Saturday, April 30, 2016

Rick Bogart

Rick Bogart received his formal classical training at Philadelphia's prestigious Curtis Institute of Music and North Texas State University. At age twelve Rick began his first formal lessons with a retired Big Band musician, Mr. Reader. Gumming the tenor sax that had been his mainstay throughout the Big Band days, Mr. Reader gave Rick a lesson in the blues ''before anything else''.

The Real Training
''Yes, I learned theory, harmony, composition, and all the rest,'' he says. But my real training was at the traditional but unofficial New Orleans School of Music. In Bogart's relentless quest to bring the clarinet back to the fore as a lead instrument, he has also been enamored with musician who can sing.

''As they say in New Orleans, 'lf you can sing, sing'" So Bogart sings. As a musician-singer there is always that element of swing. ''I liked the way Thomas Jefferson sang – I could not get enough of it. I was so happy to play in his band and work with him night after night."

Bogart's selection of tunes are from what NEWSWEEK not long ago referred to as the ''classical music of the 20th century'." Among them are ''My Blue Heaven'' ''Don't be that Way'' ''Begin The Begiune'' .'On The Sunny Side Of The Street'' ''If I Could Be With You'' ''Exactly Like You, and ''Lady Be Good''.  

Published on Apr 27, 2015

Rick Bogart at Birdland selections from Bogart at Birdland Featuring Leonard Gaskin and Charlie Parker songs Wonderfull World and Just Friends and more

He is certainly appreciative of other styles, such as be-bop and avant-garde players.''The great players of the past inspired me by keeping the melody in mind. The big tone concept of sound. They had respect for the melody. They always tried to state the melody repeatedly so people would know.''

Bogart regrets the decline in popularity of the clarinet and is on a mission to bring it back to center stage as a lead instrument. Bogart believes the clarinet declined for three reasons:
First, the clarinet is a difficult instrument to play; it was easier to get those warmer, richer solos on the tenor saxophone.
Second, there was a certain reaction to the great clarinet band leaders of the 1930's and 40's, so that the new players shied away from the instrument and wanted to play something different.

Thirdly, in the United States after the Big Band era, instrument makers made the clarinet primarily for school, their biggest customers. Children couldn't handle the wide bore, couldn't fill it with air. Thus the manufacturers narrowed the bore, altering the sound. Many of those playing professionally, including Bogart, have their clarinets ''customized'' to get the sound they want  – similar to Boosey and Hawkes 10-10, the great English clarinet.

Recently Rick has given concerts at the University of Donetsk, Ukraine and the Kiev Opera House, Ukraine sponsored by the AMS Corp. Additionally he has performed at a concert at the United Nations, NY and a question & answer session with the U.N. Society Jazz Band.


Visit: www.rickbogart.com
Sent by: Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/

Todd Coolman & Trifecta - “Collectables”


Todd Coolman & Trifecta - “Collectables” (Sunnyside SSC 4025)

Todd Coolman, bass, Bill Cunliffe, piano, and Dennis Mackrel, drums

Street Date: May 20, 2015

I like to collect things.  Mind you, I am not a really serious collector, the kind who eventually sells his collections for thousands of dollars or has them placed in the Smithsonian, but my collections are instead sort of a personal hobby that I enjoy when I have leisure time.  Among my many unrelated collections are baseball hats and ephemera, antique fishing tackle, drawings and photographs of birds, wristwatches (I am fascinated with the idea of time, generally), and various categories of books.  I can’t really say why I maintain such collections, but these things interest me for various reasons, and my collections are generally associated with pleasant memories.

So, it stands to reason that when I set out to record what is now my fourth CD as a leader (bassists, generally, are seldom bandleaders), that I would “collect” a repertoire of enjoyable and memorable tunes chosen from the thousands I have either heard or played (i.e. collected) over the years, thus beginning my first “tune collection.”  This of course leaves room for adding to my collection at any point in the future, so I see it as an open ended venture.

I also set out to “collect” special musical collaborators; people I have especially enjoyed performing with over the years.  That is no easy task, as I have been honored and fortunate to play with so many world-class musicians throughout my career.  For this specific project, I chose to go with a classic trio format (piano, bass, and drums), as it is one of my favorite configurations.  I believe the first time I played with Bill Cunliffe and Dennis Mackrel together in a trio setting was within our faculty roles at the Skidmore Jazz Institute that I now direct.


From the first time we played, there was an immediate, “hook up” filled with empathy, support, humor, intensity, sensitivity, swing, and almost every other desirable musical and personal trait one could ask for.  Performing together more recently, I sensed that we had “reached another gear” so to speak and were getting somewhere even more special musically.  Having them join me for this recording became an easy and natural choice, since when we first got together several years ago, we have had great times in performance both as a stand-alone jazz trio, and also as a trio “backing up” other estimable soloists.  We are versatile, and love to play in either context.

I am grateful for the arranging contributions of Renee Rosnes (Summer Night), Bill Cunliffe (We’ll Be Together Again, You’re My Everything, Three And One, and Isn’t It A Pity), Dennis Mackrel (With All My Love), and the trio for “concocting” arrangements for the rest of the tunes.

By now, the reader can easily see why this recording is entitled, “Collectables” but it may be less obvious as to why our trio is called, “Trifecta.”  Of course, the prefix “Tri” suggests “three” but “Trifecta” is a term derived from thoroughbred horse racing and Pari-Mutuel betting.  Since this trio first performed several years ago in Saratoga Springs, New York, home of one of the world’s major thoroughbred racing tracks, and since this very recording took place in Saratoga Springs as well, the name seemed fitting.
So now it is time for me to share my latest collection with you, the listener.  I hope you will agree that the music contained here is special and heartfelt, therefore earning the moniker, “Collectables.”  Hopefully this will find a special place in some collection of your own.
By Todd Coolman, New York City, 2016

Artist Website: www.toddcoolman.org
Label Website: www.sunnysiderecords.com


Photo credits:
Trio photo:  Terri-Lynn Pellegri
Front cover image of Todd: Chris Drukker

 

National Press Campaign

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services
Ph: 845-986-1677 / jim@jazzpromoservices.com

Jazz Instruction With Jazz Master Charlie Shoemake

Photo: ccjazzi.org
Arguably the most successful jazz educator in west coast history” - Jazz critic Leonard Feather

After seven years with the iconic George Shearing Quintet, Charlie Shoemake opened his jazz improvisation studio in Sherman Oaks, California. Twenty years later, over 1,500 musicians had studied with him, among them Ted Nash (star soloist with Wynton Marsalis’ Lincoln Center Orchestra), Andy Martin (regarded by many as the leading jazz trombonist of today) and countless others.

Using his private library of over 600 transcriptions of the jazz worlds greatest artists, his easy to understand knowledge of harmonic theory and supportive approach to each individual student’s playing levels he achieved great success. Now, because of Skype and Facetime these lessons can be available to anyone from all over the world Tuition is $100 for a single lesson, $80 if the lessons are weekly or twice monthly.

To get started simply e-mail Charlie at charlie@talsanmusic.com to set up time. .......

Charlie Shoemake
Founder / The Bebop Music Store

Jazz Fest 2016: Tedeschi Trucks Band is the next big thing, producer says

The Tedeschi Trucks Band with special guests Billy F. Gibbons, right center, and Jimmie Vaughan, back left, on the Acura Stage at Jazz Fest on Thursday, April 28, 2016 in New Orleans. (Photo by Chris Granger, Nola.com | The Times-Picayune)

By Christy Lorio NOLA.com | The Times-Picayune 

on April 29, 2016 at 7:05 AM, updated April 29, 2016 at 2:18 PM

"When they got together, they made the next great American band," New Orleans Jazz and Heritage Festival producer Quint Davis boldly proclaimed as the Tedeschi Trucks Band hit the Acura stage on Thursday (April 28) to close out the day.
The band's two-hour set, ranging from incredible guitar riffs to heart-felt ballads, proved Davis right.
The 12-piece Southern blues band, fronted by husband and wife duo Derek Trucks, on lead guitar and former Allman Brothers member, and Susan Tedeschi, vocals and guitar, filled the stage with a full horn section, two drum kits, a keyboardist and guitars.
Tedeschi took the stage in a low-cut, sky blue sequined knee length dress and opened the set with "Made Up Mind" off their 2013 album of the same name. The band bounces between rock, gospel and blues.
Tedeschi's soulful, gravelly voice impressively commands the 12-piece band. Trucks kept an even, cool demeanor even through the most hair-raising guitar solos, despite sweat dripping off his guitar. "It's like the guitar is talking to you," said an audience member. He was right.
Tedeschi brought so much energy to the Wayne Carson's classic "The Letter," she had to reach for a towel to wipe sweat from her glasses after the song. It was certainly a turning point in the already high energy performance.
The biggest anticipation was the appearance of Jimmy Vaughn and Billy Gibbons on stage.
Jimmy Vaughan sauntered on stage first, with slicked back grey hair and a burgundy Western snap shirt with a silver conch guitar strap. The band bowed down without bowing out as Vaughan joined Tedeschi for "Let The Good Times Roll."
Next up, Gibbons, wearing the coolest black rhinestone studded black leather jacket, joined the band onstage to play everything from ZZ Top tunes to B.B. King. "I don't care who you are (as a musician)...you were touched by him," Tedeschi said of King.
read more: http://news360.com/digestarticle/1LDM0CP9eE616tWM_nSEbQ

Friday, April 29, 2016

Legrand Plays Richard Rodgers

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
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In the 1950s, everyone in jazz and pop was sweet on Richard Rodgers. Many of the composer's highly melodic songs were easy to sing and leverage for swinging interpretations. Whether they were written with Lorenz Hart or Oscar Hammerstein II, Rodgers' love songs sounded hip without trying, becoming perfect vessels into which musicians could add their own ingredients. [Photo above of Michel Legrand in 1962]
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While there were many small-group and vocal albums of Rodgers' music in the 1950s and '60s, only three big bands recorded instrumental interpretations of his work. Interestingly, all three are drop-dead great. While you surely know Shorty Rogers Plays Richard Rodgers, recorded in January 1957, and you may know Les Brown's Richard Rodgers Bandbook, recorded in April 1962 (go here for my post on the Brown album), you probably are unaware of the Michel Legrand Big Band Plays Richard Rodgers. It's completely out of the park.
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Recorded over three days for the Philips label in New York in early December 1962. The size and caliber of the personnel on the sessions were staggering.
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On My Funny Valentine, Some Enchanted Evening, Getting to Know You and People Will Say We're in Love...
Al Derisi, Ernie Royal, Clark Terry, Snooky Young (tp); Wayne Andre, Willie Dennis, Bill Elton, Urbie Green, John Rains (tb); Dick Lieb, Tom Mitchell (b-tb); Ray Alonge, Dick Berg, Earl Chapin (fhr); Don Butterfield, Harvey Phillips (tu); Phil Woods, George Berg, Tony Castallano, Harold Feldman, Don Hammond, Al Howard, Walt Levinsky, Al Klink, Danny Bank, Sol Schlinger (woodwinds,reeds); Lou Stein (p); Milt Hinton (b); Gary Burton (vib,perc); Bill Costa, Warren Smith (perc) and Michel Legrand (arr,cond) with Billy Byers and Quincy Jones (supervision). [Photo above of Phil Woods]
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On It Might as Well Be Spring, There's a Small Hotel, Bali Haiand Falling in Love With Love...
Clark Terry, Al Derisi (tp); Wayne Andre, Bill Elton, Urbie Green, Jack Rains (tb); Tom Mitchell, Dick Lieb (b-tb); Ray Alonge, Dick Berg, Earl Chapin (fhr); Don Butterfield, Harvey Phillips (tu); Rick Henderson, Jerry Dodgion (as); Phil Woods (as,fl,cl); Paul Gonsalves (ts); George Berg, Tony Castallano, Harold Feldman, Don Hammond, Al Howard, Walt Levinsky, Al Klink, Danny Bank, Sol Schlinger (reeds,woodwinds); Hank Jones (p); Milt Hinton (b); Sol Gubin (d), Michel Legrand (arr) and Billy Byers (cond). [Photo above of Clark Terry]
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And on Have You Met Miss Jones?, This Can't Be Love and The Lady Is a Tramp...
Clark Terry, Snooky Young, Ernie Royal, Al Derisi (tp); Bob Brookmeyer, Wayne Andre, Bill Elton, Urbie Green, Tom Mitchell (tb); Julius Watkins, Bob Northern, Ray Alonge, Earl Chapin (fhr); Jerry Dodgion (as); Phil Woods (as,fl,cl); Paul Gonsalves (ts); plus 2 other unknown saxes; Tommy Flanagan (p); Milt Hinton (b); Sol Gubin (d); Michel Legrand (arr) and Billy Byers (cond). [Photo above of Paul Gonsalves]
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The arrangements are both Gil Evans-delicate in their orchestral tenderness and powerfully swinging in their band attack, akin to the pen of Johnny Richards in places. I have to say that Legrand's approach to Rodgers is easily the more engrossing and addictive of the three band recordings. Charts breathe sensually with dense woodwind complexity and have a wide-body brass feel. There are plenty of curves, and no two arrangements sound alike. [Photo above of Richard Rodgers]
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Legrand was at his jazz peak here in between scoring for two films—the black-and-white Lola (1961) and the richly colorful Umbrellas of Cherbourg (1964), which would put him on the map. His orchestral thinking was astonishing. It's really a shame a label didn't pony up the cash needed to have him take on the songbooks of 10 additional American composers. [Photo above of Michel Legrand in 1962]
JazzWax tracks: Unfortunately, the Michel Legrand Big Band Plays Richard Rodgers isn't available as a download at Amazon. There are used versions of the CD here.
JazzWax clips: Here's The Lady Is a Tramp, with a tenor sax solo on early ballad section by Paul Gonsalves and a piano solo by Tommy Flanagan on the up-tempo second half. Talk about groovy...
And here's There's a Small Hotel. Dig Legrand's pure arranging genius here, blending a range of styles to build the narrative. Listen to this a few times, and pay particular attention to the smart Gil Evans-like layering of instruments, including French horns and tuba topped by flutes and reeds, a celeste and bass clarinet. In short, the works...
A special thanks to David Langner.
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Thursday, April 28, 2016

Peter Frampton - Show Me The Way

NPR Music - You Must Hear This

TINY DESK

Peter Frampton: Tiny Desk Concert

Forty years after the classic album Frampton Comes Alive!, Peter Frampton brings his songs and his voice (but no talk box) to the Tiny Desk. We couldn't help but sing along.
SONGS WE LOVE

Songs We Love: Kwesi Foraes, 'Heroin'

Foraes hems and howls like a blues singer caught between epiphany and defeat. In a string-laden folk-rock song, love and addiction are draped in darkness.

“Five Points”

Chris Potter - Tenor Saxophone
David Virelles - Piano
Joe Martin - Bass

CD REVIEW: Moonlight Saving Time - Meeting at Night

This fine band’s much awaited first CD, produced by Ben Lamdin (Jamie Cullum’s most recent producer) is a beguiling mix of free jazz, folk, classical song, swing and trip hop- but fused into something new and compelling. 

Clouds opens with trumpet (Nick Malcolm) and harmonies from Malcolm and singer Emily Wright, a frontline rapport that runs through the recording: the way the purity and directness of the voice balance the fierce freedom of the trumpet is one of the band’s distinctive features. ‘The clouds play tricks’, (Lake District-inspired lyrics by Wright’s father) just as the trumpet lines trail behind the vocals, the latter poised yet emotive.

Mark Whitlam’s gentle drumming brings just a little Massive Attack into the jazziness, and there’s a particularly fine piano solo from Dale Hambridge. It’s mostly in slow 5, with the beats strung subtly across the groove- typical of the way Moonlight Saving Time never draw attention to their musical sophistication, but let it serve the whole sound. The title track Meeting at Night is a setting by Wright and bassist Will Harris of Browning’s poem. Wright’s clear, folk-tinged voice negotiates the tricky melody with complete naturalness. The arrangement builds urgently, falling into free jazz as the lovers meet. Jason Yarde’s sax (he guests on two tracks) brings out the chords clearly as the cool vocal backing lines lead to a funky denouement. 

The arching vocal and trumpet harmonies at times recall Norma Winstone and Kenny Wheeler in Azimuth- in particular Harris’ briefly haunting Trio, which works as an intro to Silence is Here, co-written with Wright. The rocking movement of Hambridge’s major-minor chords is mesmeric. The vocals are still and focused, while the arrangement gives a narrative push. The mood is dreamy, but the time shifts are complex and engaging. There are gorgeous multitracked vocal/trumpet harmonies, and a spacey piano solo over a trip hop feel. 

Hambridge’s arrangement of Masefield/Ireland’s Sea Fever is slightly reharmonised, but piano and voice stay quite close to the original. A vocal breathiness brings a freshness to this well-known classical song. Desire for Nothing Known brings together Hambridge’s music with words by Wright and Martin Wells, inspired by an Emily Bronte poem; the delicate drum and bass feel gives a restlessness to the serenity of the melody and the excellent Hancock-esque piano solo. In Malcom’s Views, his spirited, free solo trumpet introduces the slow shimmering percussion: mallets, meditative chords and a thoughtful bass solo. Yarde’s sax cuts passionately through the layered counter-melodies as the piece develops through different stages.

read more: http://news360.com/digestarticle/rIO_5etRU02FWZnnEnVi3w

Francisco Mela, Leo Genovese, Gerald Cannon

Video interview segment with drummer Francisco Mela, whose new album "Fe" features his Crash Trio, plus John...


Published on Apr 24, 2016
In this interview done during the 2016 Jazz Cruise, drummer Francisco Mela talks about three of his projects, including his Crash Trio (with Gerald Cannon and Leo Genovese), Cuban Safari band and the Cuban Jazz Machine (dedicated to Elvin Jones' music). Mela also discusses his role as artistic director of the Twin Cities Jazz Festival in Minnesota. Mela was appearing on the cruise with Joe Lovano’s group. 

Interview by Irene Lee. Video production by Lee Mergner. Editing by Lee Mergner & Melissa Mergner. Thanks to Michael Lazaroff, Ginger Biondo and the staff of the Jazz Cruise.

For more information about Francisco Mela, go to www.franciscomela.com
For more information about the Jazz Cruise, go to www.thejazzcruise.com
For more information about JazzTimes, go to www.jazztimes.com

Wednesday, April 27, 2016

Letter from Vadim Neselovsky


VADIM NESELOVSKYI APRIL NEWSLETTER
NYC Show TOMORROW, Wednesday, April 27 at Kitano Jazz Club

Dear friends,

this winter and spring have been incredibly busy and eventful for me, and I’d like to share with you some of the things that have been happening in my musical life.

In December, I was fortunate to collaborate with one of my musical heroes — bassist, composer and producer Jimmy Haslip (of Yellow Jackets). Jimmy produced a recording of my composition “Last Snow” for Luba Mason’s upcoming CD “Mixtura”. Another legend, trumpeter Randy Brecker has played a beautiful solo on this track. Stay tuned for the release date of this record.

January 2016 has brought an amazing news from Korea —  a duo CD that we recorded with the singer BuYoung Lee (“Little Star”) was named Best Jazz CD by Korean Music Awards (KMA) 2016. Here’s a new solo piano video from a Korean TV show EBS.

In February I was honored to receive an invitation to open  Alfa Jazz Festival in Lviv, Ukraine (named one of the Top 10 European Jazz festivals by the Guardian) together with incredible youth symphony orchestra INSO Lviv on June 24th.  We had a chance to perform an hour of my orchestral music in 2015, and I can’t wait for another chance to share the stage with this great group. The orchestra is rehearsing the music already, and I am looking forward to a week-long preparation for the concert in June and the concert itself!

My affair with symphony orchestra that started in 2014 is continuing to evolve, which makes me extremely happy. Stellar conductor Gary Sheldon, who just conducted New York City Ballet Orchestra at Lincoln Center, has commissioned me to combine 3 of my existing scores and 2 more new movements (to be composed) into my SEASONS, which will result into 45-minute long piece for piano and orchestra. The premiere is scheduled for August 17th at Sandpoint Festival. Naturally, this is beyond exciting. More info will follow soon.

My trio “Agrucultural Dreams” with Israeli drummer Ronen Itzik and Saint Louis-born bassist Dan Loomis has been developing into a tight and intuitive group. We are going into final stages of production of our new recording, which will be released in the Fall 2016. This year also brought a new exciting collaboration: Portuguese singer Sara Serpa, known for collaborations with Danilo Perez, Ron Blake and Greg Osby is joining us regularly for our New York appearances.  She also sung two songs on the upcoming recording as a special guest. I am looking forward to take this trio on the road very soon. For those of you who are in New York, we are having a Trio feat. Sara Serpa show at Kitano Jazz Club on Wednesday, April 27th! 

Another great news arrived from MacDowell Colony, where I was fortunate to be a resident in 2012 and 2015. They notified me that I was selected to be Aaron Copland Fellow for 2015-2016.  Aaron Copland was a board member of MacDowell Colony and it is a great honor for me to be supported by Aaron Copland Fund for Music.

May will be a busy touring month for me. First, I am going to California to play 3 concerts plus some workshops for local students in the Bay Area. These will be solo/duo shows, and I am very excited to collaborate with an incredible bassist Jeff Denson. I was fortunate to be sideman in Jeff’s Quartet with Ralph Alessi and Dan Weiss, and we also played together with legendary Lee Konitz. These will be our first shows based on my original music.  

Just after returning from Oakland,CA to NYC (on the same day, in fact) I will take a plan to Switzerland, where our tour with Arcady Shilkloper will begin. We’ve been playing regularly with Arcady for the past 5 years, appearing in various parts of the world, and I can't wait to continue our musical journey. This time we will play 3 concerts in Switzerland and 2 in Germany before heading to Bauer Studios in Ludwigsburg (where Pat Metheny’s Bright Size Life was recorded) to record our second album for Neuklang Records.    

This spring will end with a solo piano concert at Jewish Community Center in Dortmund, Germany, where my Western life has started twenty years ago. 

Thank you very much for reading this. Wishing you all the best,


Vadim

Bill Evans: Some Other Time

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
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Today marks the release of Bill Evans: Some Other Time(Resonance), a much-anticipated two-CD set that's easily the most important discovery of new Evans studio recordings since 2001 and the issuing of recordings made in 1956 and '57 at Don Elliott's home studio. Over the years, there have been plenty of remarkable discoveries of live Evans recordings—including Live at Art D'Lugoff's Top of The GateLive at Lulu White's and The Secret Sessions. But none compare to a full-fledged Evans studio recording session, where the quality of the piano, its tuning and studio miking and acoustics are all controlled for maximum impact. This new Evans album is the historic jazz recording to beat this year.
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To be above board, I wrote the new album's main liner notes. But I don't make a dime on sales nor do I have anything to gain by telling you how good this album is, other than to hip you to music that is truly gorgeous. It also should be noted that I only write the liner notes to albums when I truly love the music inside and I pass on the rest. It's a firm rule.
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The music on Some Other Time was recorded on June 20, 1968—five days after the same musicians performed at the Montreux Jazz Festival. The results of that concert appearance appear on Bill Evans At The Montreux Festival(Verve).
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The material in the new set is vital for several key reasons: First, it features drummer Jack DeJohnette, who previously had only been heard with Evans and bassist Eddie Gomez on a few recordings, including Montreux and a Secret Sessionslive date at New York's Village Vanguard in August '68. Second, the album provides us with musical information that fleshes out Evans's stylistic transition from his "swinging romantic" years to his "percussive poet" period. Third, Evans, here, recorded at one of Europe's finest studios—MPS in Villingen, Germany. Fourth, we hear Evans in three different configurations: solo, due and trio. And fifth, the sound and poetry are amazing.
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While it's unclear why Evans would have recorded alone and just with Gomez when DeJohnette was present, we do know the reason MPS didn't release an album or albums from the tapes: Evans was signed to Verve at the time. Since Evans was well aware of his contractual status and obligation, one can only assume the recording was made exclusively for cash, to document the group privately with the expressed understanding that the results wouldn't be released at the time.
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On these 21 tracks, we hear Evans deliver one penetrating interpretation after the next. We also hear Gomez functioning as Evans's pulsating shadow and DeJohnette playing a more distinct conversational role with his shimmering cymbals and restless drums. Both influenced Evans's approach on the keyboard. The song choices also are strong and unusual. We hear powerful versions of Baubles, Bangles and Beads and What Kind of Fool Am I as well as rarities like These Foolish Things, (the first time Evans recorded the song) and It Could Happen to You(which he recorded only once before). [Photo above, from left, Eddie Gomez, Jack DeJohnette and Bill Evans in 1968, courtesy of Resonance Records]
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Most of all, there's a relaxed, almost liquid quality about Evans's playing. At MPS Studios in Germany's Black Forest in 1968, we hear Evans performing without pressure for themselves and a few sophisticated fans in the control room rather than employers. A final word in praise of set producer Zev Feldman, who worked tirelessly to bring this project to market using his passion, judgment and determination. We all should be grateful. Applause, as well, for executive producer George Klabin, whose sound restoration with Fran Gala is impeccable. Same goes for John Koenig, the album package editor, and all the others who made this release possible.
Imagine! A new high-end, previously unreleased Bill Evans studio album. Inconceivable, but true.
JazzWax tracks: You'll find the two-CD set of Bill Screen Shot 2016-04-21 at 8.57.51 PMEvans: Some Other Time (Resonance) here. A limited two-LP vinyl version was pressed for Record Day a short time ago and is now selling for upward of $100 on eBay. I'm not sure if vinyl will be available in the future.
JazzWax clip: To give you a sense of the music on the album, here's Baubles, Bangles and Beads...

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Tuesday, April 26, 2016

Mother’s Day Jazz

SBC COMMUNITY DEVELOPMENT CORPORATION  OF RICHMOND HEIGHTS PRESENTS  INAUGURAL MOTHER'S DAY "JAZZ IN THE BAY" BENEFIT CONCERT

SBC Community Development Corporation  of Richmond Heights (SBC CDC), will hosts its inaugural Mother’s Day Jazz in the Bay benefit concert on Sunday, May 8, 2016 at 4:00 P.M. at the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center (10950 SW 211TH Street, Cutler Bay, FL, 33189).

The Mother’s Day Jazz in the Bay benefit concert will feature special performances by Jazz Vocalist Kevin MahoganyBobby Watson All-Star Quartet and Curtis Lundy, and the Richmond Heights Middle School Jazz Band. To make this show even more special, Miami's Brenda Alford Quintet has been added to the lineup! Guests will also have the opportunity to bid on prizes.

Doors will open at 3:00 P.M. for general admission, and at 2:00 P.M. for all VIP tickets which include admission to the pre-show reception with convenient parking, food, drinks, and music.

For more information or to order concert tickets, please contact the South Miami-Dade Cultural Arts Center Box Office at (786)573-5300 or visit www.smdcac.org.  For Sponsorship and Marketing opportunities, please contact Jessica Garrett Modkins at jgm@HipRockStar.comor (305)970-1518.

Israeli jazz taking giant steps as talent returns home

Photo: © AFP Menahem Kahana

Jonah Mandel, AFP, 8h 12min

Tel Aviv (AFP) - When saxophonist Eli Degibri left Israel at the age of 18 to study jazz at the prestigious Berklee College of Music in Boston, he knew he'd come back home one day.

It took 15 years, which included playing with jazz greats like Herbie Hancock and Al Foster in New York, where he also led combos and recorded albums, before the time was right.

"I was only waiting for the opportunity to return, and knew that once I could without sacrificing my music -- I would," Degibri, who relocated to Israel five years ago, told AFP.

Degibri is one several Israeli musicians who are now helping to nurture a burgeoning local scene after years abroad where they trained and played with the best jazz performers.

There has long been a jazz presence in Israel, but never such a wealth of formal training centres alongside returning musicians, according to Ben Shalev, music reporter and critic for Haaretz newspaper. 

"You've got 15-year-old musicians being inspired by the Avishai Cohens and their likes," he said referring to the prominent Israeli trumpeter and bassist who share the same name.

"There used to not really be such role models."

Shalev said there is an "unheard of" profusion of new Israeli jazz albums being released.

"This would have sounded like science fiction once," he said.

read more: http://www.businessinsider.com/afp-israeli-jazz-taking-giant-steps-as-talent-returns-home-2016-4

NPR Music - You Must Hear This

TINY DESK

Sister Sparrow & The Dirty Birds: Tiny Desk Concert

The New York band's punchy horn section, bluesy vocals and uniquely transformative harmonica solos instantly demand attention.
DECEPTIVE CADENCE

In Fort Worth Opera's 'JFK,' A Tension Between Joy And Tragedy 

The show tells the story of the last night of the president's life. "We took the myth of JFK and we really attempted to make him mortal," librettist Royce Vavrek says.
JAZZ NIGHT IN AMERICA

The Legacy Of The Benny Goodman Quartet

The small group that made a bespectacled white clarinetist a star happened to be of jazz's first racially integrated bands. Wendell Pierce and four young clarinetists tell the story live on stage.

Gary Burton-Something's Coming

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com
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Vibraphonist Gary Burton has had an extraordinary career. The four-mallet pioneer and jazz-fusion trailblazer has won seven Grammys and continues to make superb music in the States and abroad. I've always been fond of his 1960s recordings. Through these albums, you can hear jazz transition in the hands of one young artist, shifting from jazz-pop (Groovy Sound of Music) to jazz-samba (with Stan Getz), jazz-pop rock (Time Machine), jazz-country (Tennessee Firebird), Latin-jazz with George Shearing, jazz-fusion (Duster) and beyond. One of my favorites by Gary during this period is Something's Coming. [Photo above of Gary Burton in 1963]
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Recorded in August 1963, Something's Coming features Gary Burton (vib), Jim Hall (g), Chuck Israels (b) and Larry Bunker (d). There are jazz standards (On Green Dolphin Street), abstract originals (Mike Gibbs' Six Improvisatory Sketches and Jim Hall's Careful) and Broadway show tunes (the album's title track, from West Side Story, which is the album's high point for me). What makes this album particularly special is how Gary and Jim Hall interact—circling each other, musically, and playing off each other in challenging ways.
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The album was produced for RCA by George Avakian. Both Jim and Gary were recording separately for the label in 1963, and bringing them together must have seemed like a natural move for George, given each artist's musical sophistication and passion for improvisation. Gary was just 20 at the time, and like Herbie Hancock (who was 23 in '63), he was a prodigy, exhibiting enormous jazz skills and depth at an early age. Jim was 33 and had been recording extensively since the 1950s with artists on the cutting edge. Israels and Bunker had been two-thirds of the Bill Evans Trio.
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As with Undercurrent (above), Jim's first duet album with Bill Evans in 1962, you can hear deft instrumental swordplay on Something's Coming. Breathtaking stuff.
Today, Gary and I spoke by email...
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"Jim and I didn’t plan out the record together. I convinced Jim to do it, and he just came to the studio for the two days we recorded. I planned all the tunes and the arrangements, though we fine-tuned things during the sessions, of course. Jim was famously reclusive, but weeks later I managed to talk him into coming uptown to my apartment to listen to the rough takes of the album, to see if he had any suggestions. That's when I told him I had worries about choosing the vibes as my instrument—too little known, I feared. I said, 'What if it turns out to be about as popular as the accordion?' Jim told me about this Argentine guy—Astor Piazzolla—who was a killer jazz player of an accordion-type of instrument and that I shouldn't worry about it. Little did I know I would meet Astor a couple of years later and then tour and record with him in the 1980s. Two decades later, I mentioned that to Jim. He said he didn’t remember telling me about Piazzolla, but hey, a lot of time had passed in the meantime." 
JazzWax tracks: You'll find Gary Burton's Something's Coming (RCA) with Jim Hall here.
JazzWax clip: Here's Something's Coming from the album of the same name...
Used with permission by Marc Myers

Greasy Chicken Orchestra review: Free-range reinvention amid jazz revivalism

The Greasy Chicken Orchestra with Phillip Johnston (centre). Photo: Rachel Knepfer

April 26, 2016 - 12:48PM
John Shand

Blokes in boaters with banjos and clarinets were so ubiquitous in Australian pubs decades after the so-called trad-jazz revival of the 1960s that, for many people, the term jazz still primarily conjures up that music.

These days classic jazz is the preferred name for the idiom which, from its inception in New Orleans, swept the world in the 1920s, and it is this that Phillip Johnston's Greasy Chicken Orchestra sets about hatching anew.

Johnston has always understood that jazz's century-long history is a rich resource rather than a cramping liability, and with this band he immerses himself almost completely in this era of energised, good-humoured (and humorous) dance music.

But instinctively he indulges in a little free-range reinvention amid the revivalism, most particularly in shunning the conventional trumpet/clarinet/trombone frontline in favour of soprano, alto, tenor and baritone saxophones, plus the usual piano, guitar/banjo, bass/tuba and drums. This made for a less brash, more nuanced and blended sonority, combined with an emphasis on pinpoint arrangements and concise solos.

The works of Jelly Roll Morton and a young Duke Ellington provided the repertoire's heart; music that was played with great affection and considerable panache, despite the arrangements (and rarity of gigs) necessitating all eyes being glued to charts virtually throughout.

Read more: http://www.smh.com.au/entertainment/music/greasy-chicken-orchestra-review-freerange-reinvention-amid-jazz-revivalism-20160426-goevrn.html#ixzz46vyCoUkU 
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Monday, April 25, 2016

Bass & Basse do Basie & Beyond

May 19 Narrows Center / Fall River, MA w/ Bill Goodwin and Steve Gilmore
www.narrowscenter.org

May 20 Shapeshifter / Brooklyn, NY w/ Harvie S and Paul Wells
www.shapeshifterlab.com

May 21 Deer Head Inn / Delaware Water Gap, PA w/ Bill Goodwin and Steve Gilmore
www.deerheadinn.com

The great Count Basie said, “If you play a tune and a person don’t tap their feet, don’t play the tune.” He could have easily been referring to Dave Bass and David Basse. Each artist’s music causes countless toes to tap, and now, performing together, they present a night of the Count’s music, their own tunes ... and beyond.

Composer, pianist, and arranger Dave Bass started his jazz career in the 1970s touring the world and performing with artists as diverse as Brenda Lee and Bobby McFerrin. After a 20-year break, and a successful legal career, he’s back with a vengeance. DownBeat gave Dave’s most recent recording, NYC Sessions, a coveted 4-star review and named it one of the “Best Albums of 2015.”

David Basse, much like Count Basie, has deep roots in Kansas City. His soulful vocals have drawn praise far and wide, and the great Maya Angelou exclaimed, “I love the soul that is your voice.”

Both artists recorded extensively with the late, great Phil Woods, and Bass & Basse are honored to include Phil's long-time rhythm section, Bill Goodwin and Steve Gilmore, on their Narrows and Deer Head Inn gigs


WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DAVE BASS
Man! This is a helluva recording. I love it and am very proud to be on it. It’s swingin’ all the way!” - Phil Woods (RIP) on NYC Sessions

NYC SESSIONS covers a broad range of material for a unified whole...due in part to Bass’ savvy as an arranger and programmer, and his top-notch crew, not to mention his own sparkling keyboard work.” - Jon Garelick / DownBeat

Bass writes and plays in a style that is easily identifiable and relatable, yet sophisticated and operates on a very high level. Dave Bass is back doing what he was born to do and, in doing so, is keeping the torch burning for elegant songwriting and classic bebop in the process.”- Eric Harabedian / Jazz Inside

 “Not only is Mr. Bass in fine form...the music in all its diversity and passion [has] an unstoppable momentum under his leadership.”
- Raul Da Gama, Latin Jazz Network

WHAT THEY SAY ABOUT DAVID BASSE 
The soul of a bon vivant and the spirit of a hipster...Basse scats with insouciance, reels you into ballads with a raconteur’s charm.” - George Kanzler / Hot House Magazine

“...the rich substance, clear intonation and sincerity of delivery that are all qualities of Basse’s style...shades of Eddie Jefferson all the way.” - Scott Yanow / LA Jazz Scene

A hip and swinging singer who digs into the lyrics that he sings.” - Scott Albin / Jazz Times

David Basse is the working man’s hi-tone remedy to a week spent fighting the boss, busting the hump, and dialing back stress.”
- Mark S. Tucker / Acoustic Music Exchange

Joe Henderson, Freddy Hubbard

Papa Wemba, Africa's 'King of Rhumba Rock,' dies


by Andreas Preuss, CNN
Updated 1332 GMT (2032 HKT) April 24, 2016

(CNN)Papa Wemba, one of Africa's most flamboyant and popular musicians, has died, according to a statement from a music festival in Ivory Coast.

The artist, born Jules Shungu Wembadio Pene Kikumba, was performing Saturday night at the Urban Music Festival in the capital of Abidjan. He collapsed on stage and later died, said the statement.

Papa Wemba, 66, was considered a Congolese icon and world music star after merging his Central African heritage with Western pop, rock and rap. His style earned him the nickname "King of Rhumba Rock."

Besides his musical influence, he popularized Sapeur fashion, an eccentric look with three-piece suits, shiny black leather shoes and flashy accessories.
Papa Wemba said he was inspired by his parents, who took great pride in dressing up on Sundays in the '60s, "always well-put-together, always looking very smart."


But in the era of Joseph Mobutu, Papa Wemba wanted to challenge the status quo, so he devised the acronym SAPE, roughly translated from the French for "the society of atmosphere-setters and elegant people." He dressed his band, Viva La Musica, in the style, and fans across Africa soon followed suit.

raed more: http://news360.com/digestarticle/Q43DM7khG0SL60pPGY3zdw

NPR Music - JAZZ

The Legacy Of The Benny Goodman Quartet

The small group that made a bespectacled white clarinetist a star happened to be of jazz's first racially integrated bands. Wendell Pierce and four young clarinetists tell the story live on stage.
Read this story
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