Indholdsfortegnelse for November 2015 i JazzTimes

It didn’t take a musicologist to track the theme of this year’s Chicago Jazz Festival, which drew an estimated 140,000 to Millennium Park and the Chicago Cultural Center for a program that was heavily Chicago-centric if decidedly rangy. The thread running through the fest’s 37th annual edition, held over an unusually warm and muggy Labor Day weekend and admission-free, as usual: the continuing influence of the Association for the Advancement of Creative Musicians, the collective of players and composers officially organized in 1965 by pianist Muhal Richard Abrams and others. The AACM’s emphasis on originality, innovation and experimentation continues to resonate among musicians in Chicagoland, New York, the West Coast and beyond The organization’s 50th anniversary called for a major performance at its hometown’s fest, and the event got one…

Is Pat Metheny the last of the bona fide jazz stars? There have been jazz musicians since him who’ve cultivated enough cachet to be interviewed by 60 Minutes and win token awards from arts organizations, but Metheny might be the last jazz figure who’s a cultural touchstone in the general sense, a celebrity who creates shared experiences for a generation—in the case of the guitarist, now 61, that primarily means music fans born during the middle and late stages of the baby boom. At Detroit’s annual admission-free jazz festival, where he was artist-in-residence, giving a performance on each of the event’s four dates, his star power was conspicuous. When he opened and closed the festival in its largest venues, the crowd surged to fill every nook of available space, offering…

IT’S DAY TWO OF THE Charlie Parker Jazz Festival at Marcus Garvey Park in Harlem in August. Jeff “Tain” Watts is dancing in the wings. He hears Camille Thurman sing “Skylark” and he starts to sway. He holds out an arm ceremoniously to fellow drummer Johnathan Blake, due to play with Dr. Lonnie Smith in a couple of hours. Blake and Watts proceed to link arms, twirl, break away and spin, perfectly nonchalant. Watts’ good cheer is infectious, heightening anticipation for the following set by his quintet with tenor saxophonist Troy Roberts, guitarist Paul Bollenback, pianist David Budway and bassist Chris Smith. They’re here to play material from Blue, Vol. 1 and Blue, Vol. 2, Watts’ first solo releases since 2011, both on his Dark Key label. When Watts takes…

In many ways traveling has gotten harder, with longer, slower security lines, tighter baggage restrictions and flights packed to the last seat. But thanks to technology, in some ways it’s easier than ever. My latest grind, a 52-hour coach-fare trip from Los Angeles to London and back, was much more bearable because of the audio gear I brought—and all of it fit into my little overnight bag. For hardcore road warriors, the core of a great portable sound system is usually a set of noise-cancelling headphones and a Bluetooth speaker. The headphones get you through the flight, while the Bluetooth speaker makes the hotel room seem a little more like home. And as long as you’re carrying a smartphone or tablet, you’ve got access to all the music you could…

PAT METHENY HOMMAGE À EBERHARD WEBER (ECM) During the 1980s, guitarist-composer Pat Metheny became one of the most popular jazz musicians alive by leading a band whose melodies and textures seemed tailor-made for the nighttime air of a sprawling amphitheater. In more recent years, his small-group tours have been more consistent and satisfying than most primetime rock acts could manage. And then there was Orchestrion, the solo album and marathon tour wherein the instruments accompanying Metheny were triggered by a hopelessly complex series of robots. His comfort with working on a large scale, not in the sense of ensemble size but in terms of conceptual ingenuity and exposure, is undeniable. Metheny’s “Hommage” the half-hour-plus performance at the center of this live tribute to Eberhard Weber, doesn’t feature any solenoids, but…

Shirley Horn “HERE’S TO LIFE” Here’s to Life (Verve, 1992) Shirley’s vocal on this song is about tone and patience. For me, tone is the most important element on any instrument. As for patience, it is quite difficult to exercise that on the drum kit because we are generally responsible for keeping time. What a challenge it is to try to keep time while maintaining fluid, open sonics. Shirley teaches that time can be malleable and elastic. Joni Mitchell “BOTH SIDES NOW” Both Sides Now (Reprise, 2000) Wisdom and interpretation are what this vocal means to me. This version is from a later period in Joni’s life, and you can hear her entire life up to that point in every note. It is highly emotional storytelling at its finest. I…

Teaching jazz history can be overwhelming at first, and this article doesn’t pretend to offer the definitive approach. It is simply my perspective, with input from others, focusing on nuts-and-bolts tasks as well as overarching goals and ideas. Assume that college freshmen or high school seniors are the intended audience. The main challenge is that jazz history isn’t a topic—it’s a thousand topics. It is nothing less than the history of American popular music. To teach it, one must be versed in a range of complex and often charged subjects, such as slavery and its aftermath, through the civil-rights era to the present; blackface minstrelsy and the origins of American musical theatre; the history of social dancing; the history of the recording industry and American broadcast media and film; the…

One of the, if not the, most enduring source materials in developing a student’s improvisational abilities has been recordings. For many veteran jazz musicians, transcribing significant tunes and solos and inspired phrases was the most useful springboard toward mastering the skill that stands at the core of jazz. Sure, there are more than a few books of transcriptions of the greats, but the advantages of painstakingly transcribing off a recording are myriad. Transcribing solos helps players understand the nuances of improvisation. The exercise broadens their vocabulary and helps them learn the art of phrasing, illuminating the tools and trademarks of the jazz masters in the process. In our quest to learn more about the task of breaking down compelling jazz solos, we asked a select group of emerging and established…

There’s a moment on Jamison, the Concord Jazz label debut from drummer Jamison Ross, where a series of soft, stop-and-start drum rolls ebb and flow to anchor his warm tenor’s wordless, almost devotional vocal melody. Together, his drums and voice create motifs that linger into the next number. In a way, these two tracks represent the heart of the album. “Jazz [Aubrielle Ross] Interlude” was written for Ross’ daughter. She was born shortly before he cut the album—his first recorded foray into playing drums and singing simultaneously—and he sees a parallel between what she represents and what it means to combine two previously separate artistic sides of himself. In both cases, he says, “I’m bringing two worlds together” “Having a child … changed the relationship between me and my wife.…

Judging by Facebook posts alone, Kendrick Scott enjoyed an especially engaging summer. The bandleader, drummer and sideman to various jazz headliners—Terence Blanchard, Herbie Hancock, Kurt Rosenwinkel and, most recently, Grégoire Maret, Kurt Elling and Charles Lloyd—performed at major festivals and theaters around the globe, from Los Angeles and Minneapolis to Melbourne, Cologne, Nice, Perugia and Ghent. This fall, he’s seen a number of projects come to fruition, including his fourth album as a leader and first on the Blue Note label, We Are the Drum, featuring his band Oracle (Taylor Eigsti, piano and Rhodes; Michael Moreno, guitar; John Ellis, saxophone and bass clarinet; and bassist Joe Sanders) with a guest turn by vocalist Lizz Wright. Next year he’ll participate in a Blue Note supergroup along the lines of Our Point…

At the first-ever performance at the Peoples Health New Orleans Jazz Market, the sleek new theater that will serve as the permanent home for Irvin Mayfield’s New Orleans Jazz Orchestra, the bandleader grinned and told jokes. He praised the legacies of musicians like Buddy Bolden and Louis Armstrong, then smiled broadly as soloists channeled their styles. He kept the vibe upvbeat, lacing songs with humorous flourishes like the long, playful licks he eked out of a plunger mute. The Grammy-winning trumpeter, 37, had plenty to smile about on that night in March. In addition to previewing the soon-to-be opened venue, he was about to release New Orleans Jazz Playhouse (Basin Street), a lush, 304-page coffee-table book featuring photos by Herman Leonard and Gordon Parks, essays about the various muses that…

If you’re a drummer who developed your approach and skills playing rock and you’re interested in playing jazz, you’ll most likely need to concentrate on three main areas: time-feel, touch and inner dynamics. Most of today’s rock music is built on a feel where the quarter note is divided into halves or quarters, while in the swing rhythm that defines most jazz, a quarter note is subdivided into thirds. This hasn’t always been the case. Rock and roll from the 1950s and early ’60s was based on a shuffle feel, which is essentially the same as the jazz swing beat, with extra emphasis on the 2 and 4 backbeat. That shuffle feel is less common now, and drummers growing up on punk, metal and rock in general may never be…

LENY ANDRADE & RONI BEN-HUR ALEGRIA DE VIVER (Motéma) Though she’s extremely under-recognized outside Latin America, veteran Brazilian vocalist Leny Andrade has achieved status and esteem there equivalent of Ella, Sarah or Billie. Known for her scorching delivery and dense, earthy sound, the Rio-born Andrade remains, at 72, as vibrant and vital as ever. Her latest album represents a decided change of pace—softer, mellower, as warm and inviting as a sunrise over Corcovado. The title translates as simply “joy of living.” Eschewing her long-favored trio format, she has found an ideal duet partner in Israeli guitarist Roni Ben-Hur, whom she met in 2012 when she guest-lectured at his Brazilian music camp in Bar Harbor. While Andrade has surveyed most of the Brazilian jazz songbook over the years, here she was…

As anyone who has posted angrily on Facebook to complain about Facebook understands, technology undoubtedly makes life easier without necessarily making it better. Social media has opened up unprecedented channels of communication while isolating us with our personal devices. CGI gives filmmakers infinite possibilities, resulting in endless, mind-numbing explosions and car chases. Streaming services allow listeners instant access to limitless music while tossing mere pennies to the music’s creators. Music notation software is another tool whose effort- and time-saving potential is obvious. With programs like Sibelius and Finale, scores previously marred by sloppy, illegible handwriting now look professionally printed. Music can pass uninhibited from the fingers to the page. Copying, transposing and transcribing tasks that once took hours or days are now accomplished with the push of a button. But…

The university radio station has long been the proving ground for aspiring jazz broadcasters. While at Syracuse University, Lou Reed hosted Excursions on a Wobbly Rail, named for the eponymous Cecil Taylor song, until FM station WAER canceled the program in response to administration pressure after Reed polluted the airwaves with heavy salvos of Ornette Coleman and allegedly belched during a muscular dystrophy PSA. Others had more on-air longevity in the studio booth. In February 1969, Eric Jackson went on the air at WTBU at Boston University and has been broadcasting in the region ever since. On Feb. 2, 1970, as a jazz-crazed freshman at Columbia University with a flypaper discographical memory, Phil Schaap began his now 45-year tenure at WKCR, more than a year before NPR aired its first…

U.S. COLLEGES & UNIVERSITIES ALABAMA Auburn University 217 Goodwin Hall, 320 W. Samford Auburn, AL 36849 Primary contact: Dr. Mike Pendowski, 334-844-3164 Jacksonville State University 700 Pelham Rd. North Jacksonville, AL 36265 http://music.jsu.edu/Jazz/Default.htm Primary contact: Andy Nevala, 303-859-3589, andy@andynevala.com University of Alabama School of Music PO Box 870366 Tuscaloosa, AL 35487 http://music.ua.edu/departments/jazz-studies/ Jazz contact: Chris Kozak, 205-348-6333, ckozak@ua.edu Wallace State College 801 Main St Hanceville, AL 35077 www.wallacestatehanceville.edu Primary contact: Ricky Burks, 205-352-8277 X277 ARIZONA Arizona State University School of Music PO Box 870405, Tempe, AZ 85287 www.music.asu.edu/jazz Jazz contact: Michael Kocour, 480-965-5348, Michael.Kocour@asu.edu Chandler-Gilbert Community College 2626 E Pecos Rd., Chandler, AZ 85225 http://www.cgc.maricopa.edu Primary contact: Randy Wright, 480-732-7290, randy.wright@cgc.edu Jazz contact: Ted Goddard, 480-857-5182, ted,goddard@cgc.edu Mesa Community College Music Dept., 1833 W. Southern Ave., Mesa, AZ 85202 Primary…

Jazz has its share of royal families, including Heath brothers Percy, Jimmy and Tootie, from Philadelphia; Hank, Thad and Elvin Jones, from the Detroit area; New Orleans’ Marsalis and Batiste clans; Wes, Buddy and Monk Montgomery, from Indiana; and the Tampa-born Adderleys, Cannonball and Nat. In Chicago, a royal jazz bloodline runs through several generations of the Freemans. That lineage goes way back to George Freeman, father to guitarist George, Windy City tenor titan Von and drummer Eldridge “Bruz” and grandfather to Chico, also an acclaimed saxophonist, based in Switzerland in recent years. About those long-established Freeman family bona fides: The elder Freeman, a Chicago cop and pianist, and his wife, a singer and guitarist, became close with Louis Armstrong, who stayed with the family when Pops first came to…

As a drummer, Medeski Martin & Wood’s Billy Martin has a lot to offer: funk, Latin, swing. But the 52-year-old New York native has just as much to give as a visual artist. His drawings are full of eyes, creatures, cones and celestial scenes; his pieces are abstract and spontaneous, hinting at comprehensible forms but rarely recreating them. But now you can hear Martin’s visual art. On a recent engrossing album, Wandering (Amulet), the drummer presents graphic scores—images meant to be played as if they were traditional music charts. And during a three-day run at the Drawing Center in Manhattan in July, Martin coordinated live performances of these pieces, by a cast including saxophonist John Zorn and keyboardist John Medeski. For this area of Billy Martin’s creative world, an old…

ABilly Mintz rehearsal doesn’t entail much instruction. Gathered for an informal session with bassist Mark Wade and pianist Roberta Piket in the Teaneck, N.J., house he shares with Piket, his wife of four years, Mintz hands out sheet music for a yet-to-be-titled new composition. Waving his hand vaguely at a section of the page, he says, “Do whatever” Otherwise, as he switches between congas and drum kit in the cramped music room between the couple’s living room and kitchen, he repeatedly tosses out the word “vibe ” “For me, it’s more about vibe than anything else ” Mintz shrugs a little later, snacking on bagels and nachos on their back porch. “The whole general feeling of it ” “That’s kind of what jazz is about ” Piket adds. “That’s what…

A LARGE NINE-PIECE PEARL DRUM KIT DOMINATES Dennis Chambers’ living room. Its shells, from the giant protruding kick to the gong bass drum that looms over everything, consist of clear yellow plastic, a garish clash with the room’s tasteful white and earth-toned décor. Strewn about the gray couches and brown coffee tables nearby are snares, drumheads and cymbals, some still in their boxes. “I had a nice-looking living room at one time ” says Chambers, laughing in his home in the Baltimore suburbs. “Now there’s a bunch of drum gear in it!” Chambers is one of the world’s greatest living drummers, renowned and sought after by musicians from all genres. Playing professionally from the age of 6, he joined Parliament-Funkadelic at 19 but jumped in the mid-1980s to John Scofield’s…

Mesa/Boogie Mark Five: 25 Guitar Amp With the Mark Five: 25, a portable powerhouse from Mesa/Boogie, the company has essentially distilled its historic product line into one heavy-duty head you can take with you on the subway. The 16.5-pound box can be set at 10 or 25 watts, and features two independent channels and six style modes: Jazz, R&B and blues players will spend a lot of time exploring Channel 1, while shred and fusion heads will settle into Channel 2, with its high-gain Mesa/Boogie lead tones—touchstones of guitar sound at this point. Hook it up to a variety of cabinets—even a 4X12—or go direct at the gig with the Cabclone internal amp load and speaker simulator. Also clutch: classic Mesa/ Boogie EQ and all-tube spring reverb that can be…

On a humid June night, Snarky Puppy is awash in blue stage lights at the Hamilton, a Washington, D.C., restaurant and performance venue where the Brooklyn-based group is playing the second night of a sold-out engagement during the city’s jazz festival. The band’s eight players, part of a larger jazz-fusion collective, opened with “Alma” a crowd-pleasing tune with keyboard vamps and guitar riffs, from the group’s second album, The World Is Getting Smaller. Bassist Michael League, who founded Snarky Puppy, is keenly interested in playing music for people who simply love music. He’s been liberated from playing for critics or other musicians. Instead, he caters to the group’s multigenerational and multiethnic fan base, as evidenced by the makeup of the audience that turned out to hear them play. League honed…

RANDY BRECKER WITH THE DEPAUL UNIVERSITY JAZZ ENSEMBLE DEARBORN STATION (Jazzed Media) The Chicago-based DePaul University Jazz Ensemble has performed regularly at the Jazz Showcase for more than 20 years, making 10 live recordings there with visiting jazz greats as guest artists. Dearborn Station, named for the jazz club’s current home, features Randy Brecker on six of nine tracks. The repertoire includes two Brecker originals, five jazz standards, one student composition and a ballad written by ensemble director Bob Lark. Tenor saxophonist-arranger Andrew Janak trades forceful solos with Brecker on the opening track, the trumpeter’s “Squids.” DePaul faculty member (and former ensemble member) Joseph Clark arranged Monk’s “Well, You Needn’t” for the big band, adding clever touches that begin with a second-line groove set by drummer Rob Dicke. The band’s…

Once you’ve played a musical instrument with dedication, you never get it out of your system. That’s why, at age 53, I traveled halfway across the country to spend a week at Jamey Aebersold’s Summer Jazz Workshops at the University of Louisville in Kentucky. I’d gotten the bug to play again when former bandmates in New York City asked me to do some gigs with them. I figured a week of study, with no chores or meetings nagging at me, would get my chops back in shape. Colleagues had their doubts. “It’s going to be you and a bunch of high school kids” one warned me, “and they’ve all been practicing for four hours a day because they don’t have anything else to do” “Hey, I saw Bill Evans live”…