Tnycjr 201805
Tnycjr 201805
Tnycjr 201805
COM
DAVE
BURRELL
WINDWARD
PASSENGER
Staff Writers
obituaries 12 by andrey henkin
David R. Adler, Clifford Allen,
Duck Baker, Stuart Broomer,
Robert Bush, Thomas Conrad,
FESTIVAL REPORT 13
Ken Dryden, Donald Elfman,
Phil Freeman, Kurt Gottschalk,
Tom Greenland, Anders Griffen,
CD Reviews 14
Tyran Grillo, Alex Henderson,
Robert Iannapollo, Matthew Kassel,
Mark Keresman, Marilyn Lester,
Suzanne Lorge, Marc Medwin,
Miscellany 43
Russ Musto, John Pietaro, Joel Roberts,
John Sharpe, Elliott Simon,
Andrew Vélez, Scott Yanow
Event Calendar 44
Contributing Writers
Kevin Canfield, Marco Cangiano,
Pierre Crépon George Grella,
Laurel Gross, Jim Motavalli,
Greg Packham, Eric Wendell
Contributing Photographers In jazz parlance, the “rhythm section” is shorthand for piano, bass and drums. This is useful
Eirik Ryvoll Åsheim, Peter Gannushkin, for saving space but really undercuts the role of these musicians, particularly in small group
Alan Nahigian, Maurice D. Robertson, situations. And it hardly speaks to the individuality of the various members in said rhythm
Keiko Shiga, Margaret Storer, sections over the decades. To right this wrong just a little, our big three features this month
Robert I. Sutherland-Cohen, would certainly make a fascinating example of the species, yet are here in featured roles.
Adrien H. Tillmann, Jack Vartoogian,
Brian Wittman
We start with pianist Dave Burrell (On The Cover), a key contributor to the New Thing and
Fact-checker its subsequent developments since the ‘60s. He is the very deserving recipient of this month’s
Nate Dorward Vision Festival’s annual celebration evening dedicated to a living musician. We follow—out
of order—with drummer Pheeroan akLaff (Interview), an important collaborator with players
like Wadada Leo Smith, Oliver Lake, Henry Threadgill and the recently departed Cecil Taylor,
to name but a few. He can be heard this month at Issue Project Room, Rubin Museum and The
Stone at The New School. And, finally, from a totally different world (and side of the planet),
is bassist Nicki Parrott (Artist Feature), who has played with legends like Dick Hyman, Clark
nycjazzrecord.com Terry, Joe Wilder and Les Paul but steps out front this month for two nights at Birdland.
All rights reserved. Reproduction without permission strictly prohibited. All material copyrights property of the authors.
Peter Gannushkin/DOWNTOWNMUSIC.NET
Adrien H. Tillmann - www.aht1985.com
Camille Thurman @ Greenwich House Music School Evan Parker & Dan Weiss @ The Stone at The New School
Despite the slowly increasing presence of women, J ust before saxophonist/clarinetist Ned Rothenberg
jazz remains, as one panelist put it, a “skewed and Evan Parker were to begin their performance at
landscape”. The occasion: a discussion (Apr. 4th) at Zürcher Gallery (Apr. 5th), the news spread through
New School’s Arnhold Hall on the gendering of jazz, the room: pianist Cecil Taylor had just passed away.
just prior to a concert by Monika Herzig. After each Thus what was supposed to be a joyous affair (Parker
artist had weighed in on issues faced working in a was celebrating his 74th birthday) became a reflective
male-dominated arena, the international band— one. Prior to playing, Parker recalled the first time he
Germans Herzig (piano) and Leni Stern (guitar), had seen the pianist: 1962, a quarter of a mile down
American Jamie Baum (flute), Israeli Reut Regev Bleecker at The Take 3, visiting New York because his
(trombone), Brazilian Amanda Ruzza (electric bass), father worked for the airlines and the young Parker
Mexican Karina Colis (drums), plus guest Canadian could fly for free. Reminiscing done, Parker and
Ingrid Jensen (trumpet)—took to the stage to play Rothenberg dedicated the evening to Taylor, without
material from their upcoming (second) release, Sheroes. whom the whole notion of the avant garde would be
First was Herzig’s jazz-rock arrangement of “Ain’t No radically altered. The pair are partners going back over
Mountain High Enough”, warming into Stern’s 20 years and thus the challenge, as Parker once
“Bubbles” in 6/8, with solos all around and traded explained to this reporter, is how to encourage one
phrases. Herzig’s “Nancy Wilson Portrait” and “The another to do something different. Whatever the
Whole World in Her Hands”, a 5/4 blues, featured internal deliberations, to which we as audience
sterling Jensen solos, the first building from a members are not privy, the results were astonishing.
flugelhorn-like timbre into higher range, the second a There was no hesitation, not a wisp of hierarchy, nary
textbook of dynamic variety, replete with pinched/ a moment where true and verdant communication was
squeezed pitches. Regev, relatively reserved until then, not taking place. Both men played solo pieces, Parker
revved up the emotional energy with her Middle- continuing the solo soprano statement he began over
Eastern-flavored “I Am A Superstar”, with a fine turn 40 years ago, Rothenberg going the opposite route with
by Baum. The finale linked Herzig’s energetic “Make It a didgeridoo-like exposition on bass clarinet. And
Count” to Stern’s “Hide and Seek”, based on a though there were clarinet/tenor and tenor/alto
Senegalese children’s song, ending when the teenaged dialogues, it was when soprano and bass clarinet met
female musicians in the audience joined the sheroes for 13 minutes that we were transported upwards, our
onstage for a sing-along. (TG) spirits mingling with those recently departed. (AH)
The building that formerly housed legendary Harlem club St. Nick’s
Pub was the site of a fire during the filming of an adaptation of
R.I. Sutherland-Cohen / jazzexpressions.org
PHEEROAN
music and cognition with Dr. Psyche Loui, professor of
Psychology and Neuroscience at Wesleyan. Creativity
and improvisation figure highly in my view of
Keiko Shiga / photo courtesy of the artist
akLAFF
TNYCJR: What are your views on health and how are
these incorporated into your music and your teaching?
NICKI
For more information, visit nickiparrott.com. Parrott is at
Birdland May 22nd-23rd. See Calendar.
Recommended Listening:
• Fiveplay—On The Brink (Arbors, 1998)
• Deborah Weisz Trio—Trio
© 2017 Brian wittman/bwittman.com
PARROTT
(Va Wah Music, 2004-5)
• Nicki Parrott/Rossano Sportiello—
People Will Say We’re In Love (Arbors, 2006)
• Randy Sandke—Unconventional Wisdom
(Arbors, 2008)
• Nicki Parrott/Ken Peplowski—Like A Lover
(Venus, 2010)
• Nicki Parrott—Dear Blossom (Arbors, 2016)
dave burrell
WINDWARD PASSENGER
ALAN NAHIGIAN
by john sharpe
Many musicians tread the porous border between rendition by hatHUT in 1979. Burrell’s wife, Swedish Older piano styles have always fascinated Burrell due
inside and outside, tradition and freedom, the poet and writer Monika Larsson, supplied the libretto to “the way ragtime and stride utilize and blend
composed and the improvised, but few make such and she takes up the story: “It takes place in 1959 at a American and African folk music, as well as European
extensive incursions into either side as pianist Dave time when Hawaii gained statehood. The family had classical repertoire.” He is currently embarking on a
Burrell. Burrell, 77, was born in Ohio and lived there lived in a valley from 1946 up to that point in a rural closer study of the pivotal pianist James P. Johnson,
and in Harlem until his parents moved to Hawaii when setting, to have Dave grow up in an environment where working on his composition “Carolina Shout” as well
he was six. After graduating from Berklee College of he could just be himself and not the big cities like they as researching activist, writer and composer James
Music, he became one of the leading pianists associated had been. So I decided to base the libretto on that whole Weldon Johnson, including his involvement in the early
with the ‘60s New Thing. Since then he’s enjoyed situation: a young man in a valley, growing up with stages of the Civil Rights movement and leadership of
enduring relationships with Archie Shepp, David parents with a musical background, forming a band the NAACP. “My mother worked as Johnson’s secretary
Murray and William Parker. When I spoke to Burrell he with his neighbors. Then by the time that young man while at Fisk. I still have her copies of his The Book of
was busy preparing for the opening evening of the was 15 years old he had a band going, made friends American Negro Spirituals and The Second Book of
annual Vision Festival, which will be a celebration of and became popular in the Islands. So when the American Negro Spirituals. Several musical portraits are
his work, showcasing three different outfits reflecting statehood celebration happened in 1959 his band was already evolving from my research.”
some, but by no means all, of his artistry. hired to play and that’s where the drama unfolds.” Burrell will present pieces from both projects at
Perhaps the most eye-catching lineup is a reunion Burrell says his fascination with opera came from, Vision: “The first set includes three compositions,
with Shepp. Burrell worked with the saxophonist for “My mother, both parents actually, were opera singers. ‘Paradox of Freedom’ from my Civil War project; from
almost a decade from the mid ‘60s, joining him on a My dad was inspired by Paul Robeson and they were in my current project Harlem Renaissance, ‘Red Summer
seminal trip to the Pan-African Festival in Algiers, the Fisk University Jubilee Singers together for the March’, reflecting the lynchings that started riots that
where they played to huge crowds and rubbed second half of the ‘30s. I was 21 when I started to look spread among black workers throughout America in
shoulders with musicians from across the continent. He at my mother’s repertoire. She had an organization that the summer of 1919; and ‘Full-Blown Rhapsody’, a
then subsequently appeared on a host of classic albums she founded called the Windward Passages Opera bittersweet tribute to the writers, dancers and
including Blasé and Attica Blues. “At that particular Guild in Honolulu. She was very active and I wanted to musicians emerging from the Harlem Renaissance
time in the mid ‘60s I had started off with the groups of do something for her as she died early of cancer. One of 1918-1938.” Even within the compositions, Burrell
Pharoah Sanders and Grachan Moncur III and Archie her favorite operas was Puccini’s Madama Butterfly and blurs the lines. “For ‘Red Summer March’ the melody
knew who I was, but he wasn’t using a piano... We had I needed to know what kind of harmony against melody is very traditional and rhythmic as a march should be
several tours in the United States prior to the overseas made for that romanticism that was so deep and lush.” along the lines of a Sousa march, but the improvisation
trip. We were in the prison system in the U.S., Attica Another important strand of Burrell’s work has will be completely free with an emphasis on rhythms
and several other prisons, and we performed at black emerged over the last decade since he became found in the actual melody line.”
student unions and universities that had Black composer-in-residence at the Rosenbach Library in But no picture of Burrell’s work would be complete
Awareness Week and other kinds of programs for black Philadelphia.”I spent five years with the Civil War without representing the unfettered strand. “My last
and Latino students. But when he had the opportunity collection researching and developing my set will feature James Brandon Lewis and Kidd Jordan.
for the State Department trip, all of his collaborators compositional output. The Director said I should bring We will play completely free, charged by the chaos that
were happy to go over.” Looking forward to the Vision that collection to life through music. So after reading has interrupted the prospect of world peace... We have
set Burrell explains: “Shepp and I will revisit some of the documents I took notes, came home and started to a poem by Monika called ‘Shout’, which is an
my compositions from past recordings, ‘Crucificado’ visualize the portraits that I was going to paint. In the inspirational piece that I will be sharing with the
and ‘Margy Pargy’, in addition to my composition third year we had a five-star recording [Turning Point] musicians for the third set. It deals with the turmoil in
‘Black Robert’. The last time we played together was at from NoBusiness and it was the best of the compositions the world overall and the situation of migration and
Duc des Lombards in Paris in 2009.” that they chose for that recording. The accumulated immigration universally.”
By the time Burrell hooked up with Shepp he had body of work will continue to be part of my repertoire.” It’s best left to Larsson to try to sum up Burrell’s
already issued his first album High Won-High Two, Trombonist Steve Swell worked with Burrell on the work: “That’s the thread in Dave’s portraits. They
which signaled from the start that his interests were Civil War Project and will appear with him at Vision. always reflect the humanity. That’s what that first
wider than just the avant garde by including a medley “Dave’s a very serious person. When he rehearses, opera was about, showing humanity. Not the political
from West Side Story. But the tension between the we’ll take some of his music, he’ll easily go through one overthrow of bigger governments. But people can live
inside/outside camps was already there. “I never song for a couple of hours, even upwards of four hours their lives in harmony, in racial harmony. The Civil
wanted to be one of the players who composed or a until I just can’t play anymore and I have to say, ‘Dave Rights Movement is something Dave has been part of
soloist who wasn’t aware of both camps. To this day I gotta stop’. Then on stage we’ve developed a really since he was a little boy. Being brought up in that
I enjoy the challenge of fusing the two. I think I was at good rapport in seeing where each of us is going to go climate was a fascinating journey and it still is.” v
Berklee when I first picked the music up. I wanted to and especially with his tunes I can hear where they’re
find out what Leonard Bernstein had done to get those going and see what’s happening and we develop our For more information, visit daveburrell.com. Burrell is at
interesting, new-sounding chord progressions and improvisations that way. We kind of intuitively know Vision Festival May 23rd. See Calendar.
schemes like in the waltz ‘Somewhere’ and in the when to go back to the written material.”
ballad ‘Maria’. I wanted to have the medley go in the Swell is also involved in Burrell’s most recent Recommended Listening:
direction of a freeform explosion, if you will. project, based on the early 20th century Harlem • Dave Burrell—Echo (BYG Actuel, 1969)
I formulated throughout with nothing written for the Renaissance. Burrell explains the genesis: “After the • Dave Burrell—After Love (America-Universal, 1970)
bass player Sirone. But when I actually got to the end Civil War exploration and the many years concentrating • Beaver Harris’ 360 Degree Music Experience—
of the medley I wanted to solo in a new way that was on my rearrangements of Jelly Roll Morton’s In: Sanity (Black Saint, 1976)
inspired by what I had heard Cecil Taylor do.” compositions, I wanted to continue journeying through • Dave Burrell—Windward Passages (hatHUT, 1979)
Building on those lessons and among the most well the past. I want to bring my work up through the Civil • Dave Burrell/David Murray—In Concert (Victo, 1991)
known of Burrell’s works is Windward Passages, Rights Movement of the ‘60s, through the emergence of • Dave Burrell Full Blown Trio—Expansion
conceived as a jazz opera but issued in a solo piano the avant garde and up to the challenges we face today.” (High Two, 2003)
DOM
listen to jazz, it felt very familiar to me,” says Salvador. 2015 with Barrozo aboard, bringing their relationship
“So much so it seemed like I had played it in a previous full-circle. The live recording of that thrilling concert
life. Always I had that feeling...that I had lived here, featuring Salvador ’s originals from his landmark
SALVADOR
came to the United States before my [present] life and album will soon be released by Universal Music.
that I knew this music.” Improvisation was not a part of With Duduka Da Fonseca Trio Plays Dom Salvador,
Brazilian tradition, however. “Of course there were released by Sunnyside last month, that circle has spun
some people who could improvise a little bit. They had around again. His music is interpreted by sensitive
musicians (the trio is completed by superb Brazil-based
by laurel gross
some freedom. But it’s not the same as in jazz. That’s
why some musicians, not just me, created Samba Jazz.” pianist David Feldman and imaginative bassist Guto
Salvador likens jazz to playing soccer. “When the coach Wirtti) who understand his compositions and share his
P ersistent and meticulous, outstanding pianist/ teaches you how to play he tells you to do this, do that. free jazz-loving spirit. Salvador ’s propensity for
composer Dom Salvador overcame early obstacles and But when you go to play in the game, and you’re right creating super-complex rhythms that can be very
embraced new challenges. He was the youngest of 11 there, you forget about the coach, you have to create challenging for even expert musicians to realize are
children growing up in a poor but music-loving family your own thing there. You can’t follow what the coach splendidly exhibited in such robust, energetic
in the small town of Rio Claro in northeastern Brazil. said to you. Maybe he said, ‘ok, you play the right side’, compositions as “Farjuto”, “Samba do malandrinho”,
His first instrument was the tabletops of his home. but in the real game maybe sometimes you’re in the “Gafieira” and “Meu fraco é café forte” (“My Weakness
Along with the singing of four sisters, who formed middle or on the other side. It’s always improvisation.” Is Strong Coffee”). Salvador ’s exquisite lyricism is
their own group, his inventive rhythms pervaded the Salvador ’s groundbreaking recording Rio 65 Trio beautifully realized in the ballads “Maria”, a heart-
house. A drum teacher was enlisted but moved away would make a splash in Brazil when released in 1965 rending tribute to his wife of more than 50 years, who
and there was no one else to tutor him. His brother and made a deep and lasting impression on Duduka knocked him off his feet when he heard her singing in
Paulo, an electrician adept at saxophone, suggested he Da Fonseca, who was only 14 years old at the time and a São Paulo club where he was also performing, and
take up another instrument. Piano was chosen. A about a year into learning the art of drumming. Da “Para Elis”, written in honor of the great Brazilian
teacher was available. But there was no piano. Fonseca would hear the rehearsals of Salvador ’s trio singer Elis Regina.
“The teacher drew a keyboard on paper for me and (with bassist Sergio Barrozo and remarkable drummer “The way he plays piano is so rich and so many
I practiced using that for almost a year,” says Salvador. Edison Machado) through windows of the building rhythms, polyrhythms,” says Da Fonseca. “When he
Then his brothers chipped in to buy him one. “It was a where they were working as he walked to school and plays it’s amazing. I don’t know anyone who plays that
very bad piano, out of tune, but at least I had a piano to was mesmerized. “It’s among my favorite Top 10 way. He’s a very unique player. It’s deep...Can be sad
practice. Also the piano wasn’t in the right pitch, it was albums of music that I know, jazz and Brazilian music and can be happy... Amazing. A lot of people don’t know
a half-step low. If I had to play with somebody else, included,” says Da Fonseca. “If I needed to choose 10 how brilliant Dom Salvador is as a piano player and as a
I had to play a half-step up, to get in the same key.” recordings, from Coltrane, Miles, from all that, this composer. He’s composed so much beautiful music over
By 12 he was playing in an orchestra in São Paulo. album, Rio 65 Trio, would be one of those albums I’d the years... There’s enough to do many albums.” v
Relocating to São Paulo and then to Rio de Janeiro, take to a desert island.”
where drummer Dom Um Romão had invited him to It wasn’t until 1980 that the two finally met, after A tribute to Salvador with Duduka Da Fonseca is at Jazz at
join the group Copa Trio, Salvador would make the both had moved to the United States (Salvador in 1973 Kitano May 25th-26th. See Calendar.
famous jazz scene of Beco das Garrafas, Brazil’s “52nd and Da Fonseca in 1975). Salvador ’s regular drummer
Street”, and go on to form his own trios, accompany for his trio was unable to make a performance and, Recommended Listening:
many Brazilian artists such as Quarteto em Cy, Jorge having heard of the fellow Brazilian, he called to ask if • Rio 65 Trio—Eponymous (Philips-Universal, 1965)
Ben, Elis Regina, Elza Soares, Sylvia Telles and Roberto he’d substitute. Salvador was surprised to discover • Dom Salvador—Salvador Trio
Carlos and be featured on the last album of the great that Da Fonseca already knew much of his music and (Mocambo-Bomba/Mr Bongo, 1965)
master of Brazilian jazz Pixinguinha. this led to Da Fonseca joining his trio and the pair • Dom Um Romao—Spirit of the Times (Muse, 1973)
He would become one of the main proponents of working together on many other occasions. • Robin Kenyatta—Nomusa (Muse, 1975)
“Samba Jazz”, combining his musical heritage with Salvador called on Da Fonseca to take the late • Dom Salvador—My Family (Muse, 1976)
American jazz he fell in love with on the radio and 78s Machado’s place at the drumset for his “Rio 65 Trio • Dom Salvador/Duduka Da Fonseca/
his brother brought home. “The first time I started to 50th Anniversary Concert” at Zankel Hall in November Rogério Botter Maio—Transition (Lua Discos, 1997)
LEST WE F ORGE T
HASAAN
What Ali lacks in recorded provenance he more A tribute to Ali with Brian Marsella, Christian McBride
than makes up for with his compositional brilliance. and Anwar Marshall is at The Stone at The New School
On the Atlantic release, all seven originals are his and May 24th. See Calendar.
IBN ALI
the performances are as enlightened as they are
freewheeling. The tunes don’t quite adhere to the Recommended Listening:
stylistic impulses of the time. There’s less resolution, • Max Roach Trio—The Max Roach Trio Featuring
more attention being paid to taking the listener on an the Legendary Hasaan (Atlantic, 1964)
by eric wendell
adventure rather than reaching an ultimate destination.
A great example is “Pay Not Play Not” featuring Ali’s
rapid fire right-hand trills. Of note is how Roach reacts,
J azz has produced its fair share of obscure legends his only recourse to keep a genuinely loose feel
who exist within the anecdotal prism of folklore underneath the pianist’s rhythmic gymnastics.
without getting their due. Pianist Hasaan Ibn Ali is As a result of his modernistic prowess, not everyone
such a legend, with a style and harmonic toolkit well could play with Ali. In an interview, saxophonist Odean
beyond that of his contemporaries. Pope spoke about Ali dropping by clubs and musicians
Born William Henry Langford, Jr., not much is leaving the bandstand because they didn’t have the
known about Ali, with most of his creative output chops to play with him. Pope stated, “He was so modern,
having been done in the Philadelphia area. Influenced he was playing all these modern chord changes. Every
by pianist Elmo Hope, Ali was less virtuosic than the tune that he played he created his own chord changes
previous generation of bebop practitioners and more and his own concepts.” Perhaps what Ali left behind
rhythmically dexterous than the postbop soldiers was his unconventional harmonic sensibilities, which
prominent in the late ‘60s. didn’t adhere to the established way that chords were
The only official release that captures his genius is supposed to move. This was startling at the time, many
1964’s The Max Roach Trio Featuring the Legendary believing he was a big influence on John Coltrane’s
Hasaan. Recorded for Atlantic, the album features a future “sheets of sound” approach.
top-of-his-game Roach alongside bassist Art Davis. The greatest tragedy of Ali’s career (he died circa
Ali’s style feels unpredictable and salient over the pair, 1980 at 48 or 49) is how little he left behind. What he
with a rhythmic dexterity that was truly original, just did leave behind was a handful of compositions that
as fresh today as it was back then. showcased a voice ahead of his time. v
SPACE Time
concerts of solo piano in the back of a piano store.” It James Williams, one featuring the little recorded yet
was the label’s first release, Piano Short Stories. Over 21 legendary pianist Thomas and the other drummer Alan
years, Space Time has released 43 CDs. Dawson’s only recording as a leader.
Felgeyrolles, like most label owners, gets many
by ken dryden
Working around his school schedule, Felgeyrolles
traveled to New York City whenever possible. “In the unsolicited tapes pitched to him. “I’ve been on tour so
1990s and early 2000s I was in New York three times a many times and listened to so many people and since
Many jazz fans dream of running a label. Xavier year. I made many recordings. Last year I recorded Bill the festival I promoted for 13 years a lot of musicians
Felgeyrolles made it a reality in 1995. Felgeyrolles got Mobley, who is writing amazing music for big band, know that I will take the risk to present new talent.
interested in jazz as a young man. He recalled, “People but people don’t know him. I wanted something I have many recordings in the can but I always try to
around me were not listening to jazz. My father was a intimate and we did that. I had a chance to spend a lot respect what the musicians have in mind. When
very good classical pianist. I discovered Fats Waller, of time in New York. To me New York is still the I recorded Mulgrew solo in 2000, at that time he wasn’t
Lionel Hampton, Duke Ellington and Dizzy Gillespie. strongest place for jazz. Paris is a good place but a tiny confident enough to put it out. A few years after he
In the late ‘70s, I tried to help the local organization thing for jazz, except world music.” said ‘You’re right’ and we didn’t change the sequence.
promote jazz concerts and I met Illinois Jacquet, Hank The future label owner was gaining knowledge It was exactly the same as the concert. We released it in
Jones, George Duvivier and Lionel Hampton. George from his frequent conversations with musicians. “The 2010.” Nor is there a lack of music that Felgeyrolles
Wein’s French festival organization, Jazz at Nice, first time I visited New York, Panama Francis told me, would love to release. “In the can I have an amazing
needed drivers and road managers.” Felgeyrolles ‘You should listen to and work with people of your duet of Toots Thielemans with Martial Solal, but Toots
signed up and met many musicians while working generation.’ He was right. I’ve worked with a lot of was asking too much money, I couldn’t afford it. Of
with them over the next several years. While continuing them: Mulgrew Miller, Donald, Bill Mobley. I know the course, I have a lot of live recordings that are very
with his university science studies, he also promoted younger generation, too. I met Ali Jackson when he was interesting. I don’t release too many CDs each year.
jazz concerts in his hometown of Clermont. “In 1988, 16. I did an album with Walter Smith III. Space Time I don’t make money, I just reinvest any earning with
I created the Jazz-en-Tête Festival. I no longer live Records was named because I am a nuclear physicist new projects. The only thing I ask is to approximately
there, but I am still involved in the organization.” and Space Time means ‘open mind’ too. I think each cover the expenses. Earning money with my label is
Felgeyrolles completed his PhD in astrophysics in generation has to find its way. You can’t play what the impossible today.” With a laugh, he added, “Maybe
1989 and began teaching. But jazz never was far from generation before played the same way. I promoted the some people are geniuses, I am not.”
his mind. “I had a chance to work with the Memphis first concert in France of Robert Glasper and worked Felgeyrolles sees himself as a hands-on producer
pianist Charles Thomas. It was extraordinary. I did a with Lionel Loueke, who is a very good friend. For the whenever possible. “It’s rare that I haven’t been at a
few tours with him, Essiet Essiet and Ben Riley. I was label I have had the chance to release incredible recording session, I want to be part of it. I wasn’t there
still involved with the festival and concerts, then recordings produced by the musicians or by me. The for Kenneth Brown, Donald Brown’s son; it was
decided to start a jazz label.” He had gotten to know library is not big but it is rich. I’ve worked with Donald produced by them. For Bill Mobley, I was there except
Donald Brown that year through his festival and they Brown for 28 years and 20 with the label, I’ve also for the duet with Kenny Barron and I suggested the
became friends. When the pianist no longer had a released CDs by his sons Keith and Kenneth. It’s like tunes. I know some music, to read and write some, but
recording contract in 1995, the idea for Space Time a family story.” Brown and Mobley are well represented I’m not a professional musician. I’ve learned a lot with
Records quickly took shape. “We did a couple of in its catalogue, in addition to sessions produced by (CONTINUED ON PAGE 50)
Hittin’ Home Born to be Blue Voyager: Live By Night Sweet & Lovely Solo
Bill Mobley Donald Brown Eric Harland Keith Brown Mulgrew Miller
VOX NEWS
BUELL NEIDLINGER
PAUL CRAM (Aug. 11th, 1952—Mar.
20th, 2018) The Canadian saxophonist
with albums on Onari, Apparition,
Justin Time, Spool and Victo founded
by andrey henkin saxophone quartets like Solar System
Saxophone Quartet and Benghazi
Saxophone Quartet as well as the new
Margaret Storer / courtesy of k2b2 records
Veteran trumpet player and composer Wadada Leo The mist lay heavy on the mountains, fjords and frozen
Smith brought five different groups into New Haven, lakes surrounding Vossevangen, Norway, the setting
Connecticut’s Firehouse 12 for his annual CREATE for the 45th annual Vossa Jazz Festival (Mar. 23rd-25th).
Festival (Apr. 7th-8th). With a large palette, he integrated Despite the town’s diminutive size—Vossevangen and
acoustic and electric elements, as well as video images its broader municipality claim only 14,000 inhabitants—
played by Jesse Gilbert on a large screen behind the each day hundreds of ticketholders crowded into the
stage. Smith also held a reception Sunday afternoon to festival’s several venues, all just a short walk from each
display what he calls the “Ankhrasmation Language other along a picturesque center street.
Scores”, which add pictorial imagery to his compositions. The festival headliners played the main stage at
The versatile Smith played a wide-ranging variety the Park Hotel, an expansive building boasting four
of trumpet styles—including stabbing punches, long- sophisticated performance spaces of varying sizes. On
tone harmonies and pungent Harmon mute. One day one, Jørn Styve stood down center on the darkened
reference point would be middle and late ‘60s Miles main stage and opened the first show with a long,
Davis for the acoustic music and middle ‘70s Miles for sonorous note sounded on the wooden lur, a traditional
the electric portions. But he has carved out his own Norwegian horn (looks like a didgeridoo, sounds like a
trumpet sound within these styles and added a mixed trumpet). The lur player slipped into a sweet, solemn
media element. He lays a minimum of notes on the folk melody that faded into whistles and shouts from
page and uses a lot of hand and verbal cues to direct the audience, a surprisingly apt lead-in to the premiere
his music. This puts a premium on the quality of the of an effects-laced, rhythmically driving jazz
musicians onstage, who have to improvise freely and composition by bassist Arild Andersen and his younger
watch out for the cued ensemble parts. His collaborators quartet. Andersen is one of Norway’s most
ranged from improvising classical musicians and internationally renowned jazz musicians; he tours
acoustic free jazz veterans to jazz-rock electric constantly and on the day of this concert, his label,
guitarists and bassists. ECM, was releasing his latest album, In-House Science.
The first group featured his grandson Lamar (Just a few days after this Vossa Jazz premiere, Andersen
Smith on guitar along with veteran drummer Thurman played the launch concert at Blue Note Tokyo.)
Barker and Hardedge on electronics. They performed While it is the fluid integration of traditional
ethereal free sounds with rustling drums on “Number Norwegian sounds and modern jazz that distinguishes
One” and “Organic” and, despite being a last-minute Vossa Jazz among music festivals, curator Trude
substitute, Barker followed the music with great Storheim’s vision for the event is nothing if not all-
sensitivity. The younger Smith has learned how to get embracing. Her programming across the festival’s
inside of his grandfather ’s music while electronics 35+ performances featured avant garde, big band,
added ambient colors. Gilbert incorporated the audio experimental, folk, pop and world musicians, many of
mix into his video displays to add rhythmic pulses them holders of Spellemannprisen, the Norwegian
along with images of the musicians. equivalent of the Grammys. Besides Andersen, the
The second group, Kosmic Music Ensemble, main stage alone welcomed Norwegian acts as diverse
performed “Dark Matter, Dark Energy: The Unseen: as hip-hop star Lars Vaular, wildly popular folk singer
A Suite”. Smith played some beautiful muted trumpet, Ingebjørg Bratland and saxophone/clarinet player
which worked well in the quiet room, and pianist Eirik Hegdal, former Artistic Director of the Trondheim
Sylvie Courvoisier had a standout performance, Jazz Orchestra (TJO). These concerts, in a room seating
adding what she calls her “toys” inside the instrument almost 1,000 people, were standing room only.
and exploding at one point into a Cecil Taylor-like Vossa Jazz is also known for its Tingingsverket,
crescendo. Bobby Naughton, a veteran of the the most prominent jazz commission in Norway. This
Connecticut scene and erstwhile collaborator of year the honor went to Hegdal, who debuted “Musical
Smith’s, played tasteful vibraphone, adding nice colors Balloon”, his composition for six players, on the
and reprising the opening theme at the end of the piece festival’s second evening. In this work, Hegdal pulled
unaccompanied. Brian Jarawa Gray added djembe and several musical components together into one clean
percussion rhythms. musical statement: percussive free improv; recurring
The third group was Smith’s Great Lakes Quartet swing motif; horns trilling in tight harmony; neat
performing “The Great Lakes Suite: Lake Michigan syncopated structures; and surprising melodic leaps as
and Lake Superior”. Smith explained the flow of a testament to the joy of sound. His players, all former
water from the Great Lakes through America into the TJO bandmates, had generous solo time, with current
Gulf of Mexico and added some ideas about the flow of TJO Artistic Director and bassist Ole Morten Vågan,
(CONTINUED ON PAGE 51) (CONTINUED ON PAGE 51)
e
CDs. Accompanied by alto saxophonist Tim Green (not Jule Styne-Stephen Sondheim’s “All I Need Is The Orchestra—Globe Unity: 50 Years (Intakt)
to be confused with the late New Orleans tenor Girl”, highlights include a lively version of Antônio • Randy Weston—SOUND (African Rhythms)
saxophonist), bassist Ben Williams, drummer McClenty
Hunter and guest vocalist Jamison Ross, Reed shows
Carlos Jobim’s “Chega De Saudade”, a fine remake of
Frank Loesser ’s “If I Were A Bell”, a rather moody and
s Andrey Henkin, Editorial Director
MAY 22ND
Virkajärvi here augmented to a quintet with bassist
Eero Tikkanen, vibraphonist/percussionist Teho
Majamäki and drummer Jesse Ojajärvi. A beautifully MIKE LONGO’S
conceived and played album, the overall aesthetic is
one of collectivism, capaciousness and restraint.
NY STATE OF THE ART
Like the blurred portraits of individual band JAZZ ENSEMBLE WITH
members adorning the CD jacket, each musician
Awase
Nik Bärtsch’s Ronin (ECM) IRA HAWKINS
merges into a viscous, holistic soundscape. by Tyran Grillo
Virkajärvi’s compressed electric tone, sparse and
tasteful in the manner of Bill Frisell, is usually the The booklet for Awase, Swiss pianist Nik Bärtsch’s New York Baha’i Center
melodic focal point, Kuusijärvi adding organ-like latest release with his band of Ronin, quotes French 53 E. 11th Street
pads, wide-interval figurations or plaintive counter- literary theorist, philosopher, linguist, critic and (between University Place and Broadway)
lines while Majamäki and Ojajärvi layer on subtle semiotician. Roland Barthes: “The sign is a fracture
but incisive samples and percussive effects. which only ever opens onto the face of another sign.”
Shows: 8:00 & 9:30 PM
Perhaps no other statement better expresses the fractal
Gen Adm: $15 Students $10
For more information, visit intaktrec.ch, fremeaux.com nature of this music, for the more one zooms in on its 212-222-5159
and eclipse-music.net precisions, the more one senses its freedoms expand. bahainyc.org/nyc-bahai-center/jazz-night
Joined by Sha (bass clarinet and alto saxophone),
Betty Carter band alumni: JD Allen (sax), Kenyatta Beasley (trumpet), Marc Cary (piano), Curtis Lundy (bass), Taharqa Patterson
(vocals) and Clarence Penn (drums). Former members of Betty Carter’s Jazz Ahead program: Addison Frei (piano),
Diego Ramirez (drums), ArcoIris Sandoval (piano), Barry Stephenson (bass) and Charles Turner (vocals). Subject to change.
For tickets call (212) 220 – 1460 or online at www.tribecapac.org Located on 199 Chambers St. (BMCC campus).
the album was recorded live, like Jeff Hamilton’s latest. Crescent City Po’ Boy outlet; and “Miramar”, a
Recently I heard Hamilton’s trio on a jazz cruise. rollicking rumba tune conjuring up Havana’s
They played several of the tunes on Live from San Pedro. glamorous pre-revolution heyday. The closer, “Still
In person, it was clear that a piano trio really can be led Walking Back”, is a heartfelt tribute to Kerwin James, a
by its drummer. Hamilton framed and defined each well-regarded New Orleans sousaphonist, who died
piece with his clean, articulate percussion content. tragically at the age of 35 in 2007.
Even with an exceptional pianist on board (Tamir There’s a seamlessness to all the compositions,
Hendelman), the most riveting solos were Hamilton’s. highlighting how the music of New Orleans and
He ran a drum clinic all night, if a clinic can be joyous Havana, cities less than 700 miles apart, are born from
YRU Still Here? and swing like crazy. the same African traditions. This is a celebratory album
Marc Ribot Ceramic Dog (Northern Spy) You cannot obtain such understandings from the performed with exuberance by a great New York band.
by John Pietaro record, when you cannot see the band, when you are
not in the same room with their energy. Keith Jarrett For more information, visit jambalayabrassband.com. This
Marc Ribot’s career as Downtown guitar guru has once said that a recording of a concert is like a fax of band is at Floridita Harlem May 11th. See Calendar.
found its natural place, some 40 years hence, fronting the actual event. As faxes go, Live from San Pedro is a
Ceramic Dog. This trio, with a variety of guests layered good one. On the basis of “Sybille’s Day” and
into the mix, realizes his current vision. Increasingly, “In Walked Bud”, this trio, together 17 years, is as fast
Ribot has added singing to his performance, raw, and fine-tuned as a Formula One racing car. On
guttural, biting vocals and his fluid, boundless guitar “Hammer ’s Tones” and “Brush This”, Hamilton
playing moves into hardcore effortlessly. His kindred generates tantalizing excitement, using only brushes.
rhythm spirits, bassist Shahzad Ismaily and drummer He heard Meredith Wilson’s “Gary, Indiana” while
Ches Smith, happily wade waist-deep into the big driving through that much-maligned town while
muddy of this thickened soundscape. Unlike other listening to Brazilian music on the radio. He decided to
experimental ensembles reaching into punk for “put the two together”. A song from The Music Man
inspiration, Ribot’s pedigree gives license to overdriven and sensual samba rhythms mesh, seamlessly. It is a
rapid-fire crunch chords as much as acoustic finger- startling change of mood when Christoph Luty’s
picking. And as Ismaily and Smith are equally adept at yearning arco bass introduces “I Have Dreamed”, the
alternating between pensive whisper and merciless
throb, manifold artistry is on full display. Perhaps the
only ballad. Hendelman pieces out Richard Rodgers’
rapt melody as if in the process of discovering it. LOU CAPUTO NOT SO BIG BAND
only aspect of YRU Still Here? more apparent than its Hendelman’s “Bennissimo” is a tribute to a fellow mAy 14TH - SIR D’S
eclecticism is the decidedly radical stance upon which piano badass, Benny Green. When the trio played it on
Ribot thrives. Here the call is for unity in defiance of the cruise, Green, who was also on the program, was in JUNE 5TH - CLUB BONAFIDE
oppression, with liner notes citing the Trump-directed the audience, in the front row, grinning. His presence “TRIED AND TRUE SwINGERS, THEy CAN TAkE yOU AROUND THE BLOCk
wITH A BUNCH OF STOPS IN BETwEEN, ALL OF wHICH ARE PLAyED TO
immigration raids on working-class communities as made the moment dynamic. Of course, you don’t get PERFECTION THROUGHOUT.” -mIDwEST RECORD
“tyranny” and stating that musicians must “amplify that on the record. But you can hear the record more
the voices of rage in our community”. than once.
LOUCAPUTO.COm
The album opens with the distortion-laden
“Personal Nancy”, a brief, driving work, before moving For more information, visit caprirecords.com. This band is
into the more tempered “Pennsylvania 6 6666” (Glenn at Dizzy’s Club May 7th-8th. See Calendar.
Miller allusion?). Things boil over with “Fuck La
Migra”, which sonically spits into the face of the
current administration. But it’s also about the music:
a post-punk funky foray screaming with masterful
guitar (McLaughlin fans will stop in their tracks),
Curtis Fowlkes’ trombone, Mauricio Herrera’s
perpetual-motion congas and Smith’s downright
swinging drum break. Another standout selection,
“MuslimJewish Resistance”, is a hip-hop-flavored
solidarity piece excoriating the rightward forces who
grow fat on Jewish/Muslim division; revel in Briggan
Krauss’ furious tenor saxophone solo signaling a call Habana to New Orleans
Jambalaya Brass Band (890 West Music)
to arms. But then “Orthodoxy”, one of several
by Joel Roberts
instrumental selections, is a deft fusion of Arabic and
South Indian traditions colored with boundary- The Jambalaya Brass Band is a New York-based group
stomping improvisation. With Ribot, there’s no room putting a decidedly modern twist on traditional New
for hesitation and YRU Still Here? is a vital recording Orleans music since 1998. Led by tenor saxophonist
for tumultuous times. Ric Frank, the group (five horns and two drummers,
plus guests) features an eclectic lineup drawn from big
JEFF HAMILTON TRIO
For more information, visit northernspyrecs.com. This bands, brass bands and much more contemporary LIVE FROM SAN PEDRO
project is at Le Poisson Rouge May 6th. See Calendar. ensembles like The Lounge Lizards. Its closest musical
cousins are cutting-edge New Orleans brass bands like 4 Weeks at #1 on the JazzWeek Radio Chart!
Dirty Dozen and Rebirth, but with a heavy dose of Big “The pResenCe of a live audienCe inspiRes all
Apple flavor added to the familiar Big Easy stew. ThRee musiCians and The ResulTs aRe
Jambalaya’s latest album, as the title suggests, is a Joyful sampling of mainsTReam Jazz.”
leonaRd malTin
a tale of two cities integral to the history and
development of jazz as we know it. The tunes alternate “This is as good as iT geTs in
between homages to the great musical metropolises, The WoRld of piano TRio Jazz.”
êêêê —pieRRe giRoux
starting with “Congo Square”, a high-spirited
evocation of the market area in the Treme neighborhood
of New Orleans that helped give birth to the music that
became jazz. That’s followed by “Tumbao”, an
CD RELEASE EVENTS:
Live from San Pedro
AfroCuban dance number propelled by Ralph
Jeff Hamilton Trio (Capri)
by Thomas Conrad Hamperian’s tuba and swirling solos from Frank,
trumpeter Jim Seeley and trombonist Curtis Fowlkes. MAY 7&8, 7:30, 9:30 PM $35
W hen you hear a jazz ensemble in person and soon Other standout tracks (all original compositions by
thereafter hear their new record, it is always a teachable Frank) include “Here Dey Come”, a tribute to the
moment. You learn once again how experiencing music
live differs from hearing it on an album—even when
legendary Mardi Gras Indian band Wild Magnolias;
“Parkway Bakery”, written in honor of a landmark
CAPRIRECORDS.COM
18 MAY 2018 | THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD
format highlighting Zankel’s tart sound and fleet, title track and “Goldie’s Chance” are album highlights.
brightly inflected, continuous lines. Rodriguez displays a delicacy at the keys that perfectly
As the title declares, this is a 65th birthday balances Sevian’s slow, low swaying. But the almost
celebration of bassist William Parker, Zankel’s manic “Lamb and Bunny”, on which Tarantino returns
colleague for over 40 years. The suite is a loose for another round with/against the leader, is
collection of themes taken from Zankel’s compositions astonishing. Rodriguez, McBride and Strickland set a
for big band and used as launching pads for extended racetrack tempo and the two women sprint through
improvisation welling up from the roots of free jazz. complex bebop phrases, tearing through the changes
Two members of the sextet—pianist Dave Burrell and and trading off phrases like it’s 1945. Albums by
Trio Joy drummer Muhammad Ali—launched their careers in baritone saxophonists may not be common, but Bliss
Jasmine Choi/Joe Fonda/Harvey Sorgen (Klopotec) the ‘60s and the dense, powerful undercurrent they makes a strong argument for more of them and soon.
by Mark Keresman create with Parker ’s foundational bass, a flux moving
in every direction at once, keeps the music in a state of For more information, visit posi-tone.com. This project is at
Sometimes musicians can be hemmed in by reputation, vital turbulence, feeding the other voices of Zankel, Dizzy’s Club May 16th. See Calendar.
by style, by their timeframe in the grand scheme of trombonist Steve Swell and violinist Diane Monroe,
things. Some performers want to explore/express the latter two also members of Zankel’s large ensemble.
themselves in different media—actors want to sing, The third and longest segment includes a Zankel
singers want to act, jazz musicians want to perform theme directly invoking Ornette Coleman, as close to
notated works. Take Jasmine Choi, a superstar of the the union of dance and laughter as one can get. Laughter
classical music sphere, performing as soloist with the seems like part of Parker’s extended arco solo as well
Philadelphia, Berlin and Cincinnati Symphony and when Monroe launches her solo, interjecting an
Orchestras, adding to the abundant tradition of great extended passage of “Wade in the Water”. Blues roots
Mozart concertos for flute. Acoustic bassist Joe Fonda arise everywhere here, with the band sourcing them
has performed/recorded with Wadada Leo Smith, Billy from West African string music to Coleman and Taylor.
Bang, Barry Altschul and Chico Hamilton. Drummer The entire performance is a wide-ranging, joyous
Harvey Sorgen has been known to mix it up with exchange among musicians clearly familiar with one
Ahmad Jamal and Dave Douglas as well as Paul Simon, another, everyone contributing to the celebration.
veteran blues-rock band Hot Tuna and Grateful Dead
bassist Phil Lesh. Trio Joy is where these three undertake For more information, visit nottwo.com. William Parker is
group composition/free improvisation. at Downtown Music Gallery May 13th and Roulette May
The opener “Moss” is a lovely soundscape. Choi 23rd, 25th, 27th and 28th, the latter as part of Vision
plays slightly somber folk-like harmonious passages Festival. See Calendar.
while Sorgen rumbles, sways and gently crashes like
a windswept yet not-quite-stormy ocean surface and
Fonda plucks and strums as if playing a giant lute. The
result is modal jazz, Elizabethan-like lament and
British Isles ancient song of the seas all at once. The
surreal, mournful “Storyboard” finds Choi and Fonda
using extended techniques, wrenching agonized,
cathartic wails resembling the purposeful feedback of
an electric guitar. Mildly frenzied “Frame Check” is
perhaps the closest thing to ‘standard’ free jazz, played
with a sense of forward motion and strong suggestion
Bliss
of swing; some points of reference would be the trios of
Lauren Sevian (Posi-Tone)
Jimmy Giuffre and Sam Rivers. “A Feast of Pigs” by Phil Freeman
contains a Choi solo that is almost painfully beautiful,
sticking to the middle range of the flute as if trying to Baritone saxophonists don’t get to make their own
distill all the anguish in the world and make it soulful albums very often. This is Lauren Sevian’s second
and uplifting. release as a leader and comes nearly a full decade after
This is music about exploration and expression. her debut. The band is alto saxophonist Alexa Tarantino
There is warmth and purpose here. (with whom Sevian co-leads the wittily named group
LSAT), pianist Robert Rodriguez, bassist Christian
For more information, visit klopotec.si. Fonda and Sorgen McBride and drummer E.J. Strickland. All the
are at The Loft of Thomas Rochon May 11th. See Calendar. compositions are hers, save Tarantino’s “Square One”.
“Triple Water” kicks off the album in a bebop
flurry. Sevian’s phrases—Tarantino is not heard here—
have the intricacy and speed of John Coltrane on
“Countdown” and the band keeps her flying high;
McBride and Strickland are skipping along and
Rodriguez dances across the keys, releasing rippling
waves of notes. The mellower “Square One” follows,
allowing the two saxophonists to harmonize. Tarantino
plays around in the lower end of the alto’s range, with
Sevian as her shadow, or her big sister, hovering
protectively. McBride takes a forceful, string-popping
Celebrating William Parker @65
solo. “Bluesishness” lives up to its title; it’s bluesy, but
Bobby Zankel & The Wonderful Sound 6 (Not Two)
by Stuart Broomer it’s also meandering and somewhat convoluted,
a string of phrases that wind all over the place, barely
A New York native, alto saxophonist Bobby Zankel anchored by the rhythm. McBride throws a
began his career in the ‘70s playing in Cecil Taylor ’s maddeningly familiar quotation into his solo that does
larger ensembles. Since settling in Philadelphia in more to anchor the piece than anything from the
1975, he has become a significant presence in that city’s leader ’s pen. “Miss Lady” begins with another
free jazz scene, leading small groups and a large Coltrane-in-1959 opening fanfare, but at the 90-second
ensemble, The Warriors of the Wonderful Sound. mark a half-speed drum solo drains away all its
Zankel released several CDs in the ‘90s and early ‘00s momentum; when the band comes back in, they’re
on the Cadence and CIMP labels; Human Flowers with swinging in a loose and genial manner, but it feels like
pianist Marilyn Crispell and drummer Newman Taylor an entirely different piece.
Baker, from 1995, is particularly outstanding, the trio The baritone is well suited to ballads and both the
AND, May 6th Sunday 4:40-6:40pm A drum roll call announces Ryan Slatko’s authoritative
Michael Formanek, Solo Bass debut. He is an accomplished pianist who has made
the most of his acclaimed mentors, ranging from Lynne
Me, Myself, and Eye Series at Arriale while he was at the University of North Florida
440 GALLERY Sixth Avenue @ to Don Friedman and Alan Broadbent. The program
Ninth Street Brooklyn, NY 11215 ably alternates mood and instrumentation and
Suggested Donation - $10 showcases a formidable cast of up-and-coming
musicians. Slatko’s compositions are all interesting
and quite complex and he shows considerable maturity
http://www.michaelformanek.com as bandleader, giving ample space to his partners. He
is a very rhythmic player—his first instrument was
danpugach.com
septemBeR 7&8 - stowe JaZZ Festival, stowe, vt
ROMÁN FILIÚ her fellow musicians, most of whom have been with
her for years. Pintchik’s playing presents deft
together for so long, for sure, but they’ve also no doubt
played together for so long because they’re able to
QUARTERIA technique always tempered by a lovely sense of humor.
Let’s start with her take on standards. Jimmy
share a deep consciousness. The earlier studio session
is comprised of 20 short tracks while the more recent
SSC 1504 - AVAILABLE 5/11 Dorsey-Paul Madeira’s “I’m Glad There Is You” is live recording is three longer tracks, but that is more
ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT @ THE JAZZ GALLERY taken at a slow and sexy pace in a trio setting, making likely attributable to the setting than the year. Put
FRIDAY MAY 11TH (7:30 PM & 9:30 PM) it as warm and inviting as it’s ever sounded. Solos by simply, Magnetism(s) extends the line(s) of some of the
the leader and bassist Scott Hardy are delicate and longest and strongest associations in New York’s free
powerfully passionate. Jerome Kern-Otto Harbach’s jazz. Its value isn’t in surprise but in dependability.
“Smoke Gets In Your Eyes” follows as a samba and the Sonic Fiction is the fourth record that Shipp has
tone is engaging and intimate yet also hot and strong. made with another reedplayer, Poland’s Mat Walerian
Hardy is the perfect partner and drummer Michael (after 2012’s The Uppercut: Live At Okuden and Jungle
Sarin provides spot-on complements and accents. Live At Okuden and 2015’s This Is Beautiful Because We
The slow tunes are exquisitely beautiful, elegiac Are Beautiful People adding bassist William Parker).
and bittersweet. “Mortal” reflects on our brief time on Heard here on alto saxophone and bass and soprano
Earth with seriousness and rich emotion. Steve Wilson clarinets, Walerian is a wonderfully slippery player,
(alto saxophone) is elegant and heartfelt and Ron full of blurry glissandi that melts over the music. This
Horton (flugelhorn) carries a world of sensitivity and studio session is rounded out by two longer-term
depth in his playing. “A Simpler Time”, which also Shipp associates, bassist Michael Bisio and drummer
appeared on Pintchik’s album Quartets, is heartbreaking Whit Dickey, resulting in the tense dynamic of a(nother)
yet bracing in this trio version. Pintchik and Hardy simpatico rhythm section with a wild card (emphasis
pair up as loving and listening intimates. on wild) soloist. Walerian’s rich tone on the bass
In a lighter spirit are the other four originals. clarinet is a highlight, sounding nearly like a cello on
“Happy Dog” and “Hopperesque” both utilize the the abstraction of “Blues Addition”. The wonderful
delicate sound of Shoko Nagai’s accordion, the former dialogue between Walerian and Bisio on that track is
DUDUKA DA FONSECA TRIO a sprightly Latin number and the latter expressing the
mystery inherent in much of Edward Hopper ’s work.
typical of the album, which nicely circles in
configuration, more often than not exploring solos or
PLAYS DOM SALVADOR There are two tunes with the unconventional names. subgroupings of the already small group. The quartet
The title track has a sense of urban soul with a is billed under Shipp’s name and all the composition
SSC 1507 - AVAILABLE NOW boisterous solo by Wilson and omnipresent funk from credits are his, but plenty of space is afforded to each
IN CONCERT WITH BRAZILIAN EXPRESS @ THE KITANO the rhythm section. And “Your Call Will Be Answered of the members.
FRIDAY & SATURDAY MAY 25TH & 26TH By Our Next Available Representative, In The Order In Of the three records considered here, the must-
Which It Was Received, Please Stay On The Line, Your have for the Shipp Incompletist is the odd and
Call Is Important To Us” is a brilliant stop-and-start- entertaining Zero. This unusual double-disc set features
and-stop-again line, hip modern jazz with intricate two solos: the first a series of short piano impromptus,
playing from the trio. the second a 63-minute free ranging discourse on (to
Leslie Pintchik creates a rich palette of music that borrow from Sartre) being and nothingness. As such,
is discerning, unexpected and always inviting. it’s unlike any other of the many releases in Shipp’s
catalogue. The piano set is 11 short tracks recorded in
For more information, visit lesliepintchik.com. This project studio, ranging from under two minutes to six and a
is at Jazz at Kitano May 23rd. See Calendar. half. They show Shipp in a rather jazzy mood, still
following the spontaneity of the moment but with trills
and loping lines reflecting a lifetime of listening to Bill
Evans, Andrew Hill and Paul Bley. Shipp’s playing has
always been full of idiosyncrasies and here he has an
odd done-and-out habit of sudden stops, as if he’s had
enough. It can be a bit disconcerting but gives a nicely
unlikely countenance to the melodious playing.
Magnetism(s) Disc One is just 45 minutes. It would be nice if it ran
Matthew Shipp (Rogue Art)
JAMIE BAUM SEPTET + Sonic Fiction
Matthew Shipp (ESP-Disk’)
a bit longer so it could provide a backing track to the
decidedly stranger second disc, entitled “A Lecture on
BRIDGES Zero
Matthew Shipp (ESP-Disk’)
Nothingness” (the nod actually being not to Sartre but
Cage). It’s a monologue by an instrumentalist separated
SSC 1502 - AVAILABLE 5/18 by Kurt Gottschalk from instrument, a rambling, verbal improvisation on a
ALBUM RELEASE CONCERT @ THE CELL THEATER few prepared themes. It may not hold up to more than a
SATURDAY MAY 26TH P ianist Matthew Shipp marks 30 years in the recording listen or two, but doesn’t need to. It’s another intriguing
business this year, a three-decade run that includes entry in the 30-year discography of a musician never
threats of retirement, overseeing an exceptionally lacking in things to say.
iTunes.com/RomanFiliu
iTunes.com/DudukaDaFonseca inventive label imprint and, most importantly, creating
iTunes.com/JamieBaum a tower of exciting recordings of his own piano artistry. For more information, visit roguart.com and espdisk.com. Shipp
www.sunnysiderecords.com The longest professional relationship of that is at Roulette May 25th as part of Vision Festival. See Calendar.
Anniversary
Spanish Harlem Orchestra (ArtistShare) Live From The Moonlight
by Russ Musto Chet Baker Trio (Chet Baker Estate)
by Andrew Vélez
A nniversary, the sixth release from the Spanish Harlem
Orchestra and first since 2010’s Grammy-winning Viva At the time Chet Baker made these 1985 recordings,
La Tradicion, commemorates the band’s 15-year he had lived through great acclaim and being what
existence with yet another impressive effort, extending some would say was the stereotypical young man with
the Latin music heritage of the Palladium Ballroom Era a horn: brilliant, inward and self-destructive. He died
bands of Machito and Tito Puente. Led by pianist/ 30 years ago this month, in mysterious circumstances
ALAN DAWSON BUDDY MONTGOMERY CHARLES THOMAS CHARLES THOMAS CHARLES THOMAS
Walztin’ with Flo A Love affair in Paris The Legend The Finishing Touch! Live in Europe
DONALD BROWN DONALD BROWN LIONEL LOUEKE MULGREW MILLER A SEASON OF BALLADS
Piano Short Stories The Classic Introvert In a Trance Solo
DONALD BROWN DONALD BROWN DONALD BROWN KEITH BROWN KENNETH BROWN
Born to be blue Fast Forward to the Past Wurd on the Skreet The Journey 3 Down
BILL MOBLEY Orchestra BILL MOBLEY BILL MOBLEY & Strings BILL MOBLEY JEAN TOUSSAINT
Live at Small’s Moodscape Black Elk Dreams Hittin’ Home Blue Black
ESSIET OKON ESSIET ERIC HARLAND ALI JACKSON WALTER SMITH III TONY TIXIER
Shona Voyager Groove@JazzenTête Live in Paris Dream Pursuit
www.spacetimerecords.com
Two of the highlights stem from dedications. The plainsong and melisma, pertinent tools all. But such
first, “Bristol Fog”, a luminous ballad homage to late skills require nurturing, indeed a delicate rearing.
British pianist John Taylor, contains exquisite note When works appear strained by uncertainty in vocal
choice and a resonant pizzicato feature for Hébert, expression, the quality of dissent is endangered by its
while in the second, “Newklypso” for Sonny Rollins, very liberation. James Baldwin, among the most
Hersch confounds a dark vamp with a swinging revolutionary of writers, stated that a sentence should
exposition of sparkling tales and wayward contours. emerge ‘clean as a bone’ when edited. It’s easy to
Those tributes are bookended by selections from two imagine the constituent strength that may grow of this
jazz greats, Thelonious Monk and Wayne Shorter. project with multiple performances.
Barefoot Dances and Other Visions Monk’s “We See” opens the disc with a playful call
Jim McNeely/Frankfurt Radio Big Band (Planet Arts) and response between Hersch and McPherson before For more information, visit patricianicholsonparker.com. Nicholson
by George Kanzler exploding into a series of fugue-like flights of fancy. is at Roulette May 24th as part of Vision Festival. Parker is at
Finishing the concert are Shorter ’s reflective but Downtown Music Gallery May 13th and Roulette May 23rd, 25th,
“By the time I wrote the pieces on this CD I knew the ‘ins celebratory “Miyako”, which segues via a rumbling 27th and 28th, the latter as part of Vision Festival. See Calendar.
and outs’ of this band so very well. I tailored my musical tattoo from McPherson into a spirited rendition of
visions to fit each player in the ensemble and placed each “Black Nile”. The inevitable encore is for Hersch alone,
soloist in a framework both familiar and challenging.” a teasing closer that echoes the start, where he artfully
The reason composer-conductor Jim McNeely hints at the tune, but only reveals “Blue Monk” in its
could get to know the musicians in this Frankfurt Radio full glory towards the end.
Big Band (DR-Bigband) so well is that it is a type of jazz The threesome stretches, but never breaks the
big band much more common to Europe than to rhythmic and harmonic parameters of the repertoire.
America—a permanent, endowed, big band with stable Hébert and McPherson fluidly switch between
personnel, akin to the genre model of the major, providing the superstructure around which Hersch
geographically located, symphony orchestra. McNeely’s spins his rich melodic ideas and offering cohesive
work with the DR is analogous to that of a principal counterpoint. But, most importantly, they sound as if
conductor brought in to lead a city or state symphony they are having fun. Indeed, you can almost hear the
orchestra. He became conductor of the DR in 2011 and smiles at a particularly well-turned phrase, of which
these recordings were made in September of 2014, in there are many.
the studio after two concerts featuring Barefoot Dances
and Other Visions, a seven-part suite. For more information, visit palmetto-records.com. Hersch is
One of the musicians McNeely particularly relies at Jazz Standard May 8th-13th. See Calendar.
upon is drummer Jean Paul Hochstadter, who, although
only credited in the notes as a soloist on one track, has a
crucial role on all parts of the suite. His brushes and an
ensemble of airy horns engage in an extended dialogue/
duet to open “Bob’s Here” (a tribute to Bob Brookmeyer),
the first track, and his syncopated tattoos provide the
sparkle on “Barefoot Dances”. “Redman Rides Again”
honors another jazz arranger hero of McNeely’s, Don
Redman, imagining his swinging return with one of the
clarinet trios for which he was famous, as well as a solo
from Oliver Leicht’s (electronically) harmonized
HOPE Cries for JUSTICE
clarinet. McNeely largely jettisons big band conventions,
Patricia Nicholson/William Parker (Centering)
with billowing chords built across sections and by John Pietaro
impressionistic passages replacing riffs and shouts.
“A Glimmer of Hope” introduces a theme—that In times of political strife, musicians, poets, all cultural
“glimmer”—and it is heard again in “Falling Upwards” workers have stood on the front lines of fight-back.
and the finale. Introspective moments are countered by Patricia Nicholson and William Parker stand as leading
exuberant solos, especially from tenor saxophonists radicals within jazz’ cutting edge.
Tony Lakatos and Steffen Weber. And Hochstadter is a The pair engage in an intimate portrait of “our
constant presence as central rhythmic spirit. present moment and the power of the spirit.” Parker is
primarily heard on the West African donso ngoni. He
For more information, visit planetarts.com. McNeely is at uses the instrument’s modal stasis effectively, evoking
Mezzrow May 6th. See Calendar. the heat and breadth of sub-Saharan topography,
peppering it with off-mic vocalization. Nicholson’s
performances, in contrast, carry a strong theatrical
component, including affected southern-like vernacular
for some selections. Opener “Taken” finds the narrator
bathed in numbing despair after witnessing a woman’s
brutal abduction by authorities. There is something
stunningly Kafka-esque about the piece, its dark
imagery, its inward isolation, but the remainder of the
album never quite matches this subtle urgency.
The theme is the need for hope; in its absence, the
pair remind us, “there can never be justice”. It’s unclear
Live in Europe
how many of these pieces are specific to contemporary
Fred Hersch Trio (Palmetto)
by John Sharpe Trump-ian realities, but “The Wall Between” and
“Wailing at the Lost Souls Department” offer strong
F red Hersch resides somewhere in the upper echelons responses to reactionary bravura. Mysteriously, within
of modern jazz pianists and Live in Europe will only such vital messaging is “Granola”. Its stirring
burnish that reputation. As would be expected with an Orwellian refrain of “Words have gone missing” is
album recorded near the end of a three-week tour, the affixed to a lengthy adoration of this breakfast choice.
trio is especially tight and well integrated. Furthermore, Pondering symbolism, the confluence of the two
take into account that two such superlative musicians remains unclear and unfortunately sounds trite.
as bassist John Hébert and drummer Eric McPherson As Nicholson’s Vision Festival hails improvisation,
have worked alongside Hersch for almost a decade much of the work here makes fine use of the medium,
and you have a recipe just about guaranteeing success yet some segments fall short. She often embellishes
on a program of six Hersch originals and four covers. text with repetition, broken rhythms, diphthongs,
7 pm!
trio with cellist Erik Friedlander and saxophonist
Ingrid Laubrock.
The disc begins with a seamless blend of cello,
soprano saxophone and wordless vocals that sounds so
natural and organic that one wonders why
combinations like this are not attempted more often.
There is an alluring quality to Serpa’s voice, which
nails each note with devastating clarity. Friedlander
h!
navigates the bottom with the bow and his fingers and
n t
Dog Star
M o
Laubrock integrates herself as a third voice that is
i s
Jerry Bergonzi (Savant)
Th
by Marco Cangiano often difficult to separate from that of the leader.
It is impressive how large of an orchestral sound
Live!
There is a mysterious quality to Jerry Bergonzi’s latest these three can conjure. “Passaros”, sung in Serpa’s
release. Whether due to his switching to an old Selmer native Portuguese, weaves the vocal threads with tenor
or a high degree of empathy within the group, this and cello as equal and distinctive elements of a rich
release conveys a suspenseful quality reminiscent of tapestry. Friedlander opens “Sol Enganador” alone,
TUE PA S Q U A L E G R A S S O S O L O G U I TA R 7 : 3 0 P M Wayne Shorter ’s Speak No Evil. Bergonzi’s influences softly plucking an ostinato somewhat similar to the
5/1 DJANGO JAM 10:00PM are many but he has managed to distill his own sound vamp on Dave Holland’s “Conference of the Birds”,
WED JAINARDO Y SU KUMBAKIN 7:30PM and phrasing and emerge as a jazz beacon, thanks also voice and soprano alternating between lush unisons
5/2 LOS HACHEROS 10:00PM to his valuable contributions as a mentor and teacher. and stark intervals to activate the sense of one big
Bergonzi is joined by pianist Carl Winther ’s instrument. Laubrock’s solo commences to ‘take it out’
THR ADI MYERSON QUINTET Scandinavian trio along with his longstanding partner while maintaining a velvet tone, like Anthony Braxton
5/3 F T. C A M I L A M E Z A 7:30PM
HIGH & MIGHTY BRASS BAND 10:00PM Phil Grenadier on trumpet. The interaction with playing in the spirit of Stan Getz.
Winther is almost palpable, as expected if one has Cello sounds impossibly rich on “The Future”, a
FRI KEN FOWSER QUINTET 7:30PM listened to their earlier collaborations. Winther is minimalistic gem that finds Serpa intoning the words
5/4 PROFESSOR CUNNINGHAM
& HIS OLD SCHOOL 10:30PM himself a synthesis of modern jazz piano, bassist “The future is dark” through multiple key signatures
Johnny Åman and drummer Anders Mogensen as each instrument overlaps to create a swirl of melodic
SAT D AV E S T RY K E R Q U A RT E T 7:30PM providing crisp yet subtle propulsion. textures. Another highlight is “Storm Coming”,
5/5 “KING” SOLOMON HICKS 10:30PM
The program consists of midtempo originals, five a feature for Laubrock, which, despite its title, retains
TUE L AT I N G R O O V E S by Bergonzi and two by Winther. The former ’s a sense of serenity even through multiphonics and
5/8 F T. G E R A R D O C O N T I N O 7:30PM “Pleiades” starts off with a meandering theme followed overtones, while cello and voice blend with very long
by saxophone zigzagging in and out of the rhythm held-tones in a reverb-drenched atmosphere.
WED PA S Q U A L E G R A S S O S O L O G U I TA R 7 : 3 0 P M
5/9 DJANGO JAM 10:00PM section. The title track sustains the mood but at a
slower tempo, whereas Winther ’s “Vertigo” takes it up For more information, visit cleanfeed-records.com. Serpa is at
THR HAROLD MABERN TRIO 7:30PM a notch, with economical piano atop a bouncing walk. Brooklyn Conservatory of Music May 20th. See Calendar.
5/10 MARK WHITFIELD 10:00PM
“Live Stream” veers towards a ballad feeling,
FRI KEN FOWSER QUINTET 7:30PM characterized by Bergonzi breathing long, suspenseful
5/11 MIKE SAILORS BIG BAND 10:30PM notes. “Repore-Pa-Int” showcases Bergonzi’s most
abstract and outwardly solo of the set, a dialogue with
SAT R AY G A L L O N 7:30PM
5/12 E YA L V I L N E R B I G B A N D 10:30PM deep bass, which becomes a trio conversation when
drums rejoin, eventually shifting back to the theme.
TUE A RT H U R V I N T & A S S O C I AT E S 8:30PM Winther ’s “Darkness” opens with a Coltrane-like
5/15
declamation running throughout the full range of
WED STEVEN FEIFKE BIG BAND 10:00PM Bergonzi’s horn and building an expectation for a main
5/16 theme that is never resolved. An underlying loneliness
THR D AV I D G I B S O N Q U I N T E T 7:30PM pervades “Separated”, which is opened and closed by
5/17 IAN HENDRICKSON-SMITH 10:00PM a dialogue between saxophone and trumpet and also
features a beautiful solo by Mogensen. “Darf”
FRI KEN FOWSER QUINTET 7:30PM
NEW ALCHEMY JAZZ ORCHESTRA 10:30PM concludes with a Bergonzi soliloquy, wonderfully
5/18
supported by inventive brushwork and a final
SAT F E L I X P E I K L I & J O E D O U B L E D AY ’ S suspenseful saxophone/trumpet note.
5/19 SHOWTIME BAND 7:30PM
GOTHAM KINGS 10:30PM
For more information, visit jazzdepot.com. Bergonzi is at
TUE PA S Q U A L E G R A S S O S O L O G U I TA R 7 : 3 0 P M Zinc Bar May 23rd. See Calendar.
5/23 DJANGO JAM 10:00PM
WED FREDDY DEBOE BAND 7:30PM
5/24 THE BINKY GRIPTITE ORCHESTRA 10:00PM
The Roxy Hotel V ocalist Sara Serpa is a masterful minimalist who has
Reservations Information 2 AV E . O F T H E
AMERICAS
been creating compelling music in duo and trio
contexts for much of the last 13 years, especially with
(212 )519 .664 9 Cellar Level pianist Ran Blake and multi-instrumentalist André
TH ED JA NG ON
YC co m Tribeca Matos. She has a voice that manages to sound delicate
and powerful at the same moment, with rock-solid
CRAFT COCKTAILS, SMALL PLATES & LIVE JAZZ! intonation and amazing pliancy without the slightest
trace of ornament or artifice. Imagine a merger of
LOCATED IN THE OF TRIBECA Astrud Gilberto and Norma Winstone and you begin to
Marty Ehrlich W E D N E S D AY M AY 3 0 T H
Marty Ehrlich’s Trio Exaltation
at The Stone
Clean Feed CD Release Performance
John Hebert – bass
Nasheet Waits – drums
Marty Ehrlich – reeds
T H E S TO N E R E S I D E N C Y: M AY 29 – J U N E 2
T H U R S D AY M AY 3 1 S T
B I R T H D AY C E L E B R A T I O N
It would be hard to conceive of a Marty Ehrlich’s Philosophy of a
Groove Quartet
player who sounds less like anyone else James Weidman – piano
Jerome Harris – electric bass
and more like he’s speaking directly Christopher Beck – drums
Marty Ehrlich – reeds
through his horn than Marty Ehrlich
— Down Beat F R I D AY J U N E 1 S T
Marty Ehrlich’s Shards
Angelica Sanchez - piano
Kate Gentile- drums
Marty Ehrlich - reeds
with special guest
Ray Anderson - trombone
S A T U R D AY J U N E 2 N D
Marty Ehrlich’s Welcome Quartet
Ron Horton – trumpet
Michael Bates – bass
Gerald Cleaver – drums
Marty Ehrlich – reeds
THE STONE
The New School Glass Box Theatre
55 W 13th Street near 6th Avenue
thestonenyc.com
8:30 pm — one set only
$20 admission
PHOTO: CLAUDIA HERMANO
AmAndAmonAco.com
Easy Jazz Screamin’ The Blues The Oscar Peterson Trio In Tokyo Eponymous As Serious As Your Life
Ralph Sharon (London) Oliver Nelson (New Jazz) Oscar Peterson (Denon) Toshiko Akiyoshi (Eastworld) Joe McPhee (hatOLOGY)
May 27th, 1955 May 27th, 1960 May 27th, 1972 May 27th, 1983 May 27th, 1996
While the sidemen on this album After meeting him in 1959 and then Pianist Oscar Peterson was one of the Toshiko Akiyoshi was born in In 1976, Joe McPhee recorded his first
would all go on to jazz stardom, taking care of business with him most prolific recording artists in jazz December 1929 in China but returned solo saxophone album, aptly and
British-born pianist Ralph Sharon earlier in 1960, listeners were history, appearing on labels from to her parents’ native Japan as a teen. simply titled Tenor and released on
claimed fame in a different area: as screamin’ the blues with alto/tenor around the world, starting with his The pianist’s first album resulted hatHUT, a Swiss label initially
singer Tony Bennett’s accompanist saxophonist Oliver Nelson on this native Canada. This particular date is from the urging of Oscar Peterson to founded by Werner X. Uehlinger to
and musical director for over 50 years album, his third release as a leader, all taken from a concert at the Palace Norman Granz. Soon after she studied document McPhee’s work. It was the
(returning to regular jazz recording in for Prestige’s New Jazz. He is joined Hotel in Tokyo. While drummer Louis at Berklee College of Music. And first of three solo albums made over
the late ‘90s). For this collection of jazz in the frontline by Eric Dolphy (alto Hayes had occasionally worked as though she would record for Japanese the next year. Two decades later,
standards and originals with names saxophone) and Richard Williams part of the pianist’s trio from 1966-74, labels later, it was typically with McPhee celebrated that period with
like “Plutocrat in the Automat” and (trumpet), the rhythm section Peterson’s countryman bassist Michel American musicians. Such is the case this album, named for the 1977 Valerie
“Man on the Couch”, Sharon is joined comprised of Richard Wyands, Donato appears to have only spent here, Akiyoshi joined by Gene Cherico Wilmer book on avant garde jazz and
by J.R. Monterose (tenor saxophone), George Duvivier and Roy Haynes. As this summer with him. Only two (bass, part of her first Berklee trio in with McPhee on reeds, cornet, piano
Teddy Charles (vibraphone), Joe had been the case with his previous originals, “Wheatland” and “Blues 1957) and Joey Baron (drums, a more and electronics. McPhee would go on
Puma (guitar), Charles Mingus (bass) recordings, the material is mostly Etude”, appear among a program of recent collaborator) for five standards to make another five solo albums
and Kenny Clarke (drums). Nelson’s originals. standards. and one Akiyoshi tune. through the new millennium.
BIRTHDAYS
May 1 May 6 May 11 May 16 May 22 May 27
Ira Sullivan b.1931 †Freddy Randall 1921-99 †King Oliver 1885-1938 †Woody Herman 1913-87 †Sun Ra 1914-93 †Albert Nicholas 1900-73
†Shirley Horn 1934-2005 †Denny Wright 1924-92 †JC Higginbotham 1906-73 †Eddie Bert 1922-2012 †Elek Bacsik 1926-1993 †Earl “Jock” Carruthers 1910-71
Carlos Ward b.1940 Isla Eckinger b.1939 †Oscar Valdambrini 1924-97 †Betty Carter 1930-98 Giuseppi Logan b.1935 †Bud Shank 1926-2009
James Newton b.1953 Paul Dunmall b.1953 †John Coppola 1929-2015 Billy Cobham b.1944 †Dick Berk 1939-2014 Ramsey Lewis b.1935
Kevin Hays b.1968 Dick Garcia b.1931 †Rufus Jones 1936-90
Ambrose Akinmusire b.1982 May 7 †Freddie Roach 1931-80 May 17 May 23 †Niels-Henning Ørsted
†Yank Porter 1895-1944 Carla Bley b.1938 †Paul Quinichette 1916-83 †Artie Shaw 1910-2004 Pedersen 1946-2005
May 2 †Pete Jacobs 1899-1952 Ralph Humphrey b.1944 †Dewey Redman 1931-2006 †Rosemary Clooney 1928-2002 Gonzalo Rubalcaba b.1963
†Pat Smyth 1923-83 †Leon Abbey 1900-75 Mikkel Ploug b.1978 †David Izenzon 1932-79 †Les Spann 1932-89
†Richard “Groove” Holmes †Edward Inge 1906-88 †Jackie McLean 1932-2006 Daniel Humair b.1938 May 28
1931-91 †Herbie Steward 1926-2003 May 12 Roy Nathanson b.1951 Marvin Stamm b.1939 †Andy Kirk 1898-1992 MICHAEL FORMANEK
†Eddy Louiss 1941-2015 †Arthur Blythe 1940-2017 †Marshal Royal 1912-95 Michiel Braam b.1964 Don Moye b.1946 †Al Tinney 1921-2002 May 7th, 1958
Mickey Bass b.1943 David Haney b.1955 †Don DeMichael 1928-82 Richie Beirach b.1947 †Russ Freeman 1926-2002
Keith Ganz b.1972 Michael Formanek b.1958 Gary Peacock b.1935 May 18 Ken Peplowski b.1959 Alfred Patterson b.1937 Michael Formanek’s earliest
Klaus Doldinger b.1936 †Joe Turner 1911-85 Darcy James Argue b.1975 Claudio Roditi b.1946 recording was made while
May 3 May 8 Trevor Tompkins b.1941 †Kai Winding 1922-83 the bassist was still in his
†John Lewis 1920-2001 †Red Nichols 1905-65 Jim McNeely b.1949 May 24 May 29 teens, a 1979 album on Ego
†Jimmy Cleveland 1926-2008 †Mary Lou Williams 1910-81 May 13 Weasel Walter b.1972 †Frank Signorelli 1901-75 Freddie Redd b.1927 by Dave Liebman. He
Jymie Merritt b.1926 †Jerry Rusch 1943-2003 †Maxine Sullivan 1911-87 †Herbie Fields 1919-58 †Hilton Ruiz 1952-2006 slowly accumulated credits
Johnny Fischer b.1930 Keith Jarrett b.1945 †Gil Evans 1912-88 May 19 Max Bennett b.1928 Jim Snidero b.1958 through the ‘80s with Bob
John Alexander b.1948 Jon-Erik Kellso b.1964 †Red Garland 1923-84 Cecil McBee b.1935 †Gianni Basso 1931-2009 Lafayette Harris, Jr. b.1963 Moses, Mark Murphy and
Larry Ochs b.1949 Meinrad Kneer b.1970 Creed Taylor b.1929 Sonny Fortune b.1939 †Michael White 1933-2016 Wycliffe Gordon b.1967 Attila Zoller. The latter’s
Guillermo E. Brown b.1974 †Erick Moseholm 1930-2012 Henry Butler b.1949 Archie Shepp b.1937 Sean Jones b.1978 albums were on Enja, which
Matt Bauder b.1976 May 9 John Engels b.1935 Michael Blake b.1964 †Charles Earland 1941-99 would host Formanek’s first
Alexander Hawkins b.1981 †George Simon 1912-2001 May 30 four albums as a leader from
†Dick Morrissey 1940-2000 May 14 May 20 May 25 †Sidney DeParis 1905-67 1990-96. He has had long
May 4 Dennis Chambers b.1959 †Sidney Bechet 1897-1959 †Tommy Gumina 1931-2013 Marshall Allen b.1924 †Benny Goodman 1909-86 associations with Dave
†Sonny Payne 1926-79 Ricardo Gallo b.1978 †Zutty Singleton 1898-1975 †Louis Smith 1931-2016 †Miles Davis 1926-91 †Pee Wee Erwin 1913-81 Ballou, Harold Danko, Tim
†Maynard Ferguson †Skip Martin 1916-76 †Bob Florence 1932-2008 †Piet Noordijk 1932-2011 †Shake Keane 1927-97 Berne, Uri Caine and Mary
1928-2006 May 10 †Al Porcino 1925-2013 †Charles Davis 1933-2016 Gary Foster b.1936 †Harry Beckett 1935-2010 Halvorson in a discography
†Don Friedman 1935-2016 †Pee Wee Hunt 1907-79 Warren Smith b.1932 †Rufus Harley 1936-2006 Christof Lauer b.1953 Ann Hampton Callaway b.1959 of over 100 sessions. He
Ron Carter b.1937 †Al Hendrickson 1920-2007 †Jack Bruce 1943-2014 Victor Lewis b.1950 Wallace Roney b.1960 Juan Pablo Carletti b.1973 might have continued to
Chuck Folds b.1938 †Mel Lewis 1929-90 Virginia Mayhew b.1959 Ralph Peterson b.1962 Frank Rosaly b.1974 have a solid career but
Rudresh Mahanthappa b.1971 †Julius Wechter 1935-99 Frank Basile b.1978 Sheryl Bailey b.1966 May 26 reached a new level in 2010
Jeremiah Cymerman b.1980 †Mike Melvoin 1937-2012 Benjamin Duboc b.1969 †Ady Rosner 1910-76 May 31 when he began recording for
†Jimmy Ponder 1946-2013 May 15 †Shorty Baker 1914-66 †Red Holloway 1927-2012 ECM, first with two quartet
May 5 Ahmed Abdullah b.1947 †Ellis Larkins 1923-2002 May 21 †Ziggy Elman 1914-68 Albert “Tootie ”Heath b.1935 records and then upping the
Kidd Jordan b.1935 †Hans Reichel 1949-2011 Karin Krog b.1937 †Fats Waller 1904-43 †Calvin Jackson 1919-85 Louis Hayes b.1937 ante considerably with his
Stanley Cowell b.1941 Alex Foster b.1953 Oscar Castro-Neves b.1940 †Tommy Bryant 1930-82 Frank Grant b.1931 Marty Ehrlich b.1955 18-piece Ensemble Kolossus
Jack Walrath b.1946 Philip Harper b.1965 Omer Klein b.1982 Marc Ribot b.1954 †Neil Ardley 1937-2004 Eric Revis b.1967 on The Distance. -AH
Pablo Aslan b.1962 Jasper Hoiby b.1977 Grace Kelly b.1992 Lewis “Flip” Barnes b.1955 David Torn b.1953 Christian McBride b.1972
CROSSWORD
1 2 3 4 5 6 7 8 9 ACROSS DOWN
1. Misha Mengelberg/Han Bennink 1972 ICP six-flexidisc 1. Bobby Watson tune that may or may not be late
10 11 12
set ____ Mirakelse Tocht Door Het Scharrebroekse 2. See 25 Across
4. Innova is the label of this org. 3. Bassist Meshell
13 14 15 7. Important info for touring musicians 4. Label releasing albums by Don Moye, Joseph Jarman
10. Vague Mike Osborne composition? and Malachi Favors
11. New York Eye And ____ Control 5. British trumpeter Ian
16 12. Pianist Waldron 6. Kris Davis/Ingrid Laubrock/Tyshawn Sorey prefer the
13. Timeless ECM guitarist? paradoxical sort
16. John McLaughlin was helped to Fame with this 7. Added notes
17 18 19 20 21
British bandleader 8. Jim Pepper tune “Witchi-____-To” covered by
17. 2014 John Zorn Tzadik album The Testament Of Solomon Jan Garbarek, Oregon and others
22 23 (Music From The Sefer Shirim ____ Shir Hashirim) 9. Brother Thelonious was a Belgian-style one of these
19. Bassist Stewart 14. 1968 Mike Westbrook Concert Band Deram album
22. Instrument played by Yusef Lateef and Paul McCandless 15. Go up a whole tone in a chromatic scale?
24 25 23. What 19 Across would do to his instrument 17. 1992 Michel Doneda/Lê Quan Ninh/Dominique Regef
24. Dizzy’s Club ____ Cola In Situ album
25. With 2 Down, 1967 Johnny “Hammond” Smith 18. Broadcaster of Treme
26 27 28 29
Prestige album 20. Recording classification for a CD
26. They often license music and images for deceased 21. Play____, digital music delivery platform
30 31 32 33 musicians 27. It can be common or cut
30. Jazz festival held every April in Ulrichsberger, Austria 28. Jazz standard “What a Diff’rence ____ Made”
34. Cap-D’____, site of Cap Jazz Festival in southern France 29. Ben Webster and Johnny Hodges were known for
34 35 36 35. Eric Dolphy was an iron one theirs
36. Pianist Yamamoto 30. Winding trombonist?
37. Pianist Haarla 31. Threadgill/Hopkins/McCall
37 38 39
38. Wayne Shorter had an all-seeing one? 32. Bassist John with played with Monk and Sun Ra
39. Another nickname for Long Tall 33. Guitarist Bern
By Andrey Henkin visit nycjazzrecord.com for answers
Viktorija Gečytė
• Alexia Bomtempo, Stan Killian, Jake Owen, Michael Kiaer, Tiago Michelin Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $15
55Bar 7 pm êGalaxies: Bill Laswell, Nels Cline, Hamid Drake, Adam Rudolph, Ralph M. Jones,
êJenny Scheinman and Allison Miller’s Parlour Game James Dellatacoma The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10 • Eyal Vilner Big Band with Charles Turner, Brianna Thomas
“Anniversary Tour”
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington Sean Rickman Village Vanguard 8:30, 10:30 pm $35
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $40 • Max Light Trio; Lisanne Tremblay Williamsburg Music Center 9, 10:30 pm $10
• Ron Carter Birthday Celebration Blue Note 8, 10:30 pm $45
• Ryan Keberle and Catharsis with Camila Meza, Will Vinson, Jorge Roeder, Eric Doob Friday, May 11
Cornelia Street Underground 8, 9:30 pm $10
êJeff Hamilton Trio with Tamir Hendelman, Christoph Luty
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
• Roni Ben-Hur/Harvie S Trio The 75 Club at Bogardus Mansion 8, 10 pm $20
êJack Wilkins Trio with Andy McKee, Sylvia Cuenca
Sean Gough
• Nate Sparks Big Band Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
David Jimenez
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $5
• Gerardo Contino’s Latin Grooves The Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30 pm êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
• Saul Rubin Zebtet; Peter Brainin Latin Jazz Workshop; Craig Wuepper Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $40
Fat Cat 7, 9 pm 12:30 am $10 êDayna Stephens The Cave at St. George’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $15
êCamille Thurman with Darrell Green Trio • Alan Chaubert Trio Cleopatra’s Needle 8 pm
• Paul Shinn
Iridium 8:30 pm $20
Jazz at Kitano 8 pm
êEric Alexander Trio with Doug Weiss, Johnathan Blake
êMario Pavone Dialect Trio with Matt Mitchell, Tyshawn Sorey
Cornelia Street Underground 8:30, 10 pm $10
• Music of Duke Ellington: Juilliard Jazz Orchestra
MAY
êFred Hersch/Anat Cohen
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $20
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
êJames Carney Quartet with Tony Malaby, Dezron Douglas, Allan Mednard;
• Nate Sparks Big Band
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40
Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $10
• Ken Fowser Quintet; Mike Sailors Big Band
12 Montclair Library
Tony Malaby Group Korzo 9, 10:30 pm
êJoel Ross Trio with Harish Raghavan, Craig Weinrib
Mezzrow 8 pm $20
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 10:30 pm
• Dida Pelled Quartet; Astoria Salsa Company; Ray Gallon
Fat Cat 6, 10:30 pm 1:30 am $10
12 Lafayette Bar
• Russ Kassoff Orchestra with Catherine Depuis
New York City Baha’i Center 8, 9:30 pm $15
• Arturo O’Farrill Brooklyn College Jazz Big Band
• Jambalaya Brass Band
Floridita Harlem 8 pm
êAnthony Coleman solo; Ellery Eskelin solo
Greenwich House Music School 7:30 pm $15
13 Shanghai Jazz
• Takeshi Otani Band
ShapeShifter Lab 8 pm $5
Silvana 6 pm
êDick Hyman/Ken Peplowski Jazz at Kitano 8, 10 pm $34
êRomán Filiú Quartería with María Grand, Adam O’Farrill, Sam Harris, Rashaan Carter, 14 WFMZ-TV
• Spike Wilner Group; Frank Lacy Group Craig Weinrib, Yusnier Sanchez The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am $20
êThe Unknowable: Dave Liebman, Adam Rudolph, Hamid Drake
• Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra with Jo Lawry, Ingrid Jensen, Rogério Boccato
Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
• A Sophisticated Reunion—A Celebration of Duke Ellington: Valarie Pettiford,
16 Two Rivers
17 Zinc Bar
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
• Hayes Greenfield/Austin Vaughn Troost 8 pm Ty Stephens, Terri Klausner Kingsborough Community College 7 pm $43
êSteve Coleman and Five Elements with Kokayi, Jonathan Finlayson, Anthony Todd, êJon Davis/Ben Wolfe Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9, 10:15 pm $3.50
18 Miller Symphony
Sean Rickman Village Vanguard 8:30, 10:30 pm $35 êTanya Tagaq Le Poisson Rouge 7:30 pm $35
• Christophe Rocher, Joe Fonda, Harvey Sorgen
Wednesday, May 9 The Loft of Thomas Rochon 8 pm
23 Zinc Bar
• Mareike Wiening with Rich Perry, Glenn Zaleski, Alex Goodman, Johannes Felscher; • Will and Peter Anderson Quintet with Jeb Patton, Neal Miner, Phil Stewart;
Yuhan Su Quintet with Matt Holman, Alex LoRe, Petros Klampanis, Nathan Ellman-Bell Robin Eubanks Group; JD Allen Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am $20
Cornelia Street Underground 8, 9:30 pm $10 êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, Peter Zak, Essiet Essiet, Mike Clark
• Essentially Ellington Alumni Band Dizzy’s Club 10 pm $30
• Nate Sparks Big Band Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $5
• Raphael D’lugoff Trio +1; Harold Mabern Trio; Ned Goold Jam
• Rob Fulton
• Eli Wallace/Sandy Ewen
Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40
The Sound Bite 7, 9 pm
Spectrum 7 pm
24 Strauss Mansion
Fat Cat 7, 9 pm 12:30 am $10
• Thollem McDonas/Brian Chase H0l0 7 pm $10
• Tobias Meinhart Quintet with Ingrid Jensen, Julian Shore, Matt Penman,
êKaruna: Ralph M. Jones, Hamid Drake, Adam Rudolph
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20
• Noshir Mody Ensemble with Mike Mullan, Benjamin Hankle, Campbell Charshee,
25 Sound Bite
John Lenis, Yutaka Uchida The Theater Center 8 pm $25
ViktorijaGecyte.com
Colin Stranahan Jazz at Kitano 8, 10 pm $18
• Martin Nevin Quintet with Sam Harris, Craig Weinrib, Kyle Wilson, Román Filiú êSteve Coleman and Five Elements with Kokayi, Jonathan Finlayson, Anthony Todd,
The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $15 Sean Rickman Village Vanguard 8:30, 10:30 pm $35
êFred Hersch/Kate McGarry Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $35 • John Melendez and Big Sur; Danae Greenfield
• Erin McDougald, Rob Block, Dean Torrey, Cedric Easton Williamsburg Music Center 9, 10:30 pm $10
Mezzrow 8 pm $20 êJeff “Tain” Watts Trio Zinc Bar 7, 8:30 pm $25
• Russ Nolan Minton’s 7:30, 9:30 pm $10
• Unanimity: Daniel Carter, Vasko Dukovski, Stelios Mihas, Jeff Harshbarger, Saturday, May 12
George Spanos
Nublu 8 pm
êBrooklyn Jazz Hall of Fame Awards and Induction Ceremony: Louis Hayes Quartet
Restoration Plaza 6 pm
• Jim Campilongo Quartet with Grey McMurray, Chris Morrissey, Josh Dion
• Roni Ben-Hur/Harvie S Trio The 75 Club at Bogardus Mansion 8, 10 pm $20
• New Zion Trio: Jamie Saft, Brad Jones, Dan Rieser
Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10
TRANSCRIPTIONS
Kenny Kirkland
Rockwood Music Hall Stage 2 10 pm $10 • Ben Eunson Trio with Zach Brown, Kush Abadey
• Kathleen Landis, Boots Maleson, Dan White Bar Next Door 7:30, 9:30, 11:30 pm $12
Saint Peter’s Church 1 pm $10 • Fackcamp: Anders Nilsson, Sarah Bernstein, Sam Kulik
• Emanuele Filippi Band Shrine 6 pm Barbès 6 pm $10
• Jacob Polly Trio Silvana 6 pm
• Danny Kolke Quartet with Walter Blanding, Jon Hamar, Greg Williamson;
Dave Baron Quartet with Joe Magnarelli, Victor Gould, Aaron Kimmel; Isaiah Thompson
êBill Charlap solo Birdland 6 pm $40
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $40
Steve Grossman
• Justin Lees Trio
David Liebman
Smalls 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am $20 Cleopatra’s Needle 8 pm
êHu: Vibrational: Adam Rudolph, Joe Hertenstein, John Hadfield, Rogério Boccato, êJacob Sacks Quartet with Ellery Eskelin, Michael Formanek, Dan Weiss
Dan Kurfirst, Hamid Drake, Alexis Marcelo, James Dellatacoma Cornelia Street Underground 8:30, 10 pm $10
The Stone at The New School 8:30 pm $20 • Music of Duke Ellington: Juilliard Jazz Orchestra
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $45
RECORDINGS
êSteve Coleman and Five Elements with Kokayi, Jonathan Finlayson, Anthony Todd,
Sean Rickman Village Vanguard 8:30, 10:30 pm $35 • Nate Sparks Big Band Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $20
• Eric Alexander Quartet with David Hazeltine, John Webber, Joe Farnsworth • Ray Gallon; Eyal Vilner Big Band The Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 10:30 pm
Zinc Bar 8, 10 pm $25 • Samir Zarif; Eric Wheeler; Greg Glassman
Fat Cat 7, 10 pm 1:30 am $10
Thursday, May 10
• Luca Benedetti with Michael Blake, Eric Finland, Tony Mason
• Lena Bloch and Feathery with Russ Lossing, Cameron Brown, Billy Mintz
êDick Hyman/Ken Peplowski
Ibeam Brooklyn 8 pm $15
Jazz at Kitano 8, 10 pm $34
Elvin Jones
êDezron Douglas’ Black Lion with Abraham Burton, Stantawn Kendrick, Keith Brown,
Don Alias
55Bar 7 pm
êJohn Ellis and Double Wide Bar Lunàtico 8:30, 10 pm $10 Johnathan Blake The Jazz Gallery 7:30, 9:30 pm $25
• Rico Jones Trio with Cole Davis, JK Kim; Phil Robson Trio with Paul Nowinski, • Carmen Staaf’s Day Dream with Alexa Barchini, Dave Ballou, Kris Allen, Jon Michel,
Rob Garcia Bar Next Door 6:30, 8:30, 10:30 pm $12 George Schuller Jazz Standard 12 pm $10
Stone Alliance
• Mathis Picard Birdland 6 pm $30 • Fred Hersch Pocket Orchestra with Jo Lawry, Ingrid Jensen, Rogério Boccato
êBill Charlap Trio with Peter Washington, Kenny Washington Jazz Standard 7:30, 9:30 pm $35
Birdland 8:30, 11 pm $40 êJon Davis/Ben Wolfe Knickerbocker Bar & Grill 9, 10:15 pm $3.50
• Nick Masters Duo Cleopatra’s Needle 7 pm êEhud Asherie Trio with David Wong, Rodney Green
TOURS
• Emilie Surtees Club Bonafide 6 pm $20 Mezzrow 8 pm $20
• Music of Duke Ellington: Juilliard Jazz Orchestra • Juan Carlos Polo Silvana 6 pm
Dizzy’s Club 7:30, 9:30 pm $40 êAhmed Abdullah’s Diaspora Sistas’ Place 9, 10:30 pm $20
• Nate Sparks Big Band Dizzy’s Club 11:15 pm $10 êScott Reeves Jazz Orchestra with Steve Wilson, Matt Haviland, Max Seigel,
New Light
êHarold Mabern Trio; Mark Whitfield Rob Middleton, Chris Pasin, Vito Chiavuzzo, Matt McDonald, Pete McGuiness,
The Django at Roxy Hotel 7:30, 10 pm Tim Armacost, Terry Goss, Nathan Eklund, Chris Rogers, Andy Gravish, Jim Ridl,
• Rodney Green; Greg Glassman; Paul Nowinski Bill Moring, Scott Neumann; Randy Johnston Trio with Jonah Kane-West,
Fat Cat 7, 10 pm 1:30 am $10 Fukushi Tainaka; Robin Eubanks Group; Philip Harper Quintet
• Camila Meza/Aaron Goldberg Greenwich House Music School 8 pm $15
Galvanic Ignition
Smalls 4:30, 7:30, 10:30 pm 1 am $20
êGeorge Braith Hansborough Recreation Center 1 pm êEddie Henderson Quintet with Donald Harrison, Peter Zak, Essiet Essiet, Mike Clark
• Sam Harris solo Jamaica Center for Arts and Learning 8 pm $10 Smoke 7, 9, 10:30 pm $40
• Annette Genovese Quartet The Sound Bite 7, 9 pm
Mario Pavone
Dialect trio
Mario Pavone
Bass / Compositions
Matt Mitchell
Piano
Tyshawn Sorey
Drums
mariopavone.com
Vision Films
u n i t y at Anthology Film Archives
32 Second Avenue, NYC
DAVE BURRELL
m
7:00 Dave Burrell: Echo / Cecil Taylor
a Paris – Les Grandes Répétitions
9:00 Sunny’s Time Now: A Portrait of
m
Jazz Drummer Sunny Murray
o
bou
9:30 Dave Burrell Quintet
Thursday May 24
May 23 - 28, 2018
t i
Roulette
a
pr s im Friday May 25
7:00 Irreversible Entanglements
8:00 Douglas Dunn + Dancers w/ Critical Response Trio
8:45 Nasheet Waits Equality
9:30 Seraphic Light:
10:30 Matthew Shipp Acoustic Ensemble
Saturday May 26
6:00 Visionary Youth Orchestra
7:00 Fay Victor’s Mutations for Justice
8:00 Afro-Algonquin 2018
9:00 Patricia Spears Jones / Jason Kao Hwang
9:30 Ambrose Akinmusire / Kris Davis / Tyshawn Sorey
10:30 AfroHORN Fellow
Sunday May 27
3pm PANEL: The Ongoing Struggle for Cultural Equity in New
York City Music Communities Pt. 1
6:30 Frode Gjerstad Trio
7:30 Gerald Cleaver / Brandon Lopez / Chris Potter
David Virelles
8:30 Arthur Jafa
9:30 By Any Means
10:30 Craig Harris’ Brown Butterfly
Monday May 28
3pm PANEL: The Ongoing Struggle for Cultural Equity in New
York City Music Communities Pt. 2
6:00 Jaimie Branch’s Fly or Die
7:00 Cooper-Moore
8:00 Julie Ezelle Patton
8:30 Jemeel Moondoc’s New World Pygmies
9:30 Oliver Lake Big Band
Presenting visual art by Julie Ezelle Patton, Arthur Jafa,
Oliver Lake, Katy Martin, Bill Mazza, Jorgo Schafer,
Jeff Schlanger, Marilyn Sontag, Kim Winkler,
Jo Wood Brown & Miriam Parker.
www.artsforart.org/vf23
info@artsforart.org