thank you to everyone around the world!
Sunday, February 28, 2010
Suzanne Cerny has been painting and exhibiting....
"Self Portrait" by Suzanne Cerny
Suzanne Cerny has been painting and exhibiting as well as creating public murals for over 30 years. Her work is in private collections in the U.S. and abroad.
Suzanne enjoys sketching portraits of jazz musicians in live performance at night clubs. She calls this activity "Drawing in the Dark". Other works are painted in studio from her own photos and historic photos when possible. She loves to listen to jazz CD's and jazz radio when painting. She says that "the music just flows through me and is a healing force. The level of concentration and creativity on the part of the jazz musicians makes me do my best work."Suzanne Cerny has been painting and exhibiting as well as creating public murals for over 30 years. Her work is in private collections in the U.S. and abroad.
She attended the High School of Music and Art in the late 1950's which was located just north of Harlem. Suzanne later studied fine art and design at The Cooper Union in New York City. She began an adventure seeing this country, river kayaking with a friend and living for several years in the Yukon Territory, Canada. She says she practised wilderness living as a life study. She designed a mural in wood relief in the Whitehorse City Hall depicting the history of the Klondike. She moved to San Francisco in 1968 and married and raised two wonderful children with Edward Cerny, a writer influenced by Henry Miller and the beat generation poets. Suzanne recently returned to live in the San Francisco Bay Area.
Charcoals of jazz musicians sketched in live performance from the "collection" are now available in small size laser prints especially for JJM. These are little jewels done live during the most wonderful performances in a club that was rarely crowded but had the most heartfelt jazz music. All prints are hand signed.
www.suzannecerny.com
http://www.jerryjazzmusician.com/mainHTML.cfm?page=cerny.html
“From Ella to Mandela” features some of Chicago’s most celebrated jazz vocalists
This work seamlessly weaves jazz, classical, and South African-inspired melodies, interspersed with moments of inspirational oration taken from Mandela’s speeches. The work culminates with a grand chorus featuring Soul Children of Chicago. Also featured are celebrated Chicago saxophonists Ari Brown and Ernest Dawkins, and a special appearance by T'Keyah Crystal Keymah.
http://chicagojazzphilharmonic.org/4per/per-series-hia/
Carline Ray, her late husband was Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong's bandleader/arranger/pianist
By Arnold Jay Smith
Her late husband was Luis Russell, Louis Armstrong's bandleader/arranger/pianist. Their daughter is the singer Catherine "Cat" Russell. Bassist/ vocalist Carline Ray is a name perhaps not as familiar as some other Octos in our file, but she's been playing with notable jazz personages for decades. In the 1940s, she played with the pioneering all-female band, the International Sweethearts of Rhythm. She was Mercer Ellington's bassist and singer when he conducted the music for Alvin Ailey's first Ailey/Ellington modern dance celebration, some 30 years ago. She plays upright and electric bass, piano, and guitar. Her vocal tones are in the rich alto range.
Carline is also an activist and an icon for Women in Jazz—both the organization and the movement in general. She's advised and befriended countless young female musicians who might otherwise not have had the persistence to deal with the hardships of the road: the one-nighters, playing what is largely a male-dominated music, and trying to establish an individual voice while remaining side players. In so doing, she's earned the respect of musicians of both genders.
Our interview took place in Disneyworld North—aka the Times Square area of West 42nd St., New York City—in an increasingly noisome restaurant down the block from B.B. King's and not far from Carline's apartment. Our conversation belied the lack of intimacy.
"I didn't expect to be living this long [she was born in 1925], so I didn't know what to expect," she confided at the outset. '"I'm still excited about meeting interesting people and going to more interesting places." In 2002 she went to South Africa with dancer/choreographer Mickey Davidson, for whom she played bass. "Davidson's son, Malcolm, was marrying a South African girl. We briefly toured Capetown and went to Robben Island to see where Nelson Mandela had been incarcerated in that small cell for 26 years. He [and the other prisoners] had to break up rocks with shiny things in them [mica?], and they weren't allowed sun glasses." As for the music she heard there, the only "native" music was what was played at the wedding. "It was for tribal dancers, which we heard later at a presentation of dances. They were really letting go. The company was 15-20 strong."
Carline Ray by Suzanne Cerny
Her turn towards other instruments came when she met bassist Edna Smith, who was a graduate of New York's High School of Music and Art. "We were standing in line to register [at Juilliard], and we became friends. She was very aggressive when it came to digging up gigs. Up to that time I had been listening to 'The Street' [W. 52nd]: Art Tatum, Sarah Vaughan, Billie Holiday, Red Allen. Edna's brother, Karl, had a car, and he would pick her up and take us uptown to The Nest, an after-hours place, where musicians hung out. We would also go to the Hollywood, where there would be an old-timer piano night. Young cats would go there as well. That's where I met Billy Taylor. Art Tatum would be the last pianist to go on. Nobody followed Art." One night someone asked Carline to sing. To this day she has no idea who even knew that she could sing. "Are you ready for this?" she remarked. "Art asked if it was alright for him to play for me." She thinks that she did a Gershwin tune, albeit shakily. "Then Tatum asked me, 'Did I play alright for you?' I made it my business to get up there more often to hear the likes of Willie 'the Lion' Smith." It was the mid '40s and the after-hours joints were jumpin'.
Carline was living in Harlem, when one night Erskine Hawkins asked her to come over to the Savoy Ballroom to audition as a singer. Did I mention that she was playing rhythm guitar at the time? After the vocal audition—she didn't recall what she sang, but she did remember that Charlie Buchanan, manager of the Savoy, approached her and said, '''Young lady, tell you what I'm gonna do. You will never have to pay to come in here again.' I loved to dance, so that was a major invitation. He was true to his word." Carline remained with the Hawkins band for about two years. "I did his famous recording of 'After Hours' along with reedmen Julian Dash ('Tuxedo Junction'), Haywood Henry and Jimmy Mitchell," she said. "Avery Parish, the tune's composer, was the pianist. There was some jealousy that I was getting more playing time than some of the other players, and I was told by Haywood—who was always looking out for me—that I would be 'approached.' But I was always treated like a lady and acted the same way."
There were lean, non-musical times, when Carline had to take other gigs such as managing a dry cleaners. But then there were The International Sweethearts of Rhythm and Luis Russell. "We had formed a trio: Edna Smith, bass, Pauline Braddy, drums, and myself on piano," she said. "Mr. Luis Russell, who was managing a room called Town Hill, came to the Village Door where we were playing. [He was] looking for a group to fill in while another of his groups was held over elsewhere. He hired us sound-unheard because he liked our press photo. The drum kit, the bass, and we piled into my car, and we made it for opening night. We had never laid eyes on Luis Russell prior to that."
Carline related an occasion when a police precinct captain paid Russell a visit. "They went into Luis' office scowling. When they came out they were both smiling. I said right there that I had to get to know Mr. Russell better." The Town Hill gig that was originally booked for two weeks lasted six months. Being a pianist himself, Russell kept the piano well-tuned for Carline and always asked her if "everything was all right."
Soon, she was dining at his house, where she sampled his native Panamanian cuisine. Things got warmer. "He took me to Basin Street East, where I got to meet Louis Armstrong for the first time," she said. "We became engaged on New Year's Eve 1955-56, which was my final year of my Masters at Manhattan School of Music." The evening was made all the more auspicious because Carline was doing a television show with Leonard Bernstein. "We were doing a choral Christmas and we had to memorize all the music because [Maestro Bernstein] didn't like having the music in front of us. I gave my brand-new engagement ring to Luis for safekeeping, because I was afraid of it falling off. No one knew we were even keeping company, so when I played Town Hill and they checked my fingers, no ring. Well, right after the TV show, who do you think was waiting for me to give me back my ring? Hubby to be."
I queried Carline about Luis's affiliations with Louis Armstrong. "He didn't talk about it much, but he did leave a steamer trunk, and in it is a box marked 'Louis Armstrong.' I don't know what's in it," she told me. "I do remember one time we were at Pee Wee Russell's house, where he was throwing a wedding anniversary party, when Louis telephoned. Seems he wanted to come over—it was after midnight—to take home movies of the event. Another time, Louis had asked my husband to go on the road with him, as his regular pianist Billy Kyle was ill. Luis didn't want to leave his new family, so he recommended another Panamanian pianist, Rod Rodriguez. Louis understood my husband's desire to stay home and he seemed happy with Rodriguez. That's about all Luis and I ever discussed about Louis."
[A fascinating digression as a preamble to her time with the Sweethearts: Her trio was being booked by Nat Lazzaro's office in the Brill Building, who also booked Stump & Stumpy, the famous tap duo. The story has come down to me that Harold Cromer (Stumpy) was at a rent party and fell over Dizzy Gillespie's horn, supposedly breaking it. Both Messrs. Cromer and Gillespie confirmed the tale to me. But Carline was there when it happened, and she tells a different story. She says firmly that the horn was never "broken," as first reported, just bent into its now internationally-renowned shape. And it wasn't at a rent party. "Edna and I were a duo playing intermission at a [midtown] place called Snooky's. Dizzy and his group were the headliners. During a break, he and his wife Lorraine went out for a drink. [Singer] Babs Gonzales walked onto the bandstand. When Babs left the bandstand and Dizzy picked up his horn to begin his second set, the bell was bent up. Did Babs accidentally step on something while on the bandstand? I don't know. Dizzy looked at it and murmured to himself as only he would, 'What the fuck…?' But when he played it, it worked. To my mind it sounded even better with the bell up. I guess Diz felt the same way because he never looked back."]
The story of her affiliation with the Sweethearts stems from activity in and around New York's Brill Building. "Ours was a different group then," she began. "Jackie King was our pianist; I was playing guitar by that time."
[Another digression: "One of the instruments in my father's house was a guitar, and it hung in my room. Edna Smith's guitarist didn't like to rehearse, so she asked me if she could borrow my father's, as we had upcoming gigs." Quickly and fearlessly, Carline taught herself the instrument.]
The Sweethearts (continued): "Edna [still a bass player] and I were walking to the subway, having left Lazzaro's office. She had her [electric] bass on her back, and we were off to our respective parents' homes where we lived—she in the Bronx, and me on W. 148th St. A nice-looking brown-skinned man came up to her and asked if he knew her. She replied, 'Unless you're a musician, I don't know you.' He went onto introduce himself as Maurice King, director of the Sweethearts of Rhythm. It seems he was looking for a group of girls to replace some who were leaving [the band]." In a coincidence straight out of a '40s movie, it happened that the configuration of Edna and Carline's group was exactly what the Sweethearts needed: piano, bass, and guitar, which was a very popular trio format. Think Tatum, Nat "King" Cole, and later, Oscar Peterson.
The Sweethearts were opening in St. Louis the next day. Carline was about to graduate from Juilliard, which took priority over all else, so she asked for a delay of a fortnight or so. King agreed, and sent her a ticket on the fabled "Spirit of St. Louis" railroad train. "I had never been west of New Jersey in my life," Carline remarked. "So here I go, on the road. The guitar I took with me was given to me by Steve Gibson (not related to the guitar family)—a custom-made flat top, round-hole Epiphone, which I recently gave to my son-in-law. We had a wonderful time [on the road] with both Erskine Hawkins as well as the Sweethearts, making all the black theaters, including the Apollo in New York and the Howard in Washington, D.C., and others across the country. It was like vaudeville. There were opening and closing acts, dancers and comedians in the middle. We backed them all. Along the way there was 'Moms' Mabley. Ella Fitzgerald and Ray Brown were sometimes on the bill. I stayed with the Sweethearts for about the same length of time as with Erskine—two years or so. I kept my eyes open and my mouth shut, and I learned a lot."
Carline was doing a great deal of backup vocal work. Besides Bernstein she worked for Patty Page and Bobby Darin. She was the backup baby on call for so many 1950s pop hits. It was also during this time that Carline met pianist John Browning, who became her teacher at the Manhattan School of Music. "No matter where he was, he would always make it back for my lesson," she remembered. At MSM at the same time were Donald Byrd and Coleridge Taylor Perkinson. "Perky and I became best friends. He got me my next teacher after MSM, Claire Gelza."
In 1956, baby Catherine came on the scene. "I took this child with me on gig after gig," Carline said. "She was old before her time. Luis put her on his lap at the piano and she would tinkle away. One time during a particularly popular TV commercial, I hummed the jingle. She said, 'No, mommy. You're in the wrong key.' And she would sing it for me. Perfect pitch and she couldn't have been more than five. Not long after that, I met Arnie Lawrence and he hired me for a date in a park in Queens. We were warming up and I had forgotten my pitch pipe, so I turned to Cat and said, 'Give me a G,' which she did." Neither Luis nor Carline had perfect pitch. I'll leave that as a non-sequitur. (Cue Twilight Zone theme ….)
Although I had heard her prior, my first formal encounter with Carline came when she appeared with Mercer Ellington's band backing the Alvin Ailey Dance Company during their first Duke Ellington season in the late 1970s. "It began when Alvin Ailey wanted to choreograph parts of Mary Lou Williams's "Mass," on which I had recorded some vocal parts. Actually, I was wearing two hats: bassist and singer."
[Carline had picked up the electric bass guitar, specifically a Fender, after hearing it played by Edna Smith. It was Monk Montgomery who first played it with the Lionel Hampton band, after Hamp had made a business arrangement with Mr. Fender. "When I saw Edna's I thought, 'Ah. A four- string guitar without the two top strings.' Edna would lend me her bass when she couldn't make a gig. I was hooked. I took to it naturally. Never studied."]
"Mary Lou's Mass" was a mainstay with the Ailey Company for three or four years in the mid 1970s. Then, in the late '70s, Ailey began choreographing Ellington's extended compositions. Carline knew all Duke's commercial tunes, but was excited to learn the longer things. Ailey presented that opportunity. The first was Ellington's setting of The Lord's Prayer, first sung with Ellington by Mahalia Jackson. Carline sang Mahalia's part. [The conductor was Joyce Brown, who achieved fame in Broadway's Golden Boy, starring Sammy Davis, Jr., and Purlie, starring Cleavon Little and introducing Melba Moore.]
"I had subbed for Mercer's bassist, and he liked what I did, so he asked if I could join the band. I was teaching at Medgar Evers College in Brooklyn, but they hadn't sent me an invitation letter for the next semester. So the next time it came up, I said to Mercer, 'Have bass, will travel.'''
When the band backed Ailey/Ellington in some of Duke's historic long-form masterpieces, Carline was there to vocalize and/or play her electric bass. The repertoire included "Three Black Kings," "Night Creature," "The River" (originally composed as a commission from the American Ballet Theatre), and a medley of Ellingtonia called "Pas de Duke." It was an honor when Down Beat magazine allowed me to review the dance series for the first time. For their 50th Anny in 2008-9, the Ailey Company reprised some of the Ellington pieces. They haven't lost a step to time (pun intended).
In 1980, at the encouragement of United Jazz Coalition founder Cobi Narita, Carline applied for—and won—an NEA grant to study upright bass. "I went right to my idol, Milt Hinton. But he was always on the road. My second idol choice was Major Holley, and he became my teacher." She continued playing electric, as well. "I usually carried my electric when I went on the road, because I heard all the stories of having to pay for another seat on the plane for the upright." That said, she has mentored others on upright bass.
Carline gives all the credit for forming International Women In Jazz to Narita. But it's always the purveyors who carry the music to public's ears and—in Carline's case—teach it to young aspirants. Many times Carline was the only female in the bands in which she played. Now, largely thanks to her and other pioneers, there are more all female or female-led bands than ever in our music's history. There's even a cable television program called "International Woman In Jazz." Hosted by vocalist/percussionist Fran McIntyre, the show has been a weekly staple on Manhattan Neighborhood Network since 1995. "Not only did we play [on the show]," Carline explained, "but Fran taught us how to use the cameras and the mixing board. She was one of my students … She calls me her mentor. She 'mentors' me to death," Carline laughed good-naturedly
Regrets: "Women musicians are simply not mentioned in many encyclopedias," Carline laments. "Ken Burns included Mary Lou, of course. But how many others?" The Burns PBS series, Jazz, also ignored European jazz, Latin jazz and Third Stream, to name but a few omissions. Dare I facetiously rationalize that jazz women are in good company with others who Burns omitted? Among the great women of jazz have been Marian McPartland, Marjorie Hyams, Mary Osborne, and Pat Moran, and that hardly scratches the surface. We owe thanks for the resultant preponderance of females now playing in your local saloons (or at least over their sound systems) to the perseverance of those pioneers.
Unfinished: "I'm not going to add anything more because my life goes on and on and I don't know what I'm going be doing."
http://www.jazz.com/features-and-interviews/2009/3/17/octojazzarian-profile-carline-ray
50 Years Later: A Landmark Recording Session
This year marks the 50th anniversary of Randy Westons signature recording session Uhuru Afrika, certainly a good time to reflect on that singular record in this Randys 84th year on the planet. And Im happy to report that our as-told-to book African Rhythms: The Autobiography of Randy Weston, composed by Randy Weston, arranged by Willard Jenkins, will be released by Duke University Press this fall, just nine years in the making! The lead-up to, the story of, and behind the making of Uhuru Afrika will be told in great detail in the book, but in light of this 50th anniversary of its recording I thought it was a good time to reprise the piece I contributed on the subject to DownBeat magazines February 2005 issue.
Freeing His Roots, The Making of Randy Westons Landmark Opus Uhuru Afrika
A social awareness swept through the jazz community around 1960. African-American jazz artists began to assert their heritage, embarking on a cultural quest in an atmosphere of racial and social unrest. Between 1958-1961, albums addressing the African-American social lanscape included Art Blakeys Africaine, John Coltranes Africa Brass, Oliver Nelsons Afro-American Sketches, Dizzy Gillespies Africana, Max Roachs Freedom Now, and Sonny Rollins Freedom Suite.
In addition to these albums, Randy Weston asserted his African Heritage with the 1960 recording of Uhuru Afrika, an inspired, historic statement from the pianist/composer. Looking back at the recording of this album, which took place [50] years ago. Weston is a bit defensive when describing his motivations.“Some people questioned my Africanness. They were afraid to deal with Africa," Weston said. “Some people said we were Black Nationalist because we created a music based upon African civilization. We have so little education about Africa, Uhuru Afrika, was a complete turnabout. We said, Africa is the cradle of civilization. Although were in Africa, the Caribbean, Brooklyn, or California, we have this commonality, spirituality and the great contributions of African society within all of us."
Weston was raised in a home of keen cultural awareness. The sancitity of his African heritage was a constant source of childhood inspiration, spurred by his father, Frank Weston. “I was in tune with Africa, and I was always upset about the separation of our people," Weston said. His dad, raised in Jamaica and Panama, cultivated that African consciousness in his only son. He kept literature on Africa and black liberation subjects around their home, and he insisted that Randy know that he is an African living in America.
In January 1955, Weston recorded the album Trio (Riverside) with bassist Sam Gill and drummer Blakey, which featured Westons first composition “Zulu." Westons African sensibilities emerged in his music from the outset, and he got a nod as “New Star" pianist in the 1955 DownBeat Critics Poll.....
Complete on > http://www.allaboutjazz.com/php/news.php?id=50699
The Philosophy of Jazz - Part One
In one of his most important novels (Nausea), Sartre wove a torn compliment to jazz and its variables. There was much in common between this music and african-American philosophy. I dare say that since the old and some jazz elements were already part of the inquiry. Louis Armstrong and Duke Ellington, the first of humble origin and other middle-class, one from Chicago the other Washington, transformed the art of jazz style and improvisation. These two suggest more and more styles in a multitude of trials. First came the Hot, Sweet and then Bebop, Cool, the Progressive, Hard-bop and never stopped. Were combined: the jazz should be traditional and innovative music in a transformation. But as you learn to play jazz ?????.
Only one definition - meaning one has to feel. This was never a problem for african Americans, a people committed to the emotion. For they say, means that suddenly appears from nowhere and it comes ready, and the photographic experience of a week. It was that way, living intensely their songs that Billie Holiday sang: "If you learn a song and it has something to do with you, there is nothing to develop. You just feel something too. For me it has nothing to do with work, arrangement or test. Give me a song that I can feel and it will not give me any work. There are some songs that I'm so sorry, I can not even sing them, but that is another thing. Singing songs like "The Man I Love" or "Porgy" does not give me more work than sit and eat a dish to Chinese duck and I love the Chinese. I've lived songs like that. When the corner, as I live and love again. "
What more can one do in your life not to be: test, try, make mistakes, correct, interpret, birth and death?. What does not think of jazz as a music without refinements. Far from it. His constant renovation was made possible thanks to a sophisticated interpretation of the musical tradition african American. How to live intensely the present, would have to be quite the past. In this way one can interpret the testimony of Charles Parker: "I felt that there must be something else. Sometimes I could hear it, but was unable to touch her. Well, that night improvising on "Cherokee," I found that using the higher intervals of a chord with the melody line and anchoring them with the appropriate sequences, I could play what they had heard long ago. It was as if born again. "
In a classic text on the tradition and individual talent, the poet and literary critic TS Eliot (1888-1965), jazz musician first time, brought new colors to the same idea: "It is likely that the artist will know what will be designed, unless you live in what is not only the present but the present moment of month, unless you are aware, not of what is dead now but what continues to live." - Namastê.
http://borboletasdejade.blogspot.com/2010/02/filosofia-do-jazz-primeira-parte.html
Bobby Previte Pan Atlantic
By Josef Woodard
Drummer/bandleader Bobby Previte has crossed between various scenes, from John Zorn’s Downtown NYC to Charlie Hunter’s jam-friendly world. With his latest album, Pan Atlantic (Palmetto Digital), Previte taps into his European connections, touching on Germany (saxophonist Wolfgang Puschnig), France (keyboardist Benoit Delbecq), Denmark (electric bassist Nils Davidsen) and Italy (trombonist Gianluca Petrella).
With the vibe-setting opener “Deep Lake,” which sets up a groove only to deconstruct it amidst Puschnig’s craggy bursts, Previte sets the stage of this project’s conceptual flavoring and mid-’70s Miles Davis atmosphere, which is more about stewing artfully than blowing mightily. Perhaps the most commanding voice in the band is that of young firebrand trombonist Petrella, one of the more skilled boundary-crossing jazz musicians around, whose handling of pure jazz, hip-hop/funk variations and the avant-garde bonds easily with Previte’s aesthetic. Petrella stretches out on “Stay on Path” and the aptly named tone poem “Question Mark,” while Delbecq issues muscular, harmonically tensed solos on “The Eternity Clause” and the title tune, tweaking the Rhodes sound into a Live/Evil-ish place. His solo Rhodes piece, “Veltin,” closes the album with an uncharacteristically stripped-down, benediction-like meditation.
All in all, Pan Atlantic is one of the more enticing and experimental of Previte’s recent musical adventures. The avant-jam-band and post-downtown schools go Euro, to provocative effect.
http://jazztimes.com/sections/albums/articles/25786-bobby-previte-pan-atlantic
Drummer-Led Series at Rose Live Music
Q: What do you call someone who hangs out with musicians?
A: A drummer.
This month and next, however, a series at Rose Live Music in Williamsburg, Brooklyn, might help dispel malicious prejudices towards drummers. That's because once a week until the end of March, Rose will feature ensembles in which drummers are not merely tolerated, but that they in fact lead.
Because of its central hipster-ville location, and the fact that it frequently hosts experimental, genre-crossing jazz, Rose is turning into a quintessential Brooklyn jazz club. What better place to feature performances by jazz/rock/other drummers like Bobby Previte, Billy Martin, Ben Perowsky, Jim Black, and Mark Giuliana?
For the complete schedule of Rose's drummer-led series, check out the club's website at http://roselivemusic.com/.
Also, feel free to share your favorite drummer jokes.
http://jazz.about.com/b/2010/02/25/drummer-led-series-at-rose-live-music.htm
•Mar - 01, 2010 - 09:00 Caitlin Rodgers Trio
•Mar - 01, 2010 - 11:00 Monday Night Soul Sessions
•Mar - 02, 2010 - 08:00 Rose Drummer Led Series & Search & Restore presents..BOBBY PREVITE
•Mar - 03, 2010 - 10:30 Sean Wayland
•Mar - 04, 2010 - 09:00 New York Gypsy All-Stars
•Mar - 04, 2010 - 11:00 Brooklyn Freestyle Sessions (Mobius Collective 4th Anniversary)
•Mar - 05, 2010 - 10:00 "Deep & Disco" w/DJs JKriv (Tortured Soul) & Lou Teti...
Saturday, February 27, 2010
David Soyer, Cellist, Is Dead at 87
By DANIEL J. WAKIN
Published: February 26, 2010
David Soyer, the founding cellist of the Guarneri String Quartet and a link to the legendary cellists Pablo Casals and Emanuel Feuermann, died on Thursday at his home in Manhattan. He was 87.
His death came a day after his birthday, his son Daniel said.
Mr. Soyer was the elder statesman when he and three other men about a dozen years younger — the violinists Arnold Steinhardt and John Dalley and the violist Michael Tree — formed a quartet at the Marlboro Music Festival in Vermont in 1964.
For the next 37 years they played together, a remarkable record of longevity for a string quartet, in which tensions over music making, money and personal differences often cause breakups. The Guarneri became one of the world’s best-known quartets, setting a standard in quartetistry with seamless, warm and impassioned playing and a unanimity that did not efface individual personalities. Mr. Soyer retired in 2001, making a handoff to his student Peter Wiley in a concert at Carnegie Hall. In the first half, Mr. Soyer played in Beethoven’s Quartet No. 13 in B flat (Op. 130), with its monumental Grosse Fuge finale. For the second half, Mr. Wiley sat next to his former teacher for Schubert’s String Quintet in C. Mr. Soyer, weary of touring, quoted Claus Adam on Mr. Adam’s leaving the Juilliard Quartet as cellist: “I don’t want to have a heart attack at a Holiday Inn after having had dinner at a Howard Johnson’s.”
Last May Mr. Soyer reappeared for another Schubert quintet performance at the Guarneri’s last concert in New York City, at the Metropolitan Museum of Art. The ensemble retired as a whole, playing its final concerts this season. The Guarneri traveled the world, playing 100 concerts a year, and its success drew the attention of writers and filmmakers. At least three books have been written about it, including one by Mr. Steinhardt. It was the subject of a well-received documentary in 1989, “High Fidelity: The Adventures of the Guarneri String Quartet.”
Mr. Soyer had a big, romantic sound. In the 1986 book “The Art of Quartet Playing: The Guarneri String Quartet in Conversation With David Blum,” Mr. Soyer described the position of a cello in a string quartet as both base and bass. “In the role of base the cellist has to assure the foundation of the ensemble,” he said. “There must be sufficient sense of presence and substance of sound to provide a point of stability. In the role of bass the cellist must give life to the harmonic structure.” The cello, he added, must also be the “rhythmic monitor” of a quartet by “setting the pulse, articulating points of rhythmic stress, conveying a sense of rhythmic direction.”
In a telephone interview Friday, Mr. Dalley described Mr. Soyer as the “quintessential quartet cellist.” One of his great strengths, he said, was a powerful presence. “What you want is a strong, assertive character in the bass.” Besides his son Daniel, of Needham, Mass., Mr. Soyer, who also lived in Halifax, Vt., is survived by his wife, Janet, a retired harpist; another son, Jeffrey, of Fairlee, Vt.; a sister, Dolores Soyer, of New York; and two granddaughters.
David Soyer was born on Feb. 24, 1923, in Philadelphia to nonmusical parents and took up the cello at the relatively late age of 11. His first teacher was Emmet Sargeant, a member of the Philadelphia Orchestra; he went on to study briefly with Joseph Emonts, a member of the New York Philharmonic. His major teacher was Diran Alexanian, followed by lessons with Feuermann and Casals. In the Blum book, Mr. Soyer recalled playing the euphonium in a Navy band in Washington that included Bernard Greenhouse, another cellist in a famed chamber ensemble, the Beaux Arts Trio. Mr. Soyer made his debut with the Philadelphia Orchestra in 1942, under Eugene Ormandy, performing “Schelomo” by Bloch.
In 1961 Rudolph Serkin invited him to the remarkable chamber music gathering in Vermont that he helped found at Marlboro College. Mr. Soyer had known Mr. Dalley from freelancing in New York. Mr. Dalley, Mr. Steinhardt and Mr. Tree knew one another from the Curtis Institute of Music in Philadelphia. All four played chamber music with Serkin. Mr. Soyer returned to the festival to perform chamber music nearly every summer for the last 30 years, said Frank Salomon, the music manager and Marlboro’s co-administrator.
He was also a teacher, giving lessons until two weeks ago at his apartment, said his son Daniel. He was on the faculties of Curtis, the Juilliard School and the Manhattan School of Music. Mr. Soyer would often recall the tough, almost abusive styles of some of his teachers, and joke about their influence. “My students cried a lot, but didn’t learn,” he once said. “They just cried. So I lightened up, and we were all happier.”
http://www.nytimes.com/2010/02/27/arts/music/27soyer.html?partner=rss&emc=rss
Jim Ridl is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher in the New York City area
"...an innovative force in jazz, a pianist of the highest caliber, a creative composer and improviser, and one of those rare musicians who stretches the art form even as he honors the established traditions." Vic Schermer, AllAboutJazz
Jim Ridl is a jazz pianist, composer, arranger and teacher in the New York City area. He performs internationally and nationally with the Jim Ridl Trio and Quintet, vocalist JD Walter, guitarist Ximo Tebar, trombonist Scott Reeves, guitarist Sheryl Bailey, trumpeter and vocalist Nate Birkey, violinist Diane Monroe, the Dave Liebman Big Band, the Denis DiBlasio Quintet, and the Antfarm Quartet.
Jim has 5 critically acclaimed cd releases: Your Cheatin’ Heart and Other Works on the Dreambox Media Label; Door In a Field (DBM); Jim Ridl Trio/Live (DBM); Blues Liberations - Solo Piano (DBM); and Five Minutes to Madness and Joy (Synergy Music).
Jim’s tenure with jazz guitar legend Pat Martino received many critically acclaimed reviews of performances around the world and produced 3 outstanding recordings Interchange, Night Wings and The Maker. Jim’s inventive arrangement of the Sonny Rollins' classic Oleo can be heard on the Grammy-nominated release Pat Martino Live at Yoshi’s with Joey DeFrancesco and Billy Hart. Jim’s composition Sun On My Hands can be heard on Martino’s Grammy-nominated release Think Tank in duet with Gonzalo Rubalcaba.
Jim is a member of the Dave Liebman Big Band, whose recording Beyond the Line is on the Omnitone label. (Jim also can be heard on vocalist JD Walter's collaboration with Liebman, Clear Day on Doubletime.) Jim has also performed and recorded extensively with baritone saxophonist, Denis DiBlasio. They have recorded 6 CDs together and have performed most major jazz festivals and venues in the region.
Additionally, Jim has performed and/or recorded with Randy Brecker, Marc Johnson, James Moody, Slide Hampton, Clark Terry, Mickey Roker, Billy Hart, Mark Murphy, Ravi Coltrane, the Woody Herman Orchestra, the Dizzy Gillespie Big Band, Bill Stewart, Rich Matteson, Marko Marcinko, Tim Horner, Ralph Bowen, Donny McCaslin, Mark Walker, Jean Michel Pilc, Dick and Ted Nash, Ari Hoenig, Jimmy Bruno, Tim Warfield, Terrell Stafford, Vic Juris, Paul Nash, Carla Cook, Francois Moutin, Bruce Williamson, Matt Wilson, Sherman Ferguson, Tyrone Brown,...
As a teacher, Jim has taught piano for over 25 years. He has conducted piano master classes at the University of the Arts (Philadelphia, PA), Metropolitan State College (Denver, CO), the University of Toledo as the Art Tatum Scholarship Artist in Residence (Toledo, OH) and West Chester University (West Chester, PA).
Jim was raised on a farm and ranch in North Dakota, and discovered his love for piano and jazz at an early age. He attended college at the University of Colorado at Denver, where he earned his Bachelor's degree in Scoring and Arranging, and was awarded its Student Achievement Award for composing "Ocean Sojourn," an orchestral tone poem which he performed with the Denver Symphony Orchestra, James Setapen, conducting. He is listed in the Who's Who of American Colleges and Universities. In Denver, Jim began his professional career performing and touring with local and nationally-recognized musicians, including the Grammy-nominated vocal jazz group, Rare Silk. In 1990, Jim moved to the East Coast to be part of its great music scene.
Program:
Thursday, March 11
Jim Ridl Quartet @ The Kitano
w/ Ralph Bowen, Tom DiCarlo and Tim Horner
The Kitano, NYC - Sets at 8 and 10 pm - http://kitano.com/522/Bar_Lounge
Friday, March 19
Denis DiBlasio Quartet featuring Randy Brecker
w/ Jim Ridl, Steve Varner and Jim Miller
@ Gerald Veasley’s Jazz Base - Crowne Plaza, Reading, PA - 7:00 p.m.
Berks Jazz Festival - http://www.berksjazzfest.com/ticketedevents.htm
Friday, April 16
Jim Ridl Quintet @ Philadelphia Museum of Art
w/ Charles Pillow, Ralph Bowen, Tom DiCarlo and Tim Horner
@ Philadelphia Museum of Art in The Great Stair Hall - 5:45 - 8:15pm - http://www.philamuseum.org/artafter5/
Sunday, April 18
ANTFARM QUARTET @ Concert at William & Mary College
Kimball Theatre 8:00PM
The Antfarm Quartet performs with the William & Mary Jazz Ensemble
Side note: From April 15-18, ANTFARM QUARTET(minus Jim Ridl, due to a concert conflict)
will be Artists-in-Residency @ William & Mary College. Check it out! Performance schedule and
details will be listed soon.
Vinyl Record Formats: EPs, LPs, 33s, 45s, 78s, oh my!
November 19, 2008
Vinyl records are produced in a variety of formats, and have a variety of terms describing them. Most of us kids that grew up with CDs don't know too much about this stuff, so I have prepared this handy guide!
It should also be noted that vinyl records have gone through a wide variety of format changes over the years. From their size to their playback speed to the depth of the grooves, and even the way in which the grooves are read, there are tons of formats out there, most of which are obsolete and very hard to find. I only want to focus on the main formats that are being used today, so this guide is not complete by any means. If you really want to get into the history of vinyl, I highly recommend Wikipedia's page about the Gramophone record.
With that said, here is the abridged version from Vinyl Revinyl!
EPs and LPs...Huh?
I have seen these acronyms all over the place in music shops for as long as I can remember. However, to call something an EP or an LP is generally not very accurate way to describe a record. In short, EP stands for "extended play", and is generally used to describe a 7" 45 RPM record. LP stands for "long play", and is often used to describe 12" 33 RPM records. However, these definitions are not completely sufficient because EP and LP are used to describe a variety of other record formats, most of which are out of print and obsolete. In general, all you need to know is that some people use the term EP to describe a single or short record with a few songs. LP is generally used to describe full-length albums.
Why is a single 7" record referred to as "Extended Play"?
The reason is that this new EP format did allow for extra playing time compared to what was offered at the time. Back in the bad old days, large records (10 and 12") would only play about 3-4 minutes per side. 7" EPs can play up to 12-15 minutes per side, hence the name "extended play".
Record Speeds: 33, 45 and 78 RPM
Records are played back at a certain RPM (rotations per minute) on your turntable. However, to be played back at that speed, it must also be recorded on to the record at that speed. Records that rotate at faster speeds generally contain more musical data, and are said to sound better. These days, most records that you'll come across are recorded at 33 or 45 RPMs. 78 RPM records are still out there, but as far as I know, no one is making them. Many newer turntables won't even play them because they don't have a setting for 78 RPMs.
Most records that are recorded at 45 RPMs are singles. Many of these records feature a large center hole so they can be used with jukeboxes and record changing mechanisms. To play a 45 on a turntable with a small spindle (the needle in the middle of the platter), you need a plastic "spider" that snaps into the center of the record so it can be played.
However, not all 45 RPM records are singles, or "EPs". Some LPs are being released at a playback speed of 45 RPM. Some believe that 45 RPM records sound better than 33 RPM records, and some audiophile-grade records use the faster 45 RPM format. I recently picked up Metallica's Master of Puppets in the 45 RPM format, but don't have a comparable 33 RPM record to compare it to, so I can't comment on improvements in sound over a 33 RPM record. I can say that it sounds WAAAAAY better than a CD.
Here's some more interesting trivia:
Some old record formats play back at 120 RPM.
Another failed record format playback speed is 16 2/3 RPM (Half that of a 33 RPM)
Record grooves are about 25 microns (.001 inches) wide. Some records are read by the stylus from the center of the record, outward (CDs operate this way too), as opposed to being read from the outside of the record in.
Alright! I hope you learned something here. Kick back, and enjoy the music!
http://www.vinylrevinyl.com/2008/11/19/vinyl-record-formats-eps-lps-33s-45s-78s-oh-my/
Flutist, vocalist, and songwriter, Ragan Whiteside is taking the Contemporary Jazz
"Sexy, elegant, and undeniably funky, Ragan's ultra hip take on contemporary jazz is irresistible. Her vibe meshes perfectly with sound of The Groove Boutique." - Rafe Gomez (The Groove Boutique, CD101.9 FM, New York)
"...let elegance, also dexterity be recognized; the integrity of this fascinating musical composition should be heard on all smooth jazz and classic soul airwaves world wide; Ragan Whiteside is elegance and one to watch out for in the music industry" let the flutress be heard." - Gary Tann (Harlem after Midnite, WHCR 90.3fm, New York)
Ragan began her musical studies at the age of 5, after her parents discovered her proclivity for music. A piano, a drum set, and a violin later, Ragan focused her energies on playing the flute and studying classical music. As she got older, Ragan discovered another love: Songwriting and Arranging. After winning numerous competitions in both performance and music composition throughout the United States, Ragan attended the Cleveland Institute of Music and the Harid Conservatory, where she earned her Bachelor of Music - Performance degree. Her due diligence paid off; she penned more than 1/2 of her debut disc, Class Axe.
Upon her return to New York in pursuit of her musical dream, Ragan switched gears from Classical to Jazz, Funk, and R&B. This buzzworthy artist has performed and/or recorded with various musicians throughout the US, including Earl Klugh, Gerald Veasley, Kirk Whalum, Rick Braun, Eric Darius, Kim Waters, Marion Meadows, and Grammy Award winning opera singer Esther Hinds, and the previously mentioned Bob Baldwin. Ragan has also written songs on three albums: Baldwin's "The American Spirit" (Shanachie), the multi-faceted collection "Brown Sugar" (Shanachie) and March 2008, New Urban.
In addition to her musical skills, the multi-talented Whiteside is also a web-designer. Check out her self-designed site, http://www.raganwhiteside.com/. This Mt. Vernon, NY native is also honing her audio engineering skills, which would then make her a quadruple threat!!
With so many talents, one never knows how you'll hear from... or see this extraordinary Artist in the future. For starters, we urge you to check out her encore Cap Jazz performance this summer, and remember that we told you so... Consider yourself warned!!
Program:
Saturday, March 06, 2010
NewUrban Jazz at the Arts Exchange - White Plains, NY 8:00 PM
NewUrban Jazz Concert Series at the Arts Exchange. Get a special sneak peak of Ragan's new album!
Thursday, March 18, 2010
Newark Symphony Hall - Newark, NJ 7:00 PM
Jazz For Haiti Benefit Concert - Newark Symphony Hall, Terrace Ballroom
1020 Broad Street, Newark, New Jersey
http://www.raganwhiteside.com/
Music Lovers vs. Audio Lovers
By Alan, February 7, 2010
Having a website about vinyl records, I occasionally attract folks from the audiophile crowd. Of course, this is great. When it comes to musical formats, audiophiles know where it's at (vinyl, duh!). Of course, there also seem to be a big group of audiophiles who don't seem to care that much about music. They just like the way it sounds on certain pieces of gear--not necessarily how much it resonates within you.
This is crap. Why listen to music then? Why not just listen to yourself talk? I mean, if I was a millionaire, you know I'd have a nice setup with McIntosh amps and JM Lab speakers, and a comfy seat set right up in the sweet spot, but this gear in no way effects how I feel about the music. I admit that having gear that can get LOUD without distortion helps a bit...loud music certainly does stir the soul, but whether you're listening on a $75 shelf system, or an iPod with headphones, or some krazy $50,000 rig, the music doesn't change.
Audiophiles love to debate about how all kinds of specifications (that are measured with precision instruments in labs) are SOOOOPER important to how the music sounds and how this piece of gear does this, or this piece of gear does that, and I'll admit (I like gadgets too), it's kinda cool, but the music isn't so much different based on what it's played through.
Where music is really going to affect you and nourish your soul--it's all psychological. It's all within you. If you connect with a piece of music, it doesn't matter what it's played through. What's going to make you feel good is everything that happens after the music leaves the speakers and enters your ears.
I'm a music lover, how about you?
http://www.vinylrevinyl.com/
Now Spinning: Digging Roots and Willie McBlind
As noted here, I spent my teens immersed in electric blues music as purveyed by The Allman Brothers Band, Johnny Winter, Paul Butterfield and the like. Through them, I cycled back through time to Muddy Waters, Howlin' Wolf and Elmore James, then further back to Son House, Bukka White and Robert Johnson. Without access to the Allmans or their peers in the flesh, my friends and I spent many a night soaking up electric blues—and soaking up quart bottles of Molson Export—via guys like Dutch Mason, Morgan Davis and David Wilcox (unwittingly, in the same barrooms as Dan Aykroyd, as it turns out).
What turned me on about guitarists like Wilcox, Winter and Duane Allman was how they took the blues form beyond what their predecessors had created, spinning out longer forms, using amplification for expanded dynamics and applying more advanced techniques than some of the early blues players possessed.
When I moved on to other forms of music—and, for the most part, gave up my wicked, beer-soaked ways—it seemed that electric blues guitar had been taken about as far as it could go. I began to realize this wasn't true when I heard Sonny Landreth wailing behind John Hiatt, and Derek Trucks began to outgrow the long shadow of Brother Duane. And, while they may be the highest profile players, Landreth and Trucks aren't the only guitarists who are taking the blues genre further out. Recently, two new releases have me as hopped up as I used to get after a couple of quarts of Ex.
The first recording—Digging Roots' We Are—reacquainted me with a guitarist I first met at the Festival International de Musique Actuelle de Victoriaville. Raven Kanatakta was—still is—a striking-looking young man who was studying at the Berklee College of Music. The last time I saw him, at the jazz festival in Ottawa, he was worried that a repetitive-strain injury would force him to quit guitar and focus on composition. He needn't have worried; he has developed into an exceptional, distinctive player. Sharing leadership of Digging Roots with his wife, singer ShoShona Kish, he's creating a compelling blend of blues, rock and urban dance music. I've been spinning We Are off and on for weeks.
The second guitarist who's caught my ear is Jon Catler, an inventive player who uses harmonically re-fretted and fretless guitars in his band Willie McBlind. Catler also collaborates with a creative singer, Meredith (Babe) Borden, who has a three-octave range. Both Catler and Borden have worked extensively in art music—he with La Monte Young, her with Meredith Monk and Philip Glass—and those influences flow into strains of Blind Willie Johnson and Mississippi Fred McDowell with a solubility that seems unlikely but sounds right. While I haven't warmed to Borden's voice as much as I have Kish's—purely a matter of taste, and mine is simply that—I'm sure many listeners will find Willie McBlind's Bad Thing indispensable. They certainly stir up an exciting racket that takes you way outside of where you might have imagined the blues going.
Posted by James Hale to > http://jazzchronicles.blogspot.com/2010/02/now-spinning-digging-roots-and-willie.html
Concord Remasters More Jazz Classics
Concord Music Group will launch a new reissue series, Original Jazz Classics Remasters, on March 30 with five titles culled from its catalog. The titles in Concord’s 24-bit remastering series include Dave Brubeck’s Jazz At Oberlin, Art Pepper’s Meets The Rhythm Section, Sonny Rollins’ Way Out West, Thelonious Monk With John Coltrane and Joe Pass’ Virtuoso.This series is an extension of the company’s recent Rudy Van Gelder Remasters reissues, which feature 24-bit remastering technology.
“With these reissues, we get a fresh look and a new perspective on these artists and some of their most important work,” said Nick Phillips, vice president of jazz at Concord. “Not only from the meticulous 24-bit remastering by Joe Tarantino, but also from the insights we glean from the new liner notes that have been written for each title in the series.”
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=1497
Nat Adderley Jr. Honors Legendary Family
Pianist Nat Adderley Jr. will pay tribute to his cornetist father and saxophonist uncle with two "Music of Cannonball and Nat Adderley" concerts to be held in California this March. Cornetist Longineu Parsons and saxophonist Diron Holloway will join Adderley in the premier performance on March 17 at Anthology's in San Diego and again on March 24 at Catalina Jazz Club in Los Angeles. Bassist Trevor Ware and drummer Roy McCurdy will also be part of the group. For Adderley, the performances will also mark a renewed emphasis on his jazz roots after having spent several years working as the musical director for the late Luther Vandross.
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=1499
Nat Adderley may have spent a significant part of his career in the shadow of his better known older brother, the alto saxophonist Julian 'Cannonball' Adderley, but he was always a major contributor to their shared projects, and achieved a great deal in his own right after his brother's death in 1975. He was born Nathaniel Adderley, and took up trumpet as a teenager in 1946. He began playing in local bands in Florida, and made what became a career long switch to the smaller cornet in 1950. He did so against the prevailing tide. Cornet had been the horn of choice for New Orleans trumpet players in the early days of jazz, but had fallen out of fashion in favour of trumpet by the bop era.
Adderley evolved a distinctive signature on the instrument, blending a rich tone and earthy warmth with the horn's inherent touch of astringency to great effect. He played in an army band for a time during his military service from 1951-3, then joined the band led by vibraphonist Lionel Hampton in 1954, his first association with an established jazz figure. He remained with Hampton until 1955, and cut his earliest recordings for the Savoy and EmArcy labels that same year.
Cannonball Adderley had made an early mark in New York when he sat in with bassist Oscar Pettiford at the Cafe Bohemia in Greenwich Village in 1955, but that did not translate into immediate success when the brothers joined forces in Cannonball's Quintet the following year. He broke up the group in 1957, and Nat worked with trombonist J. J. Johnson and bandleader Woody Herman before reuniting with his brother in 1959.
The earlier lack of success quickly evaporated. The band's funky, gospel-tinged jazz became one of the most successful sounds on the hard bop and soul jazz circuit, and they even scored an unexpected chart hit with 'Mercy, Mercy, Mercy' in 1966. Cannonball had featured alongside John Coltrane in Miles Davis's classic Sextet which made the legendary Kind of Blue album in 1959, and that association provided the boost he needed to take off as a star in his own right, with the cornetist very much his right hand man. Nat had continued to record under his own leadership, and made his most famous record for the Riverside label in January, 1960, with a band which featured guitarist Wes Montgomery. The resulting album, Work Song , included the tune which remains his best known composition, 'The Work Song'. Its bluesy call-and-response chorus was an emblematic example of the hard bop style of the period, and is still widely played.
It became a mainstay of the Adderley's as well as the hard bop repertoire, but was not the only composition by the cornetist to do so. His significant contributions as a composer also include widely performed tunes like 'Jive Samba', 'Hummin'', 'Sermonette', and 'The Old Country'. His role as a soloist was no less significant, and he was equally adept at uptempo hard bop excursions and richly delineated ballads. Miles Davis had been an early influence on his style, but he developed a highly individual and very expressive voice of his own, which included a sparing but effective use of the very low registers of the horn.
Nat remained a central part of his brother's various projects until the saxophonist's unexpected and premature death from a stroke in 1975. Their collaboration included an ambitious but very uneven "folk musical" based on the tale of the mythical black hero figure, John Henry, with lyrics by Diane Lampert and Peter Farrow. It was released on record as Big Man (Fantasy) in 1975, with the late Joe Williams singing the title role, and soul diva Randy Crawford making her recording debut as Big John's woman, Carolina.
A concert performance was given at Carnegie Hall the following year as a tribute to the saxophonist, and a full theatrical production under the title Shout Up A Morning was eventually staged at the Kennedy Centre for the Performing Arts in Washington and the La Jolla Playhouse in California in 1986. The cornetist had formed his own band shortly before his brother's death, and he continued to lead it until 1997, when his right leg was amputated following complications from diabetes, which would eventually lead to his death.
Bassist Walter Booker was a virtual ever-present in the band, but Adderley was equally open to the younger generation of players, and featured the likes of pianist Rob Bargad and alto saxophonist Vincent Herring for extended periods. He was appointed artist in residence to the faculty of Florida Southern College in 1996, and was inducted into the Jazz Hall of Fame in Kansas City in 1997. If he made his classic contributions to the music in the early 60s, he remained a highly resourceful and always musical performer throughout his long career, and left a rich recorded legacy in his many albums with his brother, under his own leadership, and as a sideman.
His son, Nat Adderley, Jr, is also a musician. He is also survived by his wife, Ann; his daughter, Alison; and five grandchildren.
http://www.jazztrumpetsolos.com/Nat_Adderley_Biography.asp
Cannonball Adderley - alto sax
Nat Adderley - cornet
Yusef Lateef - tenor sax, oboe, flute
Joe Zawinul - piano
Sam Jones - bass
Louis Hayes - drums
Monica Mancini takes the next step on her own musical path....
The very name “Mancini” brings with it many associations, most notably, exceptional talent, critical acclaim, and respected professionalism. Continuing the family legacy, Monica Mancini takes the next step on her own musical path with the release of Cinema Paradiso (CCD-4988-2), her second for Concord Records.Choosing to record a collection of theme songs from both new and classic movies was a natural choice for Monica. “Much of my favorite music comes from the movies,” she explains. “Theme songs are so evocative—when you listen to the lyrics, they really tell a story. I’ve always thought these kind of songs had more meaning because they conjure up both images and emotions.”
Possessing a warm, expressive voice and a remarkable gift for interpreting lyrics, Monica began her singing career as a member of the Henry Mancini Chorus. Later, she developed a lucrative career as a studio singer in Los Angeles, where she contributed vocals to countless film scores and recordings for a variety of major artists, from Placido Domingo to Dolly Parton and Michael Jackson to Quincy Jones.
Her 1998 eponymous debut, a homage to her father’s musical career, won over both critics and audiences alike and established Monica as a tour de force in the female vocal community. The New York Times noted that her voice was, “the glamorous equivalent to diamonds flashing,” and Jazz Times enthused that “Mancini sings like a dream.” Monica’s sophomore effort, The Dreams of Johnny Mercer (CCD-4937), featured seven Mercer songs, with music co-written by Concord label-mate Barry Manilow. The album served as a personal tribute to a close family friend and one of the most brilliant American song lyricists of all time.
Cinema Paradiso continues Monica’s tradition of selecting a theme that has a deeply personal connection. “This is the kind of music that I grew up with, and it’s what I know best,” she says. In fact, several of the songs on the new CD were specifically chosen because of their personal significance, including the title track. “Cinema Paradiso was my dad’s favorite movie theme,” she recalls. “It’s such a gorgeous piece, and he always said how much he loved it.” Monica and her husband / producer, Gregg Field, contacted composer Ennio Morricone and expressed the desire to have English lyrics written for this theme. “As it turned out, Gregg took on the challenge, and the lyrics were accepted by Morricone, which was very exciting.”
Another song with a link to her father is “Soldier in the Rain,” from the 1963 Steve McQueen film of the same name. With music by Henry Mancini and lyrics by the esteemed duo Alan and Marilyn Bergman, the song is a moving look at the lonely life of a serviceman. “It’s a very sad song,” comments Monica. “And I think it’s especially poignant with everything that is happening in the world today.”
Several other tunes on the CD also evoke a feeling of melancholy, especially the classics “The Summer Knows” and “The Shadow of Your Smile.” “I’m a big fan of Michelle Legrand’s, and I considered several of his songs,” Monica says of the love theme from the movie Summer of ‘42. Monica chose the Academy Award-winning Johnny Mandel/Paul Francis Webster tune from The Sandpiper for its beauty and timeless quality. Although she also admits, “It’s completely challenging to take on a standard—you want to make it personal and not just faithfully reproduce what’s been done before.”
Complete on: http://www.concordmusicgroup.com/artists/Monica-Mancini/
Sandoval Gets Symphonic
Trumpeter Arturo Sandoval’s new album, Time For Love (Concord Jazz), will feature classical compositions for orchestra and jazz trio. It is slated for a May 11 release.
“It’s been 20 years since I came to live in the United States,” said the Cuban-born Sandoval, “and practically every year, with every record label who’s signed me, I’ve asked to make this style of album. ‘Let me play softly,’ I said. ‘Let me play ballads with big orchestration behind me. Let me hear the violins and violas, the oboes and the flutes. Let me be inspired by a symphonic setting.’”
Jorge Calandrelli worked on the arrangements (which originated with Sandoval playing the tracks at his home studio) and used a synthesizer to suggest the strings. The disc features jazz standards along with interpretations of such classical composers as Maurice Ravel and Astor Piazzolla. Guests include trumpeter Chris Botti and vocalist Monica Mancini.
http://www.downbeat.com/default.asp?sect=news&subsect=news_detail&nid=1498
Friday, February 26, 2010
At Ronnie Scott's....
Wed 3rd – Thur 4th, Mar
THE GUY BARKER JAZZ ORCHESTRA PERFORM “DZF” featuring Rosario Giuliani & Byron Wallen, narrated by Michael Brandon.
Performing pieces from ‘The Amadeus Project’ - ‘dZf’. An original composition for BBC Radio 3 and the Mainly Mozart Festival, California, DZf is a 75-minute suite written by Guy Barker for the 14-piece Jazz Orchestra - it tells a revamped and modernised version of the story of The Magic Flute, Mozart’s final opera. Highly recommended, a rare opportunity to hear this unique composition.
Sun 7th, Mar
FUNK AFFAIR with special guest Omar
Ever since his first release “There’s nothing like this” in 1992, Omar has garnered legions of loyal fans, including a certain Stevie Wonder. That the was able to call upon the services of the great Stevie not to mention Angie Stone and Estelle on his 2007 album “Sing (if you want it)” shows the caliber and respect that he continues to command on the UK soul and funk scene.
Wed 10th - Thurs 11th, Mar
TRIO OF OZ WITH RACHEL Z & OMAR HAKIM
U.S Pianist Rachel Z has had a truly enviable career performing with some of the greatest names in music - joined for these Ronnie’s dates by the great drummer Omar Hakim. Support: Deirdre Cartwright's Picnic (Wed 10th) Emilia Martensson Sextet (Thur 11th).
José James: Maximum Seductiveness
NY Times Review: Ben Ratliff Playlist
"José James is a young American jazz singer who’s gotten most of his reputation making moody, post-D’Angelo R&B in Europe. He has traces of Gil Scott-Heron and Joe Williams in his voice; he can swing hard, murmur, sing ballads and chant cosmic chants. He still hasn’t made the serious jazz record my ear can imagine, but perhaps “Blackmagic” (on the British label Brownswood Recordings) is fresher than that anyway.
Partly produced by Steven Ellison, the Southern California innovator known as Flying Lotus, it weaves through dense headphone moments (“Warrior”), a dramatically delicate jazz ballad with piano, bass and brushed drums (“The Light”) and the great rhythm-and-blues tune “Save Your Love for Me,” written by Buddy Jones, which has been sung by some of the best pop singers of the century — Nancy Wilson, Etta Jones, Bobby (Blue) Bland. I’m being overoptimistic, but at least I have cause to wonder whether Mr. James could be, someday, among that company."
Influences:
Billie Holiday, John Coltrane, Marvin Gaye, Jean-Michel Basquiat, Life....
Program:
4 mar 2010 20:00 Le Poster a Galene Marseille
5 mar 2010 20:00 Le Jam Montpellier6 mar 2010 20:00 Centro Cultural Cordon Burgos
7 mar 2010 20:00 Auditorium (Hall B) Barcelona
10 mar 2010 20:00 Festsaal (at Kaufleuten) Zurich
11 mar 2010 20:00 Sinkkasten Frankfurt
12 mar 2010 20:00 Ampere Munich
14 mar 2010 20:00 Lido Berlin
15 mar 2010 20:00 Luxor Cologne
16 mar 2010 20:00 Stage Hamburg
18 mar 2010 20:00 Band On The Wall Manchester
by John Murph
Melding jazz with electronica may be a dicey proposition, but when the combination is executed as deftly as it is on José James' "Detroit Loveletter," the result can be smart and sexy. The song's producer, Moodymann, is based in the titular city, and he's long had a knack for incorporating that town's multifaceted musical legacy into soul-stirring deep house. Here, Moodymann uses the legacy of Motown — most notably Marvin Gaye and two of Gaye's most revered producers, Norman Whitfield and Leon Ware — as a jumping-off point, infusing James' sound with wah-wah guitar, overdubbed vocal harmonies and shadowy rhythms.
Still, James' silken baritone remains in the spotlight throughout "Detroit Loveletter," as he croons words crafted for maximum seductiveness. The improvisational pliancy of his singing reveals his jazz bona fides. He never mentions Detroit in the song, but when he sings "Feel like dancing" over a four-on-the-floor pulse, his shout-out to that city’s deep house scene rings loud and clear.
http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=124077475&sc=nl&cc=sod-20100225
A native of the Czech Republic, George Mraz was born in 1944
A native of the Czech Republic, George Mraz was born in 1944. He began his musical studies on violin at age seven and started playing jazz in high school on alto saxophone. He attended the Prague Conservatory in 1961 studying bass violin and graduating in 1966.
It is likely that his early exposure to these melodic instruments contributed to his mature lyric gifts as a bassist, an instrument he came to rather late in the game. "I was playing some weekend big band jobs," Mraz recalls, "and this bass player wasn't very good. Either that or he was a genius," he laughs, "because he seemed to always play the wrong notes. Every now and then you'd think he must play some of the right notes, just by accident. But, no. So I picked up the bass on a break and tried to find the notes. I thought, 'It's not that difficult.' So I got a bass and began playing a little bit. Next thing I knew, I was in the Prague Conservatory."
During that time he was performing with the top jazz groups in Prague. After finishing his studies George went to Munich and played clubs and concerts throughout Germany and Middle Europe with Benny Bailey, Carmel Jones, Leo Wright, Mal Waldron, Hampton Hawes, Jan Hammer and others.
Yet at the same time Mraz was deeply moved by the Voice Of America radio broadcasts of Willis Conover, who was his connection to a vast new world of possibilities across the ocean. "The first jazz I ever heard was actually Louis Armstrong. They had an hour of his music on Sundays in between all these light operettas and stuff they play in Prague. Then the strange voice of Satchmo singing was quite a shock. 'How can he get away with a voice like that?' I thought. But by the time the hour was over I decided I liked it better than anything I heard that day, so I started looking into jazz.
Photo: George Mraz and Tommy Flanagan
In 1968 George Mraz came to Boston on a scholarship to the Berklee School of Music and played at Lennie's on the Turnpike and the Jazz Workshop with such artists as Clark Terry, Herbie Hancock, Joe Williams and Carmen McRae.
In the winter of 1969 George got a call from Dizzy Gillespie to join his group in New York. After a few weeks with Dizzy, George went on the road with Oscar Peterson for about two years. After that he worked with the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra for the next six years. In the late seventies George worked with Stan Getz, New York Jazz Quartet, Zoot Sims, Bill Evans, John Abercrombie and for over ten years with Tommy Flanagan.
George Mraz has a profound gift for the acoustic bass. And while this musician's musician has been a stalwart presence on the modern jazz scene practically from the moment he first landed on these shores from his native Czechoslovakia, in the eyes of the general public his work is still somewhat undervalued. Perhaps because the self-effacing qualities he brings to the bandstand mirror the quiet character of the man stage left-onstage or off, he eschews the spotlight.
With his customary selflessness, Mraz allows as how he never demurred from approaching projects as a leader. "I always wanted to do some kind of projects on my own," Mraz insists, "I just never got around to it." And given the who's who of jazz masters who've made him their first call bassist for three decades (including the Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, Dizzy Gillespie, Carmen McRae, Clark Terry, Stan Getz, Slide Hampton, Elvin Jones, Joe Henderson, and Joe Lovano among many others), that's hardly surprising. "After I left Tommy Flanagan in 1992 I had a lot more time to do things," George smiles, adding that "I wouldn't mind doing a few more."
After leaving Flanagan, George went on to work with Joe Henderson, Hank Jones, Grand Slam (Jim Hall, Joe Lovano, Lewis Nash), DIM (Directions In Music with Herbie Hancock, Michael Brecker, Roy Hargrove), Mc Coy Tyner, Joe Lovano and Hank Jones Quartet, Manhattan Trinity.
He also has lead his own quartet with pianist Richie Beirach, drummer Billy Hart, and the lyrically riveting tenor man Rich Perry. (The quartet may be heard on Mraz's Milestone debut Jazz; Beirach and Hart are on the trio date My Foolish Heart, and Perry on Bottom Lines, the 1997 Mraz session featuring favorite works by fellow bassists Jaco Pastorius, Ron Carter, Marcus Miller, Charles Mingus, Buster Williams, and Steve Swallow, plus George himself.)
Photo: George Mraz and Harry "Sweets" Edison
George Mraz has recorded with Oscar Peterson, Tommy Flanagan, Roland Hanna, Hank Jones, Charles Mingus, Thad Jones/Mel Lewis Orchestra, NYJQ, Lionel Hampton, Woody Herman, Toshiko Akioshi, Kenny Drew, Barry Harris, Tete Montoliu, Jimmy Rowles, Larry Willis, Richie Beirach, McCoy Tyner, Adam Makowicz, Jimmy Smith, Stan Getz, Zoot Sims, Pepper Adams, Art Pepper, Warne Marshe, Phil Woods, Grover Washington Jr., Archie Shepp, Dave Leibman, Joe Lovano, Jim Hall, John Abercrombie, Kenny Burrell, Larry Coryell, Dizzy Gillespie, Chet Baker, Art Farmer, Jon Faddis, Jimmy Knepper, Bob Brookmeyer, Jon Hendricks, Carmen McRae, Helen Merrill, Elvin Jones and many others.
His albums as a leader include: "Catching Up" on ALFA Records and "Jazz", "My Foolish Heart" , “Bottom Lines”, “Duke’s Place” and “Morava”, all on Milestone Records.
Mraz's latest release is Moravian Gems, a collection of jagged rhythms, intriguing harmonies and colorful melodies developing out of the folk tradition of Moravá to merge with the drive, sophistication and inventiveness of jazz. Mraz spent formative portions of his childhood in his father’s native region, known in the west as Moravia. His memories of Moravá’s lush fields, the liveliness and warmth of its people, the songs they sang in their piquant dialect, thrive in Mraz’s performances here. Pianist Emil Viklicky? composed much of the music and arranged all but one of the pieces. The other partners are drummer Laco Tropp, who has long been featured in Viklicky’s trio, and the astonishingly gifted singer Iva Bittová.
Mraz and Viklicky met at a jazz festival in Yugoslavia in 1976, Mraz had moved to New York, become one of the most sought-after bassists in the world and was playing in Stan Getz’s quartet. Viklicky? had returned from the Berklee School of Music in Boston and was establishing himself in Czech jazz as a member of Karel Velebny’s SHQ ensemble. Mraz played in Velebny’s band during his student years at the Prague Conservatory. More than two decades after their initial meeting, visiting Prague in 1997, Mraz suggested to Emil that they consider a project melding traditional Moravian music with jazz. This CD is an outgrowth of their collaboration.
The two considered the range of Moravian music, the lyricism and emotion it carries, and its potential to provide settings for improvisation.
Paul Vlcek, the album’s producer, pointed out that the strongly modal character of Moravian songs, especially those from Southern Moravia, has been preserved for centuries owing in part to its geographic isolation but “more so due to its folks’ love of singing and handing their songs down the generations in their original form largely unaffected by fashions and trends. Moravians’ instinctive ear for modal harmonies and the ease with which they inhabit them when playing and singing, makes their music spontaneous, even exotic perhaps, and for non-Moravians, often unpredictable.”
To sing the songs, Emil suggested Iva Bittová, a singer of uncommon vocal purity and flexibility, musicianship that encompasses advanced violin skills, and acting ability that has put her in leading film roles. She was born in the northern Moravian town of Bruntál in 1958. Her mother, Ludmila Bittová, was a teacher and singer. Her father, Koloman Bitto, was a multi-instrumentalist who concentrated on double bass.
“I love this material a lot,” Bittová said, “Before the recording, I spent some time going over the music with Emil and with Laco, who still has smiling eyes. But it was my first meeting with George and the first time I had recorded with a jazz band. I heard from George’s double bass the beat of my father Koloman’s heart. He was a great musician who died in 1984, just 53 years old. I was so deeply touched by George’s playing, I decided not to use headphones or monitors, just feel the vibration of the music in that moment, in that room. Such a strong inspiration for my singing.”
George and Iva Bittova will be performing some of the songs from Moravian Gems, as well as some originals, in a duo format in the near future. See the performance schedule page.
http://www.georgemraz.com/bio.html
Performing "Take The "A" Train
Joe Henderson - saxophone,
Al Foster - drums
Bheki Mseleu - piano,
George Mraz - bass
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