NJJazzList.com

07/29 Sun ED PALERMO'S CHEMISTRY SET- MUSIC OF ZAPPA at LUNA STAGE 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style:Swing/Big Band, Cover: over $10, THE LUNA FUSION FEST DAY 2 WITH THE DEBUT OF ED PALERMO'S CHEMISTRY SET ED PALERMO'S NEW 9 PIECE BIG BAND PLAYS FRANK ZAPPA CLASSICS Learn more, Hear samples , (862/973)

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07/29 Sun Lou Volpe Jazz Guitar at The Waterside 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Style: Smooth Jazz, Cover: None, Lou Volpe plays solo at the Jazz Brunch at this beautiful waterside restaurant opposite the 79th St. boat basin with beautiful views of the harbor. Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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07/29 Sun Monday Blues Jazz Orchestra at German-American Society of Trenton NJ 3:00 pm to 7:00 pm Style:Swing/Big Band, Cover: over $10, Join the MBJO at the German-American Society of Trenton NJ (215 Uncle Pete's Road Trenton, NJ) monthly for dancing (Ballroom, Latin, and more...) featuring live music provided by our 23 piece big band, and incredible food. Sit and listen, or get up and dance, just come out and have fun with us ! Tickets are $15 per person at the door, reservations not required, but are suggested. Reservations will be accepted by calling 856-764-3106 and speaking with Dennis or JoAnn Lawrence. Food and alcohol are available for an extra charge; dinner is available from 1pm-5pm. Learn more , Hear samples , (609/ )

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07/29 Sun Nobuki Takamen Trio at Garage Restaurant & Cafe 11:30 pm to 2:30 am Style: Guitar, Cover: None, Nobuki Takamen (Gt), John Lenis (B) & Yutaka Uchida (Dr) Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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07/29 Sun Pam Purvis and The Blue Skies Band at Hibiscus Restaurant in the Best Western, Morristow 12:00 pm to 3:00 pm Style: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, This is a lovely brunch and we always have a great time. A terrific venue for singers. byob Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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07/29 Sun Swingadelic at Swing 46 8:30 pm to 1:00 am Style: Swing/Big Band, Cover: None, Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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07/29 Sun The Charles Mingus Jazz Workshop at Rutgers University, Mason Gross School of the Arts 8:30 am to 10:00 pm Style: Bebop/Hard Bop, Cover: Unkown, Conrad Herwig and the esteemed Mason Gross Jazz Faculty present, teach and perform during a week-long Workshop featuring the music of Charles Mingus. This is a unique opportunity for young musicians to experience the genius of Charles Mingus in a comprehensive workshop environment. Ideal for young musicians ages 13-18 interested in improving thei jazz improvisation, small group, and large ensemble skills. Students work intensively with Rutgers faculty, take a trip to the Jazz Standard in NYC and perform in the Nicholas Music Center and one of Jersey's jazz clubs. Learn more , (732/848)

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07/29 Sun The Powerhouse Big Band Featuring Joe Ferrara at Ocean County Library, Toms River, NJ 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm Style: Swing/Big Band, Cover: None, Authentic 17 piece big band with male vocalist. The band lives up to its namesake, it is true "Powerhouse"! Come enjoy jazz music in a beautiful setting, Free outdoor concert outside of the Ocean County Library in Toms River.Bring a chair! , Hear samples , (732/848)

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07/30 Mon 10th Street Live Open Mic at 10th Street Live 8:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Open mics are a great way to share your singing, songwriting, and musical talent, and give you real world performing experience in front of a live audience. Come early and enjoy dinner and a drink. Learn more , (908/ )

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07/30 Mon Rob Paparozzi-with thePat Karwan Band at The Dutchman's (Near LBI Rt 72E ) 7:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Blues-Electric, Cover: $10 or less, Rob & Pat Karwan's Band Monday Night Blues!! Learn more , Hear samples , (609/ )

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07/31 Tue B.D. Lenz quartet at Westfield Jazz Festival 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style: Fusion, Cover: None, Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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07/31 Tue JAZZ JAM SESSION WITH THE CROSSROADS ALL-STARS at Crossroads - 78 North Ave. Garwood, NJ 9:00 pm to 1:00 am Style: Jam Session, Cover: None, Radam Schwartz - organ Dave Ginsberg - trumpet Kevin Hildebrandt - guitar Don Williams - drums Learn more , (908/ )

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07/31 Tue Lauren Hooker DUO with John Hart at The Village Restaurant 7:00 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Vocal,Cover: None, 156 5th Ave Pelham NY - Excellent Caribbean food , Hear samples , (Other )

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07/31 Tue Rio Clemente and Friends at Ridgewood Jazz Series 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover:None, Free open air .Ridgewood Concert Series, Kaschau Shell. Rain or shine. Bring lawn chairs.. , (Unknown)

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07/31 Tue The Adam Machaskee Quartet at Tumulty's Pub - 361 George St. New Brunswick, NJ 8:00 pm to 11:00 pm Style: Mixed, Cover: None, Trombonist Adam Machaskee and his band. Learn more , (Unknown)

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07/31 Tue Westfield Sweet Sounds Jazz Festival 2012 at Downtwon Westfield 7:00 pm to 9:00 pm Style:Mixed, Cover: None, B.D. Lenz - Central Ave. Anthony Nelson - E. Broad St. & North Ave. Christine Spero Group- Elm St. Scarlett Lee Moore - North Ave. Learn more , (908/ )

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08/01 Wed Pilsener Haus Jazz & Blues Jam at Pilsener Haus & Biergarten 8:00 pm to 12:00 am Style: Jam Session, Cover: None, Hosted by Julio Fernandez (Spyro Gyra guitarist) and vocalist Jennifer Lampert Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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08/01 Wed Rutgers Jazz Faculty, Conrad Herwig, director at Nicholas Music Center 7:30 pm to 8:30 pm Style:Bebop/Hard Bop, Cover: None, A tribute to Charles Mingus is on tap for the annual Rutgers Jazz Faculty concert. Featuring artists Conrad Herwig, trombone; Joe Magnarelli, trumpet; Ralph Bowen, saxophone; Bill O’Connell, piano; Kenny Davis, bass; Donald Edwards, drums; and Vic Juris, guitar. directions: http://www.masongross.rutgers.edu/performing-arts-center/venues/nicholas-music-center Learn more , (732/848)

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08/01 Wed The Dan Wilensky Quartet at Bryant Park, Fountain Terrace, 41st/6th, NYC 6:00 pm to 7:00 pmStyle: Straight-ahead, Cover: None, Jazz after work in beautiful Bryant Park in Midtown Manhattan. 1 hour show, featuring Jon Davis (p), Jim Whitney (b), Eric Halverson (d), and Dan WIlensky (s). Enter on the corner of 41st Street and 6th Avenue. Learn more , Hear samples , (Unknown)

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08/02 Thu B.D. Lenz at Newark Famers Market 11:00 am to 3:00 pm Style: Contemporary/Post Bop, Cover:None, duo gig Learn more , Hear samples , ()

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08/02 Thu Craig Handy & The Second Line Smith at Pilsener Haus & Biergarten 8:00 pm to 12:00 am Style:Jam Session, Cover: None, The music of Jimmy Smith meets New Orleans Second Line! Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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08/02 Thu MARLENE VERPLANCK at KASSCHAU SHELL, RIDGEWOOD NJ 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm Style:Vocal, Cover: None, MARLENE SINGS THE AMERICAN SONGBOOK WITH A GREAT LINEUP OF PLAYERS THE SITE IS BEHIND THE LIBRARY ON MAPLE ST, RIDGEWOOD, NJ Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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08/02 Thu MARLENE VERPLANCK at KASSCHAU SHELL, RIDGEWOOD NJ 8:30 pm to 10:00 pm Style:Vocal, Cover: None, MARLENE WILL SING WITH A GREAT LINEUP OF PLAYERS. THE SITE IS BEHIND THE LIBRARY ON MAPLE. BRING A LAWN CHAIR Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

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08/02 Thu Mauricio de Souza with Ronny Whyte at Kitano Hotel 8:00 pm to 11:30 pm Style: Straight-ahead,Cover: None, Mauricio de Souza performs with Jazz Pianist/Vocalist Ronny White and his Trio at Kitano. Sets at 8 and 10pm. 66 Park Ave. (at 38th St.), New York, NY. 212-885-7119. www.kitano.com. Ronny Whyte Trio will be performing Jazz standards as well as some original tunes. Ronny Whyte (piano/vocal), Boots Ma leson (bass), Mauricio de Souza (drums). Learn more , Hear samples , (212/ )

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08/02 Thu Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute Bands at Hyatt Regency New Brunswick 6:00 pm to 8:00 pm Style:Mixed, Cover: None, Students of the Rutgers Summer Jazz Institute perform two sets at the Hyatt Regency New Brunswick. This event is in partnership with the New Brunswick Jazz Project. , (732/848)

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08/02 Thu West Hills Project at The Rail House 1449 7:30 pm to 1:00 am Style: Mixed, Cover: None, The Project brings classic jazz to Rahway. Enjoy a drink at the outside garden with full bar and fire pit.. Tips appreciated Learn more , Hear samples , (201/551)

John Cage and the Music of Zen -- the biography

John Cage's immense contribution to the arts - and to music by Brian Eno and Philip Glass, Morton Feldman and Pierre Boulez, Nam June Paik and La Monte Young - has a crucial yet invisible Zen component.

A new biography, "Where the Heart Beats: John Cage, Zen Buddhism, and the Life of Artists" (Penguin Press, 2012), by critic Kay Larson (New York Magazine, the New York Times), makes visible the music of Cage's Zen path.

In the 1950s, Cage heard lectures on Zen by the great Japanese scholar D. T. Suzuki. These ancient teachings spoke to Cage as though meant just for him. He wrote music based on Zen principles of indeterminacy and chance, and a “silent piece” (4’33”) that honors Suzuki’s teachings. Cage’s transformation became ground zero in a new international postmodern art, music, and performance avant-garde that still honors him as pioneer.

Early press:

"Without a doubt, the richest, most stimulating, most absorbing book I've read in the past year, if not decade. . . ." -- Maria Popova, Brain Pickings

"Tough-minded even when working at high levels of abstraction, Where the Heart Beats is one of the most profound, not to mention unexpected, gifts imaginable during John Cage's centennary year." -- Seth Colter Wells, Slate.

"A thoroughly researched and wittily written guide to Cage and the Zen mind. There are delightful surprises and revelatory anecdotes on nearly every page." -- Larry Lipkis, LIbrary Journal.

https://www.storyamp.com/dispatch/780/e4c0afcef20e0b5048aac8f65f3e4639

Panamá Jazz Festival

Panamá, 16 de Julio de 2012.
Panama Jazz Production, compañía de producción que organiza el Panama Jazz Festival, invita a la celebración del Primer Festival de Percusión de Centroamérica (FEPECE) , a realizarse el próximo 11 de agosto del 2012 en Ciudad de Panamá. Este será un evento académico, cultural y artístico, con clínicas musicales en la Fundación Danilo Pérez a partir de las 10 de la mañana, presentaciones musicales en ATENEO de Ciudad del Saber, desde las 5 de la tarde y grupos representantes de Panamá, Colombia, Estados Unidos, España y Chile. 

Dicho festival es realizado por Panamá Jazz Production, en colaboración con Percuaction y el Berklee Global Jazz Institute de Berklee College of Music. Con la participación del reconocido grupo colombiano TEKEYE dirigido por el profesor Tupac Mantilla, fundador de la red global de percusión, Percuaction.

“La misión de nuestros festivales es ofrecer eventos artísticos y educativos del primer nivel. Nuestro objetivo es crear un cambio positivo en la sociedad a través de acciones concretas y sostenibles como entrenamiento en el área de producción, educación y acceso a eventos culturales de la mas alta calidad a personas de todas las edades y condiciones sociales” - señala Patricia Zárate, Directora Ejecutiva de Panama Jazz Productions.

Entre los participantes del festival se destaca el Grupo de Percusión de la Fundación Danilo Pérez dirigido por Oscar Cruz y Chale Icaza, dos destacados percusionistas panameños que apoyan la labor de la Fundación durante el año y representan a un sector importante de la música popular del país. Por otro lado, representando la música tradicional se integra el Maestro de la Percusión Ricaurte Villareal y su grupo Tambores de Panamá. Así también participará el grupo de la chilena Ella Ponce, y el Berklee Global Jazz Institute de Boston, con su invitado especial el percusionista español Sergio Martínez.

Los asistentes pueden obtener sus entradas a través de Blockbuster, tuboleto.com y en las oficinas de Ciudad del Saber en el edificio 104. El costo de las entradas es de $20 para el publico general y $5 para estudiantes, jubilados y menores de 12 años.

Las clínicas de percusión se realizarán en el edificio de la Fundación Danilo Pérez ubicado en Calle A diagonal a Plaza Herrera, Casco Antiguo, tienen un costo de $5 (desde los 12 años) y están abiertas a personas de todas las edades. Para obtener más información sobre el FEPECE - Panamá 2012 llame al 507-317-1466 o al 507-317-1468, o visite www.panamajazzfestival.com

Richard Sussman is a pianist,....

Richard Sussman is a pianist, composer, music technologist, and professor of jazz composition at Manhattan School of Music in New York City.

Over the years, Richard has attained a high level of accomplishment and recognition as a jazz pianist and composer, both as a sideman with various artists, and more significantly, as a leader of various ensembles performing his own uniquely original compositions. His varied career has included performances and/or recordings with Lionel Hampton, Buddy Rich, Steve Slagle, Randy Brecker, Lee Konitz, Blood Sweat & Tears, David Sanborn, Houston Person, and Donna Summer, among many others. His jazz discography includes four albums of original music as a leader, including the critically acclaimed "Free Fall" (Double-Time Records), “Live At Sweet Rhythm” (Origin Records), and “Continuum” (Origin Records).

Richard has also achieved considerable success and recognition as a composer and orchestrator for large ensembles, with a particular focus on the integration of jazz rhythmic and improvisational elements with contemporary classical harmonic and structural techniques. Writing credits include a commission by the Manhattan School of Music ("Dialogue For Jazz Band & Orchestra" - 2003) and 2 NEA grants in composition for large-scale works for Jazz Band and Symphony Orchestra (Suites #1 & 2 for Jazz Band and Orchestra) as well as arrangements for Lionel Hampton, Blood Sweat & Tears, Mel Lewis, Randy Brecker, the West Chester Jazz Orchestra, the Metropole Orchestra (Amsterdam), the WDR Jazz Big Band (Cologne, Germany), and others.

Richard received the prestigious ASCAP Jazz Commission for Established Composer in 2008. This lead to the composition of “Ivories Tower”, a big band arrangement honoring jazz legend Hank Jones, premiered by the Chicago Jazz Ensemble under the direction of Jon Faddis in February 2009. The work was subsequently performed by the Metropole Orchestra (May, 2009) with Hank Jones as the featured soloist. Richard has since developed a relationship with Hank Jones, and was working on several arranging projects for the maestro until his untimely passing in May, 2010.

As an educator, Richard Sussman has been an integral member of the Jazz Composition Faculty at the highly esteemed Manhattan School of Music in New York City since 1986. His responsibilities at MSM include private composition lessons, teaching and developing curriculum for Jazz Arranging classes, and managing all aspects of the Electronic Music Technology/MIDI Recording Studios for the Jazz Department. He is an established and effective clinician both in the areas of jazz improvisation and composition, as well as music technology and scoring for film and television. The arranging textbook “Jazz Composition and Arranging in the Digital Age”, co-authored by Richard and Michael Abene, was published in January, 2012 by Oxford University Press. Richard has also been an active advocate for the arts in his local community, and is currently president of the Rockland County (NY) Jazz & Blues Society.

Richard has also achieved success as a composer, performer, and programmer in the realm of MIDI Synthesizers and Commercial Music Production. He participated as Synthesizer Programmer on Randy Brecker's 1998 Grammy winning CD "Into The Sun". His extensive work in the field of film and television scoring has included projects for ABC, NBC, CBS, Nickelodeon, and Disney.

Pianist/Keyboardist/Composer/Arranger with:

• Buddy Rich
• Lionel Hampton
• Lee Konitz
• Blood, Sweat, & Tears
• Steve Slagle/Dave Stryker
• Donna Summer
• Additional Performances with the following artists:
  • Houston Person; David Sanborn; George Benson; Sonny Fortune; Carly Simon; Marty Balin; Cleo Laine; Roland Vasquez; Anita O'Day; Chris Conner; Country Joe McDonald; Anthony & The Imperials;
• Shows: Jesus Christ Superstar; Oh! Calcutta
• MIDI Programming for “Broadway Swing”

Frank D’Rone: “Double Exposure”

Frank D’Rone: “Double Exposure” (Whaling City Sound). Great male jazz vocalists remain in desperately short supply, but a few are still battling to keep standards high. Chicagoan D’Rone ranks among them, his “Double Exposure” giving listeners the rare opportunity to hear him on record with a big band. Like his longtime peers Frank Sinatra and Tony Bennett, 80-year-old D’Rone conveys an authority born of decades in front of ensembles large and small. No vocalist shapes a melodic line quite like D’Rone, who brings surging rhythmic power to “When the Sun Comes Out,” a whimsical spirit to “Pick Yourself Up” and imperturbable swing rhythm to “The One I Love.” And then there’s D’Rone’s guitar playing, a beguiling touch on several cuts. Considering the durability of D’Rone’s career, the integrity of his art and the ambition of this recording, “Double Exposure” arrives as an important document, showing what a great American singer can achieve at an exalted age. - Chicago Tribune

Frank D’Rone    -   Double Exposure   3/3
O’s Notes: Frank is a cabaret-style balladeer equally at home in front of a large ensemble or solo, singing and playing guitar. In both cases D’Rone is in command and projecting strong vocals. The program alternates between the big band and vocal/guitar tracks all centered around Frank. Phil Kelly produced and arranged music. He also conducts the band. Our favorite is “Pick Yourself Up.” - D. Oscar Groomes/O’s Place Jazz Magazine

“…the new CD — “Double Exposure” — was recently recorded in a studio session and attests to his incredibly well-preserved voice. He sounds no different now than he did when he recorded for Mercury in the late 1950′s. The album is amazing, and beautifully arranged and conducted by our own Phil Kelly. Half of the tracks are with an orchestra, and the other half are just Frank singing and accompanying himself on guitar.

http://www.amazon.com/Double-Exposure-Frank-DRone/dp/B005LY46CI

I can’t imagine anyone not loving… D’Rone…unique, instantly recognizable voices.” ~ Frederick Stack

“The kind of performance that the Vegas gods are smiling down upon, D’Rone could teach contemporary singers a thing or tow about finding the meat of the lyric in the classic song bag and how to sell that song in even the simplistic settings. If you’re hip enough to dig real jazz vocal, this old dog still knows how to bury a bone! Check it out.” ~ Midwest Record

“We who remember D’Rone from years back are reminded that if had never sung a note, he’s a superb jazz guitarist. But, lucky for us, he sang then, and he’s still singing now. And how!” ~ George Fendel ~ Jazz Society of Oregon

Pauly Cohen, Trumpeter, A Film About Following Your Dream

Now I want to tell a story that needs a larger canvas.  This is a one-hour documentary about a soon-to-be ninety year old trumpeter named Pauly Cohen, still following his big band dream.

Pauly is a Jazz elder who graduated from Lincoln High School in Brooklyn and within a few years, was working as a big band lead trumpeter with Tommy Dorsey, Artie Shaw and Charlie Barnet.  His credits include hundreds of recording sessions, TV and Radio programs, and many many years on the road.   

An early mentor and friend was Dizzy Gillespie, dating back to the mid-40s, when they were both in the trumpet section of the Earl Hines Big Band that also included Charlie Parker.  Pauly reached a creative peak in the 70s when he played lead trumpet with Count Basie.

When Pauly moved to South Florida in his early 80s, he didn’t retire. Instead, he formed his own group populated by other big band veterans, which he continues to lead today, on the eve of his 90th birthday. 

Pauly Cohen is still driven by the same pursuit for musical excellence that made him one of the great lead trumpet players in big band jazz, and the same passion for life that’s motivated him to work on himself and become a better man.  The formerly irascible horn man, who always had a great sense of humor, now reveals that he also has a heart of gold.

Pauly’s story is not just for music fans. It has a more universal appeal because it's about something everyone experiences: aging.  Most people lead a less active life after the age of seventy.  But rather than stay home and watch big band tributes on PBS, Pauly Cohen charges forward, focused solely on the music he's playing today with his own band. 

This film is about a man about to turn ninety, still actively pursuing his big band dream at a time in life when those who have survived the ravages of old age are most likely retired and lined up for an early dinner.  Thankfully, there is a man of action like Pauly Cohen, to remind us that we can continue to do what we love, long past forced retirement.

Esbjörn Svensson Trio - The Face Of Love

A tribute to Esbjörn Svensson (died on 14.06.2008).
Playlist with the hole concert in Stockholm:
http://www.youtube.com/view_play_list?p=C888EFAFDA978E75
1. Good morning susie soho
2. From gagarin´s point of view
3. Definition of a dog (1/2)
4. Definition of a dog (2/2)
5. The face of love
6. Bowling (1/3 piano)
7. Bowling (2/3 percussion)
8. Bowling (3/3 final)
9. Dodge the dodo (1/2)
10. Dodge the dodo (2/2)
11. ´round midnight
12. Bemsha swing
13. Special: Interview (1/2)
14. Special: Interview (2/2)

Monica Zetterlund - Sakta gå hem genom stan

Ted Gioia on 'Jazz Standards'

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Jazz writer and scholar Ted Gioia makes book-writing look easy, which, of course, makes life a little harder for the rest of us scribes. An insightful, clean writer, Ted tackles tough jazz subjects and develops a narrative that's easy to follow, telling the book's story in a highly informative and engaging style. You probaly know Ted best as the author of West Coast Jazz (1998) and Delta Blues(2009), but he also has written The History of Jazz (1998), The Birth (and Death) of the Cool (2009) and quite a few others.

Ted's latest is The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire(Oxford), a handy reference guide to 252 songs and the stories behind them. As with all of Ted's books, this one will surely be on home shelves long after others are gone.

In an interview with Ted, 54, we talked about the criteria for a jazz standard and why so few songs written today fit into this category...

JazzWax: So what’s the difference between a jazz standard and a Great American Songbook standard?
Ted Gioia: Songbook standards refer to the best popular songs from the Golden Age of American songwriting, which started in the 1920s and ran out of steam the late 1950s and early 1960s. While many of these songs are jazz standards and are in my book, jazz musicians also draw on other compositions, some of them little-known by the general public. These might include obscure soundtrack themes such asInvitation, traditional pieces like Tiger Rag, or original compositions by jazz artists such as Thelonious Monk, Miles Davis and John Coltrane. No book has covered this core repertoire in its entirety—essentially the songs working jazz musicians need to know and fans ought to learn. I wanted to fill the gap. [Photo above: New York's Tin Pan Alley]


JW: What criteria did you use for the songs in your book?
TG: I ended up choosing and writing on 252 compositions. But to decide which ones to include, I started by looking at those that had been recorded most often by jazz players. But I soon realized that many of those pieces have fallen out of favor in recent years. Tunes like The Sheik of Araby and Some of These Days. So I couldn’t rely on a simple numeric ranking based on objective criteria

JW: What did you do?
TG: I needed to make some subjective judgments about which songs are cornerstones of the jazz repertoire today. I’m sure there will be debate and controversy about what I included or excluded—those conversations are part of the fun of a project like this. But I expect general agreement about the vast majority of the music discussed in my work.


JW: Some biggies seem to be absent—like Killer Joe, Blues March, Along Came Betty, Hi-Fly, Four and What a Difference a Day Made. Was this a conscious decision?
TG: I focused on songs that you're likely to hear today at a jazz club—or might be asked to perform on the bandstand if you are a musician. These aren’t always bestselling jazz songs, or the most popular among fans, or even the most respected by critics. Sometimes a jazz song can earn a gold record, but not be performed frequently enough by later name artists to become a standard.

JW: For example?
TG: Songs like The In Crowd, Mercy Mercy Mercy and Cast Your Fate to the Wind. On the other hand, songs such as Lush Life or Blue Bossa might never show up on the Billboardcharts but are performed again and again by jazz artists. 


JW: What is the newest jazz standard in your book?
TG: I haven’t done a chronological sorting, but you raise an important question. I am dismayed at how little the standard repertoire has changed since the 1970s. Some jazz artists today are trying to broaden the standard repertoire—by performing works by Kurt Cobain or Radiohead or Michael Jackson or other more contemporary figures. But none of these newer songs are performed frequently enough to justify inclusion alongside Summertime and I Got Rhythm.

JW: Does this trend worry you?
TG: I hope this state of affairs changes. I would welcome a more expansive attitude toward the standard repertoire, and I'd be quite happy to revise my book at some future date because newer songs were getting covered as often as the older tunes. I worry about the stagnation of the repertoire. I even considered including an appendix on songs that should be jazz standards, but aren’t—but that would have opened a different can of worms.


JW: If you were to rank your choices, which would be your list of 10 most potent and influential jazz standards—in order?
TG: You could debate this endlessly, but here are 10 milestone works that have continued to provide a benchmark for jazz improvisers over several generations:

• I Got Rhythm
• Body and Soul
• St. Louis Blues
• All the Things You Are
• Round Midnight
• How High the Moon
• Caravan
• Take the A Train
• Star Dust
• My Funny Valentine

Yet even here, you can see some changes in attitude over the years.


JW: How so?
TG: When I was first learning to play jazz piano, Caravanwould not have made the list. It was considered more a bit of musical exoticism than a core standard. But this song is very well suited to the modal phrasing and stylistic preferences of the current day, so it now takes center stage at many gigs. Star Dust, in contrast, might eventually fall off my top-10 list—even though it is one of the most popular jazz songs ever recorded. It doesn’t adapt quite so well to modern conceptions of improvising.


JW: Which jazz standard has the most intriguing back-story?
TG: Probably Body and Soul. Today we treat this song as the ultimate sax ballad, the measuring rod by which an improviser is judged. But it almost failed to become a standard. The singer who commissioned it originally never even bothered to record it. The middle section of the song was a reject—turned down by bandleader Guy Lombardo when composer Johnny Green tried to give it to him. The lyricists were unhappy with the words and continued to tinker with them even after the song was copyrighted. Even the name of the tune caused problems.

JW: How so?
TG: At the time, NBC refused to announce the title over the airwaves since they deemed the word “body” too explicit. The fact that Body and Soul overcame all these obstacles is largely due to one man—Coleman Hawkins. But even he was surprised when his record became a big hit in 1939. “I don’t understand why or how,” was his later comment.


JW: What is the secret recipe for a timeless jazz standard?
TG: Jazz musicians favor songs that are good vehicles for improvisation. Often this is due to an interesting twist in the chord changes or some other factor that the general public probably wouldn’t even notice. Take All the Things You Are, for example. To the average set of ears, the first eight bars of the song sound the same as the next eight bars. But there is actually a modulation that brings the melody down a fourth. This is quite unconventional, and improvisers dig it. But the average listener wouldn’t even hear it.


JW: Why do jazz musicians keep playing it?
TG: Shortly before saxophonist Bud Shank [pictured] died in 2009, he told me he still felt he hadn’t yet exhausted all of the possibilities in All the Things You Are. He was 82-years-old at the time and had been playing the song for more than a half-century. For him—and for many jazz musicians—a piece of this sort isn’t just a song. It’s a set of possibilities. It’s an invitation to explore. Those qualities are what establish a song as a jazz standard. Not what the song is, but what it can become in the hands of a creative improviser.

JW: Is this recipe still valid today?
TG: Clearly it’s getting harder to apply this recipe. There’s a growing chasm between popular music and the jazz sensibility. The harmonic underpinnings of popular music today are getting simpler and simpler. The melodies are getting squeezed into a narrower range, with fewer chromatic notes and more predictable phrasing. But most jazz musicians want songs that have interesting chord changes or some clever hook in their construction. This divergence makes it difficult for a current-day song to move from the Billboard charts to the jazz bandstand. 


JW: But jazz musicians can’t merely play the same standards over and over again.
TG: That’s true. Jazz needs to maintain a vibrant dialogue with the popular music of the current day if it hopes to remain vital and not turn into a museum piece. Artists such as Robert Glasper [pictured] and Esperanza Spalding are trying to forge this kind of dialogue, but sometimes it feels as if the jazz side of the equation has been sold out in the process.  Even so, efforts of this sort are, I believe, essential for the long-term health of the art form. 


JW: Why do these older jazz standards continue to intrigue jazz buyers?
TG: The standard jazz repertoire continues to have a large audience in the jazz world and even among aging rock and pop stars. Paul McCartney [pictured] is the latest. And even young pop icons line up to record the old songs alongside Tony Bennett. His last album [Duets II] found him revisiting standards in tandem with Lady Gaga, Carrie Underwood, John Mayer and other performers who aren’t even half his age.

JW: Cabaret is another big market for jazz standards, yes?
TG: Absolutely. You also hear them turn up in movie soundtracks, as background to commercials, in video games and other likely and unlikely places. I give many examples in my book. 


JW: So, is it still possible to write a jazz standard today?
TG: I listen to new music every day and hear many promising songs. But it’s harder than ever for a serious songwriter to navigate through the industry bottlenecks. The music industry seems determined to turn the record business into a fashion and lifestyle category, where songwriting as a professional craft has little or no role. 


JW: Are jazz musicians themselves an obstacle?
TG: To some extent. Many jazz musicians prefer recording their own original songs and rarely want to feature a song by anyone outside of their band—unless the composer is dead and gone. A few major jazz musicians are bucking this trend, and I applaud them. I just wish more improvisers would follow their lead. 

JazzWax pages: You'll find Ted Gioia's The Jazz Standards: A Guide to the Repertoire (Oxford)here. For more on Ted Gioia, gohere.

JazzWax tracks: Jim Higgins, book editor of the Milwaukee Journal-Sentinel, assembled a Spotify playlist featuring 2,000 songs that Ted has recommend in his new book. Go here.
Used with permission by Marc Myers