JazzSaints

The Return of Sketchy Black Dog

2012-01-23T13:43:00.000-08:00

Sketchy Black Dog, the band that proves jazz, classical and classic rock can co-exist and combine to produce beautiful music, is back to grace the stage of the Iridium in New York City. This is taking place on Thursday, February 2, with two sets at 8:00 and 10:00 p.m. The last time Sketchy (as it's known to its loyal followers) performed in the Big Apple, during the Winter Jazz Fest/APAP week, it packed the clubs with fans who whooped and hollered after each set.

Here's the lineup of marvelous musicians who make up this band:

Misha Piatigorsky, piano
Chris Wabich, drums
Danton Boller, bass
Monica Davis, violin
Hilary Castle, violin
Colin Benn, viola
Agnes Nagy, cello

To see three video examples of the band in performance, click on these links:

Sketchy Black Dog
http://www.vimeo.com/30166637

Open Window
http://www.vimeo.com/30128587

Fala Bicho
http://vimeo.com/30350725

If you want to experience the magic of Sketchy live, get more information at http://theiridium.com/.

Two Questions: The Australian Edition

2011-10-30T13:37:00.000-07:00

Although it was born in the U.S.A, jazz is a music that has spread throughout the globe. As a result, it now has practitioners on every continent, perhaps most significantly, Australia. One of the ultimate examples is pianist Daniel Gassin, who does not fit the stereotype of a "typical" jazz musician, as you will learn from reading his answers to my questions. (Actually, as someone who has gotten to know so many of these performers, I can safely state that there actually is no such thing as a "typical" jazz musician.)

Now, on to the questions and answers:

1. Why did you decide to start playing music professionally?

First of all I guess one has to define the term "professional." If you take a traditional/financial-based approach to this question, then you'd probably find that the vast majority of professional musicians actually aren't that at all, as they need to supplement their income with a "day gig." For most musicians (in Australia at least) this means teaching music privately, predominantly in high schools. For me, it means working about 30 hours a week as a lawyer (personally I prefer this to music teaching as I think it exercises a different part of the brain, and means that I'm still musically fresh after a day of work).

Turning to the more musical definition of the word (i.e. being able to play to a professional standard) I guess it's just something that has developed organically since I did my first paid gig aged 16. Jazz isn't like golf - you don't just "turn pro" one day! Playing professionaly was just a natural progression in my musical development and in following my passion for jazz piano.

2. What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Firstly (let's be honest, here) I probably lacked the discipline and patience required to perfect the classical pieces that I played when I began learning piano. Often by the time I perfected a piece, I would be thoroughly bored of it, and this feeling of musical staleness counteracted any great feeling of technical satisfaction created by accurately reproducing a bunch of dots on page.

The more I reflect on this question, however (I've been asked it many times), the more I think that I was drawn to jazz because it suits not only my inherent musical strengths (improvisation, interaction, use of the ear) but also my personality and outlook on life. To me jazz is ideal because it retains the purist concept of the dedicated intrumentalist playing "serious" music, but without constantly being mired in the formality and stuffiness of other "highbrow" musical genres (this is not to say that jazz isn't taken seriously by those that perform it).

I am also a great believer in the idea that musicians communicate their true personalities through the music they play, and this is particularly true in jazz given the enormous improvisational scope which the genre offers. This wide scope of musical possibilities and potential decisions is also interesting because it places a real onus on the musicians to make their choices responsibly to create quality, meaningful music. It is by making the right decisions (despite having such scope to potentially make the wrong ones) that great jazz musicians can express their wisdom (musical and otherwise).

To see performance videos of Daniel Gassin, go here and here.

For much more info on Daniel than can be included in this post, you can check his website at: www.danielgassin.com.

A Jazz Vocal Master Returns to the Kitano

2011-08-19T18:13:00.000-07:00

Mark Murphy is helping us end the summer on (literally) a high note. He'll be gigging at the Kitano, on Friday, August 26 and Saturday, August 27, sets at 8 and 10 p.m. For more information and to make reservations, the phone number is 212-885-7119. You can also check the website at http://kitano.com/522/Bar_Lounge.

As many of you know, the last time Mark appeared at this club, all sets were sold out, so make your reservations as soon as possible.

Revisiting Sketches of Spain and Other Orchestral Works: Steve Richman

2011-08-07T09:30:00.000-07:00

Since the earliest part of its history, there have been fusions of jazz with elements of classical music. Among them are Rhapsody in Blue performed by the Paul Whiteman Orchestra, Ellington's suites and the Third Stream works of Gunther Schuller. One of the most beloved examples, however, is "Sketches of Spain", which was originally performed by Miles Davis with an orchestra and arrangements by Gil Evans. A new version of this masterpiece has recently been recorded with Lew Soloff doing the trumpet parts. The orchestra is conducted by Steve Richman, who is equally adept at straight classical as well as symphonic jazz. He agreed to discuss his career as well as his current projects. My questions have been tweaked to reflect the wide spectrum of his musical endeavors.

1. What made you decide on a career in music?

Well, for starters, I didn’t choose music, music chose me. My parents wanted me to play something unusual, and they had two musician friends, one a bassoonist in the Met Opera, the other a French horn player. I chose the latter since braces on my teeth were slightly less painful to play with. And I was attracted to the beautiful and heroic sound. My father used to listen to light classical music on the weekends, Gilbert and Sullivan, Overtures, etc. But I was crazy about early rock n’ roll. At some point I began to get interested in classical music, and the sensation I remember is that it was already there in me. After university, where I got a degree in English, I went to Manhattan School of Music, doing a Master’s in French horn and conducting. I played in an orchestra in Carnegie Hall for 20 years, but gave it up to pursue my real goal, that of conducting. Some people go to Plan B. I went to Plan A. So in 1979 I founded Harmonie Ensemble New York, which I conduct, made up of the top classical, commercial, and more recently, jazz players in New York. We do symphonic jazz, symphony orchestra, chamber orchestra, chamber music and whatever strikes me as interesting, which is plenty.

2. Before moving on to the project we'll be discussing soon, you worked on quite a few others, including ones purely classical, as well as ones more pop/jazz oriented. Can you discuss a few of these?

I’ve done a very wide variety of repertoire. Among many others, I did a Stravinsky CD which received a Grammy Award nomination. I also worked on a decade-long Dvořák Project, doing benefit concerts to put up a statue of Dvořák in Stuyvesant Square Park, New York City, across the street from where the great Czech composer lived in the 1890’s and composed the famous “New World” Symphony, among other masterpieces. But beginning in the late ‘80s, I began a series of Gershwin concerts at Lincoln Center doing Gershwin’s original orchestrations. All of his works were meddled with after his death, you never hear what Gershwin really wrote in his orchestral music. I did a CD which was released in 2010 called Gershwin by Grofé on the Harmonia Mundi label, which includes the original “jazz band” version of the Rhapsody in Blue as well as some “symphonic jazz” arrangements of Gershwin tunes by Ferde Grofé for the Paul Whiteman Orchestra,. The unbelievable clarinet/sax soloist was 93-year old Al Gallodoro, who had been soloist with the Paul Whiteman Orchestra for 30 years! Jimmy Dorsey called him “the best saxophone player whoever lived.” It was a fantastic experience working with Al. The cd was reviewed by dozens of international publications as the Classical CD of the Year. Just previous to the Gershwin CD, I had done another with a similar title, except it was Grofé and Gershwin Symphonic Jazz on Bridge Records. It included the original Paul Whiteman Orchestra versions of Grofé’s Grand Canyon Suite and Mississippi Suite, as well as a piece Grofé wrote for Al Gallodoro called “Gallodoro’s Serenade” for Alto Sax and Piano, which Al recorded for us when he was 92! Most recently I made yet another departure, when we performed Henry Mancini’s original jazz band version of his music to the ‘50s TV show Peter Gunn, which was a heck of a lot of fun. The musicians loved it (as did the audience) and the solos were fantastic. We might record it in the near future.

3. Let's next discuss your current CD project: "Sketches of Spain". What made you decide to record a new version?

When I was a kid, a close family friend (I actually called him ‘uncle”) who was the top commercial trumpet player in New York, Bernie Glow, played on the original 1959-60 LP recording of the Gil Evans/Miles Davis Sketches of Spain. So I literally grew up with the record. It’s always been one of my favorites. Since we developed a relationship with St. Peter’s (“The Jazz Church”) a few years ago, I’ve been going in a gradually jazzier direction. I thought performing and recording Sketches would be a dream project, and a continuation and expansion of my symphonic jazz explorations. I contacted Anita Evans, Gil Evans’s widow, and asked for recommendations for a trumpet soloist, and she mentioned Lew Soloff, a name well-known to me and many others. Lew had played with Blood, Sweat and Tears, and played with Miles and was soloist in the Gil Evans Orchestra, so I thought he was the perfect guy for the job. We hit it off immediately, and have since become good friends. It was a terrific collaboration and an honor to do the first recording of Sketches of Spain since the original, 50 years before. I was amazed at how popular the original record was, since I was contacting friends and colleagues, both classical and jazz, around the world about the concert. One classical pianist in Prague told me it was his favorite record! Anyway, it was a fantastic experience working with Lew and the great jazz and commercial musicians. And as I said in the liners, we tried to bring something of ourselves to this very special masterpiece, while retaining the unique quality of Gil Evans’ and Miles Davis’ music. The cd came out in late 2010 on the Sheffield Lab label, and has received great press.

4. You have Lew Soloff doing the trumpet parts. What made you decide to choose him?

As I mentioned, Anita Evans, Gil Evans’s widow, recommended Lew highly. Lew brings a very special something to Sketches. We were surprised to find out in the original music, which we used, that much of the trumpet solos were actually written out, though they sound improvised. Gil knew Miles so well, and he was able to amalgamate the classical sources of the Rodrigo Guitar Concierto de Aranjuez, de Falla’s El Amor Brujo, and 3 flamenco ones as well. The combination is magical.

5. Were there any challenges in regards to working with the Gil Evans arrangements?

Gil Evans wrote a unique composition based on Spanish classical and flamenco sources. His orchestration, for a 19 piece band and trumpet solo, is special, and in a category all its own. Gil, like many other jazz musicians, was influenced by 20th century classical music by Stravinsky, Ravel, Debussy, etc.. And vice versa. It was a thrill to work with Gil’s arrangements, since they create such a singular sound world, so evocative of the melancholy, passionate sound of Spanish music. As I mentioned, Gil wrote out many of the solos for Miles; Lew stuck to some of that, but also did many of his own improvisations, so I think we re-created a masterpiece, with our own special stamp on it, while keeping the spirit of the original, which was our goal.

6. Can you speak a bit about the other musicians you worked with here and any interesting stories about the actual recording, engineering, etc.?

Lew basically put the band together, though we used a few of the reed, percussion and brass players that I had worked with. They were all outstanding, but a few merit special mention. Bassist Francois Moutin, who works a lot with Lew, is a fantastic player, doing things I’ve never heard anyone else do; it really added another dimension to the recording. Our trumpet section was fantastic, including Dominic Derasse and Joe Giorgianni, and RJ Kelley leading the French horns. Jimmy Musto did a fine job on drums, and reedman Ron Jannelli played some great bassoon solos. Our engineer/producer, the multi-Grammy winning Adam Abeshouse, with whom I’ve collaborated on several varied recordings, did a great job. He was so excited about the historic project, he invited his family to the sessions. And 90-years young George Avakian, legendary Columbia Records producer, who signed Miles in 1955, attended as well, which was a thrill and an honor. He told me he thought our band sounded better than the original, but I’m not sure that’s for publication. By the way, Lew lost his mouthpiece bag before the sessions, but I think it was a blessing in disguise, since he used one that gave him a richer, deeper sonority perfect for the piece.

7. Do you have any new projects in the works?

Last September (2010) we did a concert called “Ellington Does the Classics” at St. Peter’s, including the Ellington/Strayhorn jazz version of the Tchaikovsky Nutcracker Suite, and Grieg’s Peer Gynt Suite. Both are fantastic; we recorded the Nutcracker and I plan to combine it with the original Tchaikovsky Nutcracker so the classical and jazz versions will be on the same cd, something I think nobody’s ever done before. I’m very excited about it. At the concert, we also did “Take the A Train”, something I never dreamed I’d conduct! What a blast. And the musicians had a great time too. There were a number of stars playing, including Lew Tabackin on tenor sax, George Cables, piano, and Victor Lewis, drums. You can hear the tremendous energy and enthusiasm on the recording coming through loud and clear. By the way, there’s an interesting coincidental tie-in on my last few projects. Dvořák taught the future teachers of Copland, Gershwin, and Ellington, which happen to be the last three composers I recorded!

For more information about Steve Richman and his fine musical organization, Harmonie Ensemble New York, please check out the following website: http://www.harmonieensembleny.com/.

Life is Good: another opportunity to hear a living jazz vocal legend in NYC

2011-07-04T19:32:00.000-07:00

I'm quoting this verbatim from someone else's post, because I couldn't express things better.

"Legendary jazz vocalist Mark Murphy still has the magic - just ask anyone who's seen him recently. He exudes class, charm, sophistication, and originality. The kicker: the man's voice is still golden and rich, and can truly create magic.

This special Sunday summer evening at Birdland featuring his quartet, featuring pianist George Mesterhazy for two sets of gorgeous singing and expert playing, delivered with true soul by a master.

Get your tickets now, as you can be sure every vocalist in New York will be there!"

Birdland
315 W. 44th Street
New York, NY 10036
Sunday, June 24
Two Sets, 9 pm and 11 pm
Tickets: 212-581-3080
http://www.birdlandjazz.com/event/44949/

(Since my birthday happens to be just a few days prior, this is one of the best birthday presents I could ever get--the opportunity to hear Mark Murphy at the top of his game, once again!)

Sketchy Black Dog - Father's Day gig

2011-06-15T19:32:00.000-07:00

Sketchy Black Dog has a very special gig coming up this Sunday at Klavierhaus, a lovely venue where you'll be surrounded by some of the most beautiful pianos in the world, including the one which will be played by the amazing Misha Piatigorsky. But there's more: the strong bass pulse of Danton Boller, the rhythmic genius of Chris Wabich on drums and an exquisite string quartet. You'll marvel at the imaginative and audacious mashup of jazz, rock and classical. Plus there will be a wine reception. What an incredible Father's Day gift this would make for a really hip dad!

6/19 NYC
KLAVIERHAUS, 9pm
tickets: peter@klavierhaus.com
211 West 58th Street between Broadway and 7th Ave.
New York, NY 10019
(480) 789-1313

Almost time for Mark Murphy's gig...

2011-06-05T07:21:00.000-07:00

Just a gentle reminder about Mark's next NYC gig:

ZINC BAR, NYC
Wednesday, June 8, one set only, 9:30 pm
82 West 3rd Street (btw Thompson & Sullivan)
Greenwich Village - New York, NY

Mark will be ably assisted by Misha Piatigorsky on piano, Danton Boller on bass and Chris Wabich on drums. (This is same band that performs with him on his new CD release, "Never Let Me Go".)

Tickets: tel. 212-477-ZINC (9462)
www.zincbar.com

The Four Questions: Samba Jazz Edition

2011-05-15T18:42:00.000-07:00

In the history of jazz there seems to be only a handful of musicians who have excelled in playing it on chromatic harmonica. There may be even fewer who have also mastered playing Brazilian forms, such as samba and choro, on the same instrument. German-born Hendrik Meurkens is a sensitive and lyrical musician who has the soul of a Brasiliero but can easily switch to straight-ahead. Even though he mainly performs on the aforementioned harmonica, he often doubles on vibes, definitely one of the more unusual combinations you'll find on any jazz stage.

I interviewed Hendrik prior to his first set at the Bar Next Door in New York City, before he embarked on a tour that will be keeping him in Europe for the next few months. He was so enthusiastic about discussing his music that the usual interview format has been expanded for this blogpost from two questions to four.

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

I didn’t decide on a career. It just happened that way. I was interested and the interest became stronger and there was really no room for a regular job basically. So my parents put me in a bank to learn the bank business and after six weeks, I went to my boss and told him that it’s nothing personal but I just don’t have the energy at night after 5:00 to practice so I have to give this up. So it’s really not something that I decided. Just the music became so important that it ended up what I’m doing, although I never really considered a career. It’s more like a calling. It’s not a conscious decision; I just have to do it.

2. What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

I didn’t decide anything. I just heard it and there it was and I needed to do it. Actually, since I’m self-taught I was never involved in classical music, except for a few piano lessons as a kid. So I never really had any formal education in any other kind of music than jazz, because I picked out jazz; I learned it and eventually I went to Berklee for a few years, but when I got there I already kind of knew what I was doing, I guess, and none of this was intentionally decided. It just came to me, it got stronger and stronger and there it is. None of these things has been a conscious decision.

3. Why did you decide to shift your attention gradually to Brazilian jazz and, even though you still sometimes do, of course, regular straight-ahead jazz, why did you decide to focus on the former style more so?

It was, again, not a decision but something that felt natural. For one thing, it has to do with the instrument. Harmonica in straight-ahead jazz—it’s possible, it has its moments, but for me, it’s not the most comfortable instrument. If were to be a saxophone player, I probably would have stayed right in straight-ahead jazz, because I believe that certain instruments go with certain styles. They just feel comfortable like the violin in classical music or the acoustic guitar in Brazilian music. There are certain instruments that are made for a style, and they get the most of the style and the style gets the most out of the instrument. Harmonica in straight-ahead jazz—I don’t think that’s the ideal carry although there are great things that can be done. But in Brazilian music, it seems that the harmonica is a perfect match. In Brazilian music, I never for a minute felt that the harmonica was not the right instrument to play. In jazz, I’m always happy if I have my vibes on stage, just to give it a little break. So, and again Brazilian being a very melodic music, beautiful songs, I like compositions, I like real standards, real compositions vs. just blowing vehicles. I’m not too taken by, you know, blowing vehicles where the tune is not so important and the solo is everything. For me, the solo is not everything. For me, the composition is very important and the jazz solo is part of a whole picture, but it’s not the main thing for me. So Brazilian music gives me more on that end than jazz, although standards, of course, are beautiful—American jazz standards—but the jazz original compositions, not always to me. They seem to lack depth.

4. You just came back a short time ago from Jakarta. Talk a little about playing jazz samba particularly in front of a non-American or non-Brazilian audience.

The Brazilian audience does not necessarily have to be the perfect audience for my music, because Brazilians have a very clear picture of how they like to hear Brazilian music, and I might not fit that. And also, I’m really not playing Brazilian music. I play my own version of Brazilian jazz which is really neither jazz nor is it really Brazilian music. It’s kind of my version of it. And I travel a lot and there are countries that have a very natural perception of music without any prejudice, without any clichés to be met. The Russian audience is one of them. A lot of the Asian audience are like that. They just appreciate good music. They are entertained by good music, and if they happen to like my music, I take it as a compliment. American and European audiences are more educated, more experienced. They usually have an opinion before they even listen, especially the Europeans. They know a lot about the music and they already come in with a certain load of knowledge that makes them a critical audience. The Asian audience or other audience in countries where they don’t have that much jazz are much more open. They just enjoy it, and for me that is the perfect way because jazz started as entertainment and I hope it will continue as entertainment because that’s what it is. You go to a club, you have your dinner and your drink and you go and listen and enjoy, and it’s not meant to be an analyzed and criticized. That for me is not the right approach. And countries like Indonesia, Russia, other countries in Asia, sometimes South America—they just like it, and that’s a good thing.

To see an example of Hendrik Meurkens playing one of his originals, a beautiful Brazilian choro called "Menina na Janela (Choro No. 5)", on harmonica, click on this link. You can also see him on vibes, playing "Slidin", a straight-ahead original, by clicking here.

For more information on Hendrik's music, including his recordings, and to find out where he's gigging next, check out his website, http://www.hendrikmeurkens.com/.

Mark Murphy--the New York State tour!

2011-04-13T19:58:00.000-07:00

Mark Murphy is definitely back (not that he ever really left) and has two upcoming gigs right here in New York State. Check out the details for both of them below.

ZINC BAR, NYC
Wednesday, June 8, one set only, 9:30 pm
82 West 3rd Street (btw Thompson & Sullivan)
Greenwich Village New York, NY
Tickets: tel. 212-477-ZINC (9462)
www.zincbar.com

ROCHESTER INTERNATIONAL JAZZ FESTIVAL
Friday, June 10
Two Concerts: 5:30 pm and 7:15 pm
Harro East Ballroom
155 North Chestnut Street
Rochester, NY 14604
(585) 454-0230

Access with ClubPassor purchase a ticket at the door for $20.
No advance sales. Seating is first-come, first-served.
http://www.harroeastballroom.com/

The Two Questions: Sing into Spring

2011-03-19T19:49:00.000-07:00

Jane Stuart is a very creative vocalist who has performed in many different styles of music, but ultimately settled on jazz as the medium for her most personal artistic expression. She just released a new CD, "Don't Look Back" and will be having an official release event at the Kitano in NYC on March 31, 2011.

In the interim, Jane also agreed to be the subject of my latest blogpost. Here are her answers to my questions:

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

I started writing songs at 3 years old; on the wonderful, old upright piano we had in our 3 room apartment in Jersey City, NJ. I usually remembered these little 4 note ditties and would make my father, mother and older brother my captive audience, on a regular basis.

I just recently started to write, for real, and have an original, “Let It Come To You” on my new CD Don’t Look Back”.

My mother took me to see Peter Pan on Broadway when I was about 7 years old and that did it for me. I remember the moment I said to myself, “I can do that!” …and so I did.

I would create shows in my neighborhood, just like Our Gang/Little Rascals. I was the producer, costume designer (paper plates, crayons, crepe paper etc.), director and of course The Star!

There was no doubt about it. I lived and breathed music and dance and was bossy enough, as a kid, to “produce” my little shows. I now wish I had movies/videos of them.

I was a show biz kid. Went to tap school, in NYC, with fellow tap schoolmates, Christopher Walken, Alan Paul (Manhattan Transfer) and Jeff Conaway. I studied ballet at Carnegie Hall as well as singing and acting. I auditioned for shows, modeling, movies….everything.

From the ages of 7-13 I wanted to be a Broadway star! But when I went on auditions, and there were many, I was always pegged as sounding too jazzy. That’s funny. I would think I was singing a tune very straight and come to realize that I was naturally interpreting a lyric or melody. Nothing outrageous, just a little too stylized for the ‘legit’ crowd.

I did have some success in theater, with my tap dancing and acting skills.
So, in answer to the question, I don’t think I actually made a decision, I just always knew that I was born to do this. May sound corny, but that is the truth.

2. What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

My father died when I was 13. My mother, a legal secretary, worked long, hard hours and my brother was away at school. I spent a lot of time alone. Looking back, I realize that I had a strong jazz sensibility already at that time; I just didn’t have a name for it.

There was a radio show that I loved, called “Symphony Sid“. Sid Torin’s show was my classroom, my refuge and my inspiration. I heard Coltrane, Miles, Nina Simone, Lambert, Hendricks & Ross, Nancy Wilson, Gloria Lynne, James Moody, King Pleasure…you name it. All the greats. The music I would hear on that show, coupled with my tap dancing really informed my natural affinity for the music. I would make up arrangements of old standards I knew, or songs I heard on Sid’s show and sing them in my head while doing a tap routine on my fingers. I remember so many of those songs now, when I am looking for material to sing.

In my long and varied career, I have sung Broadway style, Rock and Roll, R&B, Country,…just about everything except Opera ( I just don’t have the trained voice for that or I would’ve tried that too). Jazz is my nature. I swing, that’s my nature. I feel and interpret a lyric. I have an inner sense of time that allows me to play with time. It’s just the truth for me. I love having the freedom to explore and stretch myself. Jazz really requires that the players listen, listen, listen and respond. At its best, it is a give, give and take and share experience.
There is always so much to learn and step up to. I have so much to learn and I look forward to it.

Ornette Coleman said it best: “Jazz is the only music in which the same note can be played night after night but differently each time."

Following are the complete King Pleasure lyrics to "Jumpin' with Symphony Sid":
"Jumpin' with my boy Sid in the city,
Jumpin' with my boy Sid in the city,
Mr. President of the DeeJay committee,
We're gonna be up all night gettin' with it
We want you to spin the sounds by the minute
From down in the land that's really a-pretty.
"Make everything go real crazy over 'JZ,
Make everything go real crazy over 'JZ,
Play anything cool for me and my baby,
We don't want to think we're listening to Lacy,
It's got to be Prez, Bird, Shearing or the Basie,
The dial is all set right cloo-ose to 80,
Let 'er roll." (JZ" refers to radio station WJZ.)

To watch a video of Jane Stuart performing "Getting to Know You", go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Jti6iKuzV7w.

For more info about Jane Stuart's gigs and recordings, go to www.janestuartmusic.com.

The Two Questions: Late Winter Edition

2011-03-05T18:04:00.000-08:00

Jake Herzog is a daring young guitarist who has managed to blur the line that separates jazz and rock, using the best aspects of each style to create a fresh approach to improvisation. I had the privilege of hearing him live recently in a trio with bassist Harvie S and drummer Victor Jones. The musical interplay among the three of them was fluid and exciting, a true union of heavy metal with straight-ahead.

As a result of this audacious breaking down of the barriers one would normally expect when different genres merge, I was very enthusiastic about getting Jake to participate in my "two questions" interview. So here it is folks!

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

I think music chose me. If I asked myself, what could I live without, well, I could live without literature, history, or mathematics. I could survive just fine not studying physics, biology, chemistry. But I couldn't keep the small bit of sanity I have left without music. So when it came time to go to college and move on from just being a high school student, music was the only thing I wanted to do.

2. What is it about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

The spirit of jazz, to me, has always been complete freedom and creativity, that's what improvised music is all about. So, in a phrase, I decided to focus on jazz because, of all the musics (I'm a singer songwriter as well), jazz and improvised music has the most freedom. I love the thrill of unpredictability, chaos and, and when the performer doesn't know more about what will happen next then the audience does. That said, this spirit of jazz is not confined to one language, like bebop, or fusion, or modern jazz. It's in all of them and far beyond. So my whole thing with the rock influence, to me, is that's the next place to go. We had jazz in the 70s that was influenced by the rock bands at the time, so why should jazz today not be influenced by every other style of music. The way I see it, you leave style and language behind and just focus on being creative and moving people with improvisation. The rest doesn't matter. I think if you can do that, Charlie Parker would be proud.

To get a better idea of Jake Hertzog in action, go to his You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/jakehertzog.

For even more information about Jake's music, check out his website at www.jakehertzog.com.

The Two Questions: Tango Jazz Edition

2011-01-21T21:59:00.001-08:00

Since the earliest days when Jelly Roll Morton combined jazz with what he called the "Latin tinge," there has been the incorporation of elements from the music of other cultures. One of the latest and most innovative performers to carry on this tradition is Argentine born bassist and producer, Pablo Aslan. While maintaining the elegance and melancholy of traditional tango, he has brought it into the 21st Century by combining it with contemporary jazz improvisation. Pablo has performed and recorded with a long list of other performers and groups from Argentina and the U.S. Among them are Adrian Iaies, Paquito D’Rivera, Marco Granados, the Afro Latin Jazz Orchestra, Yo Yo Ma, Wynton Marsalis, Shakira, Joe Lovano, Gary Burton, Lalo Schifrin, and the New World Symphony. Pablo has also been involved in many prestigious musical projects such as The Tango Group with composer/pianist Roger Davidson, the New York Buenos Aires Connection and New York Tango Trio with bandoneonist Raul Jaurena, and as featured artist of the Lincoln Center Institute.

Furthermore, Pablo Aslan has done numerous recordings, and his latest release on Zoho Music, "Tango Grill," has been nominated for a Grammy in Latin Jazz.

I was very glad when Pablo agreed to answer my questions. The second has been tweaked to reflect his unique musical vision.

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

Love of Music made me decide! Besides having a visceral attraction to music since I was a little kid, I discovered as a teenager that I had a certain facility for playing music, particularly the bass. I did not grow up in a musical household, and music education in high school was a joke. I took lessons wherever I could, but had my eye on an education in the US. So the big decision in my life was to leave Argentina as an 18 year old and come to the US. I first came to California to study (UCSC, Cal Arts, UCLA), and after 10 years moved to NY to go into it deeper. Early on in California I started playing gigs (jazz, symphony, latin jazz, tango), and over the years I’ve made my living primarily as a musician. I love the lifestyle, the work, the co-workers. I’ve also worked a bit as a producer, both for live shows and in the studio, and in several aspects of the music business. Music has taken me around the world and introduced me to so many aspects of life and so many great people that my life is richer because of my career choice.

2. What inspired you to blend jazz and tango?

My parent’s record collection had a bit of Beatles, Bossa Nova, Piazzolla , jazz, and classical music, so that’s how I started forming my aesthetic. In my teen years I started buying progressive rock and jazz records (particularly ECM, but also Mingus, Coltrane, etc.), and when I moved to the US, I got into tango (beyond Piazzolla), while I completed my studies in classical music. At some point I became interested in searching for a mode of expression that resonated completely with who I am and what I love about music. In a more general sense, it was a search for identity as an Argentine-American. As much as I loved playing jazz and classical music, I did not see myself being 100% immersed in them as a career. Tango struck me like a lightning bolt and brought it all together, and gave me a creative place to go towards. A deciding moment was to hear bassist Charlie Haden play duets wtih bandoneonist Dino Saluzzi. I felt like the answer to my search was right in front of me. That was in 1986. I’ve been on that path ever since, and I feel fortunate after so many years to have been able to unlock a few doors in what now is generally called Tango Jazz.

To see videos of Pablo in performance, here's a link to his You Tube channel: http://www.youtube.com/user/AvantangoMedia.

To get more information about him than can be included in this short post, go to Pablo's site at www.pabloaslan.com.

The Two Questions Redux

2011-01-15T11:29:00.000-08:00

My latest blogpost subject is the only jazz artist I personally know who has played with Blood Sweat & Tears. His name is Tom Guarna, and he is an extraordinary guitarist who has been sideman with a long list of bands and individual jazz greats including the Yellowjackets, Randy Brecker, Lenny White, Bob Dorough, Buddy DeFranco, Javon Jackson, Les McCann, Joe Locke, the Mingus Orchestra, and Billy Drummond. He has gigged very recently with pianists George Colligan and Kerry Politzer. Tom has led his own groups in clubs such as the Blue Note, Sweet Rhythm, Fat Cat and Smalls. Furthermore, he holds an undergraduate degree from The New School and a Masters Degree from The Juilliard School.

Tom Guarna enthusiastically agreed to answer the familiar two questions. Those answers now follow.

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

Well, a career in music really decided on me. My father played guitar and would have people over the house to play. He would also take me to band rehearsals. There was a lot of music happening around the house, so when I really developed a serious interest in music in my late teens, it was a natural progression.

2. What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

I grew up listening to classic rock, funk and R and B. Then I got into the classic Jazz Rock groups like Return To Forever and Weather Report and Tony Williams Lifetime. Once I started to research all the artists that these band members worked with, I discovered Miles and Coltrane and I was hooked. I just kept working back from there listening to Bird, Monk, Bud Powell, Ellington, Mingus, etc. I have always loved to improvise. Even when I was playing in rock and funk bands I would always rather play improvised solos rather than play the solos on the recordings. The tunes and wide harmonic palette that jazz offered was something that drew me in as well.

If you'd like to experience Tom Guarna live, he has an upcoming gig with the John Benitez Group. It's happening Monday, January 24th, at the 55 Bar, from 9:30 p.m. to 12:30 a.m.

The next best thing would be to check out a You Tube video of him at Fat Cat, performing his original composition, "Shambleau". You can see it by clicking here.

For further information about Tom and his music, go to his website, www.tomguarna.com .

Greg Lewis

2010-12-05T12:52:00.000-08:00

This current post is based on a freewheeling interview with Greg Lewis, one of the most creative jazz organists you’ll ever hear, with a sound all his own. Another one of his passions is the music of Thelonious Monk. A natural result of all this is Greg’s unique and entertaining recent CD, Organ Monk.

Over lunch at a diner in Greenwich Village, we discussed memories of hearing jazz, high school sports, and how Monk influenced him:

I think in a way jazz chose me. Mom said I heard music when I was in her stomach. My grandfather and dad both played piano. Dad would play jazz albums and then try to play the music on the piano. I started on the piano first when I was young. Another of my earliest memories was hearing Coltrane. He was the first musician I ever knew. He was constantly played by my father when I was about 6 or 7, though I thought it was crazy music!

In high school, I played sports and played tuba in the high school band. In sports, I was MVP in football and City champ in wrestling, 190 weight class. They wanted me to go to the Olympics for wrestling, but I liked football better. Also got the JFK Fitness Award and was named Athlete of the Year.

Around 16 or 17, I started liking Monk. I really liked the dissonance. It made him distinct, hearing those funny sounds. My piano chops weren’t good in high school, because all I played was Monk and some r&b. I had a regimen of practicing the piano and figuring how to play tunes by ear.

Everyone expected me to go to college for sports. When I got a full music scholarship for Queensboro Community College, it was just for piano. Eventually went on to The New School for piano studies. I still was always into playing Monk. Even when Roy Hargrove came to the school, he asked, “where’d you learn all that Monk?” I still see him on gigs, ‘cause he plays with Leslie Harrison.

I studied with Jaki Byard, then took lessons with Gil Coggins. When I was sent to sub for an organ gig playing left-hand, I went “what?” Then I started checking all kinds of organ cats.

After a while the conversation turned to discussion of everything organ, including the legends of the music and Hammonds:

Basically I was trying to figure out the organ by listening to those people like Larry Young, who was one of my favorites. Larry Young’s stuff really struck me because first of all you listen to Larry Young, Jimmy Smith, Jack McDuff, Charles Earland—I was even checking out Rhoda Scott. And the list goes on and on. If they were an organ player I was trying to check them out, even to the point where I was checking Chester Thompson and Sly of course. But the one thing that really took to me with Larry Young was that he recorded Monk’s Dream. He was the only one I know of that recorded Monk’s Dream, so when I heard just him and Elvin Jones playing a duet that really made me say, “oh, wait a minute.” And so that’s when, I think, the love came in and I started to obsess over organ. I would play a piano as though I was playing the organ.

One thing I like about the organ. It has so many different sounds, and that’s what’s also intriguing, especially, you know, being a product of the synthesizer era, really the pipe organ was the first synthesizer—really fused sounds, when you think about it. So, I always liked crazy sounds—highs, lows, clicks, cracks. And in some weird way, I think organ is perfect for Monk because, Monk was getting more in-between sounds on the piano. A lot of people say he played in the cracks.

With a pipe organ, you can’t sustain the bass quick enough. The bass is long, so when you play a Hammond, the notes are quicker which is what you need. Cause that stuff that Fats Waller did [on the pipe organ] sounds cool, but it’s weird. But I think that’s the main problem why it sounds weird, because the bassline couldn’t connect quick enough, especially whether it be stride or whether it be walking the bassline, you know the way Jimmy Smith and them did.

I had a Farfisa—that’s one of the first organs I got. I saw it online and got it cheap. That really didn’t do the job, you know. Nothing really works like the Hammond. Lawrence Hammond came up with something special when he made that Hammond organ. No other organ works for the jazz idiom as well.

I believe they sold Hammond to Australia first and then Japan bought it from the company in Australia. But I think it was in the 70s the last Hammonds were made. But they stopped making the Hammond. It was electronic with some tubes and it was kind of cheesy. The B3 and the C3 and the A100 and the RT3 or the 4 are the Hammond organs that work great for jazz because electronically they’re identical. The RT3 has an extra octave on the bass pedals, concave like a pipe organ and the C3 is enclosed so you can’t see the person’s feet, ‘cause the women didn’t want their ankles to be seen—that’s the only reason they made it. They made this in the 50s, so you know back then... And the B3 is the four-legged one that everyone knows and the A100 had its own speakers. The first Hammond that I actually bought was an A100. It had its own speakers, but electronically they’re identical—B3, C3, A100 and RT3. But those are the main ones. The other ones--you can take them or leave them. They’re missing something—they’re missing the bass or they’re missing the highs.

Then we moved on to why Greg eventually focused on jazz rather than r&b:

I was playing Prince tunes and Funkadelic tunes in my teens. But for some reason, somewhere in the late teens I really wanted to be able to play like Monk. So it was back to Monk. If I could say anything, I’d say Monk kept me interested in jazz. And that’s what kept me focused or really changed my mind.

To see an example of Greg in action, click here.

For even more information on Greg Lewis, his music and where you can hear him live, you can check out his site at http://www.greglewismusic.com/.

Important Gig for Mark Murphy

2010-11-05T11:19:00.000-07:00

The extraordinary Mark Murphy, who has been the subject of a few other blogposts, is currently in Montreal, Canada, for a two-night gig on Friday, November 5 and Saturday, November 6. His pianist is the equally amazing Misha Piatigorsky, who has himself been represented on this blog. Here's the pertinent information:

Upstairs Jazz Club,
1254 MacKay
Montreal, Qc, H3G 2H4

Tel: 514.931.6808

http://www.upstairsjazz.com

If you're in the neighborhood, go out and support this jazz vocal legend. Yes, folks, he is still very much on the scene and still one of the most creative and exciting performers of any age you will ever encounter at a live gig.

The Two Questions: Late Summer Edition

2010-08-09T11:22:00.000-07:00

Russian-born Misha Tsiganov is one of the most in-demand pianists on the scene today. He was born into a family of artists, so it's no wonder that he was drawn in such a creative direction. As well as performing straight-ahead jazz, he has been involved in bands which play Brazilian Samba, Latin Jazz and Salsa. Among the many musical legends he has performed with are Joe Chambers, Gary Bartz, Claudio Roditi, Johnny Colon and Chico Freeman. Furthermore, Misha has television credits, as the featured pianist on the CBS-TV children's show, "Little Bill."

Misha kindly agreed to be my latest subject for the "two questions" interview, and his responses follow directly below.

1. Why did you decide on a career in music?

It wasn't my choice to study music. When I was 6 years old my parents brought me to music school in St. Petersburg. Many years later I understood how music is important to me and realized that music is my passion. I decided to be a jazz musician not for career reasons. I never asked myself: Where I want to make my career happen, in jazz, in math, in sports etc... Back when I never really thought about a career, I just fell in love with jazz, I wanted to play jazz every day, I got addicted to jazz and finally realized that I can't live without jazz.

2. What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

I studied classical piano for many years and I really love classical music. However, when I played classical music in public, I always felt that I'm not telling people my story. I felt like I'm telling people Mozart's story, or Chopin's or Rachmaninoff's story. They wrote tons of beautiful music and I love it, but this is their story, and I wanted to tell people my story. Some people express themselves through painting, writing, sculpting etc. I can express myself through playing jazz. For me, jazz is the freedom.

To give a few examples of Misha's different musical sides, I've included links to a couple of You Tube videos. Clicking here will get you to the first, a performance with the Hendrik Meurkens Quartet at the Blue Note Jazz Club in NYC. Clicking here will take you to a performance with the Johnny Colon Salsa Band.

For more detailed information about Misha Tsiganov and his music, go to www.mishatsiganov.com or his My Space page.

Lastly, Misha has released a great CD, "Always Going West." It includes his original compositions, and his bandmates on it are trumpeter Alex Sipiagin, bassist Boris Kozlov, drummer Gene Jackson and percussionist Samuel Torres. You can find out more about this recording by going to http://www.cdbaby.com/cd/tsiganov.

The Two Questions: Springtime Edition

2010-04-20T14:40:00.000-07:00

Ari Hoenig is considered to be one of the most innovative jazz drummers of his generation. He is equally at home leading his own bands, as a sideman in other people's bands, and doing solo gigs. In spite of being so in demand, Ari agreed to be the latest performer to answer the two questions.

1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

In 11th grade there was this thing called career day. Everyone was pushed to make decisions about what they wanted to do as a profession. I decided that day to be a professional drummer. At least that would be my 1st choice. I also had some backup plans. It was a pretty obvious decision since my parents are both musicians so they both supported me, and I had been playing music for about 10 years already at that point.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

I used to play classical music quite a lot as a kid. I remember being nervous before I played, afraid that I would make a mistake. I didn't like the many many bars of rests I had to count before playing one big bass drum note or cymbal crash.

With jazz, I didn't get nervous. I learned to make my mistakes into something musical, and I could create something different each time relating to how I was feeling or what I was thinking about at the time. Improvising by ear was always natural for me so I was drawn to that aspect of jazz.

To get a better idea of what an amazing musician Ari Hoenig is in live performance, click here for a video of him in action. Also be sure to check out his site: www.arihoenig.com.

Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes

2010-04-11T20:10:00.000-07:00

Carol Sudhalter has always been a bit of a Renaissance woman: playing and leading groups from duo to big band, collaborating with band mates from the U.S. and Italy, gigging overseas as well as at her home base in NY, being a multi-reeds player who doubles on flute, putting her own unique spin on familiar standards, and writing and performing original compositions.

Carol’s latest CD, Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes, reflects the eclectic nature of her music. The title refers to the fact that each song has its own special opening leap. I’ve included my observations on a few of the tracks.

The first cut, “Flamingo,” given an Afro-Cuban treatment, features Carol’s ethereal but hard-driving flute, along with the exquisite piano of her young Italian protégé, Carlo M. Barile. On “Pancake Blues,” written by another fine Italian musician, Vido Di Modugno, who swings on organ, Carol showcases her earthy, old-school tenor. A soulful and moving vocal by Marti Mobin is the focus on “You Go to My Head,” where Carol contributes strong support with the interweaving lines of her bari, and her low-pitched notes cut straight to the heart.

It’s back to flute for “Alice in Wonderland,” along with Carlo on piano again. The sensitive interplay and soloing of the two instruments accentuates the wistful nature of the Disney song. In “Nature Boy,” Antonio Cervellino plays purring arco bass, and this time the pianist is the compelling Joe Vincent Tranchina. Carol contributes a heartbreaking flute solo before a return to the basic combination of arco and piano, with the occasional addition of flute accents. Another wonderful singer, Elena Camerin, is showcased with her romantic vocal to the beautiful Argentinian song, “Quisiera Ser.” Vito Di Modugno’s powerful organ is front and center for a moving reading of Billy Strayhorn’s “Daydream.”

To end the CD (and make it truly one for “all seasons”), are festive but off-the-beaten-track renditions of the Holiday Season standards, “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!” and “The Christmas Song.”

These are just a few of the musical delights listeners can find on Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes. There is no other recording, jazz or otherwise, quite like it. Carol Sudhalter and her fellow artists have managed to achieve fresh ways of performing familiar standards, as well as originals, and make this CD an enjoyable and fascinating listening experience from beginning to end.

For further information about Carol Sudhalter: The Octave Tunes click on this link. You can also learn about Carol Sudhalter's other recordings and gigs by going here.

An interview with Carol can also be found in my blogpost of Friday, July 24, 2009 ("And More Answers to the Two Questions.")

The Two Questions: Winter 2010 Edition

2010-02-22T13:07:00.000-08:00

My first 2010 responder to the two questions is the unbelievably-talented keyboard player and composer, George Colligan. He has been in demand as a sideman, for such legends as Buster Williams and Jack DeJohnette. When not doing that, he can often be found leading his own bands, where he expresses a unique and compelling musical vision on both acoustic piano and Fender Rhodes. George's many CDs illustrate the fact he can play seemingly everything from straight-ahead to fusion to free, plus the recordings showcase his ability to write songs in different styles yet manage to retain a point-of-view uniquely his. The newest recording, "Come Together," (where he's joined by Boris Koslov on bass and Donald Edwards on drums), has gotten wonderful reviews from jazz critics.

Recently, George took time out from all this and a teaching gig, to send me some answers. Well, here they are:

1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

I don't believe that I decided. I had no other choice. (My last job before music was in the late 80's, working at the Great American Chocolate Chip Cookie Company in the Columbia Mall. I'm hoping I'll never have to go back to that.) But seriously, I would say that from 9th grade, the only thing I was any good at was music. It was weird because I didn't have any role models for becoming a musician. I did have some great role models as teachers, so initially, I thought I would be a band director. My middle school band director, Lee Stevens, and my high school band director, Don Cohen, were very inspirational. I should mention that my main instrument was trumpet, although I did mess around with drums and I was composing on the piano in high school. I had a lot of physical difficulty with the trumpet, and my high school band director actually told me at one point:" You seem to have a lot of music inside of you, but you just can't seem to get it to come out. Maybe you should play saxophone?" I think I hung in there with the trumpet just to prove him wrong.

At a certain point , maybe senior year of high school, I just was spending all of my time on music and I wasn't really interested in anything else. I decided to go to Peabody Conservatory as a classical trumpet/music ed major,despite my middle school band director trying to talk me out of it. In college, I started gigging at the Hyatt Regency in Baltimore as a jazz pianist. It was great to have that steady income, since I didn't get a lot of money from my parents. My rent was $250 a month, and I was making $220 every weekend at the Hyatt. So I liked that feeling of being a professional musician. And in terms of the piano, I was only playing piano to be a better composer- I didn't ever intend on being a pianist for a living.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that particular type of music?

It's weird because I think I liked jazz the less I understood it. It always seemed exciting and mysterious to me. Plus I always liked the rhythm. I used to like classical music a lot, and I liked some pop, rock, and rap music at various times. But jazz always seemed to stand out to me. A neighbor gave me some really great records that I listened to a lot: Clifford Brown/Max Roach, Dizzy Gillespie, Miles Davis' " Milestones", and a record with Art Farmer and Donald Byrd called " Trumpets All Out." I also listened to Clifford Brown " The Beginning and The End" , Herbie Hancock's " Headhunters", and Coltrane's " My Favorite Things." I used to try to play my trumpet along with the records, even though I had no idea why I didn't sound like what the artists on those records were actually playing. For some reason, jazz always gave me a really vivid mental picture that I wanted to understand and be a part of.

I also like the fact that jazz is a living music. Since I wanted to be a composer, jazz has given me an opportunity to compose on the bandstand every night. Plus I have gotten to write a song in the afternoon and have it performed that evening. I like to be creative. I don't think that need would have been fulfilled playing trumpet in an orchestra!

For a virtual experience of George at a live gig, go here:

Mark Murphy for NEA Jazz Master and Downbeat Singer of the Year?

2010-01-12T17:37:00.000-08:00

The NEA Jazz Masters ceremony is going on even as I type this, and once again Mark Murphy is not among the group. Since Jon Hendricks and as of tonight, Annie Ross, have been so honored, it seems logical that Mark should be the next jazz vocalist to become an honoree in 2011. However, if no one nominates him, this will not occur. I strongly urge all his fans to so encourage the NEA by going to its site.

While I'm at it, also want to mention that Mark Murphy did not get chosen as Jazz Vocalist of the Year in the latest Downbeat Readers Poll. Can you believe it? An innovator like him is shut out, yet that guy I mentioned in an earlier blogpost "who has stolen from the best" gets voted in ahead of the master. Not sure when nominations will be solicited for that honor as well, but when the time does come, let's all make sure we vote for Mark.

Okay enough spleen-venting. Next blogpost--back to business as usual!

Back Again to the Two Questions: Pre-Holiday Edition

2009-12-19T11:37:00.000-08:00

In this latest post, the familiar "two questions" have been answered by the versatile drummer, Mauricio Zottarelli, born in Brazil but for the past few years another fellow resident of Astoria. Mauricio has been a sideman with musicians such as harmonica player Hendrik Meurkens and keyboardist Hiromi but is currently focusing on his own music. There was the recent release of his CD, 7 Lives, and on Tuesday, December 22, he and his band will be gigging at Zinc Bar, located at 82 W. 3rd St., in Greenwich Village, NYC. The first set begins at 9:30 p.m.

Now let's read what Mauricio has to say:

1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

Deep question. Well, I don't think I actually had a choice. You know I think it's kind of a cliche and people say that all the time, but I did try to do other stuff before being a full-time musician. But I always did music, even, you know, as a hobby during weekends and things like that. I was always involved. And according to my parents, I was always playing drums since I was 2 or 3 and I didn't even know what I was doing, but I was always banging on stuff and interested in music from early on. My dad is a keyboard player and mostly by instinct--he didn't really go to school for music, but he loves jazz, and it also seems to be a common thing that happens with all the musicians. People have their parents as a reference and whatever they were listening to in their homes. So that's kind of what happened to me too, but I didn't get into jazz until much later on.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Well, basically, I love the freedom that jazz gives us and what you can do with it, and it's a lot more liberating in a way than playing other types of music. You know, it's deeper and it's something that when I started, I was playing heavy rock and I was interested in other types of music, not so much into the jazz thing that my dad was listening to. Then when I went to school and I started to understand more of what was happening, that really switched for me, though I still love heavy rock and still love all sorts of other music. But jazz is really interesting because of that freedom, and because of how you can express yourself in such a way that I don't think you have that freedom in other types of music. Maybe you do but it's a different thing, and that's what I really love about playing improvisational music. Sometimes you can do just anything and you can leave it open to whatever happens. It can be a great experience; it can be frustrating, but that's what I love about it. It's not having to plan everything out beforehand.

For a preview of Mauricio's music, watch his recent video at You Tube by clicking here. Also, be sure to check out his website: www.mzdrums.com.

Back to the Two Questions

2009-11-15T17:48:00.000-08:00

My latest responder to the two questions is the incredibly-talented Russian-born jazz pianist and composer, Misha Piatigorsky. Actually, his music is about more than just straight-ahead jazz. It also encompasses elements of classical, Brazilian, rock, funk, and World, plus he's a darn good drummer too! Misha performs with many types of bands, in particular, his trio, his octet and the more rock-oriented Sketchy Black Dog. Furthermore, he's been the music director for Mark Murphy since 2002. Misha recently released the CD, "17 Rooms." It showcases his versatility as he, ably assisted by Boris Kozlov on bass and Ari Hoenig on drums, performs mainly originals, such as "Ballade of Edward vs. Edward Opus 23," "Kindred Spirit," and the title song, along with a few songs by other composers, such as John Lennon's "Imagine."

With all these projects, it's amazing that Misha had time to answer my questions. But he did, and his answers now follow:

1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

Well I think it's not a matter of choosing to make music my career. Making a decision that this is all I want to do. So a career or no career--that's a subsidiary sort of occurrence. I decided that this is what I want to do for the rest of my life. This is what I want to do everyday all day long. This is my hobby. This is my love. This is my food. So you do what you need to do and if you can work out a situation to make some money doing it, then you're in business.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Well I've always heard jazz in my house growing up and I was a classical pianist until I was about 16 years old or so. Besides hearing jazz I heard a lot of Beatles, because that's what my parents were really into. But my dad always played Oscar Peterson albums and different kinds of stuff--George Shearing albums--and I just got incredibly into it. When I was about 17, I started checking out different albums and different pianists, and I realized I really want to learn how to do that and how to make that happen. And the more I examined, the more infatuated I got with different pianists, with different horn players, musicians--just the sound of jazz. And there is such a round and open art form from so many different generations of great jazz musicians. And I started just eating everything up, you know--starting from anything from eating up the way Count Basie plays, to falling in love with Monk, Duke, you know, and then falling in love with the way Bill Evans plays, falling in love with the way Kenny Barron plays, falling in love with the way Chick Corea plays, Keith Jarrett. So I just started to focus on whoever I was infatuated with at that moment. If I heard something I was crazy about, I just needed to understand it and devour it.

To see videos of Misha Piatigorsky with his octet at the Iridium Jazz Club, as well as videos of his earlier gigs, click on this link.

For even more information about Misha Piatigorsky, check out his site at www.mishamusic.com.

Justice for Jazz Artists

2009-10-12T17:06:00.000-07:00

Justice for Jazz Artists is an organization attempting to get pensions for all jazz artists who work in NY clubs. Thanks to its lobbying the NY State Legislature, two years ago the 8.375% sales tax on admissions to jazz clubs was repealed. This money was to be redirected into pension payments, which would thus cost the clubs nothing but benefit the artists who perform in them. (Please note, however, that Musicians’ Local 802 does have collective bargaining agreements with Jazz at Lincoln Center and the New School for Jazz and Contemporary Music. Also there are several member-leader agreements already in place that provide pension and health benefits to jazz musicians.)

Justice for Jazz Artists has been attempting to get as many names as possible on a petition encouraging the NY jazz clubs to do the right thing. On September 29, a rally was held at Judson Memorial Church. I had the privilege of being a part of this event. Great music was contributed by artists such as Jimmy Owens, Bob Cranshaw, Benny Powell, Bernard Purdie and Keisha St. Joan. Speeches were also made by some of them, as well as by Amiri Baraka and Councilman Alan J. Gerson. Then all the musicians in attendance who had brought their instruments picked them up, some of those without instruments picked up signs with slogans about our cause and we all marched, New Orleans-style, out into the street. Our destination was the Blue Note, for the purpose of presenting a copy of the petition to a representative of the club. We slowly proceeded there, using a carefully delineated route under the watchful eyes of some of New York City's Finest, the petition was dutifully presented, and we all returned to Judson Memorial to the accompaniment of one of Monk's songs as rendered by our marching band.

Those of us who consider jazz important feel it is a travesty that its practitioners have long been denied the right to a comfortable retirement. If you agree and want more information about Justice for Jazz Artists and its efforts, you can go to its site by clicking here.

Fat Cat

2009-09-14T11:24:00.001-07:00

Been a while since I've done a post, mainly because I've been waiting for more of my jazzy friends to step forward with answers to my "two questions." (Hmmph!) As a result, my blog has been idle for too long. Therefore, I decided to do my latest post on a strange but interesting venue I've started going to when I want to hear good jazz but not break the bank, Fat Cat.

Fat Cat is located at 75 Christopher Street near 7th Avenue in NYC. Once I go down the stairs, the first one to greet me is a guy who takes the $3 cover (cash only). I pass the bar area, then head over to a small section filled with couches near what you might call the "stage." Meanwhile behind me are dozens of pool tables, ping pong tables, foosball tables, tables with chessboards and checkerboards on top, etc., as well as people loudly involved in the different activities. All this makes for an interesting non-musical accompaniment to the jazz, which bands of various sizes are attempting to play for whoever is seated on the couches and trying to listen.

The gigs I generally check out at Fat Cat are those with reed man extraordinaire Peter Brainin on tenor and soprano. One of the most memorable also included Mark Soskin on piano, Boris Koslov on bass and Mike Clark on drums. Great music played by some of the greatest musicians on the planet--it doesn't get any better than this! (Definitely not an upscale kind of club like Blue Note or Birdland, but with jazz of this caliber at wallet-friendly prices, who cares? Plus I kinda dig the weird atmosphere of the place!)

Mark Murphy at the Kitano in NYC

2009-08-09T10:50:00.001-07:00

On July 31 and August 1 Mark Murphy had a gig which proved why the legendary vocalist's club appearances are still such exciting events. Although he is now 77 years old, his voice is still strong and surprisingly flexible, his phrasing, scatting and sense of swing are impeccable, and his sense of drama is masterful. The singer was accompanied by some of the finest musicians around today: Vinny Valentino on guitar, Jon Cowherd on piano, Boris Koslov on bass, and Willard Dyson on drums. (Personal note: when Mark sang "My One and Only Love," his performance was so profound it moved me to tears.)

The Kitano was sold out for two nights and a majority of the audience members were other singers, including ones who had participated in workshops which Mark conducted over the years. The love for the great legend was palpable and there seemed to be a long line of admirers who wanted to convey their good wishes during breaks. Everyone agreed that we had all witnessed a true musical miracle in the fact that Mark had managed to make his performance during all four sets even more moving than any of us had expected. A perfect example of a true jazz singer who doesn't let age stand in the way of continuing to develop as an expressive and powerful artist.

To see videos from the gig, click on this link, which will take you to a You Tube channel featuring videos by various artists. Go to "see all" at the right of the page, and a brief search will lead you to performances by Mark Murphy at the Kitano.

(Photo courtesy of The Jazz Paisan)

Special Note: For a discussion of Mark Murphy's entire career, go to my post from May 17, 2009, "The Fearless Singer." To get still further information, go to www.markmurphy.com.

And Still More Answers to the Two Questions

2009-07-24T15:39:00.000-07:00

The latest responder to my two questions is yet another talented Astoria neighbor, Carol Sudhalter. Besides having great chops on baritone sax, tenor sax and flute, she is the leader of groups which include the Astoria Big Band and the Astoria Jazz Band. With these ensembles she has showcased the music of Women Composers of Queens such as Emme Kemp, Sarah Mclawler and Julie Mandel in a series of concerts supported by grants awarded to her and her band from local and city-wide arts organizations including the Department of Cultural Affairs. Thanks to another grant, Carol's band also presented a Jazz History of Queens, which was narrated by Leonard Gaskin. Furthermore, she has presented several fine Italian jazz performers in the U.S., some of whom are currently working in New York.

Now on to my questions and Carol's answers:

1) Why did you decide on a career in music?

I had NO intention of going into music. My family were all jazz musicians and I think I didn't want to be in their shadow. I loved jazz and followed jazz bands around a lot and had little flings with musicians. But in college I was a biology major with intentions of having a career in science writing. As a kid, I was a birdwatcher and insect collector. The music in my house was Chicago style jazz: Bix, Frankie Trambauer, Bud Freeman etc. Later, in college, I linked into Django, Billie Holiday, Louis Armstrong. My tastes and exposure were not 'modern'. Even bebop came much later.

When I was between my junior and senior years of college, I had an emotional meltdown and began the long and painful road of psychotherapy. There, I discovered my center, and 6 months later, realized that what I wanted to do was PLAY music rather than follow bands around. I borrowed a flute from a classmate and started picking out the notes and playing along with records as I had always seen my brother and my father do. Soon I was sitting in with local bands. Like everyone else, I had been bitten by the bug, and it was straight downhill all the way, from there! A wonderful, rewarding, creative life with no material gain to show for it. I took up sax much later: first tenor, then bari and alto.

2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music?

Jazz is what I heard at home since I was born. I studied classical piano and sang in glee club in both high school and college, and studied classical flute for 15 years, but always felt that being able to hear lines of improvisation in my head was something that not everyone had, and that if one had to choose, it was best to focus on that special ability. I try not to compare myself with others...Just try to bring out the ideas that are inherent in me, unique to me. I love playing classical flute when I get a chance! In another life maybe I'll do more of that.

I'm excited about my new CD to be released between September and December, recorded with several of my most highly esteemed Italian artists including a very savvy and accomplished 19-year-old pianist from Bari, Carlo Barile; and several New York artists from both U.S. and Japan, such as pianist Joe Vincent Tranchina and woman drummer Kaori Yamada.

The most exciting thing about this project was discovering a studio right here in Astoria with a brilliant engineer who handled the whole thing. It is at 30-80 33rd St. -- walking distance from my house -- the engineer, Slau, handled the whole thing, with kid gloves, lots of TLC, amazing ears and incredible professionalism. I recommend him to anyone. BeSharp Studios, 718-932-3660.

To see an example of Carol in action, click on this link.

Two Questions (and Some Answers)

2009-06-18T12:35:00.000-07:00

I recently sent an e-mail to various jazz artists who are good acquaintances and asked them two questions: 1) Why did you decide on a career in music? (2) What is it you love about jazz that made you decide to focus on that type of music (although I do realize that many of you also play other styles, like World and Classical. btw--I am including Brazilian under the heading Jazz. Or do those of you who play sambas, bossa nova and choros feel it should be a separate category?)

Sporadically, I'll be posting the answers I've received from those who have responded. My first subject is a fine bassist who is currently my Astoria neighbor, Thomson Kneeland. His answers follow below:

1) I've played music and loved it since I was a kid, so it was quite natural for me to always be involved in the art form on some instrument or other. Since my music teachers painted a bleak picture of being a performing musician and "making it", I originally went to school for engineering and physics for a year and a half. I was always dedicated to creative music in whatever form, and I didn't want to become a music teacher, so music school didn't seem to be the answer. On top of that, my first acoustic bass was a high school graduation present from my father, so I didn't even start playing my "career" instrument until after high school. Well a year later, I was making a meager living performing jazz; since I already had some prerequisite knowledge, I just needed to learn my instrument and grow. I saw it could be done, dropped out of school at 18 and took it from there.

2) All in all, I consider myself a musician who specializes in "improvisation", with a focus on jazz. I do mainly find myself on jazz gigs these days, but also have done a lot of crossover with Balkan stuff, Indian music, as well as classical chamber music. I had my hands in many more styles in New England, but have been specializing more in the "jazz" realm for the past few years, simply out of the contexts I've found myself in. But I find that simply saying "I'm a jazz musician" pigeonholes me, because people are so categorical in terms of thought. So when the average person asks, I stick to something like "improvised based music with an emphasis on jazz".

For me, jazz and improvisation provide a freedom of choice that no other music does (and it therefore also requires an enormous responsibility to use that freedom wisely). I liken it to Hermann Hesse's "The Glass Bead Game", for anyone in the literary realm. A high artistic expression fusing visceral groove, emotion, mathematics, athletics/body movement/coordination, and freedom of choice...all taking place in real time. More than anything else, it's the fusion of these things...playing your ass off (and listening to a group that does) is an uplifting experience. And that can be combined with any level of intellectual sophistication one wants. For me, it's the highest artistic expression that I can think of. And for me, it's the biggest challenge I've ever faced in terms of a discipline. Becoming a great musician requires complete mastery on so many levels: mental, physical, emotional, and psychological.

Other art forms utilize various elements I've mentioned, but music encompasses more than many, and in real time. Perhaps the closest comparison would be improvisational dance. Or improvisational theater, utilizing language instead of sound....but I think the latter is pretty rare. I'm very curious about the Asian Noh Theater and other traditional forms that have combinations of all these things in real time with musical accompaniment, but I havent had the time or opportunity to learn. Which is not to denigrate any art form or set music/jazz above it, but I can't think of any other discipline that requires so many facets to be mastered intellectually, physically, and more. If anyone has any other thoughts on this, I'd love a perspective!

And finally, regarding jazz...I just love the music, as is, and from an historical perspective! That's the main thing when it comes down it...the spirit of the music, whether swing from the 50's and 60's, fusion, or modern chamber jazz without any hint of "swing" context. No rhyme or reason about it, it just kicks ass!

There are quite a few excellent examples of Thomson's playing on You Tube. Click here to see him perform "Solar."

For more information about this amazing bassist, go to www.thomsonkneeland.com.

A special post about Kenton

2009-06-05T12:06:00.000-07:00

Stan Kenton--there is no middle ground for this bandleader. Jazz aficionados either love his music and consider it constantly innovative or else find it bombastic and excessive. Have to admit, I'm definitely in the former camp, although I admit there are cringe-worthy performances such as the draggy version of "September Song," which includes a vocal by the band which frankly, sounds like they were lobotomized and forced with cattle prods to sing it. On the other hand, fine sidemen like Shelly Manne, Stan Getz, Art Pepper, Lee Konitz and Zoot Sims were among Kenton's personnel at certain points in their careers. Furthermore, Pete Rugolo, Shorty Rogers, Bill Russo, Bill Holman, Johnny Richards, Chico O'Farrill and Lennie Niehaus contributed exciting, hip arrangements that kept the sound of the orchestra fresh and forward-reaching. Lastly, don't forget that Anita O'Day, June Christy and Chris Connor were among Stan Kenton's vocalists. Guess the rule of thumb for listening to Kenton is this: with a few exceptions, try to avoid tracks which feature Kenton's piano-playing and charts and focus on most of those involving the musicians and/or arrangers noted above. Also, my own favorite period of the Kenton band's long history was the 1950s, when the influence of that decade's jazz innovations could often be heard in the contributions of the younger guys who had come onboard.

I realize I'm breaking my own rule by including a link to a Soundie of "Tampico" from the 1940s, but there don't seem to be any good examples of Kenton's 1950s orchestra at You Tube. Anyway, I've always loved this particular song, and it's great to see June Christy singing during her prime. Click here to check it out for yourself.

Monk Lives

2009-06-01T09:58:00.000-07:00

This is one of those weeks when I've been having trouble deciding on a topic for my latest post. As I'm typing this, Thelonious Monk is playing "Think of One" on Music Choice. Monk--one of those artists who can take a listener feeling dragged to the ground and lift them up with just a few notes of his audacious but endearing playing which sounds like nobody else's. He could do an entire album of Duke Ellington songs and play them in a way that made them seem more Monkish than Dukish. Then there are his original songs infused so deeply with his unique personality that no matter who plays them, Monk is always there in spirit.

Monk's music has remained such a vital part of the jazz landscape that even Sun Ra, former citizen of ancient Egypt who migrated to Saturn before visiting earth, had his own turn at "Round Midnight" with a female vocalist singing the lyrics. Bill Evans performed "Blue Monk" and "Round Midnight," utilizing overdubs, on his album, "Conversations with Myself." More recently, I've heard new spins on Thelonious' songs by such younger pianists as Misha Piatigorsky and George Colligan. Definitely not slavish imitations of the Monk sound, but reflecting the musical visions of each of these artists while still maintaining respect for the original compositions. I think Monk himself would certainly approve.

It's always an incredible experience to watch Thelonious Monk performing. Click here to see a video of him doing just that, with Charlie Rouse on sax, Frankie Dunlop on bass and Butch Warren on drums. The song is Evidence, in a film recorded in Japan during 1963.

Jazz Styles

2009-05-25T17:40:00.001-07:00

A friend suggested that I devote one of my posts to definitions of various jazz styles. Actually, no definition in words could fully give a true impression of what each style sounds like, plus sometimes the styles may dovetail to create a kind of jazz hybrid. Also, there are many jazz performers who made important recordings in several styles. At any rate, I'll attempt to give brief descriptions of many of the different types and at the end of each section, I'll have links so you can hear (and in most cases see) performances which illustrate them.

New Orleans or Dixieland originated, logically, in African-American communities of New Orleans and combined elements of African and European music. King Oliver, Sidney Bechet and Jelly Roll Morton are among those who performed in this style, but probably the best known performer was Louis Armstrong. For a film of the trumpeter in his prime click here.

Swing, which is generally performed by big bands, had its heyday from the 1930s through the 1940s. It incorporates a brass section made up of trumpets and trombones, a reed section made up of saxophones and clarinets, and a rhythm section made up of piano, bass and drums. Sometimes there is also a guitar or violin. Vocalists are also often utilized. This type of jazz is known for its swinging or flowing rhythm, as well as brisk tempos. However, slower tempos may also be used, in the case of ballads. Generally, swing has been popular with dancers and led to the creation of the lindy and fox trot, among other dance styles. Some of the bands which were popular have included Duke Ellington, Count Basie, Glenn Miller, Woody Herman and Benny Goodman. Since it is currently Benny Goodman's Centennial, it seems appropriate to include a performance by his orchestra. To watch it, click here.

Bebop tends to be more soloist-driven than swing, and stresses virtuosity in playing and harmonic improvisation. Among the best-known proponents of this style are Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespie and Thelonious Monk. A video example featuring Parker and Gillespie can be seen by clicking here.

Hard Bop is a harder-edged extension of bebop, incorporating r&b, gospel and the blues (although the latter could to a certain extent be sometimes found in Bebop as well). Miles Davis, John Coltrane and Art Blakey are among those who made major recordings utilizing this style. For a video of Art Blakey's Jazz Messengers click here.

Often the term "Funk Jazz" is used similarly to the term "Hard Bop," but the one musician who generally comes to mind as one of its innovators is Horace Silver. A fine example of his playing can be seen here.

Cool is generally perceived as more relaxed and less aggressive than Bebop, and superficially seems like a more-refined style of jazz. Stan Getz, Lee Konitz, Warne Marsh and Miles Davis, often with Gil Evans, are often identified with this style. To see a video of Miles with Gil, click here.

West Coast, which refers to the jazz played in California, actually includes many types of jazz, but is usually thought of as part of the Cool Jazz movement. Gerry Mulligan, Chet Baker, Dave Brubeck, Shorty Rogers and Bud Shank are among the major musicians associated with this music. For a video of Shorty Rogers click here.

Free is an attempt to go beyond the conventions of jazz in melodies, tempos and chords. As this style was developed it tended to go further and further into abandonment of set structures. Ornette Coleman, Don Cherry, Cecil Taylor, Sun Ra and late-career John Coltrane are among the ones who pushed the music to the limits. You can see Cecil Taylor playing solo piano by clicking here.

Third Stream, an amalgam of classical music and jazz, is often associated with the composer Gunther Schuller. To hear an example of a piece by the reed player Jimmy Giuffre as performed by Gunther Schuller's Orchestra, go here.

Fusion is yet another merger of jazz improvisation with other musical forms, in this case rock, funk and r&b. It generally incorporates the use of electric guitars, basses and keyboards. Miles Davis, Chick Corea, Weather Report, John McLaughlin and Herbie Hancock have been major performers of this style. Click on here to watch a prime example of "electric" Herbie.

A detailed discussion of the various genres and sub-genres of jazz could go on for many posts, but I hope that this very brief overview will give you a good idea of the many developments which have taken place throughout its history.

(Photo courtesy of the Jazz Paisan)

The Fearless Singer

2009-05-17T16:30:00.000-07:00

I had planned to begin posting about various individuals who are doing their part to make sure jazz remains a thriving and developing music. This current post is a bit of a rumination about someone who has done just that for most of his life, changing as the music has changed but never ceasing to be true to himself.

Mark Murphy began as someone who seemed to be out of the Sinatra, Bennett, Damone mold. He appeared on album covers wearing a red and green checked shirt with his arms folded, while leaning on a stool, or in a typical late 1950s style suit while posed on a piano and surrounded by slinky ladies. He was featured on The Steve Allen Show three times. Within a few years the singer morphed into a kind of collegiate hipster, then traveled to England in the 1960s, while the Beatles were leaving it to tour. After spending the rest of the decade in Europe singing, acting, and doing a pilot for a series in which he portrayed Jesus, Mark returned to the USA and began recording for Muse Records. He sang standards, pop covers and originals, and ultimately discovered the unique vocal style that would be his breakthrough. He recorded classics like Stolen Moments, Bop for Kerouac and Beauty and the Beast and did gigs at clubs, theatres and festivals. Mark's look kept changing, from Indian cotton shirts, jeans and Afros, back to stylish suits with the addition of mullets, on to shiny bright-colored shirts and dress pants or dark suits with turtlenecks, and medium-length hair. As the look changed, the singing became increasingly more adventurous.

Mark had always paid great attention to clear diction and masterful singing, with a little scatting on the side. As time went on, the scatting became more extravagant, with swoops, shifts of pitch, yodels and growls. The songs themselves were transformed with non-traditional harmonies and tempos. The actor in the singer created a sense of drama through careful emphasis as he came to particular sections of the songs, as well as in the way his expressive hands rose and fell during the performance. Mark had no qualms about letting his voice sound a bit harsh and un-pretty, if he felt it fit the particular mood he was trying to get across.

Mark always surrounded himself with equally-wonderful musicians such as sax players Richie Cole and Michael Brecker, trumpeters Randy Brecker, Tom Harrell and Claudio Roditi, and pianists Bill Mays, Benny Green and Lee Musiker. Most recently he has performed with trumpeter Till Bronner on CD and pianist Misha Piatigorsky at live gigs. In each case, Mark has treated these artists as collaborators, rather than just members of the bands accompanying him.

Many younger jazz singers have based their own vocal approaches on Mark's innovations. One in particular, who for the sake of discretion shall remain nameless, has "stolen from the best," as he has sometimes gotten credit for things that were originally done by the older singer. One thing most of these "musical children" will agree on, however, is that Mark Murphy is still the one who's always ahead, never performing his familiar songs in a safe, routine manner, but always expressing his own truth.

For those who want a profound experience of the legend, click here.

All in our Beginnings

2009-05-09T08:25:00.000-07:00

Even though I heard my first jazz performances on 78s from my dad's collection, before I even started grammar school, I didn't begin falling in love with the music until my high school years. In 1972, thanks to a friend with an extra ticket, I attended my first ever live gig, one of the concerts during the summer the Newport Jazz Festival moved to New York. This was, I believe, the year after the riots at Newport, Rhode Island, which resulted in George Wein moving the event to the Big Apple. The relocated festival was heavily promoted on tv shows both afternoon local and national late night, and I tried to watch as many appearances by participating artists as I could. Therefore I was thrilled when that friend invited me to go with her to a concert at Carnegie Hall. I recognized the names of a few of the performers: the Modern Jazz Quartet and Stan Getz. (Heck, after hearing Girl from Ipanema so often during the mid 60s, everyone seemed to know who Stan Getz was!) But there were two who were new to me: Gary Burton, who would be performing with Stan, and Pharoah Sanders, who would soon introduce my inexperienced ears to free jazz.

The big night came and my friend and I, all dressed up to go to the "City," traveled on the RR train to 59th Street and 5th Avenue. (We were so naive we didn't even realize that we could have gotten off at 57th Street and 7th Avenue, right near Carnegie Hall itself.) When we entered the venue, I immediately bought a program which was like a Who's Who of those on the scene at that point in time. (It became something I read and re-read constantly for about a week, trying to absorb as much information as I could about the music.) Ultimately my friend and I headed to our box in the mezzanine area, where we both eagerly awaited the beginning of the concert. Finally, the MJQ came on the stage, dressed so neat and proper that they probably made some members of the audience feel underdressed. To be honest, however, even though I enjoyed their sophisticated but swinging chamber jazz, I didn't completely get it. After all, the jazz I'd heard most up to this time had been big band sides, Hamp shouting "Hey-Ba-Ba-Re-Bop" and Shearing playing "Lullaby of Birdland" with a vocal chorus. After the MJQ's section, Getz and Burton came out and my friend and I liked the combination of tenor sax and vibes, although once again I'm sure I missed much of what was going on. After 37 years I don't remember when or if there was an intermission, but I do remember that the last musicians to hit the stage were Pharoah Sanders and his band. I now know why they were chosen as the closing "act." The majority of the audience seemed to have come to Carnegie Hall to hear jazz that was familiar to them. After that was out of the way, it was time for those few with more adventurous tastes. When Sanders began playing my friend and I figured he was tuning up, since we didn't hear anything approximating a melody. My friend decided that would be a good time to go to the lobby for a smoke (not yet forbidden inside certain areas of theatres). I left our box with her (just so we could talk--I've never smoked even one cig) and the two of us discussed the music we'd already heard. Finally the cigarette was history and we went back to our seats. The tuning up hadn't turned into a recognizable melody yet and after about 15 minutes my friend and I realized it never would. That was our cue to head for home, since we knew this particular style of jazz was wayyyy over our heads.

I attended just one more jazz gig with that friend, a solo appearance in the 1980s by Joe Pass, at the long-defunct Lush Life in Greenwich Village. I kept on learning about the various styles of jazz and gradually developed an appreciation for all of them--well most of them anyway. (Kenny G and most smooth jazz is still something that could drive me screaming from any room where they're played.) However, free jazz is now something I enjoy, since I've learned how to really hear and understand what's going on. Ornette Coleman has become one of my favorite jazz artists and the Sun Ra Arkestra at Iridium one Halloween night was one of my most fun experiences at any jazz club. Kind of makes me wonder what would have happened if I'd been able to listen to 1972 live Pharoah Sanders with my 2009 jazz ears!

Once more with feeling...

2009-05-03T20:53:00.000-07:00

As a follow-up to my prior post on Vinodivino, here are links to a couple of You Tube videos showcasing members of the Jed Levy Trio: Jed himself, as well as two other members who played at the wine bar very often, pianist Misha Tsiganov and bassist Thomson Kneeland. In these videos the trio has been expanded into a quartet with the addition of drummer Alvester Garnett.

Featured are two examples of Jed's own wonderful compositions, "Two Tears" and "Giuseppe's Borgo," both of which I had the privilege of hearing live quite often at Vinodivino.

Click on this to see a performance of the first song and on this for the second one.

Enjoy!

Life is Impermanent...

2009-04-28T16:22:00.000-07:00

I had planned to do my second post about a local wine bar, Vinodivino, which featured jazz from the Jed Levy Trio on most Wednesday and Friday nights. Notice I used the past tense. As of last week, this was an ongoing gig. As of today, that gig is no more.

For about one and a half years, you could enjoy great wine with great music from Jed, along with a rotating group of talented pianists and bassists. In the beginning, the trio played mainly the Great American Songbook and jazz standards, along with a few of Jed's own fine originals. Over the months, the gig morphed into an unofficial workshop for the tweaking and perfecting of the new music. And every week, you could generally find me sitting at the table directly behind the one used by the musicians.

It got to the point where I was treated like a non-playing member of the band, rather than just a fan. During the set breaks, the musicians and I would talk about music, politics, current events, general likes and dislikes, and details of our lives. Any walls between performer and listener were completely dissolved. We became like a family initially formed through our mutual love of jazz, and as a result, I also came to know some of these artists' parents, spouses, children and close friends.

Another wonderful benefit was that I developed "educated ears." The music became more alive for me. Watching and listening so closely twice a week for so many months opened up a fuller awareness of the nuances and subtleties of whatever was being played. Furthermore, I became more cognizant of the individual approaches to solos: the differences in touch and tone and improvisations both chordally and modally, plus a whole slew of other things that seemed like magic to a non-musician like me.

Fortunately, even though this venue is gone, I am still in contact with many of the musicians and since I can catch them playing at other gigs, the music continues. It's just that there was something special about having it right here in my neighborhood, going on while the citizens of Astoria went about living their daily lives which I witnessed through the wine bar's windows. That somehow made the jazz more grounded for me, not a rarified artform meant to be isolated, but something that interacted with and enhanced my world. No concert hall or basement club can ever duplicate this.

The First Post

2009-04-27T00:06:00.000-07:00

For decades I have been very serious about my love for jazz. Now I'm not talking about the watered-down smooth variety or the embalmed big band creations that play mainly to non-adventurous audiences. The jazz I'm referring to is a living music that is still being created anew, even in this age of corporate pop and hip hop, by performers who want to express themselves without just copying what's been done before. Their influences encompass more than just the expected varieties like swing, bebop or fusion and include world music and rhythms, instrumental classical and opera, or even folk music and bluegrass. They dare to go at times beyond the Great American Songbook and reinterpret, through the filter of jazz improvisation, music by nontraditional sources like The Beatles, Van Morrison, Blondie, Nirvana and Coldplay. They write their own original compositions and create unique charts that redefine what jazz standards should sound like. And through some miraculous force that has blessed my life, I have had the privilege of experiencing the live music of these iconoclasts in venues as small as wine bars and as large as concert halls. In many cases, these artists have even become my friends and acquaintances.

Through future posts, I'll attempt to introduce you to many of these talented instrumentalists and vocalists. Some of them are young enough to be my children. Others have been around for many years but may not have gotten the attention they deserve. However, there is one thing they all have in common: each one is unique and they truly love the music they have dedicated their lives to. I hope their stories will make you anxious to listen and learn more.