The Hidden Bill Holman

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Yesterday I posted on three little known powerhouse albums with arrangements by Bill Holman (above). Today, I'm turning you on to a superb album from 2012 that even Tom Lord's Jazz Discography wasn't aware featured Bill's fine scoring: The Pete Christlieb & Linda Small 11-Piece Band's Tall & Small: High on You (Bosco).

Christlieb (above) is a West Coast saxophonist who has played with bands big and small since 1965, when he recorded with Si Zentner. That's his tenor sax solo on Steely Dan's Deacon Blues in 1977. Linda Small is Pete's wife. She plays trombone and studied at the New England Conservatory among other institutions. She has played with the Boston Pops Orchestra, the Boston Ballet, the Detroit Symphony and other ensembles. On the jazz side, she has worked with Emil Richards, Supersax, Don Menza, Buddy Childers and others.

Tall & Small: High on You is a tremendous album that features Bill's arrangements and originals. The scores are difficult but still sustain Bill's engaging touch. The material captures the full range of Bill's approaches, including swingers (including the title track, Bosco Sez and Pent-Up House), mid-tempo tunes (Open Country and Minuet) and ballads (Meaning of the Blues, A Flower Is a Lovesome Thing).

Here's a probable personnel: Bob Summers, Tony Bonsera (tp) Linda Small (tb/ldr) Pete Christlieb (ts/ldr) plus three reeds out of: Terry Harrington, Kevin Guerin, Rob Heart and Gene Cipriano (reeds), Joe Bagg (p), Jim Hughart (b) Steve Schaeffer (d) and Bill Holman (arr).

Here's a video of the band, with Bill Holman directing...

JazzWax tracks: You'll find the Pete Christlieb & Linda Small 11-Piece Band's Tall & Small: High on You here. 

JazzWax clip: Here's Bill Holman's amazing arrangement of the title track, High on You...

High on You

A special JazzWax thanks to David Langner.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

Matt Criscuolo ....

Matt Criscuolo is an accomplished post modern jazz saxophonist and composer from New York City. He attended Manhattan school of music and studying with Dick Oatts , Walt Weiskopf and John Purcell.

He has performed, toured, and/or recorded with such greats such as David Murray, Harold Danko, Rich Perry, Billy Drummond, Larry Willis, Ed Soph, Tony Purrone, Steve Davis, and many more. He is also a record producer under his own label & has written Commercial
jingles.

Some of His influences are Bird, Jimmy Lyons, Anthony Braxton, Ornette Coleman, David Murray, Henry Threadgill, Bunky Green and David S. Ware to name a few. Matt performs high energy post modern Jazz steeped in the avant-garde paying homage to the bebop legacy.

Watkins and Rouse's Jazz Modes

Reprinted from http://jazzwax.com

Yesterday I posted about the Jazz Lab, a little-known, short-lived East Coast jazz quintet co-led by Gigi Gryce and Donald Byrd in 1957. Today, continuing with my series on jazz supergroups of the mid-1950s, I'm turning to Les Jazz Modes, a quintet co-led by French hornist Julius Watkins and tenor saxophonist Charlie Rouse that began a year earlier and lasted a year later. Much of the original material the group recorded was composed and arranged by Watkins.

The group's longevity was likely a result of its relationship with Dawn Records. Three of the group's five albums were on the label. The final two were on Atlantic (the label changed their name to The Jazz Modes). Dawn began in the early 1950s as a New York R&B singles label but soon went dormant. Then in 1956, Dawn was reactivated and repositioned as a jazz album label by its owner, Sidney Siegel. Siegel was perhaps best known for helping to pioneer Latin music in the 1940s and '50s on his Seeco label, which he started in 1944. By 1953, Seeco was No. 2, behind only RCA in the growing Latin music market. [Photo above of Stanley Siegel and Latin singing star Celia Cruz]

Dawn's shift to jazz came as Siegel was building bridges with European and South American record labels looking for 12-inch jazz titles. For example, Billboard in 1956 reported that Siegel had hammered out an agreement with France's Vogue label to make his Dawn jazz recordings available in exchange for Vogue's jazz recordings by American expatriates like Jimmy Raney and Lucky Thompson. Siegel spent a great deal of time traveling, with Billboard reporting him in Spain, France and England with plans to be in Rio de Janeiro and Buenos Aires. Billboard also mentioned he had just acquired the rights to distribute Dot Records in all of South America.

Siegel's Vogue connection in '56 may help explain Les Jazz Modes' French name. It certainly would have helped the label with sales of the group's music in France and Belgium. While the personnel in the quintet's rhythm section changed over the course of its five albums, Gildo Mahones was a constant on piano. The group's five albums include Jazzville, Les Jazz Modes, Mood in Scarlet (all recorded in 1956), The Jazz Modes (1957) and The Most Happy Fella (1957 and '58). By the fall of '58, Rouse had left to join Thelonious Monk's quartet while Watkins was in the orchestras of Gil Evans and Johnny Richards.

Overall, Les Jazz Modes' output was a bit tamer than the Jazz Lab's, largely because of Watkins' French horn, a valve instrument that tends to play in staccato when improvising. As a result, Watkins often sounded like a muffled second piano with Rouse handling much of the flair and daring on solos. Nevertheless, the experimental quality of the music and the excitement of two very different instrumental textures rubbing up against each other made for dynamic results.

Among the more interesting material can be found on Les Jazz Modes, with Paul Chambers and Oscar Pettiford on bass on different tracks, and The Most Happy Fella album, which featured music from the 1956 Broadway musical interpreted by the quintet.

JazzWax tracks: You'll find Charlie Rouse & Julius Watkins: The Complete Jazz Modes Sessions here.

JazzWax clips: Here's Les Jazz Modes playing Legend...

Here's Les Jazz Modes playing Stallion...

JazzWax notes: For more information on Sidney Siegel, go here.

A special JazzWax thanks to David Langner.

Used with permission by Marc Myers

NJ Jazz List ....

Exit 0 Int'l Jazz Festival May 29-31, 2015

Since 2012, the Exit Zero Jazz Festival has become a must-attend event for world-class musicians and jazz aficionados alike. On Festival weekend, Cape May transforms into a jazz village when jazz lovers make their pilgrimage to the one of the New Jersey's most picturesque seaside towns. This year's attendees will witness first-rate performances from award-winning and critically acclaimed artists, exciting newcomers on the jazz scene, and local favorites. JazzTimes said of the Festival weekend that it must be like that in Sundance when Hollywood comes to their town.

CONTACT: Festival Office for Tickets & Information 609-849-9202

» Read more

Morristown Jazz Festival August 15th, 2015

Blues icon, Charlie Musselwhite will headline at this year's festival. Swingadelic, the house band at Swing 46 in New York, will get the program started at noon on the historic Morristown Green.

Always a favorite at the festival will be this year's “guitar summit” featuring jazz great Bucky Pizzarelli, who has performed with everyone from Les Paul to Paul McCartney.

Up-and-coming Canadian trumpeter Bria Skonberg will follow, fresh from a scheduled appearance at the Newport Jazz Festival.

Roomful of Blues, a Muddy Waters tribute band led by guitarist Chris Vachon, brings an impressive resume that includes five Grammy nominations, seven Blues Music Awards, and two selections as best blues band by the DownBeat Critics Poll.

“It’s my hope that we are creating a legacy that Morristown can be proud of for many years to come by hosting this event each year,” Mayor Tim Dougherty said at a kick-off event for sponsors at Pazzo Pazzo in Morristown.

» Read more

14th Annual Independent Music Awards

14th Annual Independent Music Awards

It's been an amazing few months and I'm delighted that my album "Stories From the Years of Living Passionately" has been nominated in the Jazz Instrumental Album in the 14th Annual Independent Music Awards!

This nomination is particularly significant for me considering the other remarkable and imaginative works also selected within this category.

Jazz Instrumental Album Nominees:

Noshir Mody
Album: Stories From the Years of Living Passionately; Record Label: Self-Released

Simon Phillips
Album: Protocol 2; Record Label: Phantom Recordings

Arshak
Album: Hoodman's Blind (feat. Mike Stern, Omar Hakim, Eric Marienthal, Chieli 
Minucci, Bob Franceschini, Raul Pineda, Cheikh NDoye, John Lamkin III, Arto Tuncboyaciyan, Artyom Manukyan, Artur Yeghiazaryan, Albert Ordinyan, Arshavir Isahakyan & Vardanyan String Quartet.); Record Label: Self-Released
Oran Etkin
Album: Gathering Light; Record Label: Motema Music

Alon Nechushtan
Album: Venture Bound (feat. Donny McCaslin, John Ellis, Chris Lightcap & Adam Cruz); Record Label: Enja

DownBeat & ECM New Releases

Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio with Ron Carter and Kenny Barron

SAT, APRIL 25, 2015
Drummer Gerry Gibbs grew up in a jazz family. His Dad, Terry Gibbs, now 90, recorded and performed with Charlie Parker, Benny Goodman and most of the greats of the last 60 years. As a young teen, Gerry worshipped jazzmen, and not the sports heroes that his friends idolized. 

His favorites early on were bassist Ron Carter and pianist Kenny Barron, who have performed with each other, on and off, over 4 decades. In 2012, Gerry approached his heroes with the idea of making a recording. Gerry carefully selected and arranged a mix of standards, jazz tunes, R&B and ballads, and even composed a couple for the session. The result, “Gerry Gibbs Thrasher Dream Trio,” on the Whaling City Sound label, got glowing reviews, lived at the top of the JazzWeek radio charts for 6 weeks, and most recently garnered a Grammy nomination. The follow-on CD, “We’re Back,” camped out for 7 weeks in the #1 spot and still lives on the charts weeks later. No other group or artist has spent more time in the #1 spot over the last few years. 

In spite of the critical acclaim and exceptional radio play, the band has not performed in public until now. The Narrows is pleased to present this remarkable trio in its premier performance outside of the studio.

Venue Information:
Narrows Center for the Arts, 16 Anawan Street - Fall River, MA 02721

http://www.narrowscenter.org/

read more: http://narrowscenter.ticketfly.com/event/782909-gerry-gibbs-thrasher-dream-fall-river/

Peter Anderson ....

THE JOY OF SAX

APR 28, 2015 - MAY 7, 2015
Reardon-Anderson Music, LLC presents
By PETER and WILL ANDERSON
With PETER ANDERSON (Sax), WILL ANDERSON (Sax), HARRY ALLEN (Sax), PAT BIANCHI (Hammond B-3 Organ), and KENNY WASHINGTON (Drums)
Come celebrate The Joy of Sax with 59E59 Theaters' favorite jazz virtuosos, Peter and Will Anderson!

For this limited engagement Peter and Will are joined by special guests, saxophone star Harry Allen, the incomparable Kenny Washington on drums, and the unique sound of Pat Bianchi on the legendary Hammond B-3 organ, in a heady jazz extravaganza of ballad, blues, bebop, big band, bossa nova and boogaloo!

raed more: http://www.59e59.org/moreinfo.php?showid=207

Jack Kleinsinger

Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights In Jazz
-- New York’s Longest Running Jazz Concert Series 
– concludes its 43rd Season with
Jazz, Past & Present,
a historic double bill featuring NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston with Billy Harper performing The Roots of the Blues and Highlights In Jazz New Stars Benny Benack, Steven Frieder, Dylan Meek, Devin Starks & Kosta Galanopoulos plus a very special surprise guest.

Thursday, June 11, 2015 - 8 pm
at Tribeca Performing Arts Center
Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, N.Y., NY 10007

Jack Kleinsinger’s Highlights In Jazz, New York’s longest running jazz concert series, concludes its 43rd season on Thursday, June 11, 2015 at 8:00 PM in the Tribeca Performing Arts Center at Borough of Manhattan Community College, 199 Chambers Street, NY, 10007 with Jazz Past & Present, a multi-generational double bill featuring the incomparable duo of, pianist Randy Weston and tenor saxophonist Billy Harper, performing a program including selections from their critically acclaimed album The Roots of the Blues.  Sharing the bill with NEA Jazz Master Weston, who celebrated his 89th birthday in April, will be the Highlights In Jazz New Stars, a youthful quintet of twenty-somethings assembled by Kleinsinger himself to feature some of his favorite up and coming young jazz players – saxophonist Steven Frieder, trumpeter/vocalist Benny Benack, pianist Dylan Meek, bassist Devin Starks and drummer Kosta Galanopoulos.

Making his first Highlights In Jazz appearance, NEA Jazz Master Randy Weston embodies the history of jazz past and present  in his uniquely original playing -- from the swing of Duke Ellington to the bop of Thelonious and onward with his own perennially modern music. A tireless proponent of the African roots of jazz, his sound  is steeped deep in the blues, as evident in his latest critically acclaimed Sunnyside recording The Roots of the Blues, which features his partner on the program, veteran tenor saxophonist Billy Harper. The album, which is comprised of a baker’s dozen of piano/saxophones duets ranging from jazz classics like “Take The A Train,” “Body and Soul” and “How High The Moon” to Weston’s own engaging originals such as “Blues To Africa” and “Berkshire Blues” has been hailed by Downbeat for its “intimacy and warmth.” Weston says of Harper, with whom he has played for more than 40 years, “Billy is a great blues player. When he plays the tenor it’s like an orchestra.” Together the pair will bring the history of jazz to life.

Sent by:

Jim Eigo Jazz Promo Services T: 845-986-1677 E-Mail: jim@jazzpromoservices.com

http://www.jazzpromoservices.com/