embraces almost every style of
jazz and popular song from the
days of Irving Berlin to today’s
avant garde”
(from liner notes)
AVAILABLE ON
ITUNES, SPOTIFY,
AMAZON.COM,
MUSIKKOPERATORENE.NO
KARINKROG.NO
VO X NEW S
by Katie Bull
In honor of this month’s Women In Jazz theme, singers
highlighted here embody consummate skill and
unbridled freedom of expression. Focusing on gender
can invite the risk of perpetuating the division between
women and men; the conversation is important and
needs to evolve. We must seize opportunities to
celebrate the vibrancy and persistence of women in
jazz as an ode to the force of liberation itself. Let’s
focus on a new paradigm in which the primary point
is: individuals making music deserve to be viewed
solely on the merits of strong musicianship, regardless
of gender.
To that end, the Evolving Music Series is back and
manifests the healthy paradigm shift most clearly. The
series is a long-time champion of a diverse array of
experimental jazz vocalists. This month the quicksilver
Kyoko Kitamura and her Moving Music Ensemble will
be featured in a Sunday matinee at the Clemente Soto
11
LA BE L SPO T LIG HT
Libra Records
by Ken Waxman
“All projects have their own stories and I now have
more than 60 stories I can tell,” explains pianist/
composer/bandleader Satoko Fujii when asked about
her recording career. More than 32 of these stories are
available from Tokyo-based Libra records, a label she
and her husband, trumpeter Natsuki Tamura, founded
in 1996. Although the pair occasionally record for other
imprints, Libra reflects Fujii’s most personal projects:
duets and trios with Tamura and other Japanese and
Western musicians; solo albums; records by her New
York and Tokyo big bands; her avant-rock-free jazz
combo and a quartet in which she plays accordion.
Although Fujii, who attended both Berklee
College of Music and New England Conservatory
during the mid ‘80s and early ‘90s, respectively, and
Tamura, who had been a member of Toshiyuki
Miyama’s New Herd Orchestra, one of Japan’s best
known jazz bands, had extensive recording experience
- “the biggest reason we started this label was that we
got tired of looking for labels that would release our
recordings,” she reveals. At that time most record
companies had certain fixed ideas of how jazz sessions
should sound and look. She recalls one firm suggesting
she wear a fancy dress and surround herself with
“good looking guys as sidemen.”
Libra is a small operation, which usually presses
1,000 copies of each release, with tasteful CD covers
Zakopane
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo
designed by Masako Tanaka. To devote full attention to
the music, Fujii produces Tamura’s CDs and he hers.
Sessions recorded in NYC are done at Brooklyn’s
Systems Two studio because Fujii likes its piano.
Business dealings are straightforward as well. For a
project under Fujii or Tamura’s leadership, they hire
the musicians and pay all expenses. For other CDs,
such as Under the Water, Fujii’s duo piano record with
Myra Melford, or Rafale with French musicians who
helped compose the material, costs are shared and
profits divided accordingly. Available from a variety of
distributors in Japan, Europe and the US or from its
website, Libra is officially located in Tokyo because
that’s where a close friend of Fujii’s has the key to a
small warehouse and can send out requested discs.
Named Libra for Fujii’s astrological sign - “Natsuki
is Leo and as you know there is a Leo label already,”
she jokes - the imprint’s idiosyncrasies extend to its
numbering system. “The first three numbers tell whose
project it is and how big the band is and the last three
numbers are continuous,” Fujii notes. “For example:
Satoko Fujii Orchestra Tokyo, Zakopane is Libra 216027; 2 means a Satoko project - Natsuki’s project is a 1
- 16 means there are 16 musicians in the band and 027
means this is the 27th Libra CD.” Vulcan is probably
the label’s bestseller. It features the trumpeter and
pianist with two Japanese rock musicians, including
drummer Tatsuya Yoshida of The Ruins. All Libra CDs
can be downloaded from iTunes and while there are no
Libra LPs yet, “we’d love to do one,” says Fujii.
Other well-received Libra CDs include discs made
with Fujii’s American trio of drummer Jim Black and
Eto
Satoko Fujii Orchestra New York
Watershed
Satoko Fujii Min-Yoh Ensemble
bassist Mark Dresser. “She has fantastic performance
energy, a great ear, a musical fearlessness that allows
her to travel into new territories, has an amazing work
ethic and is constantly building bridges,” notes
Dresser. “Her label is dedicated to releasing her various
projects, which makes it part of a long tradition of
improviser/composer/performers self-producing.”
Although the pianist tells most of her stories via
Libra, she won’t turn down the opportunity to work
with other labels “if we find a label that loves our
music and that we can trust,” she avers. For instance
the newest disc by her Ma-do ensemble is on Poland’s
Not Two. Another departure was KAZE’s Rafale, put
out cooperatively in 2011 by Libra and Circum-Disc,
the label of the Muzzix musicians’ collective, based in
Lille, France. KAZE consists of Fujii, Tamura plus two
French musicians: drummer Peter Orins and trumpeter
Christian Pruvost.
“The most important fact about Libra and CircumDisc is that both record companies are headed by
musicians, so there’s passion in the way things are
done and freedom that we don’t find elsewhere,”
explains Orins. “Nowadays musicians almost always
lead their project from the beginning to the release, so
I think that running our own record company lets us
manage the way we want to do it. Working with Satoko
is one of the simplest musical experiences I know. Even
if the music we make is highly elaborate and
purposeful, the way we do it is very natural and
without pressure. We simply play while being very
focused on one another.”
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 46)
Forever
Gato Libre
Rafale
KAZE
LISTEN UP!
Saxophonist/flutist ROXY COSS has become one of
the most unique voices of her generation. A native of
Seattle, WA, Coss graduated in 2008 from William
Paterson University on a full Presidential Scholarship.
She then moved to New York where she played with
Louis Hayes and the Clark Terry and Claudio Roditi
Big Bands. She is also on trumpeter Jeremy Pelt’s latest
record (Water and Earth, HighNote). Her eponymous
debut, featuring all original material, came out in 2010.
Rosenwinkel, Bobby Timmons, Paul Chambers, Art
Blakey.
Did you know? I have a soft spot for The Beatles,
Michael Jackson, Britney Spears, ‘90s hip-hop/R&B
and gangsta rap.
For more information, visit roxycoss.com. Coss is at Smoke
Sundays. See Regular Engagements.
Kweli, among others.
Teachers: Wessell Anderson, Steve Wilson, Gary Bartz,
Bruce Williams, Reggie Workman, Billy Harper, Bill
Saxton.
Influences: Jackie McLean, Maceo Parker, John
Coltrane, Kirk Whalum, Charlie Rouse, Sly and the
Family Stone, Earth, Wind & Fire, Alice Coltrane.
Teachers: Rich Perry, Gary Smulyan, Clark Terry,
Harold Mabern, Mark Taylor, Anne Drummond, Rich
DeRosa, Ingrid Jensen, Nathan Davis, Rufus Reid.
Current Projects: I have been working extensively
with my band Soulsquad, promoting songs off my
debut album Retox (Motéma).
Influences: Dexter Gordon, Hank Mobley, John
Coltrane, Wayne Shorter, Sonny Rollins, Miles Davis,
Art Blakey, Count Basie, Duke Ellington, Lee Morgan,
Brad Mehldau, Joshua Redman, Mark Turner, Kenny
Garrett, Roy Hargrove’s RH Factor, Bach.
By Day: Practice, compose, meetings and rehearsals.
Current Projects: Working on a Miles Davis songbook
project for the spring; Jeremy Pelt Band; DIVA Jazz
Orchestra; Roxy Coss Quintet; Colleen Clark Trio;
Danny Rivera/Matt Chiasson Big Band.
By Day: Practice, play, compose, teach.
I knew I wanted to be a musician when... I realized
everything else was so boring!
Dream Band: Nat King Cole, Freddie Hubbard, Kurt
Roxy Coss
Lakecia Benjamin
A streetwise New York City native born and raised in
Washington Heights, LAKECIA BENJAMIN has
become one of the most highly sought-after players in
soul and funk music. Charismatic and dynamic as both
a saxophonist and bandleader, she has worked with
David Murray, Stevie Wonder, Alicia Keys, The Roots,
Macy Gray and more. She has performed on four
continents and her extensive recording credits include
saxophone and arrangements for Santigold, Maurice
Brown, Clark Terry Big Band, Krystle Warren and Talib
I knew I wanted to be a musician when... the first time
I laid eyes on a saxophone. My best friend had an alto
saxophone and from that moment on I became fixated
with it.
Dream Band: Bootsy Collins, Herbie Hancock, Eddie
Hazel, Greg Errico, Earth, Wind & Fire horn section,
Rachelle Ferrell.
Did you know? I only eat pizza crust. It’s my fave. I
dislike the taste of pizza and garlic knots.
For more information, visit lakeciabenjamin.com. Benjamin
is at For My Sweet Restaurant Mar. 4th as part of Lady Got
Chops Festival. See Calendar.
Coming Up
Next at
Photo: Kevin Yatarola
HUGH MASEKELA
Sat., April 20 | 7:30pm
THE KNICKERBOCKER ORCHESTRA
FEATURING HARUMI HANAFUSA
Fri., March 8 | 7:30pm
AMERICAN
SHOWSTOPPERS
JULE STYNE
Sat., March 9 | 7:30pm
schimmel.pace.edu or call 866.811.4111
CD R EVI EW S
Millionaire?”. The combination of some freshly done
material and Sherman’s straightforward approach
make this album delightful.
This triumvirate of CDs by a trio of ladies, each
with their respective talents and styles, once again
demonstrates why the Great American Songbook
deserves the superlative!
Capricorn Climber
Kris Davis (Clean Feed)
by John Sharpe
Pianist Kris Davis has perfected a great trick, dressing
her elaborate compositions in the guise of improvisation
so successfully it’s barely possible to tell one from the
other. By doing so she retains the freshness and
unpredictability of unscripted interaction while at the
same time keeping a taut conceptual grasp. In this
she’s abetted by an allstar cast, including frequent
collaborators like saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock and
drummer Tom Rainey.
Davis sets the mood with her purposefully
intelligent promptings, only cutting loose herself on
“Pass The Magic Hat”, before setting up the sort of
involved interplay characteristic of all the pieces here.
For her contribution Laubrock alternates between
flowing but asymmetric rounded tones and heated
timbral distortion, but meshes well with her frontline
partner, violist Mat Maneri, during some tricky
unisons. Elsewhere Maneri is angular and abrasive,
sliding between notes in a way that ups the surprise
quotient. In fact, it’s impossible to anticipate the
trajectory of any of the selections. Much credit for such
flexibility falls to the rhythmic ingenuity of Rainey
allied to the nimble yet assertive bassist Trevor Dunn.
Each number is event-strewn but cohesive. The
title cut provides as good an example as any: Maneri
and the leader pontificate dreamily to start, before
building to an energetic crescendo of intersecting
layers. A saxophone/viola theme emerges from the
swirling chaos, providing a cooling interlude, which
morphs into a tappy coda of sustained drones,
culminating in a chiming conclusion recalling an oldfashioned clock. While highlights are too many to
enumerate, one that sticks in the mind is Laubrock’s
forceful tenor solo on “Trevor ’s Luffa Complex”,
goosed by some explosive comping from the leader.
One of the treats of this tremendous album is to
savor the appealing blend of the cerebral and affecting,
with new quirks revealed on every listen.
For more information, visit cleanfeed-records.com. Davis is
at Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center Mar. 4th, Cornelia
Street Café Mar. 5th with Ingrid Laubrock and 30th as a
leader and Korzo Mar. 26th. See Calendar.
AMANDA
& THE MICHAELS
AMANDA MONACO - GUITAR
MICHAEL BATES - BASS
MICHAEL PRIDE - DRUMS
SEEDS
BROOKLYN
617 VANDERBILT AVENUE
WED, MAR. 20TH, 10 PM $10
AMANDAMONACO.COM
The Song That Sings You Here
Chris McNulty (Challenge)
Champian Sings and Swings
Champian Fulton (Sharp Nine)
Mississippi Belle (Cole Porter in the Quarter)
Daryl Sherman (Audiophile)
by Marcia Hillman
The Great American Songbook - tunes mostly from
the ‘20s-50s written by the Tin Pan Alley masters for
Broadway shows or movies - is the mother lode for
singers in all genres in search of material to express
themselves. Three different songbirds have recently
mined it for their respective albums, testifying once
again to its inexhaustible richness.
Australian-born vocalist Chris McNulty possesses
a mature, expressive voice and sings a little behind the
beat, which allows her to explore some innovative
phrasing on The Song That Sings You Here, accompanied
by bassist Ugonna Okegwo, drummer Marcus Gilmore,
guitarist Paul Bollenback, pianists Andrei Kondakov
and Graham Wood, tenor/soprano saxophonist Igor
Butman and guest vocalist Anita Wardell. McNulty
opens with a lightly swinging version of “How Little
We Know” (featuring Butman’s high-flying tenor solo)
and continues with a soft and easy rendition of “How
Are Things in Glocca Morra?”, proving that she can
handle both sides of the emotional coin. Most notable
is the inclusion of Fats Waller ’s “Jitterbug Waltz”. Who
ever knew there were lyrics to this song? There are, by
Richard Maltby Jr., and just as playful as Waller ’s
personality. McNulty has a lot of fun with this one.
Champian Fulton is a double-threat performer,
possessing a powerful voice and some heavy piano
chops, both captured on Champian Sings and Swings,
where she is joined by Hide Tanaka (bass) and Fukushi
Tainaka (drums), with the addition (on selected tracks)
of trumpeter Stephen Fulton and tenor saxophonist
Eric Alexander. The album is nicely paced, with
opportunities to show off her vocal talent (edgy at
times and softer at others) and her instrumental ability,
with several tracks (“I Cover The Waterfront” and Bud
Powell’s “Celia”, for example) done in a piano trio
setting. Fulton’s two skills meet on “Samba de Orfeo”,
the leader first singing a wordless lyric and then
scatting along with her playing. On “It’s Too Late
(Baby Too Late)”, Fulton gets especially bluesy, aided
and abetted by wailing tenor work from Alexander
(who also smokes on an uptempo version of “It’s
Alright With Me”). Stephen Fulton contributes inspired
horn on “You’re Getting To Be A Habit With Me”.
Vocalist/pianist Daryl Sherman is no stranger to
the club scene as a singer of standards, but on
Mississippi Belle she has chosen to focus exclusively on
the Cole Porter songbook, presenting a program of
underdone and even obscure songs. Recorded in New
Orleans in salute to the resilience of the city after
Katrina, Sherman’s group is a trio with tenor
saxophonist/clarinetist Tom Fischer and bassist Jesse
Boyd, with a guest appearance by New Orleans vocalist
Banu Gibson on “By The Mississinewah”, a duet in
English and French. Sherman’s skill as a storyteller
stands out, as does her close musical connection with
Boyd, starting with the opener, “Let’s Do It”, where
she goes through the multi-choruses of the song with
just bass and a touch of piano behind her. Other
highlights include Fisher ’s sax on “Looking At You”
and his clarinet work on “Who Wants To Be A
For more information, visit challengerecords.com,
sharpnine.com and jazzology.com/audiophile_records.php.
Chris McNulty is at Jazz at Kitano Mar. 7th. Champian
Fulton is at The Garage Mar. 7th and 30th. Daryl Sherman
is at Knickerbocker Bar and Grill Mar. 8th-9th and
15th-16th. See Calendar.
UNEARTHED GEM
Bigbands Live
Benny Goodman Orchestra (feat. Anita O’Day)
(Jazzhaus)
by Andrew Vélez
This is only one part of a treasure trove of live
recordings from the archives of the German Southwest
Broadcasting Company. The 3,000 hours in its
archives represent possibly the most comprehensive
reservoir of unpublished jazz recordings worldwide.
In this instance it’s a performance at the Stadthalle
Freiburg, West Germany from 1959. So here’s a
Jewish-American bandleader performing in a
country where his Swing Era music was once banned
by the Nazis as “decadent”.
Showcasing a first-rank lineup including Red
Norvo (vibes), Russ Freeman (piano), Flip Phillips
(tenor sax) and some luscious vocals from Anita
O’Day, this is first-class big band music just as rock
‘n roll was about to explode popular music into a
new era. But for now Goodman’s clarinet blending
with Norvo’s ever-swinging vibes on “Air Mail
Special” evoke a still thrilling whiff of peak Swing
Era sounds. If this is not quite the Goodman and
Company of his legendary 1938 Carnegie Hall
Concert, it still packs a swinging punch.
The distilled simplicity of Red Wooten’s bass
makes a perfect nest for the succulent sweetness of
O’Day on “Honeysuckle Rose”. A medley of
Gershwin’s “But Not for Me”, “Four Brothers” and
“Blues” has O’Day swinging ever so easily. She
veers from seductive to rambunctious highstratosphere scatting, all unique and all captivating.
“Raise the Riff” is an opportunity for Goodman
to swing big time with Wooten and Freeman each
taking hot turns until Norvo sweeps in like the
Swing Era master he was. There’s a taste of Goodman
as composer with “Breakfast Feud”, on which he
wails against trumpeter Jack Sheldon and again
those Norvo vibes, each taking a piece of the action
before a happy finish by the whole gang. For a taste
of Goodman at his sweetest, there’s his old favorite,
“Memories of You”.
The closing medley - including “Stompin’ at the
Savoy”, an irresistible “Moonglow” and “Bei mir bist
du schein” - brings to a tumultuous close a session
that demonstrates what had made Goodman “The
King of Swing” decades earlier was still at play.
For more information, visit jazzhaus-label.com
Elephant Wings
Play Braxton
Gunhild Seim & Time
Marilyn Crispell/
Jungle with Marilyn
Mark Dresser/Gerry
Crispell (Drollehala)
Hemingway (Tzadik)
by Stuart Broomer
Marilyn Crispell is a pianist of special vision and
tremendous lyric sweep, with a capacity for finding
passion in a keyboard that has linked all of the different
musical dimensions she has explored since emerging
in the early ‘80s. She was initially associated with Cecil
Taylor for her dense, high-speed improvisations, but
Crispell is a complete musician who, over time, has
revealed myriad facets to her work, from spacious
ballad playing to concentrated rhythmic interplay.
Crispell has worked extensively with Scandinavian
musicians and on Elephant Wings she joins Norwegian
trumpeter Gunhild Seim and her quartet Time Jungle.
Seim has a capacity for brevity and focus whether it’s a
composition reduced to dramatic gestures or the clarity
of her trumpet phrases. Time Jungle is an effective
instrument for her compositions. Alto saxophonist
Arild Hoem is a good foil, whether contributing
abstract, out-of-tempo squiggles or long-lined solos in
contrast to Seim’s economy. It’s a conversational group
and bassist John Lilja and drummer Dag Magnus
Narvesen choose their notes carefully, complementing
the melodic focus or developing a web of overlapping
rhythmic figures. It’s a band with a distinctive
conception and Crispell raises it to another level, not
by doing a guest-star turn but by burrowing into the
music, adding optimum framing to the other musicians’
lines and turning in solos that sparkle in their aptness,
like the fleetly floating invention she brings to “Joni”.
Crispell’s gift for collective creation first flowered
in the Anthony Braxton Quartet between 1983-95 with
bassist Mark Dresser and drummer Gerry Hemingway,
a genuinely great band in which Braxton mixed and
matched scores from his entire body of compositions,
solo to orchestra. Somehow the four managed to find
ways to negotiate that shifting terrain and make
coherent art. The trio reunited to pay tribute to Braxton
on his 65th birthday and this recording came about as
a result. There may be music as complex or as playful,
but not both. This CD includes many of the moods of
Braxton, from the densely layered rhythms and
harmonies that live in synch on “Composition 116” to
LIBRA
Records
32 CDs of limitless creative vision by
pianist/composer Satoko Fujii &
trumpeter/composer Natsuki Tamura.
Solo, duo, trio, quartet, big band and
orchestra. Artist owned! Stay tuned for more releases soon!
www.librarecords.com
the atonal bop of “Composition 23C” and the hanging
isolated tones of “Composition 40N”. Crispell is
magnificent, displaying the breadth of her playing,
from the flying clusters of “Composition 69B [8.2]”
(Crispell sounds most like Cecil Taylor when reading
an excerpt from a through-composed Braxton piano
solo) to the weird block-chord groove of “Composition
40B”. Dresser and Hemingway play at a level of
thought and interaction most can only imagine and all
three navigate this music with an intimacy that blurs
compositional and improvisational methodologies into
indivisible music. It’s a masterpiece in itself, as well as
an invitation to investigate all the original quartet’s
recordings, spread over more than a decade, with
notable performances on Leo, hatHUT and Victo.
For more information, visit gunhildseim.com and tzadik.com.
Crispell is at Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp Theatre Mar.
22nd as part of a Paul Motian Tribute. See Calendar.
Down Here Below
Ran Blake/Christine
Correa (Red Piano)
Aurora
Sara Serpa/Ran Blake
(Clean Feed)
by George Kanzler
Ran Blake is a pianist who never plays a superfluous
note. He can be spare and angular, but always
satisfyingly complete. Few pianists in jazz have been
as masterful, or comfortable, playing alone or in duos.
Blake has made duo albums with vocalists before,
including Jeanne Lee and Dominique Eade, as well as
two others with Indian singer Christine Correa and
one other with Portuguese singer Sara Serpa. The two
are poles apart as vocalists and stylists.
Correa brings an immediacy and raw edge to her
delivery, as if melding method acting with singing.
Down Here Below honors Abbey Lincoln, who also
brought an acting sensibility to her singing. The title
song bookends the album, the first track beginning
with highly charged wordless chanting, followed by a
piano solo suffused with mystery before Correa returns
with Lincoln’s lyrics, delivered in a conspiratorial tone
rising to a devotional pitch. The album closes with
Correa’s very different a cappella and low-key
performance of the song. Correa can be raw and angry,
as on “Freedom Day” (two versions, with and without
Blake), adding petulance to the anger on “Retribution”.
Her tone can be dry and harsh, as she bends melodies
to extremes on “Little Niles” and “African Lady”, slide
from steely to cool on “Bird Alone” or be downright
sweet and engaging on the winsome “How I Hoped for
Your Love”. Correa and Blake make “Brother, Can You
Spare a Dime?” as singular and heart-wrenching as
Lincoln did, but in their own unique way.
Serpa is, to say the least, an acquired taste. She
doesn’t emote much. Her a cappella version of “Strange
Fruit” on Aurora is freeze-dried. Her delivery of torch
songs like “Saturday” and “When Autumn Sings” are
wooden, staid and calm. In fact, on the latter, Blake
brings the passion with his piano jabs as Serpa’s voice
flattens and sours.
The most successful duo track is the wordless “Dr.
Mabuse”, co-written by Blake and featuring a threenote motif and pleasing blend of deep piano chords
and trilling vocal vowels. The longest track is Blake’s
masterful, brooding piano solo on his own “Mahler
Noir”, a worthy addition to his growing body of “Noir”
pieces. Three standards on this outing are vehicles for
deconstruction. “The Band Played On” lurches on an
off-kilter waltz rhythm for the opening vocal, followed
by some stride from Blake, Serpa then returning in a
higher key, or just purposely over-singing until she is
performing wordless, operatic-like vocal scales. “Fine
and Dandy” also has hints of stride piano and a vocal
that shreds the melody with weird sharps and flats
close to caterwauling. “Last Night When We Were
Young” is best in the piano intro, worst in the fey and
strained vocal.
For more information, visit redpianorecords.com and
cleanfeed-records.com. Blake and Correa are at Symphony
Space Peter Jay Sharp Theatre Mar. 23rd as part of “CI at
40”. See Calendar.
IN PRINT
Shall We Play That One Together?: The Life and Art
of Jazz Piano Legend Marian McPartland
Paul de Barros (St. Martin’s Press)
by Ken Dryden
English pianist Marian McPartland’s professional
jazz career spanned over 60 years and she became a
jazz icon thanks to her multi-award-winning, longrunning NPR radio series Piano Jazz. Paul de Barros,
a renowned jazz journalist, did in-depth research
and conducted many interviews to craft a detailed
portrait of the witty yet complex musician.
McPartland’s early life covers a difficult
relationship with her mother over abandoning
classical studies to play jazz, prompting a comment
that the pianist often shared with her audiences:
“You’ll come to no good. You’ll marry a musician
and live in an attic,” followed by, “And she was
right!” While touring with the USO in World War II,
she met Chicago cornetist Jimmy McPartland. After
she joined her new husband in America, he
encouraged her career, though she would become
the more widely known player, thanks to her
extended gig at The Hickory House in New York
City and later the Piano Jazz program.
Not all was rosy in McPartland’s life. Her
ongoing affair with her (married) drummer Joe
Morello caused problems as did sparse recording
opportunities in the early ‘60s and bouts with
depression. But she rebounded with jazz writing
and education, launch of her record label Halcyon,
the NPR series and her signing to Concord Records.
The author ’s insights as a jazz journalist help
him document McPartland’s growth as a pianist.
Not one to establish a set repertoire and remain
stagnant, she continuously explored new material
and took chances on Piano Jazz, playing with new
people from diverse backgrounds. One of her
triumphs was playing duets with Cecil Taylor, not at
all intimidated by his wild improvising and showing
off her own considerable abstract chops.
With over 700 Piano Jazz programs recorded
between 1978-2010 (she formally retired in 2011),
much of the book is devoted to her broadcasts. Sadly
only a few dozen have been commercially issued
and a fraction of the others made available as
podcasts; it is a shame that there wasn’t room in the
appendix to list all of her guests.
For more information, visit us.macmillan.com/SMP.aspx
15
GLOBE UNITY: NORWAY
Fourteen
Nouveau Stride
(Relarion)
Tales of the Unusual
Lorraine Feather
(Jazzed Media)
by Ken Dryden
Memnon: Sound Portraits of Ibsen Characters
Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer/Helge Lien (Ozella Music)
In A Rag Bag
Karin Krog/Morten Gunnar Larsen (Meantime)
Voxpheria Tone Åse/Thomas Strønen (Gigafon)
by Tom Greenland
J azz fans familiar with ECM recordings know about
a certain slice of the country’s ‘cool’ school but
perhaps know little of artists like Bugge Wesseltoft,
the rhythm team of Ingebrigt Håker Flaten and Paal
Nilssen-Love, Jaga Jazzist, Supersilent, The Core
and legions more that comprise Norway’s active
and eclectic modern jazz scene.
Memnon: Sound Portraits of Ibsen Characters
features vocalist Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer and pianist
Helge Lien in a series of composed improvisations
inspired by the great Norwegian playwright’s
protagonists. The pair ’s modus operandi seems
Stanislavski-ian, deeply immersing themselves in a
character ’s emotions before letting the creative
sparks fly. Lien’s touch is gentle and ethereal,
marking a zone for Meyer ’s plaintive, searching
vocal flights, which range from whispers, growls
and squelched notes with pinched upper partials to
wailing helicopter yodels and ululations, the latter
reaching powerful climaxes on “Hedvig”, “Hedda”
and “Peer and the Mountain King”. “Ellida”, “Åse”
and “Nora” are all notable for their Billy Strayhornesque chromatic lyricism.
Another vocal/piano pairing, veteran Karin
Krog’s duo with Morten Gunnar Larsen In a Rag
Bag, explores ragtime and traditional jazz repertoire,
particularly Bix Beiderbecke and Fats Waller. A
versatile singer and Norway’s first internationally
known jazz musician, Krog phrases effortlessly with
a slightly smoky and breathy tone, never oversinging where a subtler touch will do, serving up a
saucy scat solo on “Spanish Steps”. Larsen is a
marvel, a fine technician who deftly tackles the
complex rhythmic convolutions of Scott Joplin’s
“Euphonic Sounds”, his own “Olympia Rag” and
Waller and Clarence Williams’ “Wild Cat Blues”,
instantly adjusting his timing to accommodate rag,
stride or boogie, often within the same piece, yet
always maintaining his forward momentum.
On Voxpheria, vocalist Tone Åse and
percussionist Thomas Strønen take the duo concept
one step further, into the realm of improvised
electronica. The ‘50s-era cover, looking like a setpiece from The Twilight Zone, aptly telegraphs the
music within, a pastiche of textures - radio static,
fizzling power-lines, crackling hearth-fires, howling
wind, leaky faucets, subterranean drones,
shimmering chimes, tearing paper, rusty springs,
twanging rubberbands, boiling kettles, shuffling
cards and the like - that create a synthetic soundscape
through which Åse wends her way with poetry
bytes (by e.e. cummings or Rolf Jacobsen) and
wordless ad-libs, often harmonized and digitally
looped in spontaneous counterpoint.
For more information, visit ozellamusic.com, karinkrog.no
and gigafon.no
Bouquet
Charlotte Hug/Frédéric
Blondy (Emanem)
Live @ The Ironworks,
Vancouver
Ig Henneman Sextet (Wig)
by Ken Waxman
V ocalist
W hat’s the difference between a dog and a viola? The
For more information, visit lorrainefeather.com and
jazzedmedia.com. Nouveau Stride is at Metropolitan Room
Mar. 28th. See Calendar.
For more information,
stichtingwig.com
Lorraine Feather ’s gift for writing witty
lyrics has put her on the map and garnered her both
Grammy and Oscar nominations. Feather pens lyrics
for decades-old gems by jazz greats with an engaging,
at times conversational, singing style.
Pianist Dick Hyman previously worked with
Feather and recommended that she listen to Stephanie
Trick, a young St. Louis stride pianist. Once they met
and played a few numbers, they discovered it was a
perfect match, christening themselves Nouveau Stride.
Fourteen includes new Feather lyrics and some of her
earlier works, all played with gusto by the talented
Trick. James P. Johnson’s “Caprice Rag” becomes “Pour
on the Heat”, a historic narrative on the development
of stride, Feather alternating between rapid-fire
singing and narration as Trick provides romping
accompaniment. Trick delivers a powerful rendition of
Johnson’s “Carolina Shout”, long considered an acid
test for stride pianists. “Vive Le Boogie Woogie” is an
infectious boogie-woogie penned by Trick (which she
plays with as much authority as stride) with a playful
Feather lyric. Willie “The Lion“ Smith’s “Spanish Rag”
reemerges as “The Tango Lesson”, imagining a young
lady’s discovery of the sensuous dance while Duke
Ellington’s “Dancers in Love” transforms into
“Imaginary Guy”, a hilarious solution to a lady’s
problems with various boyfriends. Fats Waller ’s “Bond
Street” began life as his impression of a day in the life
of a London streetwalker; Feather ’s “California Street”
transforms it into a nostalgic love story. Nouveau
Stride will delight both jazz vocal and piano fans, due
to the pair ’s tremendous chemistry.
Tales of the Unusual blends humor and an
occasionally eerie flavor as Feather collaborates with
some of her favorite musicians, which include Russell
Ferrante or Shelly Berg (piano), violinist Charles
Bisharat and either Grant Geissman or Mike Miller
(guitar). The captivating alto is a terrific storyteller,
crafting lyrics that take on a more introspective nature
in this collection while adding to the exotic air of the
music. “The Hole in the Map”, with music by Ferrante,
is Feather ’s amusing story of exploring the Amazon.
“Where is Everybody?” combines mystery and humor,
with Bisharat spicing his solo with gypsy flavor. “Five”
features music by Tony Morales (Feather ’s husband)
and creative use of overdubbed vocals in a song about
a young girl’s obsession with the number five. “Get a
Room” is a hilarious tale of opposites attracting with
plenty of romantic fireworks, with Berg’s engaging
music and lively solos all around supporting Feather ’s
engaging vocal. She revisits “Indiana Lana”, an earlier
work adding words to Duke Ellington’s “Jubilee
Stomp”, singing a lively duet with Berg (a masterful
stride piano player, among many things) about a
female runner who outruns everyone and everything.
Feather ’s imagery in the haunting “To Lie Another
Day” describes loneliness in an atypical fashion. With
the diverse Tales of the Unusual, Feather reaffirms her
status as one of the most gifted lyricists and compelling
vocalists.
dog knows when to stop scratching. Of all the stringed
instruments, it’s the viola that gets the least respect,
with this joke only one of hundreds. Yet because of its
unique intonation the viola has become a favored
method of expression for inventive improvisers like
Switzerland’s Charlotte Hug and the Netherlands’ Ig
Henneman.
The selections on Bouquet by Hug and Paris-based
pianist Frédéric Blondy are perfectly designed to
confuse types whose allegiance is to contemporary
so-called classical music. Both have enough academic
expertise to work in the notated milieu, but the dozen
tracks here are improvisations, off-handedly displaying
exquisite technical smarts while cooperating to create
sound pictures that are extravagant without being
egocentric. Most tracks consist of inside and outside
piano tropes ranging from methodical to stratospheric,
plus fiddle sweeps that encompass mangling, melding
and mixing textures. The overlapping cadences create
a genuinely moving program.
A track such as “Thalia Remontant” finds Blondy
vibrating miniature cymbals resting on the top of the
piano’s internal string set, complementing Hug’s lowpitched spiccato swipes. In contrast, “Rosa moyesii” is
completed with a (faux?) sexy sigh from Hug after the
two have methodically exposed parallel tonal chords,
with the violist’s instrument attaining cello-like
resonance as she roughens her attack. Blondy is so
skillful that on “Sombreuil” he creates a cavern-deep
ostinato from pure pedal motion alone and then uses
broken-octave keyboard jumps to define a response to
Hug’s melodic invention. Elsewhere embroidered
textures oscillate so quickly and are so opaque that
ascribing them to a particular instrument is nearly
impossible.
The six Henneman compositions that make up
Live @ The Ironworks, Vancouver include so-called
classical references as well. Her international sextet is
made up of bassist Wilbert de Joode and multi-reedist
Ab Baars from the Netherlands; Berlin-based trumpeter
Axel Dörner and two Canadians: Montreal clarinetist
Lori Freedman and Toronto pianist Marilyn Lerner.
Note the versatile turns on the final “A ‘n B”, with
the exposition moving from straightforward swing,
replete with graceful trumpet lines and contrapuntal
cascades from Lerner, to tougher sequences when
honking bass clarinet explosions from Freeman and
angled riffs from the violist take over. De Joode’s
steady pumping personalizes the title of “Bold
Swagger”. Henneman’s gift for descriptive lines are on
display with “Prelude for the Lady with the Hammer”,
which could serve as a film noir theme. The group’s
abstract turn arrives with the deceptively titled “Light
Verse”. More like a dramatic epic, the juddering
exposition include whinnying trumpet flutters,
unaccompanied, altissimo reed squeals and jittery
lines from Henneman.
More sessions like these and eventually there may
be a dearth of jokes like: Why is a viola like a lawsuit?
Everyone’s happy when the case is closed.
visit
emanemdisc.com
and
accelerating A sections and a slinky sax solo entrance,
and “Bright Mississippi”, as an appropriately bright
tempo is complemented by a drum solo accompanied
by shards of sax melody. “Pannonica” features Daly on
flute and a waltz tempo while “Green Chimneys” is a
baritone sax and piano (Steve Hudson) duet that
invokes Monk’s fondness for stride with its two-beat
flavor. But this album triumphs on the expressive and
Monk-informed vivacity of baritone sax and bass.
Money Jungle
Terri Lyne Carrington
(Concord)
Baritone Monk
Claire Daly
(North Coast Brewing)
by George Kanzler
Two prominent female jazz artists honor jazz icons on
these albums. Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington
reimagines the music of one of the most celebrated allstar trio LPs in jazz while baritone saxophonist Claire
Daly essays a program of Monk compositions in one of
his favorite performing contexts.
50 years ago last month, United Artists released
Money Jungle, a Duke Ellington album with bassist
Charles Mingus and drummer Max Roach, a one-off
trio assembled by producer Alan Douglas. Ellington
wrote eight mostly blues-based tunes for the date,
which also included three Ellington standards.
Carrington jettisons those in favor of originals and
augments her basic trio, with bassist Christian McBride
and pianist Gerald Clayton, on some of the eight Money
Jungle tunes. She also interpolates some soundbite
quotes about our economic problems from the likes of
Martin Luther King Jr., Barack Obama, George W. Bush
and the Clintons onto the opening title track, which
otherwise adheres closely to the original, right down
to McBride’s choked, upper register Mingus bass
technique. The album also ends with spoken words:
Duke Ellington’s in his poem “Music”, an extended
metaphor of music as a woman (voiced by Shea Rose)
and his comments about jazz, music and money (voiced
by Herbie Hancock). In between, Carrington and her
cohort inhabit and reinvigorate the spirit of the music
originally created by that allstar trio in 1962.
Some of Ellington’s pieces receive radical
makeovers. “Backward Country Boy Blues” adds
ethereal wordless vocals from Lizz Wright as well as
Nir Felder ’s gritty electric guitar and some Rhodes
from Clayton. “Fleurette Africain”, a delicate pastel on
the original LP, becomes a colorful Romare Beardenlike collage, adding Clark Terry’s “mumbles” vocals
and some mouthpiece brays as well as his trumpet
solo, plus flutes and trombone. “Switch Blade” begins
similar to the original, with deep groove blues piano
referencing Ellington, but expands to include Tia
Fuller ’s alto sax, Antonio Hart’s flute and Robin
Eubanks’ trombone in Mingus-y polyphony. The trio
tracks are an inspired amalgam of tribute and creativity
and Clayton’s “Cut Off” is a deft pastiche of Ellington’s
“Solitude”, suggesting just how much this trio has
absorbed the lessons of Money Jungle.
After a spate of ‘novel’ Monk repertoire albums
including organ and guitar trios and Monk mid-size
bands without a piano, it is refreshing to hear a
straightforward tribute in the manner of Monk’s most
frequent working band, a quartet. Daly’s group, much
like that early and suave Monk tribute band Sphere,
plays Monk’s music without aping the composer or his
bands. Like Sphere, Daly’s quartet is more aware of
nuance and structure than the anarchic quirks and
humor of Monk’s tunes, but aside from a couple of too
bland takes, this CD delivers with moderate Monk-ish
spice. The title is reflected in the bass clef favoritism of
the best tracks, from “Light Blue”, wherein Daly’s
baritone begins phrases completed by Mary Ann
McSweeney’s arco bass, to “Ruby, My Dear”, a
deliciously slow, sinuous version with plucked bass
obbligati to the baritone lead. Also appealing to Monk
fans should be the care and detail applied to
singularizing such tunes as “Let’s Cool One”, with
For more information, visit concordmusicgroup.com and
northcoastbrewing.com. Carrington’s Money Jungle is at
Dizzy’s Club Mar. 26th-27th. Daly’s Baritone Monk is at
Birdland Mar. 28th. See Calendar.
ON DVD
Solo•Duo•Poetry
Cecil Taylor + Pauline Oliveros (EMPAC)
by Suzanne Lorge
Listening requires some effort on the part of the
listener - at the least, a certain receptivity. This kind
of interactive communication lies at the heart of
Pauline Oliveros’ work as a musician, professor and
philosopher. Her music can only be described as
such if one understands that all sound is music.
This is the message that Oliveros offered
listeners in her 2008 concert with pianist Cecil Taylor
at Rensselaer Polytechnic Institute, where she
teaches. The occasion was the dedication of the
university’s Curtis R. Priem Experimental Media
and Performance Arts Center (EMPAC), a bright,
open space of glass and wood for avant garde artists
of all stripes. The DVD, with almost three hours of
spontaneous composition and improvised poetry,
not only shows off the Center ’s stages to best
advantage but gives lovers of free improv a visceral
experience of the evening - not easy to do, given the
immediate nature of that musical process.
Oliveros and Taylor are experts at turning
themselves inside out during their solos; one can
almost hear their thoughts a second before they play
them.
Each
improvised
separately
before
collaborating on a 22-minute improv. In their solo
performances the musicians followed their
respective internal cues through the twists and turns
of their composition, changing musical direction at
will. When the two performed together, however,
they synched these internal cues nonverbally,
moving together the way birds do. The duo section
is a lesson in how to work together.
Taylor also improvises with words (the “poetry”
part of the title). In a separate performance in the
EMPAC’s theater, he read (or created spontaneously)
phrases and verses that questioned the nature of
existence - just what are these racial, sexual, cultural,
biological, cosmological structures all about,
anyway? As with the music, the answer seems to lie
somewhere in between the sounds.
This DVD is not for the passive viewer looking
to be pleased or entertained, even though there are
many pleasant, entertaining moments on the disc.
It’s for those looking to have their psyches prodded.
For more information, visit empac.rpi.edu. Oliveros is at
Roulette Mar. 30th. See Calendar.
17
New Blues Aki Takase (Enja/Yellowbird)
En Corps
Eve Risser/Benjamin Duboc/Edward Perraud
(Dark Tree)
Games and Improvisations (Homage à György Kurtág)
Katharina Weber/Barry Guy/Balts Nill (Intakt)
Orchestre Idéal Johanna Borchert (WhyPlayJazz)
by John Sharpe
Right from the time when most women in the
entertainment business were either singers or dancers,
the piano supplied one of the few acceptable entrees
for female instrumentalists to the world of jazz. Even
though such prejudices have been left way behind, the
keyboard remains where women are most strongly
represented on the bandstand.
Berlin-based Japanese pianist Aki Takase creates a
beguiling mix of the old and the modern day, with her
original compositions rubbing shoulders with tunes by
Fats Waller, Jelly Roll Morton and WC Handy. In many
ways New Blues is a follow up to 2003’s Plays Fats
Waller (Enja), with almost the same lineup, including
the spirited yet knowing vocals by maverick guitarist/
banjo player Eugene Chadbourne. Some of the pianist’s
numbers sit well alongside the standards, such as the
jaunty “Seven Eleven”, featuring quicksilver interplay
between the bass clarinet of Rudi Mahall and the
boisterous trombone of Nils Wogram, while others
boast a barreling vivacity and angular unisons, as well
as bursts of piano dissonance from the leader. There is
a madcap edge to the polyphony, which bursts out of
the confines of “The Joint Is Jumpin’”, “Dr. Jazz” and
“Dead Man Blues”, even though the last comes
complete with a funeral march introduction. Very different but equally enthralling, En Corps
features the French triumvirate of pianist Eve Risser
working with the seasoned bass and drums of Benjamin
Duboc and Edward Perraud. Remarkably selfless,
Risser tempers her keyboard with all manner of
preparations, including wooden and metal blocks,
accentuating the percussive nature of her instrument.
Over two lengthy excursions the trio indulge in what
might be termed tantric jazz: mysterious, veiled, slow
burning and perfectly judged. Indeterminate sounds
flicker like stars in the cosmic void, as brief shards of
rhythmic patter form part of a larger arc that
disjointedly moves to a stunning crescendo, without a
hint of tune or steady tempo, before Risser ’s distant
hammered tremolo sees the energy slowly dissipate. On Games and Improvisations, Swiss pianist
Katharina Weber interprets 11 brief (mainly less than a
minute) piano works by contemporary Hungarian
composer György Kurtág. She follows each one, in the
company of compatriot percussionist Balts Nill and
English bass virtuoso Barry Guy, with a reaction to the
initial work. Weber, who studied with Kurtág, is a
precise and self-contained practitioner, balanced by
Nill who is as much sound sculptor as percussionist
while Guy’s astonishing range of textures act as the
glue between them. At times the links between
inspiration and resultant extemporization are clear, as
with “Palm Stroke”, where the ensuing improvisation
is correspondingly thorny and energetic, while
elsewhere the connection becomes more oblique, as
with “Hommage à Szervánszky: Silence”, melodic but
interspersed with quiet, which draws an initially lowkey, lower case response before the three voices
variously overlap and mesh. The set can be enjoyed on
several different levels: Kurtág’s pieces, spare to the
point of haiku, can be savored in their own right; or
inviting investigation of the relationships to the
corresponding exploration or as an extended suite. German pianist Johanna Borchert extracts the
essence of the orchestra from her piano, harpsichord
and autoharp over the course of 13 short tracks on
Orchestre Idéal. Like Risser, she also makes extensive
use of preparations but to very different ends. At times,
such as on the tolling “Obertöne”, she evokes
minimalism, provoking contemporary classical
comparisons. Elsewhere she summons Erik Satie,
especially on the dreamy “Lillies”. The latter is one of
four pieces improvised on her own compositions, more
lyrical than the unpremeditated cuts. In her
explorations of texture, layers and moods, several
events often happen simultaneously, such as the
pointillist plucked notes and dramatic piano sweep of
“Königlicher Schlafgang” or the ghostly ape-like hoots,
percussive taps and isolated keystrokes that comprise
“Gemolkene Stäbchen”. Many of the pieces are left
hanging and this, combined with the general austerity
of conception, means that a similarly unresolved air
hangs over the album as a whole.
For
more
information,
visit
enjarecords.com,
darktree-records.com, intaktrec.ch and whyplayjazz.de
NEW FROM RED HOUSE RECORDS!
HEATHER
MASSE AND DICK HYMAN
LOCK MY H EART
“a coalescence of musical vision and sound.”
– ALL ABOUT JAZZ
“timeless...makes old school new cool.”
–@CRITICALJAZZ
The surprise duo first heard on public
radio’s A Prairie Home Companion!
The brilliant honey-voiced alto and
songwriter from The Wailin’ Jennys
meets the legendary pianist in a stunning
new recording of classic jazz vocals.
The sound quality and performances
are astounding!
www.redhouserecords.com
AVAILABLE IN BOTH REGULAR CD AND
SUPER AUDIO CD (HYBRID SACD) FORMATS.
RECORDED IN HI-REZ DIRECT STREAM DIGITAL.
Centennial: Newly Discovered Works of Gil Evans
Ryan Truesdell (ArtistShare)
by George Kanzler
H eralded as both a large ensemble and debut album
of 2012, this exquisite and sumptuous mounting of ten
previously unrecorded charts found among the late Gil
Evans’ papers is a fittingly grand tribute to the late
composer-arranger on his centennial. Ryan Truesdell
assembled enough musicians to bring to life charts
ranging from a woodwind-string-trombones-plus
rhythm octet accompanying a vocal and the ‘40s
Claude Thornhill Orchestra to a full 24-piece ensemble
replicating a “dream band” Evans led at the 1971 Berlin
Jazz Festival. He even adds a tabla player to the
16-piece instrumentation Evans had used on his 1964
Individualism of Gil Evans album to realize a chart
intended for that recording.
That piece, “Punjab”, is the most cinematic track.
Truesdell, after listening to the (rejected) rehearsal
takes, added Dan Weiss on tabla - an instrument Evans
never used - and its sound informs the unique feel of
the 15-minute track, from the long prelude, where it is
joined by tenor violin, drums, guitar and flutes, to the
main sections, part of the underpinnings to the
whirling melody along with deep tuba-trombone
chords. Solos by pianist Frank Kimbrough and alto
saxophonist Steve Wilson weave in and out of the rich
orchestral tapestry. As this music demonstrates time
and again, Evans was about much more than melody
and harmony in arrangements. Those rich tapestries
depended on exotic textures, hence his novel voicings
and lushly dramatic transitional passages, sustained
notes and chords that floated free of themes and
conventional linearity. The longest track here (19
minutes) is a medley, “Waltz/Variation on the Misery/
So Long”, resembling a rhapsody moving through
myriad tones and colors in multiple tempos, touching
down on wisps of melody but held together by the
gossamer transitions and suspended rhythms.
There are three vocal tracks, each featuring a
different singer and differing instrumentation, which
reveal Evans’ restless inventiveness at work behind
singers and five charts originally written for Thornhill
over 60 years ago. They show how creative Evans was
dealing with Swing band vocabulary, but the real
revelation is an early “The Maids of Cadiz”, more
expansive than the version fashioned for Miles Davis a
decade later on Miles Ahead.
For more information, visit artistshare.com. A Gil Evans
tribute is at Borden Auditorium Mar. 1st. See Calendar.
Some More Love Songs
Marc Copland Trio (Pirouet)
by Joel Roberts
Marc Copland started his career as a saxophonist in
the ‘70s, but he’s long since developed into one of the
more creative and accomplished, if underrated,
pianists in jazz. His lyrical, expressive style puts him
loosely in the Bill Evans-Keith Jarrett wing of modern
jazz piano, but he has a sound that’s easily identifiable.
Copland’s new release is a followup, seven years
and at least that many albums removed, to 2005’s Some
Love Songs. He has reassembled the same trio from the
first outing (in-demand bassist Drew Gress and the
fine German-born drummer Jochen Rueckert) and
features a similar setlist of all love songs, mostly very
familiar ones. But it’s not the tunes themselves that
stand out here; it’s what Copland and company do
with them, as he and his mates find new harmonic and
melodic angles to explore in these chestnuts.
The opener is a Joni Mitchell number, “I Don’t
Know Where I Stand”, which Copland approaches
with a quiet but firm command, sharing solo space (as
he does throughout the album) with Gress. Two wellworn standards are given slightly offbeat twists: the
usually bleak “My Funny Valentine” is taken at a
swinging pace while the usually swinging “I’ve Got
You Under My Skin” loses its Sinatra-esque bounce
and becomes a slow, somewhat gloomy ballad that
goes off in unexpected directions. “Rainbow’s End”,
the only original composition by Copland here, is the
album’s emotional core, evoking equal parts romance
and sorrow.
Though it’s an album of love songs, the overall
tone of the session is blue (like the great Joni Mitchell
album of the same name), but Copland doesn’t exactly
play the blues. His vision of love - or at least his vision
of love songs - is a complicated and refreshingly adult
one, as much about longing and loss as it is about
sweetness and bliss.
The 14-minute jam is a non-stop barrage of screaming
Rhodes, somersaulting backbeats and rocketing
trumpet pyrotechnics. “Frankie and Johnny” closes the
set with a smooth swing. Archer takes a rumbling solo
over White’s effortless brushes as the band takes their
time with the mellow blues.
The set runs a high-energy 80 minutes over just 7
tracks with clinking silverware and Payton’s quiet
storm patter tying it all together, an engaging live date
that reminds us why Payton’s opinions are given the
weight they are in the first place.
For more information, visit nicholaspayton.com. This
project is at Iridium Mar. 1st-3rd. See Calendar.
For more information, visit pirouet.com. Copland is at
Birdland Feb. 26th-Mar. 2nd. See Calendar.
RECOMMENDED
NEW RELEASES
#BAM Live at Bohemia Caverns
Nicholas Payton (BMF)
by Sean O’Connell
Trumpeter Nicholas Payton has made waves lately
more on the heels of his social media prowess than
with his trumpet. His BAM (Black American Music)
movement has prompted more late-night, off-therecord conversations than one could have ever
imagined. As the leader of a bold idea, naturally, his
recorded output has been held to higher scrutiny. His
last release, Bitches, was a foray into cathartic R&B but
for this album, his first for his BMF record label, he
returns to an instrumental sound with a stripped-down
band of bassist Vicente Archer and drummer Lenny
White. Curiously, what rises to the surface on this
record is Payton’s way with a keyboard. Throughout
the live date, the smooth but talkative leader spends as
much time seated at the Rhodes as blasting his horn.
The album kicks off with Payton in duet with
himself, his plaintive trumpet cry matched by sparse
chords. He alternates between pinched trumpet and a
plucky Rhodes solo before briefly riding Wayne
Shorter ’s quartal “Witch Hunt” riff on his trumpet
with punchy electricity. On “Catlett Outta the Bag”, a
White original, Payton gets downright funky on the
Rhodes, digging into a distorted stride as White beats
the hell out of his kit. It’s an impressive display that
seems to take the audience a bit by surprise. The
applause is spacious and hesitant. They get a confident
solo from Archer to sort things out. If that surprised
them, then who knows what “The African Tinge” did.
• Barry Altschul - The 3Dom Factor (TUM)
• Ben Goldberg - Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues
(BAG Production)
• Eric Hofbauer - American Grace (Creative Nation)
• Jonathan Kreisberg - One (New For Now)
• Jeremy Manasia - Green Dream (Cellar Live)
• David Weiss & Point of Departure Venture Inward (Posi-Tone)
David Adler, New York@Night Columnist
• Jeremiah Cymerman Amplified Quartet Sky Burial (s/r)
• Mats Eilertsen Trio - Sails Set (Hubro)
• Champian Fulton - Champian Sings and Swings
(Sharp Nine)
• Billy Martin’s Wicked Knee - Heels Over Head
(Amulet)
• Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer/Helge Lien - Memnon:
Sound Portraits of Ibsen Characters (Ozella Music)
• Neil Welch - Twelve Tiny Explosions (Table & Chairs)
Laurence Donohue-Greene
Managing Editor, The New York City Jazz Record
• John Butcher/Guillaume Viltard/Eddie Prévost Meeting with Remarkable Saxophonists Volume 2
(Matchless)
• Silke Eberhard/Ulrich Gumpert Peanuts & Variations (Jazzwerkstatt)
• Ben Goldberg - Subatomic Particle Homesick Blues (BAG Production)
• Ibrahim Electric - “Isle of Men” (Target)
• JC Jones - Citations (Solo Bass) (Kadima Collective)
• The O’Farrill Brothers Band - Sensing Flight
(ZoHo Music)
Andrey Henkin
Editorial Director, The New York City Jazz Record
Play the music of
Benny Carter
Count Basie
(Roulette-Fresh Sound)
Opus De Blues
Frank Wess & Thad Jones
Septets (Savoy/Roulette Fresh Sound)
by Duck Baker
H ere are two excellent reissues to delight Basie fans,
both those who love the big band and those with a
taste for the winning style of small-group mainstream
swing that his sidemen served up through the ‘50s and
early ‘60s. And you needn’t be a specialist to enjoy
these releases; having ears that work properly is the
only prerequisite for that reaction.
No pairing of LPs could be more logical than
Kansas City Suite and The Legend, the 1960 and 1961
sessions arranged by Benny Carter for a Basie band
that had, in the opinion of many, hit its postwar peak
with The Atomic Mr. Basie in 1958. There were only a
couple of personnel changes between the Atomic and
Kansas City sessions. Eddie Lockjaw Davis was replaced
by Billy Mitchell on tenor saxophone, but Frank Foster
and Frank Wess remained, as did trumpet stars Joe
Newman, Thad Jones and Snooky Young and
trombonists Al Grey, Seldon Powell and Henry Coker.
The section playing was still sensational and of course
the rhythm section of Basie, guitarist Freddie Green,
bassist Eddie Jones and drummer Sonny Payne was
nonpareil. By the time The Legend was recorded,
Newman and Grey had left, Budd Johnson had replaced
Billy Mitchell and Sam Herman was subbing for Green.
The soloists throughout are great, with Foster and
Jones making, perhaps, the strongest impressions.
Several of these tunes became standards and “Katy
Do” is in the band’s book to this day, but there’s no
sane way to single out individual tracks when every
one is a classic. Carter ’s writing is wonderful and
draws things out of the band that Basie’s regular
arrangers didn’t, especially from the sax and trombone
sections. Carter did lead a good few dates during this
period, but the only one that found him leading a big
band was the magnificent Aspects (1958) and the
similarity to the writing here is immediately apparent. The Frank Wess date Opus De Blues was recorded
in 1959 but remained unissued, somehow, until 1991.
The Thad Jones tracks were originally part of an
unwieldy two-LP set called The Birdland Story, so the
packaging of these two slightly out-of-the-way sessions
Pugs & Crows - Fantastic Pictures
“This is music of great strength and beauty.”
- Alexander Varty, The Georgia Straight (Vancouver, B.C)
Meredith Bates - violin / Cat Toren - piano / Cole Schmidt - guitar
Russell Sholberg - bass / Ben Brown - drums
recipient of Galaxie Rising Star Award at 2010 Vancouver Jazz Festival
Available now: pugsandcrows.com
is again good thinking, especially as seven of the nine
tracks are Jones originals. The first session features
fellow Basie hand Charlie Fowlkes on baritone sax and
Curtis Fuller on trombone, with Hank Jones heading a
three-piece rhythm section that manages the right
swing feel while adding a few modern flourishes.
Hank’s soloing is particularly tasty and his sense of
humor is in evidence, the sly quote of “Star Eyes” at
the beginning of his solo on “Boop De Doop” a
noteworthy example. Though he’s listed as playing
tenor and flute, Wess also plays alto on the opening “I
Hear Ya Talkin’”. On the Birdland date (not sure what
the reasoning behind that title was, since it was mostly
a collection of unrelated studio sessions), our two
protagonists are joined by Al Grey and Billy Mitchell.
Is the cast sounding familiar yet? They certainly sound
familiar to one another, making Thad’s charts sound as
easy to play as they are to listen to, which is easy
indeed! Brother Hank returns with more great piano
comping and soloing and we get another rare chance to
hear Wess’ alto, on “Friday the 13th”. Fans of his fine
flute work and fluid tenor will find lots to like
throughout the two sessions as well, of course.
Opus De Blues is certainly a worthwhile addition
to any collection but the Carter/Basie collaborations
rank among the very greatest postwar big band
records. You’ll like the former and you need the latter.
For more information, visit freshsoundrecords.com. Wess is
at Jazz at Kitano Mar. 2nd, Saint Peter’s Mar. 3rd as part of
Prez Fest and Smoke Mar. 29th-30th. See Calendar.
JA ZZ AT LINCOLN CE NTE R
25 YEARS OF JAZZ
MAR
charlie parker & dizzy gillespie
Photo courtesy of the Frank Driggs Collection
M AR 8–9
7: 3 0 P M
& 9 : 3 0 PM
D IZ Z Y & B IR D FE S T I VA L
PAQ U I TO D ’ R I V E R A’ S
‘CHARLIE PARKE R WITH
STRINGS’
D’Rivera honors the work of
Charlie Parker, imparting a Latin
twist to the familiar standard
Free pre-concert festival, 6:30pm
M AR 8–9
8 PM
D IZ Z Y & B IR D FE S T I VA L
CELEBR ATING DIZZ Y
GILLESPIE
Master trumpeter Jon Faddis
leads The Jon Faddis Jazz
Orchestra of New York through
new transcriptions of Dizzy
Gillespie repertoire
Free pre-concert festival, 6:30pm
The Loneliest Woman
Joe McPhee Po Music (Corbett vs. Dempsey)
by Marc Medwin
This version of Ornette’s classic composition blossoms
into one of the best ever. Recorded in Basel, Switzerland
in 1981 with some of European improvisation’s leading
lights, it’s a wonder that the lonely 13-minute track is
only seeing the light of day for the first time.
Bassist François Méchali’s solo is indicative,
gaining in momentum before settling down to a drone
similar to Coleman’s 1959 version. Michael Overhage’s
cello and Raymond Boni’s guitar emerge from the
drone, providing a timbral and harmonic cushion
where Coleman emphasizes the melody’s starkness. As
in late-period Coltrane, there is a transparent layer of
percussion, courtesy of bells and cymbals from Pierre
Favre. While some room is provided midway for solos,
notably a scorcher from trombonist Radu Malfatti,
much of this music is collective in nature. It is as if Joe
McPhee, or whoever was responsible for the lush and
constantly morphing arrangement, realized Coleman’s
harmolodic implications, bringing the music to the
next level. Parts of the head are non-contiguously
juxtaposed with others, giving the form the same
freedom that meter and solos enjoyed in the original.
Despite the present transfer obviously coming
from a fairly high-generation copy, the recording is
superb. Each detail is audible while not necessarily
being realistically presented. Witness the hazy echo on
certain saxophone passages as contrasted with the
forward positioning of cymbals and Irène Schweizer ’s
piano. McPhee fans needn’t hesitate.
For more information, visit corbettvsdempsey.com. McPhee
is at Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center Mar. 2nd. See
Calendar.
M AR 15–16
7: 3 0 P M
& 9 : 3 0 PM
CHARLIE MUSSE LWHITE
Blues master Charlie
Musselwhite brings his bourbonsmooth tenor voice and
masterful harmonica commentary to The Allen Room
M A R 2 2–2 3
7: 3 0 P M
& 9 : 3 0 PM
MADELEINE PEYROUX
Vocalist and guitarist
Madeleine Peyroux reprises
originals and classics from
artists such as Bessie Smith,
Bob Dylan, Joni Mitchell,
and more
B O X O F F I C E B R O A D W A Y A T 6 0 TH
CENTERCHARGE 212-721-6500
JALC .ORG
Preferred Card of Jazz at Lincoln Center
Lead Corporate Sponsor
21
Channels of Consciousness
William Hooker
(NoBusiness)
Duo (feat. Mark Hennen)
William Hooker
(Nacht)
by Ken Waxman
W ith a career that stretches back to NYC’s Loft Era,
drummer William Hooker tries to create something
unique with each CD. The challenge of a Hooker
session is how well his concept succeeds. Both recorded
live, Channels of Consciousness and Duo couldn’t be
more different. The former, although inspired by an
unfinished novel, is fully formed with sterling work
from a quintet of percussionist Sanga, bassist Adam
Lane, trumpeter Chris DiMeglio and guitarist Dave
Ross. Duo captures solos from Hooker and a long-time
associate, pianist Mark Hennen, but only gels when
the two finally improvise together.
Based on Richard Wright’s posthumously
published A Father’s Law, the quintet CD is an extended
meditation on power and violence. Hooker quotes
from Wright’s book in two instances but the emotion
expressed by Ross’ whining bottleneck guitar alongside
Hooker ’s timed cowbell smacks expresses more drama
than the out-of-context phrases. In the same way, the
quintet’s emotionally affecting instrumental smarts
trump thematic storytelling. This is made clear with
“Connected” and “Three Hexagons”. Earlier, DiMeglio
expresses himself with clarion calls and note bending,
but on these climatic tunes he reaches back to bedrock
jazz; likewise, Lane’s most comprehensive solo unrolls
on “Three Hexagons”, as sul ponticello strokes and
chiming scrubs hold their own alongside Ross’ sharp
picking, the trumpeter ’s poised grace notes and
polyrhythms from the dual drummers.
Hooker and Sanga’s patterning and blunt strokes
reference African, AfroCuban and jazz inflections. But
unlike a solipsistic Max Roach percussion ensemble,
the drum pounding is strictly transformative. The
music’s full spectrum wouldn’t exist if not for the
guitarist’s intense blues or DiMeglio’s elevated
timbres, often sounding like a baroque trumpet.
Hooker also verbalizes a metaphysically oriented
poem on Duo, but, especially with dodgy recording,
more rewarding sentiments come from his spot-on
playing. Minutely timing his options during his solo
track, he intertwines press rolls, gong resonation and
rat-tat-tats with assurance, calmly slowing down and
speeding up the result without hesitation.
Hennen’s calm is the defining factor in his playing.
Known for his work with hard-nosed ensembles like
the Collective 4tet, here Hennen reveals a lyrical side.
His sweeping harmonies and tinkling key dusting
reveal sound nuances and shading. These components
came into play in the final duet as Hennen’s linear key
motions meander tortoise-like through the exposition
as Hooker leaps hare-like through a series of boisterous
buzzing and resounding percussion displays. Without
losing his subtle voicing, midway through Hennen
variations turn to Cecil Taylor-like contrasting
dynamics, which eventually corral the drummer ’s
agitated pummeling into a more cooperative interface.
Although Hooker never attains the ingenious pianist’s
level of unhurried syncopation, his output remains
tasteful even as he maintains propulsive rhythms.
For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com and
nachtrecords.com. Hooker’s Quintet is at Nublu Mar. 2nd
and his Quartet with Mark Hennen is at The Firehouse
Space Mar. 8th. See Calendar.
Music is Emotion
Ryan Keberle and Catharsis (Alternate Side)
by Elliott Simon
Music is Emotion is evidence that there is a lot going
on in both trombonist Ryan Keberle’s heart and head.
Without delving into the two-factor theory of emotion,
Keberle is clearly in sync with music being both a
reflection of a performer ’s emotion and eliciting a
visceral response from the listener. That is not all that
Keberle is in synch with, however; his interplay with
trumpeter Mike Rodriguez is thrilling.
The self-penned compositions are the truest to the
session’s beliefs and on an emotional level opener “Big
Kick Blues” is filled with happiness while “Need Some
Time” is subtly complex as it mixes in some fear with
an upbeat feel. The trombone is custom made for this
role and Keberle is a nuanced player who rarely goes
over the top. He promotes a group atmosphere that
engenders a tight improvisational framework and
blends in phenomenally well with Rodriguez for what
are some great voicings.
Bassist Jorge Roeder is like-minded and his long
arco intro to the environmentally friendly “Carbon
Neutral” elicits a profound sadness that drummer Eric
Doob skillfully converts into anger. “Nowhere to Go,
Nothing to See” drifts into a lovely exotica soundscape
with harmonic horn interplay while “Key Adjustment”
is a cleverly composed vehicle featuring an expressive
drum and bass duet. While a few of the non-originals
don’t fit into the overall concept, both Billy Strayhorn’s
“Blues in Orbit” and Art Farmer ’s “Blueport” are right
on. Saxophonist Scott Robinson joins the quartet on
these two cuts and lends ample support to Keberle’s
theory with a rich bluesy wail on the former and
swinging adrenaline-pumping bop on the latter.
For more information, visit ryankeberle.com. This group is
at Barbès Mar. 3rd. See Calendar.
New Myth/Old Science
Living By Lanterns (Cuneiform)
by Jeff Stockton
The spirit of Sun Ra hovers over New Myth/Old Science.
His spectral voice processed electronically, as if being
received on a frequency coursing through the Milky
Way, opens the CD with some brief philosophizing and
rhetorical profundities. This is something of a tribute
to the bandleader/pianist/composer/intergalactic
traveler, but not quite, given that the tunes here are
originals based on a tape drummer Mike Reed and his
partner, vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, plucked from
over 700 hours in an El Saturn archive. On the tape
from 1961, Ra, longtime tenor associate John Gilmore
and stalwart bassist Ronnie Boykins could be heard
rehearsing a series of roughly sketched musical
thoughts. Adasiewicz, a member of Reed’s band Loose
Assembly, fleshed out the arrangements for that fivepiece band, which ultimately expanded into the nine-
member Living By Lanterns. In Chicago, Loose
Assembly is rounded out by bassist Josh Abrams,
cellist Tomeka Reid and alto saxophonist Greg Ward.
From New York, add cornetist Taylor Ho Bynum,
guitarist Mary Halvorson, drummer Tomas Fujiwara
and tenor saxophonist Ingrid Laubrock.
These compositions reflect Ra’s approach by
combining melody with a deep sense of swing,
peppering that foundation with experimental touches,
and each number offers a showcase for one or two
players. “Think Tank” lets Halvorson slather skronky
notes over Adasiewicz’ tasteful reverberations while
“2000 West Erie” is typically jaunty, but Ward and
Laubrock scrape and clash in the foreground. The
lovely, gently lilting melody of “Shadow Boxer ’s
Delight” gives way to cello before the rhythm section
recedes and the tune takes on a soft glow, like an old
light bulb under a browning lampshade.
The back half of the record, divided into thirds,
finds the tunes blending one into the next, with
Adasiewicz featuring on “Forget B” (along with a
Laubrock solo) and Bynum and Abrams handling the
midpoint impressionism of “Glow Lights”. Finally, a
three-way conversation among the strings becomes the
drum-propelled “Old Science”, setting Halvorson
against Reid, sidestepping guitar versus cello chops.
When Ward comes in, his alto stretches like a sprinter
before stepping into the starting blocks. Then he’s off
and the band is right there with him as they break the
tape, moving forward the legacy of the great Ra.
Coltrane’s landmark recording. Hendrickson-Smith’s
arrangement is no less powerful with the alto
saxophonist’s carefully crafted statement and the
bluesy Scone solo that follows.
The date wraps with Hendrickson-Smith’s moving
original “Butterbean”, a deliberate, conversational
ballad with a theme that stands well in comparison to
the well-known works that make up the rest of the
album. This is the perfect release to cue up for latenight listening with someone special.
For more information, visit cellarlive.com. Hendrickson-Smith
is at Jazz Standard Mar. 5th-6th with “Killer” Ray Appleton
and Smalls Mar. 22nd with Cory Weeds. See Calendar.
For more information, visit cuneiformrecords.com. Ingrid
Laubrock, Mary Halvorson and Tomas Fujiwara are at Cornelia
Street Café Mar. 5th or 6th, Jason Adasiewicz is at Ibeam
Brooklyn Mar. 15th-16th with James Falzone and Greg Ward is
at Dominie’s Astoria Mar. 31st. See Calendar.
The Soul of my ALTO
Ian Hendrickson-Smith (Cellar Live)
by Ken Dryden
Ian Hendrickson-Smith has a different take on the
typical saxophone-with-organ session. Many of the
greats of the tenor sax of the ‘60s regularly recorded
with organists, including Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis,
Gene Ammons, Stanley Turrentine and Sonny Stitt.
Hendrickson-Smith, besides being an alto player, also
has a different twist: he omits the frequently present
guitarist and sticks with just organ and drums (Adam
Scone and Charles Ruggiero, respectively). The
saxophonist also conceived a sparser, lush sound while
still injecting a bit of soulfulness into this ballad date.
“The End of a Love Affair” is one of those forgotten
gems that used to be staples of romantic jazz albums;
the trio recaptures its magic with a gorgeous
interpretation, as the leader ’s big tone is well supported
by Scone and Ruggiero’s soft brushwork. Benny
Golson’s “Park Avenue Petite”, a beautiful ballad, is
one of the composer ’s songs from The Jazztet’s debut
album. Hendrickson-Smith caresses its melody in a
spacious manner, with Scone’s sensitive accompaniment
and Ruggiero’s adept percussion complementing his
rich sound. The leader ’s impassioned playing of “My
Silent Love” conveys its message without needing the
lyrics, though it’s a safe bet that he, like Ben Webster,
probably knew them before he stepped to the
microphone. Billy Eckstine’s “I Want to Talk About
You” became the cornerstone of the vocalist’s repertoire
and was acknowledged by instrumentalists with John
23
Beginning with the crisp drum volley that opens Bobby
Hutcherson’s “Teddy”, Nash persistently swings his
unit, finding all the right places to interject bombs,
rolls and other rhythmic devices that contribute to,
rather than distract from, each songs’ musicality. His
playing on the Clifford Jordan title track, Ornette
Coleman’s “Blues Connotation” and Thad Jones’ “Ain’t
Nothin’ Nu” invigorates the classic melodies with
insightful percussive commentary. This is the kind of
vital jazz one hopes to get with the price of admission
to any jazz club in the world.
Spiritual Nature Donald Vega (Resonance)
Turn of Phrase Paul Kogut (Blujazz)
The Highest Mountain
Lewis Nash Quintet (Cellar Live)
by Russ Musto
Fri, Mar 1
PETROS KLAMPANIS’ CONTEXTUAL 9PM & 10:30PM
Lefteris Kordis, John Hadfield, Maria Im, Maria Manousaki,
Ljova Zhurbin, Julia MacLaine, Mavrothi Kontanis, Hadar Noiberg
Sat, Mar 2
DAVE LIEBMAN QUINTET 9PM & 10:30PM
Matt Vashlishan, Bobby Avey, Tony Marino, Alex Ritz
Sun, Mar 3
NEW BRAZILIAN PERSPECTIVES:
FILIP NOVOSEL-RICHARD BOUKAS DUO 8:30PM
Tue, Mar 5
INGRID LAUBROCK’S ANTI-HOUSE CD RELEASE: STRONG PLACE 8:30PM
Mary Halvorson, Kris Davis, Sean Conly, Tom Rainey
Wed, Mar 6
INSTANT STRANGERS 8:30PM
Tim Berne, Mary Halvorson, Stephan Crump, Tomas Fujiwara
Thu, Mar 7
JOHN YAO QUINTET 8:30PM
Jon Irabagon, Randy Ingram, Leon Boykins, Will Clark
PETER BRENDLER QUARTET 10PM
Rich Perry, Peter Evans, Vinnie Sperrazza
Fri, Mar 8
HUSH MONEY 9PM & 10:30PM
John McNeil, Jeremy Udden, Aryeh Kobrinski, Vinnie Sperrazza
Sat, Mar 9
VOXIFY: AMY CERVINI 9PM
Amy Cervini/Bruce Barth
VOXIFY: JANIS SIEGEL 10:30PM
Janis Siegel/Edsel Gomez; Nicky Schrire, host
Tue, Mar 12
LAINIE COOKE 8:30PM
Peter Zak, Martin Wind, Ralph Peterson
Wed, Mar 13
FLORIAN HOEFNER GROUP 8:30PM
Mike Ruby, Sam Anning, Peter Kronreif
ALON NECHUSHTAN 10PM
John Ellis, Aidan Carroll, Damion Reid
Thu, Mar 14
ROB GARCIA’S AMERICAN SONGS 8:30PM
Scott Robinson, Tamar Korn, Nir Felder
Fri, Mar 15
BOBBY AVEY GROUP 9PM & 10:30PM
Chris Speed, Thomson Kneeland, Jordan Perlson
Sat, Mar 16
TONY MALABY’S READING BAND 9PM & 10:30PM
Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress, Billy Drummond
Sun, Mar 17
TANYA KALMANOVITCH/ANTHONY COLEMAN/
TED REICHMAN TRIO 8:30PM
Tue, Mar 19
BENJAMIN SCHEUER 8:30PM
PETER LERMAN 10PM
Wed, Mar 20 MATT HOLMAN’S DIVERSION ENSEMBLE CD RELEASE: WHEN FLOODED 8:30PM
Michael McGinnis, Nate Radley, Christopher Hoffman, Ziv Ravitz
Thu, Mar 21
CHRIS SPEED TRIO 8:30PM
Chris Tordini, Dave King 8:30PM
Fri, Mar 22
SARA SERPA 9PM & 10:30PM
André Matos, Jacob Sacks, Eivind Opsvik, Tommy Crane
Sat, Mar 23
MICHAEL FORMANEK 9PM & 10:30PM
Tim Berne, Peter Formanek, Jacob Sacks, Jim Black
Tue, Mar 26
MARGARET GLASPY 8:30PM
Talia Billig, host
Wed, Mar 27 ANAT FORT TRIO 8:30PM
Gary Wang, Yaaki Levy
Thu, Mar 28
SANDA WEIGL 8:30PM
Gael Rouilhac, Jake Shulman-Ment, Pablo Aslan, Nick Anderson JP SCHLEGELMILCH, CD RELEASE: THROUGHOUT 10PM
Fri, Mar 29
JEFF DAVIS TRIO AND FRIENDS - LIVE RECORDING FOR
FRESH SOUND RECORDS! 9PM & 10:30PM
Russ Lossing, Eivind Opsvik, Oscar Noriega, Kirk Knuffke
Sat, Mar 30
KRIS DAVIS 9PM & 10:30PM
Sun, Mar 31
RACHEL BROTMAN QUARTET 8:30PM
Yago Vazuez, Zach Lane, Anthony Taddeo
MARIA NECKAM 10PM
For more information, visit resonancerecords.org,
blujazz.com and cellarlive.com. Nash is at Village Vanguard
Mar. 5th-10th with Renee Rosnes. See Calendar.
P erhaps the most in-demand drummer in mainstream
jazz today, Lewis Nash is best known for his long
tenures as a sideman with some of the music’s greatest
masters, from Betty Carter and Tommy Flanagan to
Ron Carter and Joe Lovano, as well as his appearances
with a wide array of artists who call on his talent to
raise the level of their own dates.
Nash’s versatility is put to good use on fellow Ron
Carter band colleague Donald Vega’s sophomore effort
Spiritual Nature. The date features the pianist with
bassist Christian McBride and Nash in a wide variety
of settings, from straightahead jazz to titles from the
Brazilian, European classical and AfroCaribbean
songbooks. The drummer contributes immeasurably to
the success of this disc, swinging relentlessly on the
leader ’s opening Messenger-ish anthem “Scorpion”
(spurring on the sextet’s trumpet-tenor-trombone
frontline of Gilbert Castellanos, Bob Sheppard and Bob
McChesney) then demonstrating his peerless brush
artistry on Ron Carter ’s soulfully grooving “First Trip”
with a quartet featuring guitarist Anthony Wilson. His
subtle accents on Neils-Henning Ørsted Pedersen’s
“Future Child”, featuring Christian Howes’ violin, are
the epitome of tasteful accompaniment while his bossa
beat on Vega’s title track is genuinely stimulating. The
date’s remaining eight compositions - by Monty
Alexander, Alexander Scriabin, Antonio Carlos Jobim,
Benny Golson and two more of the pianist’s own tunes
- utilize Nash’s resourceful drumming to make this a
most satisfying outing.
Guitarist Paul Kogut’s Turn of Phrase reunites
Nash with his former Tommy Flanagan colleague,
bassist George Mraz. In the context of the spare sonic
tapestry of the pianoless guitar trio, the inventive
nuances of Nash’s playing take on added importance,
creating an ever-shifting environment, which enhances
the collective harmonic inventiveness of Kogut and
Mraz. The guitarist’s ability to put his own stamp on
chestnuts such as “Body and Soul”, “Days Of Wine
And Roses” and “Blue And Green” and create engaging
new melodies from the well-known chord changes of
other standards signal him as a largely unheralded
original. Particularly resourceful playing from Nash
makes this record one that should bring more
recognition to its talented leader.
Fortunately, Nash regularly takes time out from
his busy schedule working with others to lead his own
groups. The Highest Mountain, recorded live at The
Cellar, in Vancouver, British Columbia, finds him
fronting a fiery quintet comprised of some of the best
players of their respective generations. The frontline of
trumpeter Jeremy Pelt and saxophonist Jimmy Greene,
driven to impressive heights by Nash’s regular rhythm
section mates pianist Renee Rosnes and bassist Peter
Washington, burn through some of the hottest hardbop
playing since the glory days of Blue Note Records as
well as mature interpretations of a pair of old and new
ballads (Gordon Jenkins’ evergreen “Goodbye” and
Rosnes’ appealing “From Here To A Star”) and the
beautiful James Williams jazz waltz “Arioso”. Hardswinging arrangements by Rosnes set this date apart.
Powers
Nilsson/Fonda/Nilsson
(Konnex)
Hogwild Manifesto
Hot & Cold
(Jungulous)
by Kurt Gottschalk
G uitarists who use distortion in the realms of
improvised music are almost without fail labeled
“rockers”. For some, the tag rings true, others of course
not. Anders Nilsson is among the latter, those who
know the lingo and aren’t just saddled by the
descriptors that come with stompboxes. Nilsson has
got the chops to pull off jazz, blues, rock and noise and
much of what lies in between. What’s more notable,
though, is that he’s got enough sense not to overuse his
skills. Two recent releases may not find him discovering
new territory but showing himself to be easily
conversant in familiar terrain.
Powers, a trio album with brother Peter Nilsson on
drums and bassist Joe Fonda, opens with a driving softly pounding even, it might be said - rocker with
deft guitar soloing over a metered loop while Fonda
wonderfully complements (not undermines) the jam
with an arco/scat solo. Peter Nilsson’s “Melodrone”
provides opportunity for some pedal point pulse à la
Jimmy Garrison and some nice chordal guitar soloing.
Fonda’s “China” is a lovely, airy ballad in which all
three members take distinct approaches to the gently
loping tempo while his “I’ve Been Singing” borders on
a Wes Montgomery R’n’B groove. Anders’ bluesy
“Vodka Meditations” rambles through phrases and
filigrees without wanting for a map.
With Hogwild Manifesto, Nilsson and fellow
guitarist Aaron Dugan explore ground previously
covered by a number of improvising skronkmeisters,
almost paying homage to such axe-wielders as Derek
Bailey, Eugene Chadbourne, Chris Cochrane, Henry
Kaiser and Arto Lindsay. Muted strings and a crankedup fuzzbox can make some wonderful sounds and
what those champions have in common is knowing
they need to do something more than flail around in it.
Nilsson and Dugan get this too - the title could even be
taken as declaration of proper proceeding. If it were a
manual, a few instructions might be gleaned from the
disc: keep moving (not just pounding but changing
course often); provide a respite (the two 10+-minute
tracks are separated by a quiet[er], ambling interlude)
and don’t overstay your welcome (the disc clocks in at
a quick half hour and doesn’t need to be any longer).
For more information, visit konnex-records.de and
aarondugan.bandcamp.com. Anders Nilsson is at Shrine
Mar 5th with Tunk Trio and The Firehouse Space Mar. 7th,
14th and 28th with various groups. See Calendar.
The Exterminating Angel
Kirk Knuffke/Mike Pride (Not Two)
by John Sharpe
Duets
muta blemus ic
Ahead of the Curve
First Two Mutable Music Releases
In our New All-Digital Format!
Thomas Buckner, J.D. Parran, Mari Kimura,
& Earl Howard: Particle Ensemble
Richard Teitelbaum: Solo Live
With our two newest releases,
Mutable Music begins a new
era. Mutable Music has decided
to respond to the changing
marketplace for recorded
media, and is switching to
an all-digital format. All new
titles, including downloadable
artwork and liner notes, will
be offered in both high definition and mp3 formats. On our
new website you will be able
to hear sound samples of all
our titles, read artist bios and
reviews, and find out about
performances.
Upcoming releases include new
music by ROSCOE MITCHELL,
the REVOLUTIONARY
ENSEMBLE live, and the trio
of THOMAS BUCKNER, JOELLE
LEANDRE, & NICOLE MICHELL!
www.mutablemusic.com
mutablemusic
109 West 27th
Street, 8th Floor
New York, NY 10001
Ph: 212-627-0990
Fax: 212-627-5504
JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER
SWING
UNIVERSITY
SPRING 2013 TERM
For more information, visit nottwo.com. This duo is at
ShapeShifter Lab Mar. 6th. See Calendar.
Learn about jazz from the
musicians who make
the music and the scholars
who have mastered it
New Life
Antonio Sanchez (CAMJazz)
by David R. Adler
Antonio Sanchez, Pat Metheny’s drummer of choice,
is steadily building his presence as a leader and up to
now he’s made clear his taste for two-saxophone
lineups sans chordal instrument. His debut Migration
featured tenor saxophonists Chris Potter and David
Sanchez; his two-disc follow-up Live In New York
paired Sanchez with alto saxophonist Miguel Zenón.
On New Life, the roster shifts to Donny McCaslin on
tenor and David Binney on alto. All of the above are
formidable leaders in their own right.
Part of what makes New Life new is the inclusion
of a pianist, the budding master John Escreet, who
plays on all eight tracks of an all-original program. The
harmony flows and shifts and expands, whether it’s
the pastoral waltz feel of “Nighttime Story” (with a
deft McCaslin quote of “Blues on the Corner”), the
churning 7/4 minor-modal flavor of the opening
“Uprisings and Revolutions” or the more elusive
Rhodes sonority of “Minotauro” and “The Real
McDaddy”. Singing melodies, big statements,
deceptive endings, an urge toward more development
and variation: this is Sanchez’ writing voice, buoyed in
every way by his approach as a drummer, complex and
yet flawlessly in the pocket.
“Medusa” and “Family Ties” stand out as widely
contrasting and beautifully played. “Air”, a dark and
mystical ballad with soprano sax (though no soprano
credit appears on the sleeve), is one of Escreet’s key
moments - not just his rubato introduction but his
dramatic impact with the sparest and most ambiguous
whole-note chords.
Sanchez is after something altogether different
with the title track, a 14-minute opus with marked
emphasis on the layered wordless vocals of Thana
Alexa (the leader ’s fiancée). His experience in the Pat
Metheny Group, widely known for its wordless vocal
textures and soaring sonic expanses, has to be relevant
here, but the drummer is fresh and not imitative in his
approach. Even if the result has its indulgent side, it
still showcases the band’s emotional power and unified
purpose.
For more information, visit camjazz.com. This project is at
Jazz Standard Mar. 7th-10th. See Calendar.
billie holiday Courtesy of the Frank Driggs collection
offer the purest form of communication. For
both drummer Mike Pride and cornetist Kirk Knuffke,
such situations hold a special attraction. The latter ’s
first real experience of improvising came in a duo with
a drummer in high school while the former finds the
setup one that promotes deeper relationships - witness
his fertile pairing with saxophonist Jon Irabagon. That
shared pleasure comes through loud and clear on this
excellent 68-minute studio session, which forms
Knuffke’s first completely improvised recording.
Unscripted or not, Knuffke’s abstractly lyrical
lines feature a strong rhythmic dimension as he flows
over Pride’s choppy contours, almost as if he could
veer into bebop at any second. But he never loses his
cool, no matter what provocation the drummer throws
his way, remaining mostly pure-toned, singing some
tune only he can hear. Always responsive, Pride takes
his time, exploring all the textures available to him in
purposeful interweaving patterns, though leaving
abundant space for the cornet between the intersections
of his loose pulse.
Each of the six pieces evolves organically, with the
opening “Appeasing the Geezer” setting the template,
as cornet and drums whirl and pirouette around one
another in perfect balance. Pride’s sound placement is
spot on, usually simpatico, but occasionally providing
the grit that creates the pearl, as on the title track,
where he counters Knuffke’s plaintive appeals by
unleashing what recalls a barrow load of percussive
devices being dumped on the floor. Unperturbed, the
cornetist draws more timbral variety from his horn
with droning screeches and wavering whistles, all
executed with a pleasing musical sensibility, until his
rapid-fire runs develop a throbbing intensity. Similarly
adventurous on “Benstein”, Knuffke pontificates
blearily in sustained tones in contrast to Pride’s thorny
undercurrent, but still manages to sign off with
honeyed epigrams. This disc reveals another facet of
Knuffke’s artistry and one that should be exposed
more often.
CLASSES INCLUDE
R A G T I M E with Terry Waldo
Mar 19–Apr 16; 4 Tuesdays
F R E E J A Z Z with Ben Young
Mar 27–May 15; 8 Wednesdays
J A Z Z 3 0 1 with Phil Schaap
Mar 27–May 8; 7 Wednesdays
Optional exam on May 22
J A Z Z 1 0 1 with Vincent Gardner
Apr 1–May 20; 8 Mondays
C H A R L I E C H R I S T I A N with Vincent Pelote
Apr 1–22; 4 Mondays
J A Z Z 2 0 1 with Phil Schaap
Apr 2–May 21; 8 Tuesdays
LENNIE’S LISTENING LESSONS
with Connie Crothers
Apr 2–May 21; 8 Tuesdays
CLASSES START MARCH 19
ENROLL TODAY / 212-258-9922
JALC.ORG / SWINGU
Lead Corporate Sponsor
25
In the Now
John Yao Quintet (Innova)
by Donald Elfman
Trombonist John Yao understands the improvisational
music tradition and its attendant vocabulary with the
ability to assemble elements in fresh and different
ways. His avowed modus operandi explores the way
opposites work together and, with that, comes, as in all
jazz groupings, the relationship between the individual
and the group.
Such exploration can be heard in several instances
where Yao takes what first sounds like a free floating
melody and places it over a soon-recognizable groove.
On “Funky Sunday”, the groove emerges first with
Randy Ingram’s Hammond organ, Leon Boykins’ bass
and Will Clark’s drums, then the horns - Yao and
frontline partner Jon Irabagon on alto or soprano
saxophone - send forth a sinuous and beautifully exotic
theme. Suddenly, there is a stop and the organ pulses
an even funkier foundation as Yao plays a solo both in
the pocket as well as flying out into the open air. Tunes
like “Snafu” and “Not Even Close” have a jeu d’esprit
that moves them beyond convention and into playful
new areas.
The ballads are something else again. “For NDJ”
begins as an ethereal waltz for trombone and drums,
but as bass and Fender Rhodes enter, there’s a deep,
romantic sensibility coming to the fore. It’s a love song
- plaintive and wistful - but it moves forward with an
energy beyond the standard ballad.
The intriguingly titled “Shorter Days” - a possible
double entendre referring both to winter and the
compositional approach of Wayne Shorter - is bold and
expressive, holding its languorous and sensual pace
even as the solos become animated. Powerful trombone
opens the tune a cappella then the rest of the band digs
down with great individual contributions.
On his debut, Yao has created a vital and
communicative approach, modern yet expanding upon
what has come before.
For more information, visit innova.mu. This group is at
Cornelia Street Café Mar. 7th. See Calendar.
Eponymous
Many Arms (Tzadik)
by Wilbur MacKenzie
The latest release from Philadelphia trio Many Arms
is their first for the Spotlight series on John Zorn’s
Tzadik label and their third to date. An intense,
virtuosic update of the classic rock power trio, Many
Arms is made up of guitarist Nick Millevoi, electric
bassist Johnny DeBlase and drummer Ricardo
Lagomasino. As with previous releases, this album
favors long-form compositions, which effortlessly
integrate complex written material with very loose,
high-energy improvisational excursions. Amazingly,
their albums consistently convey the energy and
intensity of their live performances.
The album features one track from each member
of the trio. Millevoi’s “Beyond Territories” opens, the
first few minutes a series of jarring arrhythmic unison
repetitive lines, ultimately giving way to high-energy
free playing, intermittently returning to the seemingly
endless parade of anti-riffs over the course of the
piece’s 16 minutes. The middle track, “In Dealing with
the Laws of Physics on Planet Earth”, written by
DeBlase, is an extended ruminative journey through
twisted sonorities and hard-edged punctuations, as
repetitive arpeggios are underscored by heavy
ensemble passages. Ironically, in this case, the quietest
moments on this recording are by far the most
delightfully unsettling. Proceeding at a glacial pace,
the tune eventually builds to a robust crescendo of
shifting odd-time signatures. Lagomasino’s “Rising
Artifacts in a Five-Point Field” opens with some of the
most abstract sonic explorations on the disc, from
which emerge a series of long, lightning-speed unison
riffs and wailing guitar melodies floating over the
torrential storm created by bass and drums. On their latest release, Many Arms continue to
refine their radical approach to integrating loud rock
with expansive free improvisation and rigorous
compositional pursuits, reaching new levels of
creativity, concept and execution.
For more information, visit tzadik.com. This group is at The
Stone Mar. 8th. See Calendar.
Cobi Narita presents: now at Zeb’s
EVERY SATURDAY
At Zeb’s, from 1 p.m. to 6 p.m., Cobi Narita presents MOVIES & OPEN MIC SESSION.
From 1 p.m., MOVIES of legendary Black Artists, shown by WALTER TAYLOR;
followed by OPEN MIC SESSION for Singers, Tap Dancers & Instrumentalists,
hosted by FRANK OWENS, Music Director & piano, from 3 to 6 p.m. $10. AUDIENCE WELCOME!
FRIDAY, MARCH 15
At ZEB’s, from 8 p.m. to 12 midnight, Paul Ash and Cobi Narita present, in cooperation with
Women (In) Jazz and the Jazz Foundation, one concert of the 11th Annual LADY GOT CHOPS Women’s
History Month Music & Arts Festival: “MUSI-ARTI-COPIA”, flash mob round robin jazz plus project,
featuring Mem Nadahr, vocals; Meg Montgomery, trumpet; Andrea Brachfeld, flute;
Sheryl Renee, vocals; Lisette Santiago, percussion; Nikita White, vocals; Bertha Hope, piano;
Claudia Hayden, flute; and Kim Clarke, bass
FRIDAY, MARCH 22
At Zeb’s, from 7 p.m., Cobi Narita presents
WILLIE MAE PERRY in Concert, “SomeoneTo Watch Over Me”,
with the Frank Owens Trio, with Frank Owens, Music Director & piano;
Paul West, bass; Greg Bufford, drums. $15
SATURDAY, MARCH 23
At Zeb’s, from 8 p.m., Cobi Narita presents
EMIKO MIZOGUCHI and DEREK HOOD in Concert,
with the Frank Owens Trio, with Frank Owens, Music Director & piano;
Paul West, bass; Greg Bufford, drums. $15
ZEB’S, 223 W. 28 Street (between 7th & 8th Avenues)
2nd Fl walk-up. Info: 516-922-2010
Sojourner Truth “...ain’t I a Woman?”
Avery Sharpe (JKNM)
by Terrell Holmes
Sojourner Truth (1797?-1883) led a life that was at once
humble and heroic. She jettisoned the bonds of slavery
and paternalism to become an indomitable voice for
the abolition of slavery and the advocacy of women’s
rights. Bassist Avery Sharpe crafts a heartfelt tribute to
a truly extraordinary woman.
In a sense, Truth is a silent collaborator on this
album as Sharpe incorporates some of her words into
the narrative. The title cut is a spoken-word version of
her watershed speech “Ain’t I A Woman?”, set to a
gospel theme. Truth also was a lyricist, in spite of her
illiteracy, and Sharpe wrote music for her poem
“Pleading for My People”. Sharpe’s arrangement of the
traditional “Motherless Child”, a favorite of Truth’s,
underscores the homage by invoking John Coltrane’s A
Love Supreme. All of these songs, as well as “The Way
Home” and “Son of Mine”, feature singer Jeri Brown as
the embodiment of Truth’s spirit and whose earthy
vocals are as elemental and poignant as the woman
herself.
The band recounts other elements of Truth’s story
quite eloquently through straightahead songs like
“Isabella’s Awakening” and “Truth Be Told”. Craig
Handy’s passionate tenor saxophone drives the
distinctly African rhythm on “Bomefree”, a tribute to
Truth’s father, who was sold into slavery from what is
now Ghana. Duane Eubanks’ flugelhorn is honey
smooth on drummer Yoron Israel’s “Virtuous She Is”.
And the mingled voices of Onaje Allan Gumbs’ piano,
Sharpe’s bass and Eubanks’ trumpet form a stunning
chorus that captures the themes of alienation, loneliness
and tumult on “NYC 1800s”.
Throughout his career Sharpe has made it a point
to honor his heroes, whether they are other musicians
(see his album Legends & Mentors) or historical figures
and the profound respect he feels for Truth comes out
in this excellent music. Sojourner Truth “…ain’t I a
Woman?” is a bold praise shout to someone whose
fierce dedication to the pursuit of equality, justice and
humanity remains timeless.
For more information, visit jknmrecords.com. Sharpe is at
Ginny’s Supper Club Mar. 9th and Brooklyn Public Library
Central Branch Mar. 10th with this project. See Calendar.
Live at Smalls
Grant Stewart (smallsLIVE)
by Alex Henderson
P ianist Spike Wilner, who co-owns Smalls Jazz Club in
m ARch 1-3
mARch 18
warren wolf group
new york youth symphony
jazz cl assic
the West Village, is among jazz’ more ambitious
entrepreneurs. Since launching his smallsLIVE label in
2010, Wilner has released more than 30 CDs from a
long list of artists, including this recent date by Grant
Stewart, who plays a brawny tenor saxophone along
the lines of Sonny Rollins, Don Byas, Coleman Hawkins
and Wardell Gray.
Leading a quartet of Tardo Hammer (piano),
David Wong (bass) and brother Phil Stewart on drums
(all Smalls regulars, with Hammer a regular participant
in Stewart’s recordings), the saxman swings hard and
passionately on material ranging from Henry Mancini’s
“Mr. Lucky”, Billy May’s “Somewhere in the Night”
and Jule Styne’s “Make Someone Happy” to a Latintinged take on Cole Porter ’s “Get Out of Town” and
energetic, rather than sentimental, “Tea for Two”, the
Vincent Youmans standard.
In the ‘50s, saxophonists like Hawkins, Rollins,
Byas and Gray were not only known for their
barnburners but also for being excellent ballad players.
And that fact isn’t lost on Stewart, who demonstrates
his own abilities in that realm with takes on Bobby
Troup’s “The Meaning of the Blues”, Jerome Kern’s
“Smoke Gets in Your Eyes” and Thelonious Monk’s
“Reflections”.
Stylistically, Live at Smalls could have been
recorded 60 years ago, given its material and aesthetic
sensibilities. Stewart has never claimed to be
groundbreaking, but what the saxophonist may lack in
originality, he more than makes up for with warmth,
good taste and a healthy sense of swing, which could
be the motto for Smalls Jazz Club as well.
For more information, visit smallslive.com. Stewart is at
Smoke Mar. 15th-16th with Eric Reed and Smalls Mar. 17th
as a leader. See Calendar.
mARch 4
jason m arsalis quartet
m A R c h 1 9 -2 0
luis Bonill a quintet
mARch 5-6
g r ac e k e l ly q u i n t e t
cD release –Live at Scullers
m A R c h 2 1 -2 4
michael carvin experience
featuring sonny fortune (3/22-24 only)
m A R c h 7-10 d i z z y & b i r d f e s t i va l
w ycliff gorDon & frienDs
the Dizzy Birds: Bebop then & now
m ARch 11
a m i n a f i g a r ova s e x t e t
music of twelve
m ARch 12-13
e D D i e Da n i e l s & r o g e r k e l l away
mARch 25
floriDa s tate unive rsit y
jazz ensemBle
m A R c h 2 6 -2 7
t e r r i ly n e c a r r i n g t o n ’ s
mONEy juNgLE
cD release
m ARch 28-31
m ARch 14-17
B i l ly h a r t q ua r t e t
RE S E RVATI O N S 2 12-2 5 8 -9 59 5 / 97 9 5
Ben wolfe quintet
featuring nicholas payton
jalc.org/dizzys
27
12_Fimav_TheNewYorkCityJazz_B&W_F01.pdf
1
13-02-12
13:29
Brooklyn Lines...
Chicago Spaces
Klang (Allos Documents)
Soft Focus
Vox Arcana
(Relay Records)
by Clifford Allen
Clarinetist James Falzone is an artist who decidedly
works between and across boundaries. In addition to
composing and playing in a variety of improvising
ensembles, Falzone has been active with throughcomposed and liturgical music and exploring nonWestern instrumentation and forms. As a soloist
Falzone is concentrated but wonderfully liberated,
with what one might call a ‘classical’ tone that readily
spirals into fierce multiphonics, whirls and dives or an
acerbic, nearly electronic lack of wavering. When it comes to what one might otherwise deem
a strictly ‘jazz-derived’ group like Klang (with
vibraphonist Jason Adasiewicz, bassist Jason Roebke
and drummer Tim Daisy), the range of Falzone’s
interests and influences become clear and actualized.
Importantly, that diversity doesn’t complicate
proceedings; rather, Klang have a wealth of possibilities
at their disposal that advance and recede in the split
seconds of improvisational choice. Brooklyn Lines…
Chicago Spaces is the quartet’s fourth disc to date and
consists of 11 pieces, 2 which are group improvisations
while the rest are the clarinetist’s tunes. Importantly,
while written by Falzone, they were conceived for this
ensemble and are actualized collectively as “Klangmusic”. These range from the Rolf Kühn-like
“Ukrainian Village” to the Farmer Alfalfa homage (in
sound if not literally) “Carol’s Burgers”. Though many
of the pieces move through a range of colors and
structures, the set does have a suite that should be
called out: dedicated to longtime Chicago jazz writer
Larry Kart, the pieces “Alone at the Brain”, “Jazz
Searching Self” and “It Felt as if Time had Stopped” are
a portrait of presence and history. The final movement
is absolutely gorgeous, limned by delicate woody
footfalls and Adasiewicz’ glassy rows and eddies that
recall Walt Dickerson in dreamlike, fluttering
aggression, closing in a wistfully funereal march.
Falzone is the sole reed voice in Daisy’s Vox
Arcana, a trio that also includes cellist/guitarist Fred
Lonberg-Holm. This is the group that most clearly
represents Daisy’s compositional acumen; as one might
infer, the compositions and improvisations inform one
another, thus exploring the continual process of crossbreeding that occurs in the works’ development. Soft
Focus is the trio’s third disc and its eight pieces clock in
economically at a shade over a half-hour. Vox Arcana
finds Daisy at perhaps his most texturally rangy - in
addition to a standard kit, he employs a variety of
gongs, marimba and what sound like roto-toms and
tuned bongos. While slinky tone poems and chamber
studies are, in part, endemic to this trio’s music, that
doesn’t mean that opportunities to stretch don’t arise
- witness the toothy opener, “De Grote Olifant” and its
panoply of athletic rattles. Daisy has chosen his
compatriots perfectly, as both Falzone and LonbergHolm are as rigorous in their compositional acumen as
they are in open improvisation and Daisy’s writing
might as well be theirs. It’s a fine tightrope walk that
Vox Arcana are testing and being ‘in the middle’ is
profoundly rewarding.
For more information, visit allosmusica.org and timdaisy.
wordpress.com. Klang is at Ibeam Brooklyn Mar. 15th-16th.
See Calendar.
On Broadway, Vol. 1,2,3,4,5
Paul Motian (Winter & Winter)
by Tom Greenland
It would be hard to overstate the excellence of On
Broadway, Vol. 1,2,3,4,5, a anthology release of late
drummer Paul Motian’s 20-year project to reenvision
and ‘re-roast’ those famous and not-quite-as-famous
chestnuts of the Great American Songbook. Whereas
Ella Fitzgerald’s previous interpretations of Tin Pan
Alley tunes were faithful renditions that even exhumed
long forgotten introductory sectional verses, Motian’s
approach is decidedly heterodox, often ignoring vital
rhythms, melodies and harmonies in favor of
interaction and improvisation.
The five albums divide into two groups, the first
three recorded in 1988, 1989 and 1991 with tenor
saxophonist Joe Lovano, guitarist Bill Frisell and
bassist Charlie Haden (Vol. 3 adds alto/soprano
saxophonist Lee Konitz), all musicians that share
Motian’s penchant for group interplay, ability to say
more with less and deconstructionist attitude towards
composition and improvisation. The last two volumes
were recorded considerably later, in 2005 and 2008,
with a younger generation of musicians: saxophonist
Chris Potter and bassist Larry Grenadier with vocalist
Rebecca Martin and veteran pianist Masabumi Kikuchi
U
SE
EW
D
N
236 West 26 Street, Room 804
New York, NY 10001
Monday-Saturday, 10:00-6:00
Tel: 212-675-4480
Fax: 212-675-4504
Email: jazzrecordcenter@verizon.net
Web: jazzrecordcenter.com
LP’s, CD, Videos (DVD/VHS),
Books, Magazines, Posters,
Postcards, T-shirts,
Calendars, Ephemera
Buy, Sell, Trade
Collections bought
and/or appraised
Also carrying specialist labels
e.g. Fresh Sound, Criss Cross,
Ayler, Silkheart, AUM Fidelity,
Nagel Heyer, Eremite, Venus,
Clean Feed, Enja and many more
(Vol. 4) and saxophonists Loren Stillman and Michäel
Attias, bassist Thomas Morgan and Kikuchi (Vol. 5).
The lack of guitar, charismatic presence of Kikuchi and
an extreme generation gap (Morgan was born 50 years
after Motian) give these latter two albums a different
character, though the leader ’s overarching ethos is still
very much to the fore. Indeed, it would have been out
of character for Motian to revisit his own work after a
13-year break only to retread previous patterns. The
earlier three albums also differ from the later two in
that their setlist concentrates on a few iconic tunesmiths
- in particular George Gershwin, Cole Porter and
Jerome Kern - while Vols. 4 and 5 feature a wider
selection of writers and less canonized melodies such
as Frank Loesser ’s “Sue Me”, Jay Gorney’s “Brother,
Can You Spare a Dime?” and Jack Little-John Siras’ “In
a Shanty in Old Shanty Town”. Finally, the sonic
‘canvas’ of the three initial albums (engineered by Joe
Ferla) differs from that of the last two albums
(engineered by Adrian Von Ripka): Motian’s drum
colors overlap and blend seamlessly with the total
audio backdrop on the earlier recordings whereas the
component sounds of his drumkit are panned and
separated more distinctly on the later ones.
Vol. 1 sets the tone for the two to follow, employing
various strategies to draw fresh water from the well.
To begin with, Motian never ‘lays down’ the time, but
rather implies or plays around it, preferring the role of
co-soloist to that of metronome. Likewise, Haden finds
ways to break up obvious bass patterns and while
either Lovano or Frisell usually ‘leads’ a statement of
the song’s melody, they are most often in dialogue
with each other, akin to the heterophonic (multiple
solos at once) blowing of traditional jazz. Many of the
cuts eschew an obvious introduction to the tune,
instead referring to it only in passing or in abstraction,
so that a listener only gradually realizes that they are
listening to “Liza” or “Someone To Watch Over Me”.
Lovano and Frisell are in fine form throughout, the
former burning with quiet fire and fluid intensity,
producing dense but relaxed statements that push
gently towards the outré limits (listen to his work on
“My Heart Belongs To Daddy” from Vol. 1, “I Got
Rhythm” from Vol. 2 or “Weaver of Dreams” from Vol.
3) while the latter employs an encyclopedia of
Americana guitar techniques with his idiosyncratic
touch, rendering sparse-but-full chord solos on “What
Is This Thing Called Love?” and “Last Night When We
Were Young” from Vol. 1 or “I Wish I Knew” from Vol.
3 and slow-hand soul on “You and the Night and the
Music” from Vol. 2. Konitz’ alto is an integral part of
Vol. 3, particularly on “How Deep Is the Ocean” and
“Weaver of Dreams”. Together, these elements continue
an aesthetic approach Motian made famous with Bill
Evans, ensuring that these covers of classics avoid the
‘aging process’ so common to repertory projects.
The fourth and fifth volumes are marked by the
presence of Kikuchi who, like Bill Evans, exudes deep
musicality in his lightest, most minimalist touches,
bringing an unfakeable sincerity to “The Last Dance”,
“Never Let Me Go”, “I Loves You Porgy” (all from Vol.
4), “Something I Dreamed Last Night” and especially
“I See Your Face Before Me” (from Vol. 5), though at
times his spontaneous vocalizations overshadow his
sensitive playing. On Vol. 4, Potter is a fountain of
ideas, delivered with taut logic and a dry, almost
vibrato-less tone, often in counterpoint to Martin, who
brings life to the lyrics, hitting her stride on “How
Long Has This Been Going On”, which closes the set.
Vol. 5 is notable for the interweavings of Stillman and
Attias, particularly on “Midnight Sun” when, after
four minutes of free-form interaction, the melody
finally materializes from the musical mists, creating an
‘aha!’ moment for listeners.
For more information, visit winterandwinter.com. A tribute
to Paul Motian is at Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp
Theatre Mar. 22nd. See Calendar.
29
Wisława
Tomasz Stanko New York Quartet (ECM)
by Stuart Broomer
P olish
trumpeter Tomasz Stanko’s first recording
since 2009 is a two-CD set and it’s also a tale of two
cities. The Wisława of the title is the late Polish poet
Wisława Szymborska, who inspired Stanko’s
compositions here, both in his own reading and in a
2009 Krakow performance in which he improvised
accompaniments to her reciting new poems. The
second city is New York, where Stanko resides part of
the year and where he assembled the dynamic new
band heard here.
Stanko has a significant gift for putting together
excellent bands (or just finding them, in the case of the
Marcin Wasilewski Trio) and he’s done that here, with
the young Cuban pianist David Virelles, bassist
Thomas Morgan and distinctive drummer Gerald
Cleaver. There’s great rapport evident here among all
four musicians and it shows in the kinds of developed
dialogues that develop around Stanko’s often balladic
themes, like the ending of Stanko’s solo on “Tutaj Here”, in which Virelles and Morgan pick up the
conversation with the sustained echoing of Stanko’s
final note, or Cleaver‘s extended passage of leading the
conversation (it’s not a drum solo) on “Faces”.
The set opens and closes with Stanko’s pensive
title track, a piece that seems to begin almost as a
reflective dirge but which ultimately floods with light
in the final version, Stanko’s tautly introspective
trumpet phrases etched with complex emotions, then
framed and levitated by the delicacy of Virelles’ touch,
resonant high harmonics bursting from Morgan’s bass
and metallic shimmer and rattle of Cleaver ’s brushed
cymbals and snare. Virelles’ occasional ominous bass
clusters seem to be receding into the past even as he
articulates them. The final version runs 13:13 and every
second of it is beautiful.
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. This group is
at Birdland Mar. 28th-30th. See Calendar.
One
Jonathan Kreisberg (New For Now Music)
by Sharon Mizrahi
J onathan Kreisberg clutches his guitar in a tight,
closed-eyed embrace on the cover of his solo debut.
This marks Kreisberg’s move from stage left to center
spotlight, giving a glimpse into his eclectic creativity
as he establishes his own voice.
Kreisberg storms into the opening second of
“Canto de Ossanha” with a gloomy chord - but the rest
of the sublime piece is smooth sailing. The title loosely
translates into “Song of the Spirits”, more specifically,
the spirits responsible for casting the spell of love.
Kreisberg breathes a mellow vibe into the AfroBrazilian
composition, though in this case mellow doesn’t just
translate into stagnant. This piece is a perfect sunset
soundtrack, echoing a sultry undertone beneath each
carefree, breezy refrain. On “Hallelujah”, Kreisberg’s
stripped-down style strongly resembles the late Jeff
Buckley version of the Leonard Cohen original. As
soon as the first few chords unfold, one half-expects
Buckley’s darkly evocative voice to emerge and take
the lead. Kreisberg, however, clears the fog to weave
his own melancholic yet subtly uplifting lullaby. The
result is equal parts nostalgia and intrigue.
Kreisberg takes a playful approach to Juan Tizol’s
“Caravan”. His billowing chords resonated from the
album all the way to his Jazz Standard release concert
last month. Kreisberg, perched on a corner of the stage,
radiated the quick versatility of a banjo player. A new
dimension of whimsy also bubbled to the surface,
infusing the denser album version with a light-hearted
sensibility.
Surprisingly, his solo performance was the outlier
of the evening, as saxophonist Will Vinson (featured on
Kreisberg’s quartet release Shadowless), bassist Rick
Rosato and drummer Colin Stranahan accompanied
him throughout the rest of set. Yet at times, Kreisberg
appeared to accompany Vinson, particularly in a synth
piece that resembled “Escape From Lower Formant
Shift” from the album. His guitar chords pounded in
hypnotic discord with Rosato and Stranahan’s speedy
rhythm - but all was overshadowed by a frenzy of
erratic sax slurs. Kreisberg made a dynamic comeback
in “Zeibekiko”, named for a genre of Greek
improvisational dance music. The lively guitar melody,
interwoven with edgy electronics, was irresistible and
made for dancing. And this time, Vinson offered warm
accentuation on the piano, perfectly complementing
Kreisberg’s hearty style.
For more information, visit jonathankreisberg.com
Ellington Saxophone Encounters
Mark Masters Ensemble (feat. Gary Smulyan) (Capri)
by George Kanzler
The classic big band sax section of two altos, two
tenors and a baritone provides the template for this
project, rounded out to an octet by piano, bass and
drums. It’s a format that was actually used by Duke
Ellington on some of his ‘private’ recordings and one
employed by Benny Carter on his celebrated Impulse
recording Further Definitions. Mark Masters proves
equal to those examples, producing inspired sax
section arrangements that belie the simplicity of the
material: fully half of the tunes are 12-bar blues;
another two based on “I Got Rhythm” changes, the
others in standard pop AABA form. Masters and
baritone saxophonist Gary Smulyan wanted to make
an Ellingtonian album with a difference and they have
definitely succeeded. They feature tunes written alone,
or co-written with Ellington, by famous members of
his saxophone section, some for Duke’s orchestra, but
others for outside projects or at times when the
composers were not working for Ellington.
Masters invokes the sound of the Ellington sax
section throughout this recording, from the familiar
launching pad riffs and rhythmic kicks of “Rockin’ In
Rhythm” to the clarinet obbligato of Don Shelton over
DEBORAH LATZ
FIG TREE Deborah’s third album will be released
May 7, 2013 on June Moon Productions
PRE-RELEASE GIGS:
CORNELIA ST. CAFE
Saturday, April 20 / 6pm
Deborah Latz, vox
Jon Davis, piano
Zach Brock, violin
Ray Parker, Bass
Willard Dyson, drums
Reservations (212) 989 9319
SOMETHIN’ JAZZ CLUB
Saturday, April 27 / 9pm
Deborah Latz, vox
Jon Davis, piano
Ray Parker, bass
Willard Dyson, drums
Reservations (212) 371 7657
“Deborah is a beautiful singer
and a great talent. Fig Tree is
wonderful. Really wonderful!”
— Sheila Jordan,
2012 NEA Jazz Master
“...Latz demonstrates an
outstanding range of technique
and creative musicality...”
— Scott Yanow,
excerpt Fig Tree liners
“I am a fan of Fig Tree!”
— Jana Herzen,
President Motema Music
www.deborahlatz.com
Photo ©Todd Weinstein
the blues theme of Johnny Hodges’ “The Peaches Are
Better Down the Road”. Masters, much like Ellington,
employs the sax section and full ensemble as a
completely collaborative contributor to the music, with
backgrounds and riffs rising behind soloists and
transitions filled by vamps and shout choruses.
Smulyan is the main soloist, his robust sound featured
on 10 of the 12 tracks, but the other saxophonists all get
their spots, as do pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Tom
Warrington and drummer Joe La Barbera. But the
special delight of this album is the reclamation of tunes
not heard in decades or, indeed, a lifetime, like the
Hodges-Ellington “Esquire Swank”, Jimmy Hamilton’s
“Ultra Blue” and Harry Carney’s lovely ballad “We’re
In Love Again”, done as a baritone quartet number
with a gorgeous coda by Smulyan.
For more information, visit caprirecords.com. Smulyan is at
Smoke Mar. 8th-9th with Mike LeDonne and Blue Note
Mar. 25th. See Calendar.
Hagar’s Song
Charles Lloyd/Jason Moran (ECM)
by Joel Roberts
Saxophonist Charles Lloyd, who turns 75 this month,
has enjoyed a remarkable late-career run, helped by his
association with much-younger pianist Jason Moran.
Despite his own flourishing solo career, Moran has
become a key member of Lloyd’s working quartet,
appearing on the group’s last three releases. Moran
wasn’t even born when Lloyd released his landmark
1966 album Forest Flower, an innovative blend of
postbop, free jazz and world music that made Lloyd
one of the era’s top jazz stars and even won him a
following among rock listeners. But the younger artist
shares the elder ’s forward-thinking outlook and
openness to exploring music that cuts across genres.
Their latest collaboration is a duo recording, an
intimate and often melancholy affair that highlights
their musical symbiosis. The album features modernist
reworkings of jazz standards, as well as rock classics
by Bob Dylan and the Beach Boys. Lloyd and Moran
dig deep into Duke Ellington’s “Mood Indigo” and
George Gershwin’s “Bess, You Is My Woman Now”,
mining both for all their bluesy lyrical beauty. They
also offer radical reinterpretations of Dylan’s “I Shall
Be Released” and Brian Wilson’s “God Only Knows”,
turning the former into a memorable slice of gospel
jazz and the latter into a tender jazz ballad. (The rock
excursions should come as no surprise: Lloyd played
on several Beach Boys albums in the ‘70s and was a
friend of Dylan and The Band.)
The centerpiece is the five-part title suite composed
by Lloyd and inspired by the harrowing tale of his
great-great grandmother, a slave who was uprooted
from her Mississippi home as a child and sold to another
slave owner in Tennessee. With Lloyd switching from
tenor to alto to flute, the suite starts from the blues and
shifts to increasingly abstract and evocative
improvisations to tell the heartbreaking story.
Lloyd is playing as well as ever deep into his
eighth decade - elegant, ethereal and energetic. And in
Moran, with his powerful percussive approach and
daunting technique, he appears to have found the
perfect partner to keep his creative juices flowing.
Wait, who?
Ran Blake
John Medeski
Frank London
Dominique Eade
Mat Maneri
Sarah Jarosz
Marty Ehrlich
and many more.
What?
Fabulous musicians + boundary-smashing music.
In other words, Contemporary Improvisation.
Why?
New England Conservatory celebrates 40 years of CI.
When?
Four different appearances March 17-23.
Where?
Cornelia Street Café, Symphony Space, Barbès.
Want more info? Go to necmusic.edu/ci40
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Lloyd is at
Metropolitan Museum of Art Mar. 15th. See Calendar.
31
Let Go
Jerry Granelli Trio (Plunge)
by Ken Waxman
N ow 72 and after almost 60 years as a professional,
drummer, Jerry Granelli has conveyed a perfect gem of
a trio to express his ideas. He, Danny Oore on soprano,
tenor, baritone saxophones and bassist/cellist Simon
Fisk move confidently through nine instant
compositions, a couple that also feature the ethereal
Scots-Gaelic vocalizing of Mary Jane Lamond.
While pretty, Lamond’s lyric delicacy is secondary
to the overall program. Most of Let Go demonstrates
how many sonic colors can be produced by three
musicians with judicious doubling or tripling. Granelli,
whose experience goes back to Vince Guaraldi’s ‘60s
piano trio, is a jazz man first and foremost, a truism
easily proven by “Bones”, the funky, yet unhurried
opener.
From then on the group investigates many forms
of improvisation, sticking pretty close to the tonal.
Especially remarkable is Oore’s technical skill on his
three horns, plus his ability, prominent on a tune like
“A Woman Who Wants To Waltz”, to stretch out the
emotional underpinning of a solo without ever
breaking the line. He can snort and squeak with the
best on baritone while on soprano his muted tone
complements Lamond’s low-key singing on “Solaria”,
which is also notable for a scene-setting cello intro and
drum patterning that seems half Carnatic-styled and
half Krupa-swing. Fisk’s skills extend to melding
folksy riffs with Granelli’s simple ruffs on “Letter To
Bjork” or providing a double-stopping continuum on
tracks such as “Leaving” and “A Chinese Saloon”.
That last piece also highlights the drummer ’s
invention. Among unison double bass thumps and
baritone sax snorts, he showcases clanging Orientalstyled gongs, plus press rolls and a hefty but not
lumbering swing beat. Granelli’s adopted hometown
of Halifax has apparently helped him to extend his
skills and given him two fine helpmates with which to
create provocative sounds.
For more information, visit thejerrygranellitrio.bandcamp.com.
Granelli is at ShapeShifter Lab Mar. 10th. See Calendar.
Pieces
Hashem Assadullahi (OA2)
by Elliott Simon
G uitarist Justin Morell’s raga-informed intro on CD
opener “Prized Possession” entreats the listener to get
on board this somewhat disjointed but compositionally
intricate session from saxophonist Hashem Assadullahi.
Trumpeter Ron Miles’ luxuriant tone melds with
Morell’s spaciousness before Assadullahi leads the
sextet into various collectively inspired realms. Aptly
named Pieces, things evolve and devolve into songs
about lots of different subjects, using the mundane “A
Bag of Oranges”, the weird “Fingersticks” and the
mysterious “Dark Tower” to highlight and integrate a
smorgasbord of styles.
Despite all this, Assadullahi rarely loses track of
his own eclectic brand of swing. This is largely due to
bassist Tyler Abbott and drummer Ryan Biesack, who
usually succeed in holding things together. Miles
brings his gorgeous voice and elegance to many of
these pieces but the welcome surprise is pianist James
Milney, who beautifully segues between rhythm and
frontline roles. He is integral and his treatment of the
pensively delicate melody on “Harbinger” is superb.
Where things drift a bit are the middles of the longer
cuts. “Dark Tower” has a great melody and feel and
would be a super tune if it lost some of its meandering
quality. Likewise, “The Straight Man” is a vehicle that
gets lost a bit after a brilliant start.
Assadullahi is of a new generation of jazz
musicians who have the compositional understanding,
technique and improvisational skill to create complex
works with beautiful melodies while at the same
time drawing on a multitude of styles. He uses pop,
swing, straightahead, classical, free and other genres
as construction pieces. The trick is not to lose sight of
one aspect of the music at the expense of another or
throw something in for the sake of itself. That is very
tough to do and with Pieces Assadullahi largely
succeeds.
For more information, visit originarts.com. This group is at
Korzo Mar. 19th. See Calendar.
Grace Kelly
“Live At Scullers”
CD release tour
stops at
DIZZY’S CLUB COCA COLA
MARCH
5th and 6th
7:30PM AND
9:30PM
Jazz At Lincoln Center
Broadway and 60th
www.gracekellymusic.com
soprano to tenor to bass clarinet and back to tenor.
Potter ’s tunes have an innate ability to let his band
stretch out and the transitions were as seamless as they
were inventive. By the time Potter launched into an
extended solo outro, informed heavily by the blues, to
close the show, it was as if he was just getting started.
The Sirens
Chris Potter (ECM)
by Jeff Stockton
Even after more than 15 solo dates, as well as making
significant contributions to the bands of Dave Holland
and Paul Motian, Chris Potter ’s ECM debut, The Sirens,
feels like a milestone achievement. Inspired by a
reading of Homer ’s Odyssey (apparent mainly due to
the song titles), Potter has assembled a crack band
including pianist Craig Taborn (himself making a name
on ECM), bassist Larry Grenadier, drummer Eric
Harland and the ace-in-the-hole, pianist David Virelles,
pitching in with prepared piano, celeste and
harmonium.
The
two
keyboards
interweave
instinctively on “Wayfarer”, the celeste twinkles
against Harland’s cymbal taps on “Nausikaa” and
Taborn and Virelles are handed the CD’s ultra-quiet,
mid-air suspended coda “The Shades”. While the band
distinguishes itself with top-drawer technical facility
and simpatico interaction, the leader shines through
with powerful, aggressive, abundant soloing on the
opening “Wine Dark Sea”, the spiraling tenor arpeggios
of “Stranger at the Gate” and the profound solemnity
of the bass clarinet intro to the title track. In Taborn’s
accompaniment, Grenadier ’s bowing and Potter ’s
switch to tenor, the cut recalls nothing less than the
conclusion to A Love Supreme, as if Eric Dolphy had
written the preface.
“The Sirens” served as the apex among high points
during a set at the Village Vanguard last month, with
Potter and his band playing well over an hour in front
of a packed house. Potter is no stranger to the
Vanguard, having previously recorded two live albums
at the club, and he and his band were relaxed and
adventurous. The playing wasn’t free, but it was on its
verge, the solos cutting against the grain of the
compositions to create an internal tension within the
group that was built and then released. Commencing,
as on the CD, with “Wine Dark Sea”, the band segued
into a West African folk tune with Potter on flute and
Ethan Iverson (subbing for Taborn) standing to pluck
the innards of the piano before the leader switched
back to tenor, Iverson concentrated on the bass notes
and Grenadier plinked near the bridge of his bass. The
rhythmic repetition became hypnotic. From there on it
was one continuous performance, Potter moving from
new album
er strangers
The oth
e folk - jazz
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com
alternativ
Plays Don Friedman
Don Friedman
(Edition Longplay)
Alone Together
Hank Jones/Don Friedman
(Edition Longplay)
orioxy.net
by Ken Dryden
The demise of the LP was forecast soon after the dawn
of the CD. Instead, it has clung to life as growing
numbers of discerning listeners find more warmth in
record grooves. Edition Longplay is a new label
established to pair audiophile recordings on heavyduty 180-gram pressings and fine art commissioned
for each album, with releases limited to just 500 copies.
A veteran pianist whose career dates back to the
‘50s, Don Friedman’s Plays Don Friedman is a rare
opportunity for him to focus on his originals, with the
performances coming from his solo piano set at the
2011 JazzBaltica Festival. “34 West 54th Street” has a
bustling postbop flavor, contrasting with the deliberate,
semi-classical feeling of “Friday Morning”. Friedman
sets up the listener for a ballad as he begins “Waltz For
Marilyn”, but the piece quickly turns into a lively
vehicle with inevitable comparisons to Bill Evans due
to its logical, intricate voicings. Another staple in
Friedman’s repertoire is “Almost Everything”, a thinly
disguised, yet brilliant reworking of the changes to the
standard “All the Things You Are”. His elegant tribute
“Chopinesque” is a masterful blend of virtuoso
playing, lyricism and swinging jazz. Friedman wraps
his solo set by segueing directly into an introspective
interpretation of Monk’s “‘Round Midnight”, which
takes it far from the usual path.
Alone Together documents a fine set of solo and
duo piano at the 2008 JazzBaltica Festival. The late
Hank Jones is featured as a soloist for the first three
numbers, including an elegant, reflective title track
and striding, buoyant “The Very Thought of You”. The
gem of his solo segment is a gorgeous rendition of
“Oh! What a Beautiful Morning”, blending
impressionism with Jones’ unmistakable bop touch.
Friedman joins him on a second piano for the remainder
of the performance; the two musicians are of like mind,
anticipating where his partner is headed and providing
the perfect accompaniment. The duo starts with “Have
You Met Miss Jones?”, which proves to be a terrific
musical conversation. “Body and Soul” is one of the
most beloved jazz standards and the duo’s moving
performance doesn’t need a vocalist to convey its
message. “My Funny Valentine” is a frequently played
standard, yet Jones and Friedman find something new
to say with a softly spoken yet lush treatment that
retains the essence of this timeless ballad. Bop fans will
be delighted with their hard-charging take of
“Confirmation”. Bassist Martin Wind and drummer
Matt Wilson join the pianists as they wrap the set with
“Moose the Mooche”, a Charlie Parker favorite that
showcases each of the players in turn.
For more information, visit editionlongplay.com. Friedman
is at Smalls Mar. 9th and Jazz at Kitano Mar. 29th-30th.
See Calendar.
Yael Miller - vocals
Julie Campiche - harp
Manu Hagmann - double bass
Roland Merlinc - drums
« This Israeli-Swiss quartet (...) where
madness is never excluded, takes pleasure
in shoving us quickly from the comfort of
their pop-rock universe to capsize to other
more adventurous regions. In a word, fascinating. »
Denis Desassis
citizenjazz.com
« A beauty that dees convention.
A beauty that almost disturbs. »
Jacques Prouvost
jazzques.skynetblogs.be
orioxy.net
UTR 4400
Unit Records
33
Celebration
Arild Andersen/Scottish National Jazz Orchestra
Directed by Tommy Smith (ECM)
by Donald Elfman
ECM is a label that deserves to celebrate itself. For
over 40 years, the company has, with a diversity of
artists, created recordings with a unity of vision.
Bassist Arild Andersen has been associated with ECM
almost since its inception, a player whose concept and
sound reflect both the human voice and then something
deeper, like breathing itself. Saxophonist Tommy
Smith, who has been part of Andersen’s trio, is himself
a musician of powerful insight. He and Andersen are a
perfect match and the tune here that best defines that
collaboration is Andersen’s “Independency, Part 4”.
The arrangement by Michael Gibbs is, at once, sparse
and densely textured, with floating free passages,
lively dance-like sections and ample space for
Andersen and Smith.
A lovely segment of this October 2010 concert is
ECM star Trygve Seim’s “Ulrika’s Dance”. In the
composer ’s new arrangement, the piece becomes
complex, with great counterpoint for the Scottish
National Jazz Orchestra (of which Smith is Artistic
Director) and knockout themes, blending to feel both
spontaneous and carefully choreographed.
The recording abounds with surprises. Smith
wails in free-ish fashion on Christian Jacob’s
arrangement of Dave Holland’s “May Dance”. Smith
himself has arranged “Molde Canticle Part 1” by
another ECM mainstay, saxophonist Jan Garbarek. The
theme of Chick Corea’s “Crystal Silence” emerges out
of a delicately shimmering arrangement by pianist
Makoto Ozone, who worked with Smith in Gary
Burton’s group.
And finally, there’s one of the more celebrated
tunes in the ECM catalogue: Keith Jarrett’s “My Song”,
with the melody carried by Andersen. Pianist Steve
Hamilton sweetly supports the bass and it’s an
emotional but different reading. The arrangement is by
pianist Geoff Keezer and, like all of the work here,
opens a window onto these classic ECM compositions.
For more information, visit ecmrecords.com. Andersen is at
Birdland Mar. 26th. See Calendar.
Tusk
Sean Moran Small Elephant Band (NCM East)
by Wilbur MacKenzie
Though perhaps best known for his work in The Four
Bags, guitarist Sean Moran is profoundly diverse in his
output, as his latest release demonstrates. With Moran
Flushing Town Hall
RANDY SANDKE
HOMAGE TO LOUIS ARMSTRONG
+ BIX BEIDERBECKE
SAt, MAr 9, 8 PM
$15/$10 Members and Students with ID
Randy Sandke performs a homage
to these greats who called Queens
their home. Join us for a post-show
Q & A and Birthday Cake in honor
of Bix, who was born
March 10, 1903.
Chia’s Dance Party
LATIN JAzz
New York Faces
Presented in Partnership with Terraza 7 Cafe
SAt, MAr 23, 6 PM
$20/$15 Members and Students with ID
3 ensembles, 1 dance floor; featuring
Puerto rican bassist Ricardo Rodriquez’s
Quintet; revolutionary Cuban
Accordionist Victor Prieto who embraces
jazz, tango, classical & Celtic roots; and
Chia’s Dance Party’s infectious, danceable
grooves of Colombian music & original
tunes. refreshments on sale.
ORDER TICKETS TODAY!
(718) 463-7700 x222 flushingtownhall.org
Flushing town Hall, 137-35 Northern Blvd., Flushing, NY 11354
Supported by National Endowment for the Arts; New York State Council on the Arts, a State Agency; New York
City Department of Cultural Affairs; Bloomberg Philanthropies; New York Community Bank Foundation and Macy’s.
on nylon string guitar, Four Bags cohort Mike McGinnis
on clarinets, Chris Dingman on vibraphone, Reuben
Radding on bass and Harris Eisenstadt on drums, the
Small Elephant Band invites a major expansion of the
compositional and orchestrational ideas Moran
contributes to The Four Bags.
On the opening “Elliptical”, things start off with
some subtle guitar statements before making room for
more ensemble members and breaking into a march
feel. “Circle One, Two” and “Monkeytown” both
emphasize the jazz aspects of this multifaceted
ensemble, favoring proper instrumental solos while, in
contrast, “Moon Reflected” offers a well-constructed
array of shimmering textures.
Moran’s ability to conjure both subtlety and
intensity from the nylon string guitar lends this album
a profound sense of drama. The haunting feel that
populates the majority of this record perfectly frames
Moran’s sound, but at the same time so do more intense
passages, like “Year of the Snake”, which calls to mind
the mid ‘60s Miles Davis Quintet.
Counterpoint between guitar, vibes, clarinet and
bass crops up throughout the album, but most notably
on “Dream of the Water”, characterized by amazing
interactions between Radding and McGinnis. “The
Camel” opens with some colorful unaccompanied
guitar, then settles into some slightly Middle-Easternflavored ensemble passages, finally led off into the
distance by McGinnis’ clarinet. This ethereal ending is
carried through for the final track, “To the Edge of the
World”, where suspended harmonies are punctuated
by Eisenstadt’s subtle percussion scrapes and clicks
and Radding’s unaccompanied arco solo.
For more information, visit ncmeast.com. This group is at
Barbès Mar. 31st. See Calendar.
JA Z Z
at
K I TA N O
Music • Restaurant • Bar
“ONE OF THE BEST JAZZ CLUBS IN NYC” ... NYC JAZZ RECORD
L I V E J A Z Z E V E RY
W E D N E S D AY - S AT U R D AY
Numerology (Live at Jazz Standard)
David Gilmore (Evolutionary Music)
by Terrell Holmes
David Gilmore’s Numerology is pure energy from start
to finish. This live set, recorded over two nights at Jazz
Standard, is absolutely relentless. Joining the peerless
guitarist are singer Claudia Acuña, alto saxophonist
Miguel Zenón, pianist Luis Perdomo, bassist Christian
McBride, drummer Jeff “Tain” Watts and Mino Cinelu
on percussion. With a seasoned and talented band like
this, amazing music is no surprise.
The seven numerically themed tunes are divided
into two movements, each movement a suite with
seamless transitions between songs. Things unfold
slowly on the mysterious “Zero to Three: Expansion”,
with incantory vocals, languid alto and whispered
percussion. The tempo picks up as alto and Watts’
signature thunderous drumming kicks up the tempo
on “Four: Formation”, where Perdomo and Gilmore
mirror each other flawlessly. The former plays
wonderfully off the cyclonic theme of “Five: Change”,
to which Gilmore adds his patented quicksilver riffs.
The percussion-driven and blistering “Six: Balance”
ends the first movement. Zenón blows this tune away,
Watts and Gilmore matching him with equal fury.
Although the album’s second movement isn’t
quite as overwhelming as the first, the music loses
very little of its intensity. Gilmore’s soft, contemplative
playing on “Seven: Rest” is enhanced by more of
Acuña’s vocalizing. The title is deceptive since a slight
downshift in tempo doesn’t necessarily imply rest, as
McBride’s excellent solo proves. “Eight: Manifestation”
is brief, but powerful, like a stick of dynamite, and a
perfect lead-in to the album’s closer, the incendiary
“Nine: Dispersion”. Gilmore and the band play as if
under the spell of demonic possession, particularly
Perdomo, whose solo exemplifies the dynamism,
creativity and passion of the entire band.
Gilmore has been a first-call guitarist for years
and Numerology might well be his finest hour. The band
is on point throughout and not a single note is wasted.
This album is an absolute pleasure and at last year ’s
end undoubtedly sat atop many “Best Of” lists.
For more information, visit evolutionarymusic.com.
Gilmore is at ShapeShifter Lab Mar. 18th. See Calendar.
Tone Åse / omas Strønen
Voxpheria
“an incredible
piece of work.”
- Milk Factory (UK)
“A beautiful and
inventive achievement.”
- All About Jazz (US)
“could only have been made in 2012.”
- Jazzwise (UK)
Out now on
GIGAFON! www.gigafon.no
Eponymous
Paul Giallorenzo 3
(Not Two)
Everything For Somebody
Aram Shelton
(Singlespeed Music)
by Clifford Allen
It’s interesting to think that today’s semi-veterans of
the Chicago scene(s) were young upstarts not all that
long ago. Bolstered by the environment around such
esteemed musicians as reedman Ken Vandermark,
players like percussionist Tim Daisy, pianist/electronic
musician Paul Giallorenzo and saxophonist Keefe
Jackson have been coming into their own over the past
decade. Daisy has been active in Chicago since the mid
‘90s and joined the Vandermark 5 in 2001 (he was the
group’s last drummer). In the past 15 years he has
grown tremendously not only as an instrumentalist
(for this writer, his solo on the Bridge 61 rendition of
“Various Fires” was a true statement) but also as a
composer, as his work with Vox Arcana, a trio with
clarinetist James Falzone and cellist/guitarist Fred
Lonberg-Holm, testifies.
One has only to listen to the isolated delicacy of
his cymbal work and measured earthiness next to
bassist Ingebrigt Håker Flaten’s robust pizzicato and
Giallorenzo’s mercurial boppish suggestions on “The
Sun’s Always Shining”, the opening track to the
pianist’s eponymous trio album. In terms of an
improvising unit as well as Giallorenzo’s pianism, the
session is a fine statement. While the pianist’s earlier
work, represented by the ragged but convincing
quintet disc Get In To Go Out (482 Music), seemed to
rely on group kinetics to keep the music shored up,
Giallorenzo is out front here and able to let his
scumbled, behind-the-beat eddies command their own
shape and attention. One can hear echoes of Hasaan
Ibn Ali, Valdo Williams, Burton Greene and Dave
Brubeck in Giallorenzo’s approach, which balances
crisp delicacy and charged muscularity. Yet this is
decidedly trio music, wherein Daisy’s dry swing and
temporal futzing is a magnificent asset and his
unaccompanied or parallel playing is logical,
authoritative and rendered with clattering flair.
Everything For Somebody is the latest quartet disc
from ex-Chicago alto saxophonist/clarinetist Aram
Shelton, now residing in the Bay Area. He’s joined by
Daisy, tenor saxophonist Keefe Jackson and bassist
Anton Hatwich on a program of six original
compositions. Shelton is one of those musicians for
whom being an ‘acolyte’ is a respectful position; this
writer hasn’t heard too many musicians, especially of a
younger generation, take on the compositional tack
and improvisational daring of Roscoe Mitchell. Shelton
does that but he runs with it and has created a highly
personal approach rooted in well-paced repetition and
their abstracted (but highly melodic) outgrowths.
Jackson’s more burred and quixotic phrasing is a
fascinating foil, taking the same germs and contorting
them into equally personal problem/solution
dynamics. At heart - and not least due to the
voluminous, dry activity of Daisy’s kit and the full
tone and precise timing of Hatwich - this is swinging
and accessible music, far from any rote exercise.
Shelton and company balance formal rigor with bright
and unruly nowness and that is something their
esteemed forbears would appreciate.
For
more
information,
visit
nottwo.com
and
singlespeedmusic.org. Tim Daisy is at Ibeam Brooklyn Mar.
15th-16th with James Falzone. See Calendar.
$ 10 W E D . / T H U R + $ 15 M i n i m u m / S e t .
$ 25 F R I . / S AT. + $ 15 M i n i m u m / S e t
2 S E T S 8 : 0 0 P M & 10 : 0 0 P M
JAZZ BRUNCH EVERY SUNDAY
TONY MIDDLETON TRIO
11 AM - 2 PM • GREAT BUFFET - $35
OPEN JAM SESSION MONDAY NIGHTS
8:00 PM - 11:30 PM • HOSTED BY IRIS ORNIG
TUES. MARCH 5, SOLO PIANO - STEVEN FEIFKE • 8 PM - 11 PM
PRIVATE PARTY TUES. MARCH 12 & 19
TUES. MARCH 26 • GRACE NOTES MUSIC PRESENTS
SHELIA JORDAN MASTER CLASS
SPECIAL EVENT FROM 7 PM TO 10 PM
FRI. MARCH 1
GENE BERTONCINI/
MICHAEL MOORE DUO
GENE BERTONCINI , MICHAEL MOORE
$25 COVER + $15 MINIMUM
SAT. MARCH 2
PAUL MEYERS/
FRANK WESS QUARTET
FRANK WESS, PAUL MEYERS
NEAL MINER, TONY JEFFERSON
WED. MARCH 6
JOE ALTERMAN TRIO
JOE ALTERMAN, JAMES CAMMACK, ALLAN MEDNARD
THURS. MARCH 7
CHRIS MCNULTY QUARTET
CHRIS MCNULTY, PAUL BOLLENBACK
UGONNA OKEGWO, TBA - DRUMS
FRI. & SAT. MARCH 8 & 9
LEW TABACKIN QUARTET
LEW TABACKIN, DAVID HAZELTINE
PETER WASHINGTON, AARON KIMMEL
WED. MARCH 13
LAUREL MASSE/
TEX ARNOLD DUO
LAUREL MASSE, TEX ARNOLD
THURS. MARCH 14
LESLIE PINTCHIK TRIO
LESLIE PINTCHIK, SCOT HARDY, MICHAEL SARIN
FRI. MARCH 15
ALEXIS
COLE QUARTET
ALEXIS COLE, JOHN DI MARTINO
JAMES CAMMACK, DUANE “COOK” BROADNAX
S AT. M A R C H 16
HELEN SUNG TRIO
HELEN SUNG, REUBEN ROGERS, RODNEY GREEN
$ 25 C OV E R + $ 15 M I N I M U M
WED. MARCH 20
MARIANNE SOLIVAN QUARTET
MARIANNE SOLIVAN, XAVIER DAVIS
MATTHEW PARRIS, JEROME JENNINGS
THURS. MARCH 21
MARIA BACARDI SEPTET
8 PM SHOW SOLD OUT
MARIA BACARDI, DAVID OQUENDO
PABLO VERGARA, ALEX HERNANDEZ
VICENTE SANCHEZ, ROMAN DIAZ, ONEL MULET
FRI. MARCH 22
FRANK KIMBROUGH TRIO
FRANK KIMBROUGH, JAY ANDERSON, JEFF HIRSHFIELD
SAT. MARCH 23
VALERIE CAPERS TRIO
VALERIE CAPERS, JOHN ROBINSON, DOUG RICHARDSON
WED. MARCH 27
YOUNGJOO
SONG TRIO
YOUNGJOO SONG, YASUSHI NAKAMURA
GREG HUTCHINSON
THURS. MARCH 28
MIKE CLARK & FRIENDS
FEATURING RACHEL Z
MIKE CLARK, RACHEL Z, MIKE ZILBER, JAMES GENUS
FRI. & SAT. MARCH 29 & 30
DON FRIEDMAN TRIO
DON FRIEDMAN, GEORGE MRAZ, MATT WILSON
RESERVATIONS - 212-885-7119
VISIT OUR TWEETS AT: http://twitter.com/kitanonewyork
www.kitano.com • email: jazz@kitano.com ò 66 Park Avenue @ 38th St.
35
Hell-Bent in the Pacific
Lisa Mezzacappa/Vinny Golia/Marco Eneidi/
Vijay Anderson (NoBusiness)
by Ken Waxman
Both a reunion and a new configuration, Hell-Bent in
the Pacific brings alto saxophonist Marco Eneidi’s
Shattered trio with bassist Lisa Mezzacappa and
drummer Vijay Anderson together with Vinny Golia.
Golia’s wide-ranging gigs have frequently put
him in contact with Mezzacappa and Anderson, two of
the Bay area’s busiest players, so his contributions are
inspired not alienating. Meanwhile Eneidi, a
Californian who has been in Vienna since 2004, easily
locks into a groove with the bassist and drummer. In
contrast, tracks such as “Pendulum” and “Fumbling
Fulminations” demonstrate how curving chalumeau or
flutter-tongued vibrations from Golia’s clarinet or bass
clarinet tease the alto saxophonist’s tart tones so that
their output twists around each other. Mezzacappa
anchors the nine instant compositions with graceful
power while Anderson is precise and tasteful.
Probably the highpoint comes on the extended
“Catholic
comstocking
smut-hound”.
Slapping
cymbals and Pops Foster-style slap bass easily define
the tune’s head and recapped finale, leaving the
frontline plenty of space. Each takes advantage of this
with sharp bites and tactile slurs, as Golia’s tenor
saxophone outlines the narrative, deconstructs it with
screeches, snorts and split tones and then revives it,
Eneidi darting around him with multiphonic reed
vibrations. “Everything imaginable can be Dreamed”
is Eneidi’s feature while “Prisoner of a gaudy and
unlivable present” is another demonstration of Golia’s
tenor saxophone prowess. Shadowed by Mezzacappa’s
ringing bassline, the tenor saxist’s breathy lyricism on
the latter plus heated triple tonguing honors both Ben
Webster and John Coltrane. Meanwhile Eneidi’s
timbres on the former demonstrate a familiarity with
Bird-like licks as well as so-called avant garde playing.
Hell-Bent in the Pacific is such a high quality piece
of work that one hopes that geography won’t prevent
the quartet from convening again.
For more information, visit nobusinessrecords.com.
Mezzacappa and Anderson are at Barbès Mar. 27th and
ShapeShifter Lab Mar. 31st. See Calendar.
The Facts
George Colligan (SteepleChase)
by Donald Elfman
G eorge Colligan’s tenth recording for SteepleChase
beautifully encapsulates what has made this pianist
jerry costanzo cd release party
such a dynamic force on the jazz scene. Colligan, as the
album title suggests, offers the real and present account
of the state of improvised music.
The only tune that’s not a Colligan original is the
pop classic by Joe Jackson, “Steppin’ Out”. The pianist
is perceptive enough to realize that the tune is already
‘pretty jazzy’ and with a touch of swing makes it feel
like a whole new listening experience. Alto saxophonist
Jaleel Shaw and Colligan bounce out the theme and
then the leader bursts forth with a propulsive solo
packed with the élan of the original. This is followed
by Shaw mining it for melodic, harmonic and rhythmic
riches before the theme reemerges over the pulsing
bass groove of Boris Kozlov and Donald Edwards’
powerhouse drumming.
The enthusiasm of these four musical cohorts is in
evidence throughout. “Blue State”, for example, is a
simple tune with just the right kind of blowing vibe.
Colligan opens the solo proceedings with the kind of
no-nonsense pianism for which he is known, taking the
appealing changes for a ride. And Shaw, who had
never played any of this music until the session,
displays a dexterity that has him headed towards the
outer reaches and then working his way back in. The
compositional skills of the leader abound: “Whadya
Looking At?” is a curious and individual take on “Body
And Soul” while “Missing” is a sad yet hopeful ballad,
which Colligan says took about 10 minutes to write.
Colligan directs his critics in the notes here to
remember that fame is not equated with ability. A little
false modesty, perhaps? He’s a solid, well-known
presence in the jazz world. And as for ability, he’s got
it and then some.
For more information, visit steeplechase.dk. Colligan is at
ShapeShifter Lab Mar. 27th. See Calendar.
Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer - Helge Lien
Memnon - sound portraits of Ibsen characters
Invitation
14 Standards
arranged by Tedd Firth
Join us Tues,
April 2 at 7pm
As exciting as a thriller –
as clear as the starry sky
Memnon is built around an equally
simple and striking ambition:
Keeping the music as pure as possible.
Relying on nothing but voice and piano.
with Tedd Firth piano, Joe Cohn guitar,
Neal Miner bass, Jonathan Mele drums,
Brian Pareschi trumpet, with special guest Giada Valenti
Ruth Wilhelmine Meyer: vocal
Helge Lien: piano
For tickets and information call 212-206-0440
or visit metropolitanroom.com
The voice-piano synchronous alignment allows the
archetypal Ibsen characters to arrive and spill like
sonic ink dancing in the air, etching silky holograms of
wanderers and those liberated from entrapment.
-Katie Bull, The New York City Jazz Record
34 W 22nd St. NY, NY 10010
www.jerrycostanzo.com
available at CDUniverse.com
and retailers everywhere
www.ozellamusic.com
CALENDAR
Friday, March 1
êPreservation Hall Jazz Band
Brooklyn Bowl 8 pm $20
êThe Heath Brothers: Jimmy and Albert “Tootie” Heath, Jeb Patton, David Wong
Village Vanguard 9, 11 pm $25
êGary Peacock, Marc Copland, Joey Baron
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êBilly Harper Quintet with Francesca Tanksley, Freddie Hendrix
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êGene Bertoncini/Michael Moore Jazz at Kitano 8, 10 pm $25
• Bill Evans Soulgrass with John Medeski, Jake Cinninger
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-35
• Ravi Coltrane Quartet with Jason Palmer, Christian McBride, Bill Stewart
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
• Keystone Korner Presents: Nicholas Payton XXX with Vicente Archer, Lenny White
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
• Warren Wolf Quartet with Aaron Goldberg, Kris Funn, Billy Williams
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
• Aaron Kimmel Quartet
Dizzy’s Club 12:45 am $20
êMiles Ahead: The Gil Evans-Miles Davis Masterwork In Honor of Gil Evans’s Centennial:
Manhattan School of Music Jazz Orchestra with guest Dave Liebman
Borden Auditorium 7:30 pm $12
• Will Vinson
The Jazz Gallery 9, 10:30 pm $20
êLady Got Chops Festival: Teri Roiger sings Abbey Lincoln with Frank Kimbrough,
John Menegon, Steve Williams Drom 9:30 pm $15
êBern Nix Quartet with Francois Grillot, Matt Lavelle, Reggie Sylvester;
Blood Trio: Sabir Mateen, Michael Bisio, Whit Dickey
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 8, 9:30 pm $11-16
êLew Soloff
Knickerbocker Bar and Grill 9:45 pm $5
• Mary Foster Conklin; Junior Mance Trio
Metropolitan Room 7, 11:30 pm $20
• Ray Gallon Trio with Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Peter Van Nostrand; Sherman Irby Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
• Petros Klampanis’ Contextual with Lefteris Kordis, John Hadfield, Maria Im,
Maria Manousaki, Ljova Zhurbin, Julia MacLaine, Mavrothi Kontanis, Hadar Noiberg
Cornelia Street Café 9, 10:30 pm $15
• Pedro Giraudo Sextet
Barbès 8 pm $10
• Either/Or Ensemble
The Firehouse Space 8 pm $10
êDenman Maroney/Hans Tammen Spectrum 7 pm
• killer BOB: Dave Scanlon, Max Jaffe, Steven Lugerner, Rob Lundberg; Guerilla Toss:
Kassie Carlson, Ian Kovac, Peter Negroponte, Simon Hanes, Arian Shafiee
The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
• James Shipp with Jean Rohe, Gilad Hekselman, Rogério Boccato;
Jeremy Udden’s Plainville with Pete Rende, Eivind Opsvik, RJ Miller, Ryan Scott
ShapeShifter Lab 8, 9:30 pm
• Two Sides Sounding + Zentripetal: Eleanor Taylor, Mila Henry, Lynn Bechtold,
Jennifer DeVore
Ibeam Brooklyn 8:30 pm $10
• Sean Nowell and The King-Fu Masters
The Greene Space 7 pm $15
• Tone Road Ramblers: Ron Coulter, John Fonville, Eric Mandat, Morgan Powell,
Ray Sasaki, Jim Staley and guest Ariane Alexander
Roulette 8 pm $15
• World on a String Trio: Paul Meyers, Leo Traversa, Vanderlei Pereira
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Josh Deutsch’s Pannonia
The Queens Kickshaw 9:30 pm
• Bob Arthurs Quintet with Ted Brown, Steve LaMattina, Jon Easton, Joe Solomon;
Aimee Allen Trio with Matt Baker; Chris McCarthy Trio with Isaac Levien,
Russell Holzman
Somethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9 , 11 pm $10
• Tom Tallitsch Duo Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Stephanie Richards/Andrew Munsey
Brooklyn LaunchPad 8 pm
• Larry NewComb Quartet
Cleopatra’s Needle 8 pm
• Masami Ishikawa Trio; Dre Barnes Project
The Garage 6, 10:30 pm
Saturday, March 2
êFrank Wess/Paul Meyers Quartet with Neal Miner, Tony Jefferson
Jazz at Kitano 8, 10 pm $25
• Jon Faddis Quartet
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 7:30, 9 pm $15-25
• My Coma Dreams: Fred Hersch and Ensemble
Miller Theatre 3, 8 pm $45
êMonk in Motion - The Next Face of Jazz: Justin Brown
Tribeca Performing Arts Center 8:30 pm $25
êDave Liebman Quintet with Matt Vashlishan, Bobby Avey, Tony Marino, Alex Ritz
• DarkMatterHalo: Hardedge, Brandon Ross, Doug Wieselman;
(Yet...) Another Plane: Brandon Ross, Stephanie Richards, Hardedge
Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 8 pm $20
êJoe McPhee solo; Charles Gayle Trio with Larry Roland, Michael TA Thompson
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 8, 9:30 pm $11-16
êDonald Byrd Tribute Band: James Zollar, Greg Bandy, Frank Basile, Paul Beaudry,
Chip Crawford
Honeycomb Playhouse 7 pm $10
• William Hooker Quintet; On Ka’a Davis and The Famous Original Djuke Music Players
with Cavassa Nickens, Welf Dorr, Peter Barr, Nick Gianni
Nublu 9 pm
• The Life of Alberta Hunter
York College Performing Arts Center 3, 7 pm $20
• Kenneth Whalum
Ginny’s Supper Club 8, 10 pm $15
êLuis Perdomo Quartet with Miguel Zenón, Mimi Jones, Rodney Green
• Michael Brooks’ Take Berlin; Christof Knoche’s Restless with Miles Okazaki,
Zach Lober, Damion Reid
ShapeShifter Lab 7, 9:30 pm $10
êEarth People: André Martinez, Francois Grillot, Jason Candler, Doug Principato,
Stephen Haynes, Chris Forbes, Karen Borca, Frederika Krier, Tomas Ulrich,
Mark Hennen, Sabir Mateen, Elliott Levin, Brian Groder; Open Music Ensemble
The Firehouse Space 8, 9:30 pm $10
êAmanda Monaco Three with Sam Trapchak, Vinnie Sperrazza
Domaine Wine Bar 8:30 pm
• Normal Love: Amnon Freidlin, Evan Lipson, Rachael Bell, Jessica Pavone, Max Jaffe;
In One Wind: Angelo Spagnolo, Rob Lundberg, Mallory Glaser, Max Jaffe,
Steven Lugerner
• Fernando Otero’s Romance with Nicolas Danielson, Lev Zhurbin, Adam Fisher,
Pablo Aslan, Ivan Barenboim, Josefina Scaglione, Kristin Norderval, Dana Hanchard
92YTribeca 9 pm $15
• Andrea Venziani Trio with Kenny Wessel, Robert Gatto
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Joseph Howell Quartet with Alex Brown, Danny Weller, Tyson Stubelek;
Tuomo Uusitalo Trio with Norbert Farkas, Jay Sawyer
Somethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9 pm $10
• Dona Carter Quartet Cleopatra’s Needle 8 pm
êGary Peacock, Marc Copland, Joey Baron
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êBilly Harper Quintet with Francesca Tanksley, Freddie Hendrix
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
• Bill Evans Soulgrass with John Medeski and guests
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-35
• Ravi Coltrane Quartet with David Virelles, Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $40
• Aaron Kimmel Quartet
êLew Soloff
• Lucas Pino No Net Nonet with Colin Stranahan, Glenn Zaleski, Matthew Jodrell,
Desmond White, Alex LoRe, Rafal Sarnecki, Nick Finzer; Sherman Irby Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
• The Black Butterflies Shrine 6 pm
êLady Got Chops Festival: Bertha Hope Quartet
1st Reformed Church of Jamaica Brunch 1 pm
• Larry Newcomb Trio; Joanne Sternburg Trio; Akiko Tsuruga Trio
The Garage 12, 6, 10:30 pm
Sunday, March 3
êPrez Fest - Celebrating Milt Hinton: Purchase Jazz Orchestra conducted by
Todd Coolman with Catherine Russell, Frank Wess; Jay Leonhart; “The Judge Meets
the Section”: Peter Dominguez, Mimi Jones, Douglas Weiss, Sue Williams, Elias Bailey;
Ron Carter; Gerald Clayton, Rufus Reid, Rodney Green and guest;
Rufus Reid Large Bass Choir
Saint Peter’s 7:30 pm $15-25
• Steven Lugerner Quartet with Myra Melford, Stephanie Richards, Matt Wilson;
Cloud Becomes Your Hand: Stephen Cooper, Hunter Jack, Weston Minissali, Sam Sowyrda, Booker Stardrum The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
êRyan Keberle’s Catharsis with Mike Rodriguez, Jorge Roeder, Eric Doob
Barbès 7 pm $10
• Jen Chapin and Rosetta Trio with Stephan Crump, Jamie Fox, Liberty Ellman and
guest Martha Redbone
ShapeShifter Lab 8 pm $15
• Filip Novosel/Richard Boukas Cornelia Street Café 8:30 pm $10
• Charles Owens Quartet
Smalls 11 pm $20
• Omoo: Emilie Weibel/Valentine Biollay; Rose Ellis with Daan Kleijn, Scott Colberg,
Steve Piccatagio; Cristian Mendoza’s Lost In New York with Mike Moreno,
Hans Glawischnig, Alex Kautz Somethin’ Jazz Club 5, 7, 9 pm $10
êOut of Your Head: Yoni Kretzmer, Landon Knoblock, Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic,
Matt Rousseau; Josh Sinton, Brad Henkel, Andrew Smiley
The Backroom 9:30, 11 pm
• Damien Olsen, Ras Moshe, Adam Dym, Stephan Keneas; Rocco John Iacovone Trio
with Dalius Naujo, Dmitry IshenkoABC No-Rio 7 pm $5
• Shrine Big Band
Shrine 8 pm
• Bill Evans Soulgrass with John Medeski and guests
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-35
• Ravi Coltrane Quartet with David Virelles, Dezron Douglas, Johnathan Blake
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $25
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $30
• David Grollman, Ryan Krause, Yoni Kretzmer, James Ilgenfritz
Downtown Music Gallery 6 pm
• Ben Williams Trio
Saint Peter’s 5 pm
êMin Xiao-Fen Blue Pipa Trio with Steve Salerno, Dean Johnson
Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 4 pm
• Kyoko Kitamura Moving Music Ensemble with Khabu Doug Young, Andrew Drury;
Jessica Jones Quartet with Tony Jones and guests
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 2, 3 pm $11-16
• Jamie Reynolds
92nd Street Y Weill Art Gallery 3 pm
• Billy Drewes/Kenny Werner NYU Ensemble
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $29.50
• Frank Piombo; Alix Paige with Bennett Paster Trio
• Roz Corral Trio with Yotam Silberstein, Harvie S
North Square Lounge 12:30, 2 pm
• Mayu Saeki Trio; David Coss Quartet
The Garage 11:30 am 7 pm
Monday, March 4
êMingus Big Band
• Jason Marsalis Quartet with Austin Johnson, Will Goble, David Potter
• Tom Bruno Memorial
Saint Peter’s 7:30 pm
• Stephen Gauci’s Yardbird with Nick Demopoulos, Adam Lane, Jeremy Carlstedt;
4 Women with an Ax to Grind: Tiffany Chang, Patricia Nicholson, Jean Cook, Kris Davis;
Yuko Fujiyama Trio with Jennifer Choi, Newman Taylor Baker
Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 7:30 pm $11-22
êMatt Garrison with Jeff “Tain” Watts
• David Amram and Co. with Kevin Twigg, John de Witt, Adam Amram
Cornelia Street Café 8:30 pm $10
êCharnett Moffett solo
Smalls 7:30 pm $20
êLady Got Chops Festival: Lakecia Benjamin Trio with Kim Clarke, Shirazette Tinnin
For My Sweet Restaurant 7 pm
• Women’s Jazz Festival: Alicia Hall Moran/Marcelle Davies Lashley
The Schomburg Center 7 pm $25
• Jane Irving
Zinc Bar 7 pm $8
• In The Spirit of Gil: Victor Jones/Jay Rodriguez Group
Zinc Bar 9:30, 11 pm 1 am
• Darkminster: Peter Hanson, Nathaniel Morgan, Brad Henkel; Géraldine Eguiluz,
Angelica Sanchez, Michaël Attias Sycamore 8:30, 9:30 pm
• Deanna Witkowski Trio with Marco Panascia, Scott Latsky
Bar Next Door 8:30, 10:30 pm $12
• Yuko Okamoto Quartet; Terry Vakirtzolgou Quartet with Tuomo Uusitalo,
George Kostopoulos, Joao Mota Somethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9 pm $7-10
• Howard Williams Jazz Orchestra The Garage 7 pm
Tuesday, March 5
• The Jazz Crusaders: Joe Sample, Wayne Henderson, Wilton Felder
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
êCedar Walton Trio with David Williams, Willie Jones III
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Renee Rosnes Quartet with Steve Nelson, Peter Washington, Lewis Nash
ê“Killer” Ray Appleton All-Stars with Brian Lynch, Peter Bernstein,
Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Todd Herbert, Rick Germanson, Robert Sabin,
Little Johnny Rivero
• Grace Kelly Quintet with Pete McCann, Evan Gregor, Eric Doob and guest
• Alphonso Horne
Dizzy’s Club 11 pm $10
êWarren Smith and the Composer’s Workshop Orchestra
NYC Baha’i Center 8, 9:30 pm $15
êIngrid Laubrock’s Anti-House with Kris Davis, Mary Halvorson, Sean Conly, Tom Rainey
• Jack Jeffers and the New York Classics with Antoinette Montague
Zinc Bar 8, 10 pm
• Kaoru Watanabe/Kenny Endo ShapeShifter Lab 8:30 pm $12
• Thiefs: Christophe Panzani, Guillermo E. Brown, Keith Witty
Joe’s Pub 9:30 pm $14
• The Chives: Max Jaffe, Steven Lugerner, Matthew Wohl; Ashley Paul
• Spike Wilner solo; Smalls Legacy Little Big Band with Josh Evans, Theo Hill,
Frank Lacy; Kyle Poole
Smalls 7, 9:30 pm 12 am $20
• Perez/Anita Wardell
Metropolitan Room 7 pm $20
êBria Skonberg Trio with Matt Munisteri, Sean Cronin
• Leviticus: Michael Winograd, Daniel Blacksberg, Todd Neufeld, Tyshawn Sorey
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 7:30 pm $15
• Cat Toren Band with Ryan Ferreira, Pat Reid, Nathan Ellman-Bell; Giacomo Merega with
Noah Kaplan, Brian Drye, Mike Pride
Korzo 9, 10:30 pm
• Steven Feifke solo
Jazz at Kitano 8 pm
• Harvest: Andrae Murchison, Freddie Hendrix, Azemobo Audu, Sharp Radway,
Corcoran Holt, Emanuel Harrold Somethin’ Jazz Club 7 pm $10
• Akira Ishiguro Quartet Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• The Legacy Trio with David Coss The Garage 7 pm
• Tunk Trio: Chris Tunkel, Anders Nilsson, Curt Sydnor; Matt Snow Group
Shrine 6, 8 pm
MIN XIAO-FEN - DIM SUM
Thanks to a generous grant from the Peter S. Reed Foundation
Available from
www.mmsies.com/clients/MinXiaoFen/Store
www.downtownmusicgallery.com
Wednesday, March 6
êHarold Mabern/Eric Alexander Quartet with Gerald Cannon, Joe Farnsworth
An Beal Bocht Café 8, 9:30 pm
êKeystone Korner Presents: Louis Hayes and the Jazz Communicators with
Javon Jackson, Anthony Wonsey, Santi Debriano
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
êRebecca Kilgore and Harry Allen Quartet with Ehud Asherie, Joel Forbes, Kevin Kanner
Metropolitan Room 9:30 pm $30
êInstant Strangers: Tim Berne, Mary Halvorson, Stephan Crump, Tomas Fujiwara
• David Binney, Wayne Krantz, Nate Wood; Louis Cole/Genevieve Artadi;
James Ilgenfritz with Anthony Coleman, Brian Chase; Kirk Knuffke/Mike Pride Duo
êValery Ponomarev “Our Father Who Art Blakey” Big Band
Zinc Bar 8 pm
êMichael Dease Quintet with Anat Cohen, Adam Birnbaum, Linda Oh, Ulysses Owens Jr.
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
êDavid Weiss and Point of Departure with JD Allen, Matt Clohesy, Nir Felder,
Kush Abadey
Drom 9:45 pm $15
êLage Lund Group; Roberto Gatto Group
Smalls 9:30 pm 12 am $20
• Joe Alterman Trio
• Juan P Carletti Trio with Tony Malaby, Christopher Hoffman
Barbès 8 pm $10
• Andrea Parkins/Okkyung Lee; Ryan Ferreira’s Music for Images with Chris Dingman
Seeds 8:30, 10 pm
• Malika Zarra Quartet with Francis Jacob, Jean-Christophe Maillard, Brahim Fribgane
Terraza 7 9:30 pm $5
êProtestMusic: Yoni Kretzmer, Pascal Niggenkemper, Weasel Walter; Carlo Costa,
Eli Asher, Andrew Smiley, Nathaniel Morgan; Jonathan Moritz Secret Tempo with
Shayna Dulberger, Mike Pride
Goodbye Blue Monday 9 pm
• Angelo Spagnolo; Dave Scanlon The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
• David Engelhard Group with Assaf Kehati, Willie Harvey, Ronen Itzik; Emily Wolf Project
with Satish Robertson, Leah Gough-Cooper, Andrew Baird, Jason Yeager,
Danny Weller, Matt Rousseau
Somethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9 pm $7-10
• Ayumi Ishito Trio Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Josh Lawrence Quartet
The Garage 7 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
ê“Killer” Ray Appleton All-Stars with Brian Lynch, Peter Bernstein,
Ian Hendrickson-Smith, Todd Herbert, Rick Germanson, Robert Sabin,
Little Johnny Rivero
• Grace Kelly Quintet with Pete McCann, Evan Gregor, Eric Doob and guest
• Alphonso Horne
• Lady Got Chops Festival: Katie Cosco/Laura Dreyer Project Zinc Bar 6 pm
• Gabe Valle Shrine 6 pm
• Barry Harris, Murray Wall, Yaya Abdul
Saint Peter’s 1 pm $10
Thursday, March 7
êAntonio Sanchez’ Migration with David Binney, John Escreet, Orlando Le Fleming
êWycliffe Gordon and Friends Present Bird and Diz with Adrian Cunningham,
Michael Dease, Aaron Diehl, Yasushi Nakamura, Dion Parson and guests
• Alphonso Horne
• Joel Harrison 8 with Gregoire Maret, Paul Hanson, Christian Howes, Dana Leong,
Jacob Sacks, Stephan Crump, Rudy Royston
Roulette 8 pm $15
• New York Jazz Repertory Orchestra with guest Randy Brecker
Iridium 8, 10 pm $25
êJohn Yao Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Randy Ingram, Leon Boykins, Will Clark;
Peter Brendler Quartet with Peter Evans, Rich Perry, Vinnie Sperrazza
Cornelia Street Café 8:30, 10 pm $10
• Chris McNulty Quartet with Paul Bollenback, Ugonna Okegwo
• Freeway 3: Carol Liebowitz, Adam Caine, Claire de Brunner; Anders Nilsson and the
12 Houses with Mary Cherney, Matt Lavelle, Ras Moshe, Catherine Sikora,
Claire de Brunner, Chris Forbes, Francois Grillot
• Géraldine Eguiluz, Michaël Attias, Angélica Sanchez; Omar Tamez/Angelica Sanchez Ibeam Brooklyn 8:30 pm $10
• Lars Horntveth, RJ Miller, Ben Gerstein, Eivind Opsvik
Nublu 9 pm
• Eric Doob Quartet with Matt Stevens, Alex Brown, Hans Glawischnig
• Gregorio Uribe Big Band
Zinc Bar 9, 10:30 pm 12 am
• Danielle Freeman and The Sebastian Sky with Zach Brock, Lefteris Kordis,
Petros Klampanis, Tomas Fujiwara; Rob Scheps Core-tet with Greg Gisbert,
Jamie Reynolds, Cameron Brown, Anthony Pinciotti
• Amy Cervini’s Jazz Country with Jesse Lewis, Matt Aronoff
55Bar 7 pm
• Jake Saslow Trio with Joe Martin, Jochen Rueckert
• Manhattan Vibes: Christos Rafalides, Sergio Salvatore, Mike Pope, Vince Cherico
• Bleeding Heart: Ross Gallagher, Danny Fisher-Lochhead, Kyle Wilson,
Danny Lubin-Laden, Craig Weinrib; Aaron Roche
• Kale Elk: Liz Kosack/Kyungmi Lee; Shayna Dulberger solo
Lark Café 8 pm
• Aki Ishiguro
Caffe Vivaldi 9:30 pm
• Yuko Yamamura’s Ajarria with Goro Masayuki, Sam Jun Lee, Arei Sekiguchi,
Ryota Kataoka; Nelson Riveros Quartet
• Tomoko Omura Duo Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Joanna Sternberg Trio
êChampian Fulton Band with Stephen Fulton, Hide Tanaka, Fukushi Tainaka
The Garage 7 pm
êRebecca Kilgore and Harry Allen Quartet with Ehud Asherie, Joel Forbes, Kevin Kanner,
Steven Feifke Big Band
Metropolitan Room 9:30, 11:30 pm $20-30
êLage Lund Group
Smalls 9:30 pm $20
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Scott Kulick Shrine 6 pm
39
Friday, March 8
Sunday, March 10
êPaquito D’Rivera’s “Charlie Parker with Strings” with Charles Pillow, Riza Printup,
Alex Brown, Ben Williams, Vince Cherico
Allen Room 7:30, 9:30 pm $55-65
êJon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York with Lew Soloff, Greg Gisbert, Max Darche,
Michael Philip Mossman, Mark Vinci, Steve Wilson, Walt Weiskopf, Ralph Lalama,
Frank Basile, Ted Rosenthal, Todd Coolman and guests Ignacio Berroa, Jimmy Heath,
Pedrito Martinez, Steve Turre
Rose Hall 8 pm $30-120
êLew Tabackin Quartet with David Hazeltine, Peter Washington, Aaron Kimmel
êBlowin’ the Blues Away: Mike LeDonne Quintet with Jeremy Pelt, Gary Smulyan,
Ira Coleman, Louis Hayes
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êJohn McNeil’s Hush Money with Jeremy Udden, Aryeh Kobrinski, Vinnie Sperrazza
êWalter Smith III Quintet with Matt Stevens, Taylor Eigsti, Harish Raghavan,
Clarence Penn
• Ches Smith Quartet with Mat Maneri, Jonathan Finlayson, Stephan Crump
Greenwich House Music School 9 pm $12
• Steve Lehman Trio
Rubin Museum 7 pm $20
• Radiance Festival 2013: Nioka Workman, Gwen Laster, Jennifer Axelson, Michi Fuji,
Elektra Kurtis, Frederika Krier, Maryam Blacksher, Pamela Hamilton, Nicole Verdosa,
Melissa Slocum, Riza Printup
• William Hooker with Mark Hennen, Larry Roland, Matt Lavelle
• Many Arms: Nick Millevoi, Ricardo Lagomasino, Johnny DeBlase; Sam Owens,
Greg Albert, Max Almario
• Harumi Hanafusa with Knickerbocker Chamber Orchestra
Schimmel Center for the Arts 7:30 pm $35
êDaryl Sherman/Scott Robinson Knickerbocker Bar and Grill 9:45 pm $5
• Mary Foster Conklin
êNed Goold; Jay Collins Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
• Rick Stone Trio with Harvie S, Tom Pollard
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Delilah Jackson Memorial
• Julien Hucq/Marius Duboule + 2 with Andrea Veneziani, Alex Ritz
• Ryan Greer Group with Alex DeZenzo, Stephanie Wells, John Feliciano,
Josh Schusterman; Kathleen Potton Band; Tunes from the 90s Quartet with
Sean McCluskey, Milton Barreto Somethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9, 11 pm $10
• Andrew Van Tassel Duo Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Will Terrilt Trio
• Nick Moran Trio; Kevin Dorn and the Big 72
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $40
• Alphonso Horne
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êJerry Granelli Trio with Briggan Krauss, J. Granelli and guest Jay Clayton; Chuck Bettis,
Nonoko Yoshida, James Ilgenfritz; I Don’t Hear Nothin’ But The Blues: Jon Irabagon,
Mike Pride, Mick Barr
ShapeShifter Lab 8, 9:30 pm $10-15
êKeystone Korner Presents: Louis Hayes Jazz Communicators with Javon Jackson,
Anthony Wonsey, Santi Debriano Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
• Hag: David Grollman, Brad Henkel, Sean Ali; Rapstar: Paul Wheeler, Justin Veloso,
Arrien Zinghini
• Yves Brouqui Quartet
Smalls 11 pm $20
• Sly5thave/Philip Manchaca; Bach and Forward: Hajnal Pivnick/Dorian Wallace;
Ehud Ettun Quartet with Lihi Haruvi, Haruka Yabuno, Natti Blankett
Somethin’ Jazz Club 5, 7, 9 pm $10
• Tim Barr/Cliff Ferdon; Flin van Hemmen Ensemble
ABC No-Rio 7 pm $5
• Florencia Gonzalez’ Candombe Pianos 7, 9 pm
• Yuko Okamoto Shrine 8 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
• Galactic Sound Lab; Bonnie Kane/Chris Welcome
• Marianne Solivan Quartet
• Yoon Sun Choi and Friends
Lark Café 4 pm
• Riza Printup Ensemble
Abyssinian Baptist Church 3 pm
• The Sojourner Truth: Avery Sharpe Sextet with Jimmy Greene, Duane Eubanks,
Onaje Allan Gumbs, Yoron Israel, Jeri Brown
Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch 1:30 pm
• Hendrik Meurkens Quartet
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $29.50
• Linda Ciofalo Trio with Mark Marino, Marcus McLaurine
• Lou Caputo Quartet; David Coss The Garage 11:30 am 7 pm
Saturday, March 9
êHomage to Louis Armstrong & Bix Beiderbecke: Randy Sandke Group with
John Allred, Dan Levinson, Vince Giordano, Mark Shane, Raj Jayaweera
Flushing Town Hall 8 pm $15
êEarl McIntyre and Tribute! with Jim Seeley, Vincent Chancey, Sam Burtis, Warren Smith,
Tommy Campbell
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 8 pm $10-15
• Avery Sharpe
Ginny’s Supper Club 8 , 10 pm $15
• Eddie Allen/Sarah Bernstein
St Augustine’s Church 7:30 pm $20
• Amy Cervini/Bruce Barth; Janis Seigal/Edsel Gomez
êDavid Arner/Connie Crothers; Drunk Butterfly: Mark Whitecage, Adam Lane, Lou Grassi
• Gilad Hekselman Trio with Joe Martin, Justin Brown
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• American Showstoppers - Jule Styne: Fred Barton Orchestra
Schimmel Center for the Arts 7:30 pm $30-55
• Pat Spadine’s Ashcan Orchestra with guests; Pet Bottle Ningen: Dave Miller,
Dave Scanlon, Nonoko Yoshida The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
• Cherry Davis
Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $25
• The Red Microphone: John Pietaro, Ras Moshe, Rocco John Iacovone,
Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic
17 Frost Theater of the Arts 8 pm
• Magda Giannikou’s Banda MagdaOceana Restaurant 9 pm
• Feather on the Breath: Josh Sinton, Liz Kosack, Owen Stewart-Robertson;
Fester: Dave Grollman/Sean Ali; Battle Trance: Travis Laplante, Jeremy Viner,
Patrick Breiner, Matt Nelson; Mutasm: Will McEvoy, Dustin Carlson, Brad Henkel,
Patrick Breiner, Nathaniel Morgan, Cody Brown
Douglass Street Music Collective 8 pm $10
• Matthew Whitaker Trio with Paul Beaudry, Nathan Webb; Nick Brust/Adam Horowitz
Quintet with Matthew Sheens, James Quinlan, Dani Danor; James Robbins Quintet with
Christoph Huber, Nat Janoff, Sharik Hassan, Charles Goold
• Miki Yamanaka Trio Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Kazu Trio
êPaquito D’Rivera’s “Charlie Parker with Strings” with Charles Pillow, Riza Printup,
Alex Brown, Ben Williams, Vince Cherico
Allen Room 7:30, 9:30 pm $55-65
êJon Faddis Jazz Orchestra of New York with Lew Soloff, Greg Gisbert, Max Darche,
Michael Philip Mossman, Mark Vinci, Steve Wilson, Walt Weiskopf, Ralph Lalama,
Frank Basile, Ted Rosenthal, Todd Coolman and guests Ignacio Berroa, Jimmy Heath,
Pedrito Martinez
Rose Hall 8 pm $30-120
êLew Tabackin Quartet with David Hazeltine, Peter Washington, Aaron Kimmel
êBlowin’ the Blues Away: Mike LeDonne Quintet with Jeremy Pelt, Gary Smulyan,
Ira Coleman, Louis Hayes
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êWalter Smith III Quintet with Matt Stevens, Fabian Almazan, Harish Raghavan,
Clarence Penn
êDaryl Sherman/Scott Robinson Knickerbocker Bar and Grill 9:45 pm $5
êDon Friedman Quartet; Jay Collins Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $45
• Alphonso Horne
• Maria Guida with James Weidman, Marcus McLaurine, Tony Jefferson;
Rebecca Kilgore and Harry Allen Quartet with Ehud Asherie, Joel Forbes, Kevin Kanner
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Glenn White Quartet Shrine 6 pm
• Lady Got Chops Festival: Camille Gainer’s Hurricane
Langston Hughes Library 2 pm
• Daniela Schaechter Trio; Alex Layne Trio
The Garage 12, 6 pm
• Alan Hampton; Caswell Sisters: Rachel and Sara Caswell, Jeremy Allen, Bryson Kern
• Lady Got Chops Festival: Whitney Marchelle Quartet with Champian Fulton,
Kim Clarke, Sylvia Cuenca
Zinc Bar 7 pm
• Osmany Paredes Quartet
Zinc Bar 9:30, 11 pm 1 am
• Ben Van Gelder Trio with Craig Weinrib; Arthur Kell 4tet with Loren Stillman,
Brad Shepik, Mark Ferber
Seeds 8:30, 10 pm
• Juan Felipe Mayorga Trio with Edward Perez, Nitzan Gavrieli
• Jane Irving/Kevin Hailey; Steve Picataggio Quintet with Mike Rodriquez, Daan Kleijn,
Joe Alterman, Martin Wind
• Marc Devine Trio
The Garage 7 pm
êEddie Daniels/Roger Kellaway
• Joe Saylor/Bryan Carter
êAfro-Cuban All Stars: Juan de Marcos González, Gliceria Abreu, Julito Padrón,
Yaure Muñiz, Yoanny Pino, Lázaro Oviedo, José Antonio “Tony” Moreaux,
Antonio “Pacha” Portuondo, Rolando “Niño Mentira” Salgado, Gabriel Hernández,
Alberto Pantaleón, Evelio Galán, Emilio Suarez, José Gilito Piñera, Gliceria González,
Laura Lydia González Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
• Kevin Mahogany
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êFabian Almazan Trio with Linda Oh, Henry Cole
• Janet Planet with Tom Theabo, Dan Loomis, Ross Pederson
• Russ Kassoff Big Band
Saint Peter’s 1 pm $10
Monday, March 11
êMingus Big Band
• Amina Figarova Sextet with Bart Platteau, Ernie Hammes, Marc Mommaas,
Jeroen Vierdag, Chris “Buckshot” Strik
êAdam Rudolph’s GO: Organic Orchestra
• Women’s Jazz Festival: Toshi Reagon and Allison Miller with Tamar Kali,
Karma Mayet Johnson, Josette Newsman Marchak, Christelle Durandy, Mimi Jones,
Shamie Royston
êPeter Bernstein solo
Smalls 7 pm $20
• Danny Meyer, Ratzo Harris, Martin Urbach; Shane Endsley Trio with Matt Brewer,
Ben Perowsky
Sycamore 8:30, 9:30 pm
• Holli Ross Trio with Dave Stryker, Dean Johnson
• Joshua Davis Love Salad with Thana Alexa, Natalie John, Nicole Zuraitis, Ronen Itzik
55Bar 7 pm
• Dana Lauren
Zinc Bar 7 pm $8
• Michael Eaton Trio with Rus Wimbish, Carter Bales; Tatiana Eva-Marie/Hyuna Park
• New York Youth Symphony Jazz Band
The Garage 7 pm
Tuesday, March 12
êEddie Daniels/Roger Kellaway
êAfro HORN: Sam Newsome, Abraham Burton, Aruán Ortiz, Rufus Reid, Roman Diaz,
Francisco Mora–Catlett
• Kevin Mahogany
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Russ Kassoff Orchestra with Catherine Dupuis
• Steve Lehman Trio with Matt Brewer, Damion Reid; Shakers n’ Bakers: Mary Larose,
Miles Griffith, Jamie Saft, Allison Miller, Chris Lightcap, Jeff Lederer
• Lainie Cooke with Peter Zak, Martin Wind, Ralph Peterson
• Carlo De Rosa’s Cross-Fade with Mark Shim, Luis Perdomo, John Davis;
Kaheri Quartet: Angelica Sanchez, Omar Tamez, Ratzo Harris, Satoshi Takeishi
Korzo 10:30 pm
• Ben Holmes Quartet with Curtis Hasselbring, Matt Pavolka, Vinnie Sperrazza
Barbès 7 pm $10
Smalls 7, 9:30 pm 12 am $20
• Craig Yaremko Trio with Matt King, Jonathon Peretz
• Travis Reuter with Peter Evans, Miles Okazaki, Jeremy Viner, Danny Sher;
Zach Pruitt Chamber Works
• Jazzmeia Horn
Zinc Bar 8, 10 pm
• Alicia Svigals/Patrick Farrell
Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 7:30 pm $15
• Marla Sampson/Matt Baker
Somethin’ Jazz Club 9 pm $12
• Lluis Capdevila Trio Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Ruslan Khain Trio
The Garage 7 pm
• Tomoko Omura Shrine 6 pm
Wednesday, March 13
• Clarence Penn Quartet with Chris Potter, Adam Rogers, Ben Street
êLotte Anker with Tim Berne, Gerald Cleaver
JACK 8 pm $10
• Dayna Stephens Group
Smalls 9:30 pm $20
êJason Robinson’s Janus Quartet with Liberty Ellman, Drew Gress, Ches Smith
Barbès 8 pm $10
• Keystone Korner Presents: Brazilian Jazz All Stars - Jazz Samba & Jobim:
Romero Lubambo, Claudio Roditi, Duduka Da Fonseca, Helio Alves, Maucha Adnet,
Hans Glawischnig
• Laurel Masse/Tex Arnold
• Rick Germanson Band with Gerald Cannon
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
• Ben Wendel/Dan Tepfer Duo
Rubin Museum 7 pm $20
• Wolfgang Gil; Alan Bjorklund with David Schnug, Jeremy Viner, Pascal Niggenkemper,
Cody Brown, Bastard
• Florian Hoefner Group with Mike Ruby, Sam Anning, Peter Kronreif; Alon Nechushtan
with John Ellis, Aidan Carroll, Damion Reid
In Celebration of
Women's History
Month
Lainie Cooke
The Music and Lyrics of Women
March 12, 2013
Cornelia Street Cafe
29 Cornelia Street, NYC
Reservations 212 989 9319
Cover $25 • includes one drink
Lainie Cooke • vocals
Peter Zak • piano
Martin Wind • bass
Ralph Peterson • drums
"...Cooke still hasn't
received either the
visibility or the
accolades that her vocal
imagination deserves.
But her passionate
performances should
be heard at every
opportunity"
—International Review of
Music, Don Heckman
Here's to Life and
It's Always You
can be purchased at
www.lainiecooke.com,
CDBaby and iTunes
Thursday, March 14
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
êSFJazz Collective - The Music Of Chick Corea: Avishai Cohen, Miguel Zenón,
David Sanchez, Robin Eubanks, Stefon Harris, Edward Simon, Matt Penman,
Jeff Ballard
êAndrew Cyrille
New School Arnhold Hall 8 pm $10
êRenku: Michaël Attias, John Hébert, Satoshi Takeishi
• Pedro Giraudo’s Expansions Big Band with Alejandro Aviles, Todd Bashore,
Luke Batson, John Ellis, Carl Maraghi, Jonathan Powell, Tatum Greenblatt, Miki Hirose,
Josh Deutsch, Ryan Keberle, Mike Fahie, Mark Miller, Nate Mayland,
Jess Jurkovic, Eric Doob, Paulo Stagnaro
Zinc Bar 9:30, 11 pm 12:30 am
• Highlights In Jazz - Swing Memories: The Anderson Twins Orchestra; Warren Vaché,
Howard Alden, Kenny Washington, Ehud Asherie, Peter Anderson, Will Anderson
Tribeca Performing Arts Center 8 pm $37.50-40
êEivind Opsvik’s Overseas with Tony Malaby, Jacob Sacks, Brandon Seabrook,
Kenny Wollesen
Nublu 9 pm
• Rob Garcia’s American Songs with Scott Robinson, Tamar Korn, Nir Felder
• Leslie Pintchik Trio with Scott Hardy, Michael Sarin
• Danny Grissett Group; Dayna Stephens Group
Smalls 7:30, 9:30 pm $20
• VaVatican: Weston Minissali, Nathaniel Morgan, Owen Stewart-Robertson,
Booker Stardrum; Eli Keszler and guests
• Chris Forbes Trio with Hilliard Greene, Michael TA Thompson; Ras Moshe Unit with
Ken Filiano, Anders Nilsson, John Pietaro, Andrew Drury
• Dave Miller; PascAli: Sean Ali/Pascal Niggenkemper
Lark Café 8 pm
• Vadim Neselovskyi’s Agricultural Dreams 6tet with Tammy Scheffer, Tomoko Omura,
Davy Mooney, Dan Foose, Ronen Itzik; Geoff Vidal Quintet with Tatum Greenblatt,
Nir Felder, Aidan Carroll, Jochen Reuckert; Tom Guarna’s Speak with Oteil Burbridge,
Danny Grissett, Obed Calvaire ShapeShifter Lab 7, 8, 9:30 pm
• Matt Otto Trio with Danton Boller, Otis Brown III
• Noshir Mody Quintet with Tsuyoshi Niwa, Carmen Staaf, John Lenis, Yutaka Uchida
• Senri Oe Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Masami Ishikawa Organ Trio
• George Weldon Trio
The Garage 7 pm
Hans Glawischnig
• Amanda Brecker
Birdland 6 pm $20
• Kevin Mahogany
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Janet Planet with Tom Theabo, Dan Loomis, Ross Pederson; Frank Kohl Quartet with
Tom Kohl, Steve LaSpina, Jon Doty
• Yuki Shibata Quartet Shrine 6 pm
Friday, March 15
êCharles Lloyd New Quartet with Jason Moran, Reuben Rogers, Eric Harland and guests
Maria Farantouri, Sokratis Sinopoulos, Alicia Hall Moran
Metropolitan Museum of Art Temple of Dendur 7 pm $50
• Dave Eggar/Fred Hersch Duo Rubin Museum 7 pm $20
• Eric Reed Quartet with Grant Stewart, Matt Clohesy, Willie Jones III
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
• Lady Got Chops Festival: Musi-Arti-Copia Flash Mob with Mem Nahadr,
Meg Montgomery, Andrea Brachfeld, Sheryl Renee, Nikita White, Claudia Hayden,
Lisette Santiago, Bertha Hope, Kim Clarke
Zeb’s 8 pm
êJames Falzone’s Klang with Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Roebke, Tim Daisy
• Mike Rodriguez Quartet with John Ellis, Kiyoshi Kitagawa, Rodney Green
êGabriel Alegría Afro-Peruvian Sextet with Freddy “Huevito” Lobatón, Hugo Alcazar, Shirazette Tinnin, Yuri Juarez, John Benitez Drom 9:30 pm $30
• WORKS: Michel Gentile, Daniel Kelly, Rob Garcia
Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 8 pm $15
êNels Cline/Greg Saunier; The InBetweens: Mike Gamble, Noah Jarrett, Conor Elmes
• Bobby Avey Group with Chris Speed, Thomson Kneeland, Jordan Perlson
• Alexis Cole Quartet with John di Martino, James Cammack, Dwayne “Cook” Broadnax
• Ken Peplowski Group
Smalls 10:30 pm $20
êDaryl Sherman, Will and Peter Anderson
• Rogério Boccato Quarteto
University Settlement 7:30 pm
• Valerie Kuehne; Kouno Youji
• Sean Nowell and The King-Fu Masters
The Bitter End 7 pm $10
• Joe Giglio Trio with Ratzo Harris, Eric Peters
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Redrocks: Matteo Ramon Arevalos/Chiara Zenzani
• Les Grant 5 with John Chin, John Ellis, Matt Pavolka, Dan Rieser; Reine Sophie with
David Cordeiro; Daniel Weiss Group with Chris Laybourne, Eitan Kenner, Yoni Marianer,
Brad Koegel
• Roos Plaatsman Trio Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Seth Myers Trio
• Fukushi Tainaka Trio; Hot House The Garage 6, 10:30 pm
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $35
Jeff Ballard
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $35
Hans Glawischnig
• Kevin Mahogany
Monday, March 18
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Janet Planet with Tom Theabo, Dan Loomis, Ross Pederson; Kay Matsukawa
Saturday, March 16
êChristian McBride Big Band with Freddie Hendrix, Frank Greene, Nabate Isles,
Brandon Lee, Michael Dease, James Burton, Douglas Purviance, Carl Maraghi,
Todd Bashore, Loren Schoenberg, Ron Blake, Xavier Davis, Ulysses Owens, Jr.,
Melissa Walker
92nd Street Y 8 pm $40
• Dr. John and The Lower 911; Allen Toussaint
Town Hall 8 pm $45-55
êFreddy Cole Quartet with Randy Napoleon, Elias Bailey, Curtis Boyd
Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts 8 pm $36
êHelen Sung Trio
êLady Got Chops Festival: Kali. Z. Fasteau, JD Parran, Ron McBee
Brecht Forum 8 pm $15
êLady Got Chops Festival: Mal Waldron Tribute: Mala Waldron Trio with Mimi Jones,
Sylvia Cuenca
êTony Malaby Reading Band with Ralph Alessi, Drew Gress, Billy Drummond
êJoseph C. Phillips, Jr.’s Numinous and Imani Uzuri Merkin Concert Hall 7:30 pm $25
• Freddie Bryant Trio with Peter Bernstein, Cafe
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Adam Lane’s Blue Spirit Band with Roy Campbell, Avram Fefer; Omar Tamez,
Angelica Sanchez, Ratzo Harris, Lou Grassi
• John Zorn Improv Night
• Nir Felder
• Donald Vega Trio
Oceana Restaurant 9 pm
• Tribute to Dinah Washington: Lillie Bryant-Howard with Joe Vincent Tranchina,
Christopher Dean Sullivan, Bobby Sanabria
Afrikan Poetry Theatre 8, 9:15 pm $20
• Sophia Rei; Alsarah
Apollo Music Café 9 pm $20
• Maria Jacobs with Ed Leonard, Paul Beaudry, Will Terrill
• Christian Finger Band with Jon Gordon, Vadim Neselovskyi, Adam Armstrong;
Takeshi Asai New York Trio with Daniel Ori, Rob Garcia; James Robbins Quintet with
Christoph Huber, Nat Janoff, Sharik Hassan, Charles Goold
• Kuni Mikami Trio
• Eric Reed Quartet with Grant Stewart, Matt Clohesy, Willie Jones III
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êJames Falzone’s Klang with Jason Adasiewicz, Jason Roebke, Tim Daisy
• John di Martino Group; Ken Peplowski Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
êDaryl Sherman, Will and Peter Anderson
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $45
Jeff Ballard
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $35
Hans Glawischnig
• Kevin Mahogany
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êLittle Orchestra Society with Min Xiao-Fen
Avery Fisher Hall 11 am 1 pm
• Larry Newcomb Trio; Mark Marino Trio; Jason Prover Sneak Thievery Orchestra
êMingus Orchestra
• John Williams/John Etheridge Zankel Hall 7:30 pm $75-85
• Acoustic Alchemy
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $15-25
• New York Youth Symphony Jazz Classic with guest Brian Lynch
• Matt Garrison/David Gilmore; Adam Larson Quintet with Nils Weinhold,
Robert Langslet, Harish Raghavan, Jason Burger
êJacob Garchik solo; Two of Anything: JP Schlegelmilch, Jeremy Viner, Eivind Opsvik,
Jason Nazary
• Foolish Hearts Duo: Peter Eldridge/Matt Aronoff
• Jill McCarron Trio
Smalls 7:30 pm $20
• Women’s Jazz Festival: Spelman Jazz Ensemble
• Nancy Harms
Zinc Bar 7 pm $8
• Andrew Swift Quartet with Matthew Garrison
• Howard Williams Jazz Orchestra The Garage 7 pm
LESLIE PINTCHIK TRIO
Thursday, March 14th 8:00 PM & 10:00 PM
The Kitano Hotel
66 Park Ave @ 38th St. NYC
(212) 885-7119 for reservations
“...enormous gifts as a composer, arranger and pianist.”
All Music Guide
Leslie Pintchik - piano
Scott Hardy - bass
MIchael Sarin - drums
DVD/CD Combo
LESLIE PINTCHIK QUARTET
LIVE IN CONCERT
available now at Amazon.com
www.lesliepintchik.com
Sunday, March 17
• Keystone Korner Presents: Horacio “El Negro” Hernandez Italuba Quartet
êNEC Contemporary Improvisation 40th: Tanya Kalmanovitch, Anthony Coleman,
Ted Reichman
• Vortex: Shoko Nagai/Satoshi Takeishi; The Restrictor: Adam Dym, Damien Olsen,
Kevin Rozza, Anthony Delio
The Firehouse Space 8, 9 pm $10
• Grant Stewart Quartet
Smalls 11 pm $20
• Sheryl Bailey 4 with Jim Ridl, Gary Wang, Joe Strasser
Fat Cat 9 pm
• Casimir Liberski Trio with Louis de Mieulle, Jeff Witherell; Luce Trio: Jon De Lucia,
Ryan Ferreira, Chris Tordini
• Kind Of Orange: Mitch Guido, Jacob Gelber, Wes Troeger, Orange Julius;
Alex Clough Group with Nora Ritchie, Daniel Foose, John Hubbell; Terry Vakirtzolgou/
Tuomo Uusitalo
• Emanuel Cremer solo; Trismegistus: Joe Moffett, Ben Gerstein, Sean Ali, Devin Gray
ABC No-Rio 7 pm $5
• Out of Your Head: Ben Syversen, Travis Reuter, Mara Rosenbloom, Devin Gray;
Matt Plummer, Liz Kosack, David Grollman
The Backroom 9:30, 11 pm
êBilly Hart Quartet with Mark Turner, Ethan Iverson, Ben Street Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
Jeff Ballard
• Emanuel Cremer solo; Tasos Stamou
• Ras Moshe/Shayna Dulberger Duo; Music Now Expanded Unit: Ras Moshe,
Tor Yochai Snyder, John Pietaro, Dafna Naphtali, Chris Forbes, Steve Cohn,
Max Johnson, Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic, Shayna Dulberger, Mike Noordzy,
Gil Selinger, Matt Lavelle
Brecht Forum 6 pm $11
• Zaccai Curtis Quartet
• Juilliard Jazz Brunch
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $29.50
• Michelle Walker Trio with Ron Affif, Michael O’Brien
• Joonsam Lee Trio; David Coss Quartet
41
Tuesday, March 19
êJoseph Bowie’s Big Band Funk
• Edward Perez Trio
• Ananda Gari Quartet with Tim Berne, Rez Abbasi, Michael Formanek
ShapeShifter Lab 8 pm
• Kurt Rosenwinkel New Quartet with Aaron Parks, Eric Revis, Justin Faulkner
• Tierney Sutton Band
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êLuis Bonilla’s Trombonilla! with Ivan Renta, Bruce Barth, Andy McKee, John Riley
• Sammy Bronowski
êJohnathan Blake Eleventh Hour Band with Jaleel Shaw, Mark Turner, Ben Street
• Robben Ford
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Mike Longo NY State of the Art Jazz Ensemble with Dee Daniels
• Jeremy Manasia Trio; Steve Einerson Trio
Smalls 7, 9:30 pm 12 am $20
• Jed Levy Trio with Thomson Kneeland, Alvester Garnett
• Aural Dystopia: Louise DE Jensen, Brandon Seabrook, Tom Blancarte, Kevin Shea;
Matt Nelson
JACK 8 pm $10
• James Carney Trio with Chris Lightcap, Ted Poor; Hashem Assadullahi Band with
Alan Ferber, Leonard Thompson, Tyler Abbott, Matt Wilson
Korzo 9, 10:30 pm
• Akiko Pavolka and House of Illusion with Matt Renzi, Nate Radley, Matt Pavolka,
Bill Campbell
Barbès 7 pm $10
• Matt Herskowitz
Drom 7:15 pm $20
• Benjamin Scheuer; Peter Lerman Cornelia Street Café 8:30, 10 pm $10
• Jean Rohe Band
Rockwood Music Hall 9:30 pm
• New York Jazz Academy; Dorian Wallace Big Band with Cam Collins, Lynn Ligammari,
Tim McDonald, Zach Mayer, Frank London, Wayne Tucker, Alphonso Horne,
John Raymond, Andy Hunter, Frank Niemeyer, Joe McDonough, Frank Cohen,
Tim Basom, Dmitri Kolesnik, Mike Campenni, Madison Cano
• Stafford Hunter Quartet
The Garage 7 pm
• Jacob Deaton Trio; Uncharted Territory
Shrine 6, 8 pm
Wednesday, March 20
êToday’s Jewish Music: From NEC to the Downtown Scene: Frank London,
Hankus Netsky, Greg Wall, Lily Henley, Marty Ehrlich, Matt Darriau, Anthony Coleman
Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia 7 pm $22
êSidney Bechet Society: Jim Cullum Jazz Band with Alan Vaché, Mike Pittsley,
John Sheridan, Hal Smith
Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp Theatre 7:15 pm $35
êKeystone Korner Presents: George Cables Songbook with Victor Lewis
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
• Donny McCaslin Group; Noah Preminger Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Matt Pavolka,
Colin Stranahan
êEllery Eskelin/Devin Grey
Barbès 8 pm $10
• Sonic Overload: Peter Evans, Jim Altieri, Dan Peck, Jeff Snyder, Tom Blancarte,
Sam Pluta; Daria Binkowski
• Cynthia Holiday Quintet
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
• Marianne Solivan Quartet with Xavier Davis, Matthew Parris
• The Checkout Live: Todd Sickafoose’s Tiny Resistors; Stephan Crump’s Rosetta Trio
with Liberty Ellman, Jamie Fox 92YTribeca 8 pm $12
• Camila Meza Quartet
• Matt Holman’s Diversion Ensemble with Michael McGinnis, Nate Radley,
Christopher Hoffman, Ziv Ravitz Cornelia Street Café 8:30 pm $10
êEmilie Weibel solo; Amanda and the Michaels: Amanda Monaco, Michael Bates,
Michael Pride
Seeds 8:30, 10 pm
• Lady Got Chops Festival: Frederkia Krier/Dana Hanchard Zinc Bar 7 pm
• Freddie Bryant and Kaleidoscope with Yosvany Terry, Patrice Blanchard, Willard Dyson
• Simona De Rosa Trio with Marco Di Gennaro
• Ayumi Ishito Trio Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• John Chin Trio
The Garage 7 pm
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êLuis Bonilla’s Trombonilla! with Ivan Renta, Bruce Barth, Andy McKee, John Riley
• Sammy Bronowski
• Robben Ford
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Hajime Yoshida Shrine 6 pm
• Eugene Marlow Heritage EnsembleSaint Peter’s 1 pm $10
Thursday, March 21
êStanley Clarke/George Duke BandBlue Note 8, 10:30 pm $30-45
êMichael Carvin Experience with Anthony Wonsey, Jansen Cinco, Keith Loftis
• Sammy Bronowski
êChris Speed Trio with Chris Tordini, Dave King
• Oz Noy, Bill Lee, Dave Weckl
• Contemporary Improvisation Festival: Anthony Coleman, Ashley Paul, Matt Darriau,
Frank London, Cuddle Magic, Mat Maneri, Andrew Hock, Judith Berkson
Barbès 7 pm $10
êHenry Butler solo
• Maria Bacardi Septet with David Oquendo, Alex Hernandez, Vicente Sanchez,
Roman Diaz, Onel Mulet
• Tony Moreno Trio with Angelica Sanchez
55Bar 7 pm
• Jason Yeager Trio with guest Noah Preminger
• Jacam Manricks Trio with Des White, Ross Pederson
• Adam Schatz, Dave LeBleu, Eivind Opsvik
Nublu 9 pm
• Glenn Zaleski Quintet with Matt Jodrell, Lucas Pino, Desmond White, Cory Cox
• Send Out Signals meets Jack Desalvo with Ras Moshe, Matt Lavelle,
Thomas Zlabinger; Catherine Sikora Ensemble with Ross Hammond, Michael Lytle,
Ken Filiano
• Kenny Warren’s All the King’s Horses with Jake Henry, Rick Parker, Matt Plummer,
Ben Stapp, Kate Pittman; Ben Gerstein, Gian Luigi Diana, Mike Pride
Lark Café 8 pm
• Jonathan Saraga Quintet with Michael Eaton, Peter Park, Jeff Dingler, Gusten Rudolph;
Rob Reich
• Justin Lees Trio
Lou Caputo & Chris White
Interface
A collaboration of two longtime friends
with Don Stein (piano)
Payton Crossley (drums)
Warren Smith (vibraphone)
Leopoldo Fleming (percussion)
CD LAUNCH
TRUMPETS
MONTCLAIR, NJ
MAR. 22ND
CDs available at CDbaby,
Amazon And Itunes
Previous album:
Lou Caputo “Not So Big Band”
Loucaputo.com; CaputoJazz@Twitter
• Rick Stone Trio
The Garage 7 pm
• Donny McCaslin Group
Smalls 9:30 pm $20
êLouis Hayes Quintet
• Tim Chernikoff Band Village Vanguard 9, 11 pm $25
Birdland 6 pm $20
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
Shrine 6 pm
Friday, March 22
êA Tribute to Paul Motian: Bill Frisell, Joe Lovano, Andrew Cyrille, Ben Monder,
Ravi Coltrane, Ben Street, Billy Drewes, Jerome Harris, Billy Hart, Chris Cheek,
Ed Schuller, Geri Allen, Marilyn Crispell, Gary Peacock, Bill McHenry, Greg Osby,
Tim Berne, Ethan Iverson, Jakob Bro, Joey Baron, Larry Grenadier, Mark Turner,
Petra Haden, Steve Cardenas, Masabumi Kikuchi, Tony Malaby
Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp Theatre 7 pm $45
• Min Xiao-Fen, Max Pollack, Jin Hi Kim
Museum of Chinese in America 8 pm $15
êHarold Mabern 77th Birthday Celebration with John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
• Madeleine Peyroux
Allen Room 7:30, 9:30 pm $55-65
êFrank Kimbrough Trio with Jay Anderson, Jeff Hirshfield
êCory Weeds Group with Ian Hendrickson Smith, Spike Wilner, Sean Cronin,
Brian Floody; Ralph Peterson Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
êO’Farrill Brothers Band: Adam O’Farrill, Livio Almeida, Gabe Schnider,
Adam Kromelow, Raviv Markovitz, Zack O’Farrill
• Larry Corban Trio with Harvie S, Steve Williams
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Sara Serpa with André Matos, Jacob Sacks, Eivind Opsvik, Tommy Crane
• Pat Carroll Quartet with Glenn Zaleski, Joe Sanders, Colin Stranahan;
John Raymond Quartet with Shai Maestro, Joe Martin, Austin Walker
• Peter and Will Anderson Quintet with Ehud Asherie, Mike Karn, Phil Stewart
Church of the Intercession 7 pm $20
• Alan Blackman Quintet with Max Murray, Frank Russo, Donny McCaslin,
Rogério Boccato
• Willie Mae Perry
Zeb’s 7 pm
• Nicole Lund Band with Paul Olsen, Alex Vargas; Somethin’ Vocal with Matt Baker Trio;
Elevations: George Heid III, Benny Benack III, Michael Stephenson, Brett Williams,
Anton DeFade
• Jacob Deaton Duo Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Fukushi Tainaka Trio
• Joel Perry Trio; Kevin Dorn and the Big 72
• Dara Tucker
Blue Note 12:30 am $10
and guest Sonny Fortune
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $35
• Sammy Bronowski
êHenry Butler solo
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
• Oz Noy, Bill Lee, Dave Weckl
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Blues for Smoke: Lonnie Holley; Cooper-Moore
Whitney Museum 6 pm
Saturday, March 23
êJenny Scheinman Trio with Bill Frisell, Brian Blade
Zankel Hall 9 pm $40-50
êValerie Capers Trio with John Robinson, Doug Richardson
êCI at 40: Hankus Netsky, Greta DiGiorgio McAndrew, Ran Blake, Dominique Eade,
The Claudia Quintet, Christine Correa, Sarah Jarosz, John Medeski, Anthony Coleman,
Eden MacAdam-Somer
Symphony Space Peter Jay Sharp Theatre 7:30 pm $28-38
• Ask Your Mama - 12 Moods for Jazz: Jessye Norman; Black Thought; Nnenna Freelon;
?uestlove; Ask Your Mama
Apollo Theater 8 pm $35-125
êMichael Formanek’s Cheating Heart with Tim Berne, Peter Formanek, Jacob Sacks,
Jim Black
• Charenee Wade
• Joe Sanders
êMax Johnson Trio with Kirk Knuffke, Ziv Ravitz; Aaron Shragge, Daniel Carter,
Alexi David
• Jacob Deaton Trio with Michael Feinberg, Dana Hawkins; Michael Webster’s
Momentus with Ingrid Jensen, Chris Dingman, Jesse Lewis, Ike Sturm, Jared Schonig
ShapeShifter Lab 7:30, 8:30 pm
êNate Wooley Quintet Omega with Josh Sinton, Matt Moran, Eivind Opsvik,
Harris Eisenstadt; Will Mason Sextet; Rafiq Bhatia Trio
The Backroom 10 pm $10
• Rory Stuart Trio with Aidan Carroll, Colin Stranahan
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Kristine Mills with Bruce Edwards, Scott Ritchie, Jacob Melchior
• Vadim Neselovskyi’s Agricultural Dreams 6tet Caffe Vivaldi 9 pm
• Emiko Mizoguchi/Derek Hood Zeb’s 8 pm
• Charles Sibirsky; Tuomo Uusitalo/Olli Hirvonen; Brett Sandler Trio with
Peter Longofono, Adam Pin
• Marisa Dargahi Quintet Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Satchamo Mannan Quartet
• Danny Jonokuchi Sextet; Florencia Gonzalez Candombe Project
Shrine 6, 8 pm
êHarold Mabern 77th Birthday Celebration with John Webber, Joe Farnsworth
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
• Madeleine Peyroux
Allen Room 7:30, 9:30 pm $55-65
êPete Malinverni Trio with Lee Hudson, Jason Brown; Ralph Peterson Group
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $45
• Sammy Bronowski
êHenry Butler Trio
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
• Oz Noy, Anthony Jackson, Dave Weckl
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
• Latin Jazz - New York Faces: Ricardo Rodriquez Quintet; Victor Prieto;
Chia’s Dance Party
Flushing Town Hall 6 pm $20
• Marsha Heydt Quartet; Ben Benack Quartet; Virginia Mayhew Quartet
Sunday, March 24
êIva Bittová solo
Le Poisson Rouge 7:30 pm $20
• Nick Finzer Sextet; Lucas Pino No Net Nonet
• Curtis Macdonald Quartet with Bobby Avey, Chris Tordini, Tommy Crane;
Ideal Bread: Josh Sinton, Kirk Knuffke, Adam Hopkins, Chad Taylor;
Jasmine Lovell-Smith’s Towering Poppies with Russell Moore, Cat Toren, Pat Reid,
Kate Pittman
Douglass Street Music Collective 8 pm $10
• Broc Hempel, Sam Trapchak, Christian Coleman with guest Rich Perry
Dominie’s Astoria 9 pm
• Falkner Evans Quintet with Marc Mommaas, Ron Horton, Belden Bullock, Matt Wilson; Alex Norris
Smalls 4:30, 11 pm $20
• Jesse Stacken, Peter Van Huffel, Nate Wooley, Tom Rainey; Secret Architecture:
Fraser Campbell, Wade Ridenhour, Julian Smith, Zach Mangan
Caffe Vivaldi 8, 9:30 pm $10
• Lee Feldman and his Problems with Byron Isaacs, Bill Dobrow; Ali Carter
êHenry Butler Trio
• Oz Noy, Anthony Jackson, Dave Weckl
• Ross Hammond/Catherine Sikora; Anne Rhodes/Kyoko Kitamura
• Amy Cervini/Heather Bambrick 55Bar 6 pm
• Chanda Rule Band
• Anita Wardell
Perez Jazz 3 pm $20
• Lenore Raphael Trio with Jack Wilkins, Kelly Friesen
Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $29.50
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Available at
Downtown Music Gallery
Jazz Record Center
J&R Music World
Amazon.com
CDUniverse.com
gunhildseim.com
• Roz Corral Trio with Freddie Bryant, Edward Perez
• Iris Ornig Quartet; David Coss Quartet
Monday, March 25
êMike Stern with The Les Paul Trio Iridium 8, 10 pm $35
êMingus Big Band
ê3rd Annual James Moody Scholarship Benefit Concert: Andres Boiarsky,
Sharel Cassity, Bill Charlap, Cyrus Chestnut, Anat Cohen, Todd Coolman,
Paquito D’Rivera, Greg Gisbert, John Lee, Adam Nussbaum, Gregory Porter,
Renee Rosnes, Yotam Silberstein, Gary Smulyan, Steve Turre, Diego Urcola
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $35-100
• Florida State University Jazz Ensemble
êAdam Rudolph’s GO: Organic Orchestra
• Vital Vox Festival: Philip Hamilton; Sabrina Lastman; Unearthish: Sarah Bernstein/
Satoshi Takeishi
Roulette 8 pm $15
• Women’s Jazz Festival: Lizz Wright/Nikky Finney
êPaul Flaherty/Steve Swell; Don Dietrich/Jim Sauter
JACK 8 pm $10
êLuis Perdomo solo
Smalls 7:30 pm $20
• Empyrean Atlas; All The Kings Horses: Jake Henry, Kenny Warren, Rick Parker,
Jeremy Thal, Ben Stapp, Kate Pittman
• Dorian Devin Trio with Lou Rainone, Tom Hubbard
• Ashley Gonzalez; Tine Bruhn/Johnny O’Neal
Zinc Bar 7, 9 pm
• New York Jazz Academy; Tomoko Omura Quintet with Will Graefe, Glenn Zaleski,
Thomas Morgan, Colin StranahanSomethin’ Jazz Club 7, 9 pm $10
• Tomoko Omura Quintet Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Cecilia Coleman Big Band
The Garage 7 pm
Tuesday, March 26
êLions Trio: Arild Andersen, Yelena Eckemoff, Billy Hart
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êTom Harrell’s Colors of a Dream with Jaleel Shaw, Wayne Escoffery,
Esperanza Spalding, Ugonna Okegwo, Johnathan Blake
• Kyle Eastwood Group with Alex Norris, Jason Rigby, Rick Germanson, Joe Strasser;
Larry Coryell Group with Murali Coryell, Victor Bailey, Kenwood Dennard
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Terri Lyne Carrington’s Money Jungle with Tia Fuller, Nir Felder, Gerald Clayton,
James Genus
êMelissa Aldana
• Kendrick Scott Oracle with John Ellis, Mike Moreno, Taylor Eigsti, Joe Sanders
• Warren Chiasson George Shearing Tribute
• Kenny Werner
êKris Davis/Ingrid Laubrock
Korzo 9 pm
• Chelsea Baratz Birthday Bash with Maurice Brown, Willerm Delisfort, Ben Williams,
Joe Blaxx Grissett
Zinc Bar 8, 10 pm
• Shelia Jordan Master Class
Jazz at Kitano 7 pm
êNate Wooley/Ben Vida Duo
JACK 8 pm $10
Smalls 7, 9:30 pm 12 am $20
• Steve Bloom Trio with Danton Boller, Jeremy Carlstedt
• Vital Vox Festival: Lisa Karrer/David Simons; Sasha Bogdanowitsch with
Loom Ensemble; Pamela Z
Roulette 8 pm $15
• Sean Nowell and The King-Fu Masters meet the NY Gypsy All-Stars
Drom 9:30 pm
• Metis 9: Han-Earl Park, Josh Sinton, Catherine Sikora
The Backroom 8:30 pm
• Joshua Kwassman Group with Gilad Hekselman
Rockwood Music Hall 7 pm $15
• Scott Sharon Septet with Bruce Harris, Jeremy Weldon, Mark Sullivan, Nial Djuliarso,
Paul Gill, Aaron Kimmel; Matt Panayides Group with Rich Perry, Bob Sabin, Jeff Davis
• Lluis Capdevila Trio Tomi Jazz 8 pm $10
• Nobuki Takamen Trio
The Garage 7 pm
Wednesday, March 27
êClaudia Acuña
Harlem Stage Gatehouse 7:30 pm
êBarry Harris solo
Weill Recital Hall 8 pm $35
êKeystone Korner Presents: Bucky Pizzarelli All-Stars
Iridium 8, 10:30 pm $30
• Orrin Evans Birthday Bash with JD Walters
• YoungJoo Song Trio with Yasushi Nakamura, John Davis
• George Colligan Band; Sean Wayland Band
êAnat Fort Trio with Gary Wang, Yaaki Levy
• José James; Taylor McFerrin Music Hall of Williamsburg 9 pm $25
• Jesse Stacken, Peter Van Huffel, Flin Van Hemmen; Peter Van Huffel, Michael Bates,
Jeff Davis
Ibeam Brooklyn 8:30, 10 pm $10
• Gilad Hekselman Group; David Bryant Trio
• Pedro Giraudo Sextet
• Aki Yashiro and Trio with guest Helen Merrill
Birdland 7, 9:30 pm $30-40
• Dee Daniels Quintet with TK Blue, Carlton Holmes, Paul Beaudry, Alvester Garnett
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
• Ted Brinkley’s Sour Note Seven with Evan Francis, Rob Sudduth, Rob Ewing,
Graham Connah, John Finkbeiner, Lisa Mezzacappa, Vijay Anderson
Barbès 8 pm $10
• Matt Renzi Trio with Dave Ambrosio, Russ Meissner; Todd Neufeld, Rema Hasumi,
Dan Weiss
Seeds 8:30, 10 pm
• David Shively; Jonathan Hepfer The Stone 8, 10 pm $10
• Big Machine: Aaron Burnett, Andy Berman, Carlos Homs, Nick Jozwiak,
Tyshawn Sorey
• Kyoko Oyobe Trio
The Garage 7 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Terri Lyne Carrington’s Money Jungle with Tia Fuller, Nir Felder, Gerald Clayton,
James Genus
êMelissa Aldana
• Kendrick Scott Oracle with John Ellis, Mike Moreno, Taylor Eigsti, Joe Sanders
43
Thursday, March 28
êClaire Daly’s Baritone Monk with Steve Hudson, Maryann McSweeney, Peter Grant
Birdland 6 pm $20
êTomasz Stanko New Quartet with David Virelles, Thomas Morgan, Gerald Cleaver
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
êBen Wolfe Quintet with JD Allen, Orrin Evans, Donald Edwards and guest
Nicholas Payton
êMelissa Aldana
• Dave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Linda Oh, Rudy Royston
and guest Aoife O’Donovan
• Mike Clark and Friends with Rachael Z, Mike Zilber, James Genus
êNouveau Stride: Lorraine Feather/Stephanie Trick; Zach Resnick Quintet
Metropolitan Room 9:30, 11:30 pm $20
• Harlem Lives!: Manhattan School of Music Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra directed by
Bobby Sanabria
Borden Auditorium 7:30 pm $12
• Sanda Weigl with Gael Rouilhac, Jake Shulman-Ment, Pablo Aslan, Nick Anderson;
JP Schlegelmilch
• Larry Ham/Woody Witt Duo
Smalls 7:30 pm $20
• Sharel Cassity Trio with Dezron Douglas, EJ Strickland
• Eivind Opsvik’s Overseas with Jacob Sacks, Brandon Seabrook, Kenny Wollesen
Nublu 9 pm
• Matt Lavelle and the 12 Houses with Chris Forbes, Ryan Sawyer, Francois Grillot,
Laura Ortman, Gil Selinger, Anders Nilsson, Mary Cherney, Charles Waters,
Claire de Brunner, Ras Moshe, Catherine Sikora, Tim Stocker
• Lisa Mezzacappa/Fay Victor Trio with John Finkbeiner
55Bar 7 pm
• Matt Renzi Trio with Dave Ambrosio, Russ Meissner
• Rebecca Martin
Rockwood Music Hall 7 pm $15
• Miho Hazama m_unit with Cam Collins, Ryoji Ihara, Andrew Gutauskas,
Matthew Jodrell, Bert Hill, Sara Caswell, Olivia De Prato, Lois Martin, Meaghan Burke,
James Shipp, Sam Harris, Sam Anning, Jake Goldbas and guest Steve Wilson
• Vadim Neselovskyi
• Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic/Cheryl Pyle; Jonathan Goldberger
Lark Café 8 pm
• Chiemi Nakai Latin Jazz Trio with Luques Curtis, Mauricio Herrera; Allegra Levy;
New York Bakery Connection: Antonello Parisi, Joseph Han, Luiz Ebert and guest
• Steve Elmer Trio
• Carl Bartlett Jr.
The Garage 7 pm
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
Friday, March 29
êFrank Wess Quintet
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êDon Friedman Trio with George Mraz, Matt Wilson
êIgBo Duet: Joseph Bowie/Adam Rudolph; Defunkt!: Joseph Bowie, Kim Clarke,
Alex Harding, Tobias Ralph, Adam Klipple
êJeff Davis Trio and Friends with Russ Lossing, Eivind Opsvik, Oscar Noriega,
Kirk Knuffke
• Miles Okazaki Quartet with Ben Wendel, Hans Glawischnig, Dan Weiss
• Marcus Strickland Quartet
Smalls 10:30 pm $20
• Jack Wilkins Trio with Andy McKee, Mike Clark
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Nicky Parrott
• Benny Benack Band with Adam Larson, Armand Hirsch, Emmet Cohen,
Raviv Markovitz, Jimmy Macbride Metropolitan Room 9:30 pm $20
• Kristin Norderval, Kevin Norton, Katherine Liberovskaya
Experimental Intermedia 9 pm
• Paula Jaakkola; Samantha Carlson Jazz’tet with Joe Alterman, Nathaniel Schroeder;
Justin Purtill and Trio with Dan Blake, Haggai Cohen Milo, Lee Fish
• Sam Kulok Trio Tomi Jazz 9 pm $10
• Joonsam Lee Trio
• Rob Edwards Quartet; Joey Morant Trio
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
Nicholas Payton
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $35
êMelissa Aldana
• Dave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Linda Oh, Rudy Royston
and guest Aoife O’Donovan
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
• Eugene Marlow Heritage EnsembleNuyorican Poets Café 7:30 pm $15
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Kendra Shank Quartet with Frank Kimbrough, Dean Johnson, Tony Moreno
55Bar 6 pm
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $30-40
Nicholas Payton
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $45
êMelissa Aldana
• Dave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Linda Oh, Rudy Royston and
guest Aoife O’Donovan
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $30
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Manu Koch and Filtron M with Panagiotis Andreou, Mauricio Zottarelli,
Sebastian Nickoll
Blue Note 12:30 am $10
• Dave Kain Group; Champian Fulton Trio; Virginia Mayhew Quartet
Sunday, March 31
êSean Moran Small Elephant Band with Mike McGinnis, Chris Dingman,
Reuben Radding, Harris Eisenstadt
Barbès 7 pm $10
êDarius Jones’ Man’ish Boy Trio with Cooper-Moore, Jason Nazary; Lisa Mezzacappa’s
Bait & Switch with Matt Nelson, John Finkbeiner, Vijay Anderson
ShapeShifter Lab 8, 9 pm $12
• Rachel Brotman Quartet with Yago Vazuez, Zach Lane, Anthony Taddeo;
Maria Neckham
• Jorge Sylvester Ace Collective with Nora McCarthy, Waldron “Mahdi” Ricks,
Pablo Vergara, Donald Nicks, Kenny Grohowski
Arlene’s Grocery 7 pm $10
• Broc Hempel, Sam Trapchak, Christian Coleman with guest Greg Ward
Dominie’s Astoria 9 pm
• Mike Rood Trio with Rick Rosato, Rogério Boccato
Bar Next Door 8, 10 pm $12
• Timaeus: Douglas Bradford, Zack Lober, Cody Brown; Secret Architecture:
Fraser Campbell, Wade Ridenhour, Julian Smith, Zach Mangan
Caffe Vivaldi 7, 9 pm $10
• Alejandro T. Acierto; Billy Stein/Michael Moss
ABC No-Rio 7 pm $5
• Roots and Fruits Of Jazz: Boris Kurganov, Alexander Ratmansky, Dmitri Kolesnik,
Joe Goretti, Cafe
• Ben Wolfe Quintet with JD Allen, Orrin Evans, Donald Edwards and guest
Nicholas Payton
• Dave Douglas Quintet with Jon Irabagon, Matt Mitchell, Linda Oh, Rudy Royston and
guest Aoife O’Donovan
Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $20-30
• Cheryl Pyle/Nicolas Letman-Burtinovic; Jake Henry/Sean Ali
• Ike Sturm Ensemble
• Amy Cervini’s Jazz Kids!
55Bar 2 pm $5
• Takuya Kuroda Sextet with Corey King, Jamaal Sawyer, Takeshi Ohbayashi,
Rashaan Carter, Adam Jackson Blue Note 12:30, 2:30 pm $29.50
• Roz Corral Trio with Gilad Hekselman, Boris Kozlov
Nora McCarthy
Voice Music Words
Classic●Contemporary●Free Jazz●Poetry
www.noramccarthy.com
●New CD Available @CD Baby
In The Language of Dreams
“In The Language of Dreams is an explosion of
imagination, a dazzling display of music and words, as
well as philosophy.” Florence Wetzel 2012
www.asmalldreaminred.com
Teaching/Workshops
www.thezenofsinging.com
Free Consultation
Saturday, March 30
Private Lessons/Ensemble Work
êPapo Vazquez
êKris Davis
BAMCafé 9 pm
• David Arner, Pauline Oliveros, Doug Van Nort and FILTER
Roulette 8 pm $15
• Underground Horns; Brown Rice Family
92YTribeca 9 pm $12
• Lil Phillips
• De Akokán: Pavel Urkiza, Ricardo Pons, Yunior Terry, Tony Rosa
êJerome Sabbagh Trio with Joe Martin, Billy Drummond
Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
• Chardavoine Quintet
• Freeman Runs the Voodoo Down: David Freeman, Mike Noordzy, Mike Tichy,
Hayes Greenfield and guests
Branded Saloon 9 pm
• Ryan Hayden’s Exploring Silver Quintet with Paul Nedzela, Bruce Harris,
Rick Germanson, Yasushi Nakamura
Oceana Restaurant 9 pm
• New Jazz Messengers: Liam Werner, Coleman Hughes, Ryan Park-Chan, Jacob Gelber,
Wes Troeger, Orange Julius; Fredrick Levore; Ervin Dhimo Trio with Steve Hunt,
Vancil Cooper
• Renaud Penant Trio
êFrank Wess Quintet
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $35
êDon Friedman Trio with George Mraz, Matt Wilson
êIgBo Duet: Joseph Bowie/Adam Rudolph; Moving Pictures Octet: Adam Rudolph,
Joseph Bowie, Graham Haynes, Ralph Jones, James Hurt, Kenny Wessel,
Jerome Harris, Matt Kilmer
• Peter and Williams Anderson Octet; Marcus Strickland Quartet
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm $20
• Nicky Parrott
Nora McCarthy - Nu Jazz Projects
@McARTMusic
R E G U L A R
E N G A G E M E N T S
MONDAYS
• Tom Abbott Big Bang Big Band Swing 46 8:30 pm
• Ron Affif Trio
Zinc Bar 9, 11pm, 12:30, 2 am
• Woody Allen/Eddy Davis New Orleans Jazz Band Café Carlyle 8:45 pm $125
• Bryan Beninghove’s Hangmen ZirZamin 9:30 pm
• Big Band Night; John Farnsworth Quintet Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
• Michael Brecker Tribute with Dan Barman The Counting Room 8 pm
• Sedric Choukroun and The Brasilieros Chez Lola 7:30 pm
• Pete Davenport/Ed Schuller Jam Session Frank’s Cocktail Lounge 9 pm
• Emerging Artists Series Bar Next Door 6:30 pm (ALSO TUE-THU)
• Joel Forrester solo
Brandy Library 8 pm
• George Gee Swing Orchestra Gospel Uptown 8 pm
• Vince Giordano’s Nighthawks Sofia’s 8 pm (ALSO TUE)
• Grove Street Stompers Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm
• JFA Jazz Jam
Local 802 7 pm
• Jam Session
• Les Paul Trio with guests Iridium 8, 10 pm $35
• Ian Rapien’s Spectral Awakenings Jazz Groove Session Ave D 9 pm
• Stan Rubin All-Stars
Charley O’s 8:30 pm
• Vanguard Jazz Orchestra Village Vanguard 9, 11 pm $30
• Diego Voglino Jam Session The Village Lantern 9:30 pm
• Jordan Young Group
Bflat 8 pm (ALSO WED 8:30 pm)
TUESDAYS
• Daisuke Abe Trio
Sprig 6 pm (ALSO WED-THU)
• Rick Bogart Trio with Louisa Poster L’ybane 9 pm (ALSO FRI)
• Orrin Evans Evolution Series Jam Session Zinc Bar 11 pm
• Irving Fields
Nino’s Tuscany 7 pm (ALSO WED-SUN)
• George Gee Swing Orchestra Swing 46 8:30 pm
• Loston Harris
Café Carlyle 9:30 pm $20 (ALSO WED-SAT)
• Art Hirahara Trio
Arturo’s 8 pm
• Yuichi Hirakawa Trio
Arthur’s Tavern 7, 8:30 pm
• Sandy Jordan and Larry Luger Trio Notaro 8 pm
• Mike LeDonne Quartet; Mike DiRubbo B3-3 Smoke 7, 9, 10:30, 11:30 pm
• Metro Room Jazz Jam with guests Metropolitan Room 11:30 pm $10
• Russ Nolan Jazz Organ Trio Cassa Hotel and Residences 6 pm
• Annie Ross
The Metropolitan Room 9:30 pm $25
• Jam Session
• Slavic Soul Party Barbès 9 pm $10
• Diego Voglino Jam Session The Fifth Estate 10 pm
WEDNESDAYS
• Joe Alterman
• Astoria Jazz Composers Workshop Waltz-Astoria 6 pm
• Sedric Choukroun and the Eccentrics Chez Oskar 7 pm
• Brianna Thomas Quartet Smoke 11:30 pm
• Walter Fischbacher Trio Water Street Restaurant 8 pm
• Jeanne Gies with Howard Alden and Friends Joe G’s 6:30 pm
• Les Kurtz Trio; Joonsam Lee Trio Cleopatra’s Needle 7, 11:30 pm
• Jonathan Kreisberg Trio Bar Next Door 8:30, 10:30 pm $12
• Guillaume Laurent Trio Bar Tabac 7 pm
• Jake K. Leckie Trio
Kif Bistro 8 pm
• Jed Levy and Friends
Vino di Vino Wine Bar 7:30 pm (ALSO FRI)
• Greg Lewis Organ Monk with Reggie Woods Sapphire NYC 8 pm
• Ron McClure solo piano McDonald’s 12 pm (ALSO SAT)
• John McNeil/Mike Fahie Tea and Jam Tea Lounge 9 pm
• Jacob Melchior
Philip Marie 7 pm (ALSO SUN 12 PM)
• Alex Obert’s Hollow BonesVia Della Pace 10 pm
• David Ostwald’s Louis Armstrong Centennial Band Birdland 5:30 pm $20
• Saul Rubin Vocalist SeriesZeb’s 8 pm $10
• Stan Rubin Orchestra
Swing 46 8:30 pm
• David Schnug
Papa’s Gino’s Restaurant 8:30 pm
• Alex Terrier Trio
Antibes Bistro 7:30 pm
• Justin Wert/Corcoran Holt Benoit 7 pm
• Bill Wurtzel/Mike Gari
American Folk Art Museum Lincoln Square 2 pm
• Bill Wurtzel Duo
Velour Lounge 6:30 pm
THURSDAYS
• Jason Campbell Trio
Perk’s 8 pm
• Sedric Choukroun
Brasserie Jullien 7:30 pm (ALSO FRI, SAT)
• Eric DiVito
The Flatiron Room 8 pm
• Gregory Generet Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm
• Jazz Open Mic
Perk’s 8 pm
• Lapis Luna Quintet
The Plaza Hotel Rose Club 9 pm
• Eri Yamamoto Trio
Arthur’s Tavern 7 pm (ALSO FRI-SAT)
FRIDAYS
• The Crooked Trio: Oscar Noriega, Brian Drye, Ari Folman-Cohen Barbès 5 pm
• Deep Pedestrian
Sintir 8 pm
• Charles Downs’ CentipedeThe Complete Music Studio 7 pm
• Gerry Eastman’s Quartet Williamsburg Music Center 10 pm
• Finkel/Kasuga/Tanaka/Solow San Martin Restaurant 12 pm $10
• Patience Higgins & The Sugar Hill Quartet Smoke 11:45 pm
• Tommy Igoe Birdland Big Band Birdland 5 pm $25
• Kengo Nakamura Trio
Club A Steakhouse 11 pm
• Brian Newman Quartet
Duane Park 10:30 pm
• Albert Rivera Organ Trio B Smith’s 8:30 pm (ALSO SAT)
• Richard Russo Quartet Capital Grille 6:30 pm
• Brandon Sanders Trio
Londel’s 8, 9, 10 pm (ALSO SAT)
• Bill Saxton and Friends Bill’s Place 9, 11 pm $15
• UOTS Jam Session
University of the Streets 11:30 pm $5 (ALSO SAT)
• Rakiem Walker Project
Shrine 6 pm
SATURDAYS
• Cyrille Aimee
The Cupping Room 8:30 pm
• Avalon Jazz Quartet
Matisse 8 pm
• Candy Shop Boys
Duane Park 8, 10:30 pm
• Jesse Elder/Greg RuggieroRothmann’s 6 pm
Indian Road Café 11 am
• Guillaume Laurent/Luke Franco Casaville 1 pm
• Johnny O’Neal Smoke 11:45 pm
• Frank Owens Open Mic Zeb’s 1 pm
• Skye Jazz Trio
Jack 8:30 pm
• Michelle Walker/Nick Russo Anyway Café 9 pm
• Bill Wurtzel Duo
Henry’s 12 pm
SUNDAYS
• Avalon Jazz Quartet
The Lambs Club 11 am
• Birdland Jazz Party
Birdland 6 pm $25
• Marc Devine Trio
TGIFriday’s 6 pm
• JaRon Eames/Emme KempEats 6 pm
• Ear Regulars with Jon-Erik Kellso The Ear Inn 8 pm
• Marjorie Eliot/Rudell Drears/Sedric Choukroun Parlor Entertainment 4 pm
• Sean Fitzpatrick and Friends Ra Café 1 pm
Grace Gospel Church 11 am
• Nancy Goudinaki’s Trio Kellari Taverna 12 pm
• Enrico Granafei solo
Sora Lella 7 pm
• Broc Hempel/Sam Trapchak/Christian Coleman Trio Dominie’s Astoria 9 pm
• Annette St. John; Allan Harris; Roxy Coss Smoke 11:30 am, 7, 11:30 pm
• Bob Kindred Group
Café Loup 12:30 pm
• Nate Lucas All Stars
Ginny’s Supper Club 7 pm
• Alexander McCabe Trio CJ Cullens Tavern 5 pm
• Junior Mance Trio
Café Loup 6:30 pm
• Arturo O’Farrill Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra Birdland 9, 11 pm $30
• Lu Reid Jam Session
Shrine 4 pm
• Vocal Open Mic; Johnny O’Neal Smalls 4:30, 8:30 pm
• Rose Rutledge Trio
Ardesia Wine Bar 6:30 pm
• Gabrielle Stravelli Trio
The Village Trattoria 12:30 pm
• Cidinho Teixeira
Zinc Bar 10, 11:30 1 am
• Jazz Jam hosted by Michael Vitali Comix Lounge 8 pm
• Brian Woodruff Jam
Blackbird’s 9 pm
CLUB DIRECTORY
• 1st Reformed Church of Jamaica 159-29 90th Avenue
Subway: J, Z to 75th Street
• 17 Frost Theater of the Arts 17 Frost Street (646-389-2017)
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue www.17frost.com
• 55Bar 55 Christopher Street (212-929-9883)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.55bar.com
• 92nd Street Y Weill Art Gallery Lexington Avenue at 92nd Street
(212-415-5500) Subway: 6 to 96th Street www.92y.org
• 92YTribeca 200 Hudson Street
(212-601-1000) Subway: 1, A, C, E to Canal Street www.92ytribeca.org
• ABC No-Rio 156 Rivington Street (212-254-3697)
Subway: J,M,Z to Delancey Street www.abcnorio.org
• Abyssinian Baptist Church 132 Odell Clark Place/W. 138th Street
(212-862-5959) Subway: 2, 3 to 135th Street www.abyssinian.org
• Afrikan Poetry Theatre 176-03 Jamaica Avenue, Queens
(718-523-3312) Subway: F to 179th Street
• Allen Room Broadway at 60th Street, 5th floor (212-258-9800)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 9, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle www.jalc.org
• American Folk Art Museum 45 W 53rd Street (212-265-1040)
Subway: E to 53rd Street www.folkartmuseum.org
• An Beal Bocht Café 445 W. 238th Street Subway: 1 to 238th Street www.anbealbochtcafe.com
• Antibes Bistro 112 Suffolk Street (212-533-6088)
Subway: J, Z to Essex Street www.antibesbistro.com
• Anyway Café 34 E. 2nd Street (212-533-3412)
Subway: F to Second Avenue
• Apollo Theater & Music Café 253 W. 125th Street (212-531-5305)
Subway: A, B, C, D, 2, 3 to 125th Street www.apollotheater.org
• Ardesia Wine Bar 510 W. 52nd Street
(212-247-9191) Subway: C to 50th Street www.ardesia-ny.com
• Arlene’s Grocery 95 Stanton Street
(212-358-1633) Subway: F, V to Second Avenue
• Arthur’s Tavern 57 Grove Street (212-675-6879)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.arthurstavernnyc.com
• Arturo’s 106 W. Houston Street (at Thompson Street)
(212-677-3820) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street
• Ave D 673 Flatbush Avenue Subway: B, Q to Parkside Avenue
• Avery Fisher Hall (at Lincoln Center) 1941 Broadway at 65th Street
(212-875-5030) Subway: 1 to 66th Street www.lincolncenter.org
• BAMCafé 30 Lafayette Ave at Ashland Pl, Fort Greene, Brooklyn
(718-636-4139) Subway: M, N, R, W to Pacific Street; Q, 1, 2, 4, 5
to Atlantic Avenue www.bam.org
• Bflat 277 Church Street (between Franklin and White Streets)
Subway: 1, 2 to Franklin Streets
• The Backroom 627 5th Avenue (718-768-0131)
Subway: D, N, R to Prospect Avenue www.freddysbar.com
• Bar Next Door 129 MacDougal Street (212-529-5945)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.lalanternacaffe.com
• Barbès 376 9th Street at 6th Avenue, Brooklyn (718-965-9177)
Subway: F to 7th Avenue www.barbesbrooklyn.com
• Benoit 60 W. 55th Street
Subway: F to 57th Street, N, Q, R,W to 57th Street
• Bill’s Place 148 W. 133rd Street (between Lenox and 7th Avenues)
(212-281-0777) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street
• Birdland 315 W. 44th Street (212-581-3080)
Subway: A, C, E, to 42nd Street www.birdlandjazz.com
• Blackbird’s 41-19 30th Avenue (718-943-6898)
Subway: R to Steinway Street www.blackbirdsbar.com
• Blue Note 131 W. 3rd Street at 6th Avenue (212-475-8592)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.bluenotejazz.com
• Borden Auditorium Broadway and 122nd Street
(212-749-2802 ext. 4428) Subway: 1 to 116th Street www.msmnyc.edu
• Branded Saloon 603 Vanderbilt Avenue (between St. Marks Avenue and
Bergen Street Subway: 2, 3 to Bergen Street www.brandedsaloon.com
• Brandy Library 25 N. Moore Street
(212-226-5545) Subway: 1 to Franklin Street
• Brecht Forum 451 W. Street (212-242-4201)
Subway: A, C, E, L, 1, 2, 3, 9 to 14th Street www.brechtforum.org
• Brooklyn Bowl 61 Wythe Avenue
(718-963-3369) Subway: L to Bedford Avenue www.brooklynbowl.com
• Brooklyn Center for the Performing Arts 2900 Campus Road
Subway: 5 to Flatbush Avenue - Brooklyn College www.brooklyncenter.com
• Brooklyn Conservatory of Music 58 Seventh Avenue, Brooklyn
Subway: F to Seventh Avenue, N, R to Union Street www.bqcm.org
• Brooklyn LaunchPad 721 Franklin Avenue
(718-928-7112) Subway: S to Park Place www.brooklynlaunchpad.org
• Brooklyn Public Library Central Branch
Subway: 2, 3 to Grand Army Plaza; Q to 7th Avenue
• CJ Cullens Tavern 4340 White Plains Road, Bronx
Subway: 2 to Nereid Avenue/238th Street
• Café Carlyle 35 E. 76th Street (212-744-1600)
Subway: 6 to 77th Street www.thecarlyle.com
• Café Loup 105 W. 13th Street between Sixth and Seventh Avenues
(212-255-4746) Subway: F to 14th Street www.cafeloupnyc.com
• Caffe Vivaldi 32 Jones Street Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.caffevivaldi.com
• Capital Grille 120 Broadway
(212-374-1811) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Wall Street www.thecapitalgrille.com
• Casaville 633 Second Avenue
(212-685-8558) Subway: 6 to 33rd Street www.casavillenyc.com
• Cassa Hotel and Residences 70 W. 45th Street, 10th Floor Terrace
(212-302-87000 Subway: B, D, F, 7 to Fifth Avenue www.cassahotelny.com
• Charley O’s 1611 Broadway at 49th Street (212-246-1960)
Subway: N, R, W to 49th Street
• Chez Lola 387 Myrtle Avenue, Brooklyn (718-858-1484)
Subway: C to Clinton-Washington Avenues www.bistrolola.com
• Chez Oskar 211 Dekalb Ave, Brooklyn (718-852-6250)
Subway: C to Lafayette Avenue www.chezoskar.com
• Church of the Intercession 550 W. 155th Street
(212-283-6200) Subway: 1 to 157th Street www.intercessionnyc.org
• Clemente Soto Velez Cultural Center 107 Suffolk Street
Subway: F, J, M, Z to Delancey Street www.csvcenter.com
• Cleopatra’s Needle 2485 Broadway (212-769-6969)
Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 96th Street www.cleopatrasneedleny.com
• Club A Steakhouse 240 E. 58th Street (212-618-4190)
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 59th Street www.clubasteak.com
• Comix Lounge 353 W. 14th Street Subway: L to 8th Avenue
• The Complete Music Studio 227 Saint Marks Avenue, Brooklyn
(718-857-3175) Subway: B, Q to Seventh Avenue www.completemusic.com
• Cornelia Street Café 29 Cornelia Street (212-989-9319)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.corneliastreetcafé.com
• The Counting Room 44 Berry Street (718-599-1860)
Subway: L to Bedford Avenue www.thecountingroombk.com
• Creole 2167 3rd Avenue at 118th Street
(212-876-8838) Subway: 6 th 116th Street www.creolenyc.com
• The Cupping Room 359 West Broadway between Broome and Grand Street
(212-925-2898) Subway: A, C, E to Canal Street
• Dizzy’s Club Broadway at 60th Street, 5th Floor (212-258-9800)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle www.jalc.org
• Domaine Wine Bar 50-04 Vernon Boulevard
(718-784-2350) Subway: 7 to Vernon Boulevard-Jackson Avenue
www.domainewinebar.com
• Dominie’s Astoria 34-07 30th Avenue Subway: N, Q to 30th Avenue
• Douglass Street Music Collective 295 Douglass Street
Subway: R to Union Street www.295douglass.org
• Downtown Music Gallery 13 Monroe Street (212-473-0043)
Subway: F to East Broadway www.downtownmusicgallery.com
• Drom 85 Avenue A (212-777-1157)
Subway: F to Second Avenue www.dromnyc.com
• Duane Park 157 Duane Street (212-732-5555)
Subway: 1, 2, 3 to Chambers Street www.duaneparknyc.com
• The Ear Inn 326 Spring Street at Greenwich Street (212-246-5074)
Subway: C, E to Spring Street www.earinn.com
• Eats Restaurant 1055 Lexington Avenue
(212-396-3287) Subway: 6 to 77th Street www.eatsonlex.com
• Experimental Intermedia 224 Centre Street at Grand, Third Floor
(212-431-5127) Subway: 6 to Canal Street
www.experimentalintermedia.org
• Fat Cat 75 Christopher Street at 7th Avenue (212-675-6056)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street/Sheridan Square www.fatcatmusic.org
• The Fifth Estate 506 5th Avenue, Brooklyn
(718-840-0089) Subway: F to 4th Avenue www.fifthestatebar.com
• The Firehouse Space 246 Frost Street
Subway: L to Graham Avenue www.thefirehousespace.org
• The Flatiron Room 37 West 26th Street
(212-725-3860) Subway: N, R to 28th Street www.theflatironroom.com
• Flushing Town Hall 137-35 Northern Boulevard
(718-463-7700) Subway: 7 to Main Street www.flushingtownhall.org
• For My Sweet Restaurant 1103 Fulton Street at Claver Place
(718-857-1427) Subway: C to Franklin Avenue
• Frank’s Cocktail Lounge 660 Fulton St. at Lafayette, Brooklyn
(718-625-9339) Subway: G to Fulton Street
• The Garage 99 Seventh Avenue South (212-645-0600)
Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.garagerest.com
• Ginny’s Supper Club at Red Rooster Harlem 310 Malcolm X Boulevard
(212-792-9001) Subway: 2, 3 to 125th Street www.ginnyssupperclub.com
• Goodbye Blue Monday 1087 Broadway, Brooklyn (718-453-6343)
Subway: J, M train to Myrtle Avenue www.goodbye-blue-monday.com
• Gospel Uptown 2110 Adam Clayton Powell Junior Boulevard
(212-280-2110) Subway: A, B, C, D to 125th Street www.gospeluptown.com
• Grace Gospel Church 589 E. 164th Street
(718-328-0166) Subway: 2, 5 to Prospect Avenue
• The Greene Space 44 Charlton Street
(646-829-4400) Subway: 1 to Houston Street www.thegreenespace.org
• Greenwich House Music School 46 Barrow Street
(212-242-4770) Subway: 1 to Christopher Street www.greenwichhouse.org
• Harlem Stage Gatehouse 150 Convent Avenue at West 135th Street
(212-650-7100) Subway: 1 to 137th Street www.harlemstage.org
• Henry’s 2745 Broadway (212-866-060) 1 to 103rd Street
• Honeycomb Playhouse 735a Saint Nicholas Avenue
(917-328-9342) Subway: A, B, C, D to 145th Street
• Ibeam Brooklyn 168 7th Street between Second and Third Avenues
Subway: F to 4th Avenue www.ibeambrooklyn.com
• Indian Road Café 600 W. 218th Street @ Indian Road
(212-942-7451) Subway: 1 to 215th Street www.indianroadcafe.com
• Iridium 1650 Broadway at 51st Street (212-582-2121)
Subway: 1,2 to 50th Street www.theiridium.com
• JACK 505 Waverly Avenue
(718-388-2251) Subway: C to Clinton-Washington Avenue www.jackny.org
• Jack 80 University Place Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R to 14th Street
• Jazz 966 966 Fulton Street
(718-638-6910) Subway: C to Clinton Street www.jazz966.com
• Jazz at Kitano 66 Park Avenue at 38th Street (212-885-7000)
Subway: 4, 5, 6 to Grand Central www.kitano.com
• The Jazz Gallery 1160 Broadway, 5th floor (212-242-1063)
Subway: N, R to 28th Street www.jazzgallery.org
• Jazz Museum in Harlem 104 E.126th Street (212-348-8300)
Subway: 6 to 125th Street www.jazzmuseuminharlem.org
• Jazz Standard 116 E. 27th between Park and Lexington Avenue
(212-576-2232) Subway: 6 to 28th Street www.jazzstandard.net
• Joe G’s 244 W. 56th Street (212-765-3160)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle
• Joe’s Pub 425 Lafayette Street (212-539-8770)
Subway: N, R to 8th Street-NYU; 6 to Astor Place www.joespub.com
• Juilliard School Peter Jay Sharp Theater 155 W. 65th Street
(212-769-7406) Subway: 1 to 66th Street www.juilliard.edu
• Kellari Taverna 19 W. 44th Street (212-221-0144)
Subway: B, D, F, M, 7 to 42nd Street-Bryant Park www.kellari.us
• Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 33 University Place (212-228-8490)
Subway: N, R to 8th Street-NYU www.knickerbockerbarandgrill.com
• Korzo 667 5th Avenue, Brooklyn (718-285-9425)
Subway: R to Prospect Avenue www.korzorestaurant.com
• The Lambs Club 132 W. 44th Street
212-997-5262 Subway: A, C, E, to 42nd Street www.thelambsclub.com
• Langston Hughes Library 100-01 Northern Boulevard, Queens
Subway: 7 to 103rd Street
• Lark Café 1007 Church Avenue, Brooklyn
(718-469-0140) Subway: Q to Beverly Road www.larkcafe.com
• Le Poisson Rouge 158 Bleecker Street (212-228-4854)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.lepoissonrouge.com
• The Local 802 322 W. 48th Street between Eighth and Ninth Avenues
(212-245-4802) Subway: C to 50th Street www.jazzfoundation.org
• Londel’s 2620 Frederick Douglas Boulevard (212-234-6114)
Subway: 1 to 145th Street www.londelsrestaurant.com
• L’ybane 709 8th Avenue (212-582-2012)
Subway: A, C, E to 42nd Street-Port Authority www.lybane.com
• McDonald’s 160 Broadway between Maiden Lane and Liberty Street
(212-385-2063) Subway: 4, 5 to Fulton Street www.mcdonalds.com
• Matisse 924 Second Avenue
(212-546-9300) Subway: 6 to 51st Street www.matissenyc.com
• Merkin Concert Hall 129 W. 67th Street between Broadway and Amsterdam
(212-501-3330) Subway: 1 to 66th Street-Lincoln Center
www.kaufman-center.org
• Metropolitan Museum of Art 1000 Fifth Avenue at 82nd Street
(212-570-3949) Subway: 4, 5, 6 to 86th Street www.metmuseum.org
• Metropolitan Room 34 W. 22nd Street (212-206-0440)
Subway: N, R to 23rd Street www.metropolitanroom.com
• Miller Theatre 2960 Broadway and 116th Street
(212-854-7799) Subway: 1 to 116th Street-Columbia University
www.millertheater.com
• Museum Of Chinese In America 215 Centre Street
(212-619-4785) Subway: J, N, Q, Z, 6 to Canal Street www.mocanyc.org
• Music Hall of Williamsburg 66 North 6th Street
(718-486-5400) Subway: L to Bedford Avenue
www.musichallofwilliamsburg.com
• NYC Baha’i Center 53 E. 11th Street (212-222-5159)
Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, R to 14th Street-Union Square www.bahainyc.org
• New School Arnhold Hall 55 West 13th Street
(212-229-5600) Subway: F, V to 14th Street www.newschool.edu
• Nino’s Tuscany 117 W. 58th Street (212-757-8630)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle www.ninostuscany.com
• North Square Lounge 103 Waverly Place (212-254-1200)
Subway: A, B, C, E, F to West 4th Street www.northsquareny.com
• Notaro Second Avenue between 34th & 35th Streets (212-686-3400)
Subway: 6 to 33rd Street
• Nublu 62 Avenue C between 4th and 5th Streets
(212-979-9925) Subway: F, M to Second Avenue www.nublu.net
• Nuyorican Poets Café 236 E. 3rd Street between Avenues B and C
(212-505-8183) Subway: F, M to Second Avenue www.nuyorican.org
• Oceana Restaurant 120 W. 49th Street (212-759-5941)
Subway: B, D, F, M to 47-50 Streets - Rockefeller Center
www.oceanarestaurant.com
• Parlor Entertainment 555 Edgecombe Ave. #3F between 159th and
160th Streets (212-781-6595) Subway: C to 155th Street www.parlorentertainment.com
• Perez Jazz 71 Ocean Parkway Subway: F, G to Fort Hamilton Parkway
• Pianos 158 Ludlow Street Subway: F, V to Second Avenue
• The Players Club 16 Gramercy Park South
(212-475-6116) Subway: 6 to 23rd Street www.theplayersnyc.org
• The Plaza Hotel Rose Club Fifth Avenue at Central Park South
(212-759-3000) Subway: N, Q, R to Fifth Avenue www.fairmont.com
• The Queens Kickshaw 40-17 Broadway (718-777-0913)
Subway: E, M, R to Steinway Street www.queenskickshaw.com
• Rockwood Music Hall 196 Allen Street (212-477-4155)
Subway: F, M to Second Avenue www.rockwoodmusichall.com
• Rose Hall Broadway at 60th Street, 5th floor (212-258-9800)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 9, A, C, E, B, D, F to Columbus Circle www.jalc.org
• Roulette 509 Atlantic Avenue
(212-219-8242) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5 to Atlantic Avenue www.roulette.org
• Rubin Museum 150 W. 17th Street (212-620-5000)
Subway: A, C, E to 14th Street www.rmanyc.org
• St Augustine’s Church 290 Henry Street
(212-673-5300) Subway: F to East Broadway www.staugnyc.org
• Saint Peter’s Church 619 Lexington Avenue at 54th Street
(212-935-2200) Subway: 6 to 51st Street www.saintpeters.org
• San Martin Restaurant 143 E. 49 Street between Lexington and Park
Avenues (212-832-0888) Subway: 6 to 51st Street
• Sapphire NYC 333 E. 60th Street (212-421-3600)
Subway: 4, 5, 6, N, Q, R to 59th Street www.nysapphire.com
• Schimmel Center for the Arts 3 Spruce Street
(212-346-1715) Subway: 2, 3, 4, 5, A, C, J, Z to Fulton Street www.pace.edu
• The Schomburg Center 515 Macolm X Boulevard
(212-491-2200) Subway: 2, 3 to 135th Street
www.nypl.org/research/sc/sc.html
• Seeds 617 Vanderbilt Avenue Subway: 2, 3, 4 to Grand Army Plaza
www.seedsbrooklyn.org
• ShapeShifter Lab 18 Whitwell Place
(646-820-9452) Subway: R to Union Street www.shapeshifterlab.com
• Showman’s 375 W. 125th Street at Morningside) (212-864-8941)
Subway: A, B, C, D to 125th Street www.showmansjazz.webs.com
• Shrine 2271 Adam Clayton Powell Boulevard (212-690-7807)
Subway: B, 2, 3 to 135th Street www.shrinenyc.com
• Sintir 424 E. 9th Street between Avenue A and First Avenue
(212-477-4333) Subway: 6 to Astor Place
• Sistas’ Place 456 Nostrand Avenue at Jefferson Avenue, Brooklyn
(718-398-1766) Subway: A to Nostrand Avenue www.sistasplace.org
• Smalls 183 W 10th Street at Seventh Avenue (212-252-5091)
Subway: 1,2,3,9 to 14th Street www.smallsjazzclub.com
• Smoke 2751 Broadway between 105th and 106th Streets
(212-864-6662) Subway: 1 to 103rd Street www.smokejazz.com
• Sofia’s 221 W. 46th Street Subway: B, D, F to 42nd Street
• Somethin’ Jazz Club 212 E. 52nd Street, 3rd floor (212-371-7657)
Subway: 6 to 51st Street; E to Lexington Avenue-53rd Street
www.somethinjazz.com/ny
• Sora Lella 300 Spring Street (212-366-4749)
Subway: C, E to Spring Street www.soralellanyc.com
• Spectrum 121 Ludlow Street, 2nd floor Subway: F, M to Second Avenue
• Stephen Wise Free Synagogue 30 W. 68th Street
(212-877-4050) Subway: 1 to 66th Street www.swfs.org
• The Stone Avenue C and 2nd Street
Subway: F to Second Avenue www.thestonenyc.com
• Swing 46 349 W. 46th Street (646-322-4051)
Subway: A, C, E to 42nd Street www.swing46.com
• Sycamore 1118 Cortelyou Road (347-240-5850)
Subway: B, Q to to Cortelyou Road www.sycamorebrooklyn.com
• Symphony Space Leonard Nimoy Thalia and Peter Jay Sharp Theatre
2537 Broadway at 95th Street (212-864-5400)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 9 to 96th Street www.symphonyspace.org
• Tea Lounge 837 Union Street, Brooklyn (718-789-2762)
Subway: N, R to Union Street www.tealoungeNY.com
• Terraza 7 40-19 Gleane Street (718-803-9602)
Subway: 7 to 82nd Street/Jackson Heights www.terrazacafe.com
• Tomi Jazz 239 E. 53rd Street
(646-497-1254) Subway: 6 to 51st Street www.tomijazz.com
• Town Hall 123 W. 43rd Street (212-997-1003)
Subway: 1, 2, 3, 7 to 42nd Street-Times Square www.the-townhall-nyc.org
• Tribeca Performing Arts Center 199 Chambers Street (212-220-1460)
Subway: A, 1, 2, 3, 9 to Chambers Street www.tribecapac.org
• University of the Streets 130 E. 7th Street
(212-254-9300) Subway: 6 to Astor Place www.universityofthestreets.org
• University Settlement 184 Eldridge Street (212-674-9120)
Subway: F, M to Second Avenue www.universitysettlement.org
• Velour Lounge 297 10th Avenue
(212-279-9707) Subway: C, E to 23rd Street www.velournyc.com
• Via Della Pace 48 E. 7th Street and Second Avenue
(212-253-5803) Subway: 6 to Astor Place
• The Village Lantern 167 Bleecker Street
(212-260-7993) Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street
• The Village Trattoria 135 W. 3rd Street (212-598-0011)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.thevillagetrattoria.com
• Village Vanguard 178 Seventh Avenue South at 11th Street
(212-255-4037) Subway: 1, 2, 3 to 14th Street www.villagevanguard.com
• Vino di Vino Wine Bar 29-21 Ditmars Boulevard, Queens
(718-721-3010) Subway: N to Ditmars Blvd-Astoria
• Walker’s 16 North Moore Street (212-941-0142)
Subway: A, C, E to Canal Street
• Waltz-Astoria 23-14 Ditmars Boulevard (718-95-MUSIC)
Subway: N, R to Ditmars Blvd-Astoria www.Waltz-Astoria.com
• Water Street Restaurant 66 Water Street (718-625-9352)
Subway: F to York Street, A, C to High Street
• Weill Recital Hall at Carnegie Hall 154 W. 57th Street at Seventh Avenue
(212-247-7800) Subway: N, R to 57th Street www.carnegiehall.org
• Whitney Museum 1845 Madison Avenue at 75th Street
(800-944-8639) Subway: 6 to 77th Street www.whitney.org
• Williamsburg Music Center 367 Bedford Avenue
(718-384-1654) Subway: L to Bedford Avenue
• York College Performing Arts Center 94-20 Guy R. Brewer Blvd., Queens
Subway: E to Jamaica Center www.york.cuny.edu
• Zankel Hall 881 Seventh Avenue at 57th Street
(212-247-7800) Subway: N, Q, R, W to 57th Street www.carnegiehall.org
• Zeb’s 223 W. 28th Street
212-695-8081 Subway: 1 to 28th Street www.zebulonsoundandlight.com
• Zinc Bar 82 W. 3rd Street (212-477-8337)
Subway: A, B, C, D, E, F, M to W. 4th Street www.zincbar.com
• ZirZamin 90 West Houston Street
(646-823-9617) Subway: B, D, F, M to Broadway-Lafayette Street
www.zirzaminnyc.com
45
(INTERVIEW CONTINUED FROM PAGE 6)
TNYCJR: Then, in 2004, with Arturo O’Farrill and his
Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, you turned out a very
different type of Latin jazz album. Can you talk a bit
about what led up to this collaboration?
CA: Arturo and I had the experience to work together
when he and the orchestra were part of Lincoln Center.
With that experience there were a lot of people
[involved in the recording] Una Noche Inolvidable,
which was a tribute to some of the greatest Spanish
singers.
Through that Arturo and I talked about
collaborating. The [producer] wanted an approach that
was very, very Latin, trying to do a crossover record.
So I agreed to collaborate because I love Arturo and his
music. We’re very good friends and I was open to
trying something different, in collaboration with other
people and in other styles of music. It was a very
interesting experience to have a coach and sing some
of the songs on that album, that I maybe never would
have chosen personally.
TNYCJR: In 2008 you recorded an almost all-Spanish
album, En Este Momento for Marsalis Music, produced
by Branford Marsalis. What was that like?
CA: I was honored to be called by Joey Calderazzo,
who is Branford’s piano player. He was doing an album
and wanted me to collaborate with him on writing a
couple of songs and singing. Branford was producing
and through that Branford approached me to see if I’d
be interested to be on his label. It was a dream come
true and an honor to have met him, to be approached
by him to be the first vocalist and first female on his
label and also to have the chance to work as closely as
I did with him and learn so much.
TNYCJR: Your recordings over the years have become
more personal in their expression. Would you agree?
CA: Yes. It comes with the territory and the confidence
you get on your own, [when] you’re more comfortable
in your own skin. At the beginning I was very shy at
the possibility of showing my compositions. I wanted
to show my perspective about the tradition of jazz and
bring in my roots. And that’s why I chose to sing
standards, a lot of them with a slight introduction to
the rhythm parts of traditional music from more of
South America - not necessarily salsa or Brazilian
music. I’m influenced by that, but that’s not the
tradition where I come from.
TNYCJR: You became a parent not too long ago. How
has this affected your career?
CA: I was very blessed to have [my son, Daniel] now,
when I already have a career built. I don’t know if I
would have felt the same way if I would have had him
12-13 years ago, because the body of work I’ve done
until now has allowed me to take this time and not be
so anxious. But I don’t want to forget that I’m a
performer, an artist, a woman, that I need to write
songs. I have reached out to women musicians who are
mothers and they give me advice because I’m new and
there’s no book. We have a very unusual career. So
with that advice I’ve been pretty much taking him
everywhere and making him part of this life. v
For more information, visit claudiaacuna.com. Acuña is at
Harlem Stage Gatehouse Mar. 27th. See Calendar.
• Claudia Acuña - Wind from the South (Verve, 1999)
• Claudia Acuña - Rhythm of Life (Verve, 2001)
• Claudia Acuña - Luna (MAXJAZZ, 2003)
• Afro-Latin Jazz Orchestra (with Arturo O’Farrill) Una Noche Inolvidable (An Unforgettable Night)
(Palmetto, 2004)
• Arturo O’Farrill/Claudia Acuña - In These Shoes
(ZoHo Music, 2007)
• Claudia Acuña - En Este Momento
(Marsalis Music, 2008)
(LABEL CONTINUED FROM PAGE 12)
While Fujii and Tamura do record for other
imprints, so far Libra’s only CD under someone else’s
leadership is 2004’s Yamabuki by Japanese vocalist Koh.
“She is so amazing, that I wanted to introduce her from
Libra,” the pianist says. Fujii also played on the session
and composed some of the material (along with
accordion player Ted Reichman). However Koh’s CD
remains an anomaly. “Sometimes we get emails from
musicians we don’t know asking if Libra can put out
their CDs,” Fujii states. “But we don’t have enough
time and money for that. However if in the future we
find someone we would like to record like Koh we’ll
do so.”
But they may be too busy. Already planned for
Libra’s 2013 schedule are new solo discs by both Fujii
and Tamura, another KAZE CD plus a new recording
by Fujii’s New York Orchestra, which will be the
group’s fourth outing. v
For more information, visit librarecords.com
Sandy Sasso’s latest release “Hands On”
Always swinging,
Always eclectic,
Always Sasso
Available at www.cdbaby.com
or www.sandysasso.com
IN MEMORIAM
CHARLES BELL - The pianist was an obscure
figure in ‘60s jazz but did release four albums
between 1960-64, including a pair on Atlantic
and Columbia Records by his Contemporary
Jazz Quartet, and was commissioned to write
a jazz concerto performed by the Pittsburgh
Symphony in 1963. Later he moved from
Pittsburgh to New York to teach music.
Drummer Poogie Bell is his son. Bell died
Dec. 4th at 79.
BRIAN BROWN - A stalwart on the
Australian jazz scene going back to the ‘50s,
primarily in Melbourne, Brown played
soprano and tenor saxophones, flutes,
synthesizers, panpipes and a leather bowhorn.
He released a number of albums as a leader
during the ‘70s-90s, then tripled his
discography over the last decade after retiring
from the Victorian College of the Arts. Brown
died Jan. 27th at 79.
RAHN BURTON - A regular performer at the
Upper West Side club Cleopatra’s Needle, the
pianist had a fateful meeting as a young man
in Columbus, Ohio, hearing saxophonist
Roland Kirk for the first time. Burton would
go on to play with Kirk during the ‘50s, again
for several years during the ‘60s and through
the ‘70s, appearing on albums like The Inflated
Tear and Volunteered Slavery. Burton also
collaborated with other saxophonists, such as
George Adams, Charlie Rouse and Archie
Shepp. He released one album as a leader in
1992 and died Jan. 25th at 79.
JACK DIÉVAL - The pianist’s nickname was
the Debussy of Jazz. In addition to his own
trio, quartet and Jazz Aux Champs-Elysées
All-Stars, he was a member of the Quintette
Du Hot Club De France in the mid ‘40s and
hosted radio and television programs during
the ‘50s-60s. Diéval died Oct. 31st at 91.
STANLEY GREIG - His father was a
drummer and piano tuner and the younger
Greig would go on to play both during a
more-than-50-year career in London, working
with Ken Colyer, Humphrey Lyttelton (during
the ‘50s and again in the ‘80s-90s) and Acker
Bilk. He formed the London Jazz Big Band in
1975 and later mostly helmed his own trio.
Greig died Nov. 18th at 82.
GEORGE GRUNTZ - Possibly the most
famous musician to come out Switzerland,
after some fascinating early recordings - jazz
interpretations of Baroque music; a
collaboration with Tunisian musicians; an
avant garde trio with himself on organ - the
pianist/composer/arranger
focused
his
energies on his Concert Big Band, which
performed and recorded regularly starting in
the ‘70s and featured luminaries of both the
European and American jazz scenes, as well
as guests like Elvin Jones. For 22 years, Gruntz
was the Artistic Director of the Berlin Jazz
Festival (where he often appeared) and was a
regular recipient of commissions from various
large ensembles. Gruntz died Jan. 10th at 80.
LAWRENCE D. “BUTCH” MORRIS - The
cornetist coined the term “Conduction”, a
directed system for ensemble improvisation,
which he applied to groups as diverse as jazz
big bands, ethnic string orchestras and
choruses of poets. Brother of bassist Wilbur
Morris, he worked early on as a sideman with
David Murray (whose Big Band Morris would
later direct), Frank Lowe and later Billy Bang,
before devoting himself fully to his nowoften-imitated method, working with
numerous ensembles throughout the world
(many documented on a series released by
New World Records) and, more locally and
recently, Nublu and The Stone. Morris died
Jan. 29th at 65.
CLAUDE NOBS - It was at age 31 that the
Montreux, Switzerland native organized the
first Montreux Jazz Festival, which has
continued to this day, though “diversifying”
away from jazz, and resulted in live albums
by Bobby Hutcherson, Don Pullen, Dizzy
Gillespie, McCoy Tyner, Miles Davis and Sun
Ra, among others. Nobs also worked for the
European division of Warner, Elektra and
Atlantic Records starting in the ‘70s. Nobs
died Jan. 10th at 76 after a skiing accident.
ROSS TAGGART - The Canadian pianist
was a regular on the Vancouver scene,
working with Hugh Fraser, Cory Weeds and
many other local groups, in addition to
performing and recording with his own. But
Taggart’s career was an international one and
he worked with a number of American
musicians, such as Charles McPherson, both
in Canada and the States, since the ‘90s.
Taggart died Jan. 9th at 45.
FRODE THINGNÆS - The Norwegian
trombonist may not have been as
internationally known as the countrymen
with whom he came up in the early ‘60s (such
as collaborators like Terje Rypdal) but
Thingnæs went on to a solid career leading
various big bands and orchestras throughout
Norway and becoming a prolific composer.
Thingnæs died Nov. 15th at 72.
BIRTHDAYS
March 1
†Glenn Miller 1904-44
†Teddy Powell 1906-1993
†Benny Powell 1930-2010
Gene Perla b.1940
Ralph Towner b.1940
Vinny Golia b.1946
Norman Connors b.1947
Elliott Sharp b.1951
March 2
†Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis
1921-86
†Doug Watkins 1934-62
Buell Neidlinger b.1936
Bob Neloms b.1942
Wolfgang Muthspiel b.1965
March 3
†Barney Bigard 1906-80
†Cliff Smalls 1918-2008
†Jimmy Garrison 1934-76
Luis Gasca b.1940
March 4
Don Rendell b.1926
†Cy Touff 1927-2003
†Barney Wilen 1937-96
David Darling b.1941
Jan Garbarek b.1947
Kermit Driscoll b.1956
Albert Pinton b.1962
Dana Leong b.1980
March 5
†Gene Rodgers 1910-87
†Bill Pemberton 1918-84
†Dave Burns 1924-2009
†Lou Levy 1928-2001
†Wilbur Little 1928-87
†Pee Wee Moore 1928-2009
David Fiuczynski b.1964
March 6
†Red Callender 1916-92
†Howard McGhee 1918-87
†Wes Montgomery 1925-68
†Ronnie Boykins 1935-80
Charles Tolliver b.1940
Peter Brötzmann b.1941
†Robin Kenyatta 1942-2004
Flora Purim b.1942
Dom Minasi b.1943
Ayelet Rose Gottlieb b.1979
March 11
†Miff Mole 1898-1961
†Mercer Ellington 1919-96
Ike Carpenter b.1920
†Billy Mitchell 1926-2001
†Leroy Jenkins 1932-2007
Vince Giordano b.1952
Judy Niemack b.1954
March 16
†Ruby Braff 1927-2003
†Tommy Flanagan 1930-2001
Keith Rowe b.1940
John Lindberg b.1959
Woody Witt b.1969
March 12
Sir Charles Thompson b.1918
†Hugh Lawson 1935-97
March 7
Ned Goold b.1959
Alexander von Schlippenbach Peter Knight b.1965
b.1938
Vinson Valega b.1965
Herb Bushler b.1939
March 13
March 8
†Dick Katz 1924-2009
†George Mitchell 1899-1972
Roy Haynes b.1926
Dick Hyman b.1927
†Blue Mitchell 1930-79
George Coleman b.1935
Michael Jefry Stevens b.1951
†Gabor Szabo 1936-82
Akira Tana b.1952
†James Williams 1951-2004
Terence Blanchard b.1962
Biggi Vinkeloe b.1956
Shoko Nagai b.1971
Anat Fort b.1970
March 14
March 9
†Joe Mooney 1911-75
Ornette Coleman b.1930
†Les Brown 1912-2001
Keely Smith b.1932
†Sonny Cohn 1925-2006
Kali Z. Fasteau b.1947
Mark Murphy b.1932
Zakir Hussain b.1951
†Shirley Scott 1934-2002
†Thomas Chapin 1957-1998
Dred Scott b.1964
Erica von Kleist b.1982
March 15
March 10
†Jimmy McPartland 1907-91
†Bix Beiderbecke 1903-31
†Spencer Clark 1908-1998
†Pete Clarke 1911-75
†Harry James 1916-83
†Don Abney 1923-2000
Bob Wilber b.1928
Louis Moholo b.1940
Charles Lloyd b.1938
Mino Cinelu b.1957
Marty Sheller b.1940
Bill Gerhardt b.1962
Joachim Kühn b.1944
Ofer Assaf b.1976
Anne Mette Iversen b.1972
March 17
Paul Horn b.1930
†Grover Mitchell 1930-2003
Karel Velebny b.1931
Jessica Williams b.1948
Abraham Burton b.1971
Daniel Levin b.1974
March 18
†Al Hall 1915-88
†Sam Donahue 1918-74
Bill Frisell b.1951
Joe Locke b.1959
March 19
†Curley Russell 1917-86
†Lennie Tristano 1919-78
Bill Henderson b.1930
Mike Longo b.1939
David Schnitter b.1948
Chris Brubeck b.1952
Michele Rosewoman b.1953
Eliane Elias b.1960
March 20
Marian McPartland b.1920
Sonny Russo b.1929
Harold Mabern b.1936
Jon Christensen b.1943
March 21
†Hank D’Amico 1915-65
Mike Westbrook b.1936
Herbert Joos b.1940
Amina Claudine Myers b.1942
March 22
†Fred Anderson 1929-2010
John Houston b.1933
†Masahiko Togashi 1940-2007
George Benson b.1943
March 23
†Johnny Guarnieri 1917-85
Dave Frishberg b.1933
Dave Pike b.1938
Masabumi Kikuchi b.1940
Gerry Hemingway b.1950
Stefon Harris b.1973
March 27
†Pee Wee Russell 1906-69
†Ben Webster 1909-73
†Sarah Vaughan 1924-90
†Harold Ashby 1925-2003
†Bill Barron 1927-89
†Burt Collins 1931-2007
Stacey Kent b.1968
March 28
†Paul Whiteman 1890-1967
†Herb Hall 1907-96
†Thad Jones 1923-86
Bill Anthony b.1930
March 24
†Tete Montoliu 1933-97
†King Pleasure 1922-81
Barry Miles b.1947
Dave MacKay b.1932
Donald Brown b.1954
Kalaparusha Maurice McIntyre Orrin Evans b.1975
b.1936
Jen Shyu b.1978
Steve Kuhn b.1938
Paul McCandless b.1947
March 29
Steve LaSpina b.1954
†George Chisholm 1915-97
Renee Rosnes b.1962
†Pearl Bailey 1918-90
Dave Douglas b.1963
Allen Botschinsky b.1940
Joe Fiedler b.1965
†Michael Brecker 1949-2007
March 25
Cecil Taylor b.1929
†Paul Motian 1931-2011
†Larry Gales 1936-95
†Lonnie Hillyer 1940-85
Makoto Ozone b.1961
March 26
Abe Bolar b.1908
†Flip Phillips 1915-2001
†Andy Hamilton 1918-2012
†Brew Moore 1924-73
†James Moody 1925-2010
Maurice Simon b.1929
Lew Tabackin b.1940
Hiromi b.1979
March 30
†Ted Heath 1900-69
Lanny Morgan b.1934
Karl Berger b.1935
Marilyn Crispell b.1947
Dave Stryker b.1957
Frank Gratkowski b.1963
Dan Peck b.1983
March 31
†Santo “Mr. Tailgate” Pecora 1902-84
†Red Norvo 1908-99
†Freddie Green 1911-87
†Jimmy Vass 1937-2006
Christian Scott b.1983
MARIAN MCPARTLAND
March 20th, 1918
Last November, the pianist
stepped down as host of Piano
Jazz, ending a run of 33 years, 5
months and 6 days at the helm
of NPR’s longest running jazz
program. Prior to her role as a
broadcaster/interviewer/
duet partner on the airwaves,
the British-born Margaret
Marian Turner (McPartland
came from her husband,
cornetist Jimmy) began her
musical career entertaining
troops during World War II.
After moving to the States, she
established a trio, which
became the house band at
New York City’s The Hickory
House from 1952-60. In the
mid ‘60s, she had a radio
program on W-BAI, which led
to her later work on NPR. The
grand dame of jazz made it
official in 2010, when she was
appointed Officer of the Order
of the British Empire
-AH
ON THIS DAY
by Andrey Henkin
Vol. 2
Julius Watkins Sextet (Blue Note)
March 20th, 1955
This
was French horn player Julius
Watkins’ second album as a leader
after an August 1954 debut (and
second and final session for Blue
Note). Rejoining Watkins from that
first session are obscure guitarist
Perry Lopez and bassist Oscar
Pettiford,
with
Hank
Mobley
replacing Frank Foster on tenor, Duke
Jordan for George Butcher on piano
and Art Blakey in the drum chair
instead of Kenny Clarke. Watkins
wrote three of the five tunes, the
others a tune by Bennie Harris and an
early version of Jordan’s “Jordu”.
Legends Live
Cannonball Adderley (Jazzhaus)
March 20th, 1969
Saxist
Cannonball Adderley first
worked with his brother, cornetist
Nat, on their shared 1955 debut under
Kenny Clarke. Pianist Joe Zawinul
became a fixture in their band starting
in 1961. By 1966, bassist Victor Gaskin
and
drummer
Roy
McCurdy
completed the quintet that appears on
this newly issued 1969 concert
recording from Stuttgart, Germany.
Nat Adderley and Joe Zawinul’s
compositions make up most of the
program, the remainder filled out by
Leonard Bernstein, Roebuck Staples
and Dizzy Gillespie.
Flight
Howard Riley (Turtle-FMR)
March 20th, 1971
On The Korner
Zoot Sims (Pablo)
March 20th, 1983
Detroit’s Jazz Piano Legacy Vol. 1
Marcus Belgrave (DJM)
March 20th, 1993
Among the most interesting, though
The inspiration for the sax-playing
Muppet, Zoot Sims began his career
with Woody Herman’s Orchestra in
1947 at the age of 22. Hundreds of
sessions later, Sims worked up to the
end of his life, dying in 1985 at the age
of 59. This live set from San Francisco’s
Keystone Korner was among his last
recordings, Sims appearing with
drummer Shelly Manne’s trio of the
period with pianist Frank Collett and
bassist Monty Budwig. The seventune program is all standards, music
Sims had played for his whole career
in his inimitable swinging style.
The Motor City has produced quite a
number of legendary jazz pianists
over the decades, starting with Hank
Jones. It’s no slouch with other
instruments as well - trumpeter
Marcus Belgrave, for example (though
he was born in Pennsylvania). He
appears here with a triumvirate of
Detroit pianists from different eras Tommy Flanagan, Geri Allen and
Gary Schunk - recorded live at the
Kerrytown Concert House some 50
miles west of Detroit in Ann Arbor.
Belgrave’s tune “All My Love” was a
commissioned tribute to Detroit.
somewhat lost to history, entries in
mid-period British jazz were the trio
works of pianist Howard Riley. With
bassist Barry Guy (and a revolving
cast of drummers), the group released
six albums between 1967’s impossibleto-find Discussions to the 1974-75
release Overground. This session, on
the short-lived Turtle imprint (briefly
reissued in the ‘90s on FMR), includes
Tony Oxley on drums for the sidelong tune “Motion” and the four
tunes of the B-side, including the title
track.
47
presents
John Williams, Guitar
John Etheridge,
Guitar
Monday, March 18 at 7:30 PM | Zankel
Legendary classical guitarist John Williams
and jazz-fusion guitarist John Etheridge
perform an eclectic mix of music for duo
guitar from numerous musical genres.
John Williams
Jenny Scheinman Trio
featuring Bill Frisell and Brian Blade
Saturday, March 23 at 9 PM | Zankel
SongS With and Without WordS
This concert and The Shape of Jazz series are made possible by The Joyce and George Wein Foundation in memory of Joyce Wein.
Presented by Carnegie Hall in partnership with Absolutely Live Entertainment LLC.
carnegiehall.org | 212-247-7800
Box Office at 57th and Seventh
Photos: Etheridge by Eamonn McAbe, Jenny Scheinman Trio by John Rogers.
Artists, programs, and dates subject to change. © 2013 CHC.
Proud Season Sponsor
Jenny Scheinman Trio
John Etheridge

March 2013 - The New York City Jazz Record

Transcription

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