JazzGram, May 2022

AND NURTURING JAZZ IN CHICAGO

LOUIS AND LIL ARMSTRONG IN CHICAGO, A THREE PART SERIES.

As our centennial celebration of Louis Armstrong’s arrival in Chicago ramps up this summer, we offer you a three part series on jazz starting pre-Louis through his profound impact on the art. No story on the Louis in Chicago could be complete without discussing the role of Lil Hardin Armstrong. A gifted and talented pianist and writer, she married Louis in Chicago and helped him develop into an international superstar. present suite that honors his roots and relatives

commercial communications at the turn of the 20th century but wouldn’t be used for music broadcasts until the mid ‘20s (and then, most broadcasts were local). Personal devices for listening – phonographs -- were a luxury item that most people could not afford. The recording industry was still in its infancy.

& Healy, which also manufactured harps and marching band instruments.

JAZZ BEFORE LOUIS –CHICAGO 100 YEARS AGO

By

There was jazz in Chicago before young trumpeter Louis Armstrong arrived in 1922 – indeed, even before 1910! But it takes a stretch of imagination to envision what life here was like then.

Radio had become commonplace for

The most popular recordings were of John Phillip Sousa, the March King, with his Marine Band; Irish tenor John McCormack, and opera singer Enrico Caruso. Music by Black people, which would later be termed race records, was seldom considered worth recording, although the song “Nobody,” by Bahamian-born vaudeville star Bert Williams, had proved to be a best seller in 1906 (and was enduring: Cécile McLorin Salvant revived it in 2013). Ragtime, introduced to Chicago in the form of syncopated piano compositions at the World’s Columbia Exposition of 1893 by its progenitor Scott Joplin, was all the rage in songs printed as sheet music– the leading form of music popularization in that era. Chicago was a national center of music publishing, with operators such as Will Rossitor – who published Morton’s “Jelly Roll’s Blues” in 1915 – and, a little later the Melrose brothers, Walter and Lester, selling their scores at stores such as Lyon

World War I (1914-1918) was a catalyst in large part for the beginning of the Great Migration. This historic influx of Black Americans from southern states where 90% lived prior to 1910 to northern centers like Chicago was driven by booming industrial jobs created by the “The Great War” as it was called. This population brought its distinct and rich cultures to the northern cities. The impact was transformational to these city’s economies, including an injection of musical artistry not seen or heard previously.

Musicians commonly traveled, or “toured,” anyway – segregated, of course -- in minstrel shows of Black troupes or all whites in black-face, theatrical productions, and on their own. Jelly Roll Morton, for instance, left New Orleans for the road in 1904 (he was about 14) and passed through Chicago in 1910, settling down here for a couple years in the mid-teens.

By then, the city’s Black population was approximately 125,000, concentrated in the area today called Bronzeville. The State Street Stroll -State between 26th and 39th streets, later extending south to 47th Street – was the main drag, encompassing all varieties of business and entertainment, busy with well-dressed people day and night. There were vaudeville and movie theaters, poolhalls, bars, restaurants and clubs for dancing and gambling.

In 1917 the Secretary of the Navy ordered the closing of Storyville, the New Orleans

Louis Armstrong (left) with King Oliver

Kent Richmond & Howard Mandel

continued from page 1, Louis Armstrong

brothel district where many pianists and bands were employed. This motivated musicians who legendarily created jazz to come north. One of them was already here -- Tony Jackson had become the first New Orleans musician to determinedly move to Chicago, in 1912. (Singer Alberta Hunter beat him here by a year, but she was from Memphis.)

Known since childhood for extraordinary musicianship, described by Lil Hardin Armstrong as a better pianist than Morton, and Morton’s mentor, Jackson come to Chicago for career opportunities and to escape his hometown’s homophobia -- he was proudly and openly gay. Primarily a pianist, he never established a band but had a great voice and performance style, as well as innate tunefulness. He held the copyright for one standard, “Pretty Baby,” but reputedly gave away many hits to Tin Pan Alley for peanuts and no credit. Jackson died of cirrhosis and/or syphilis in 1921 at age 38. In 2011, Tony Jackson was named to the Chicago Gay and Lesbian Hall of Fame.

Chicago was becoming a hot jazz town. New Orleans cornetist Freddie Keppard – who famously turned down what would have been the first jazz recording because he didn’t want anyone to “steal my stuff” -- had settled here in 1917. Clarinetist Jimmy Noone and trumpeter Joe King Oliver followed, in 1918. Pianist “Georgia Tom” Dorsey, founder with guitarist Tampa Red of pre-rock ‘n’ roll “hokum music” and as Thomas A. Dorsey, the father of gospel – yes, the same man – arrived in 1919. Coincidentally, Sousa had received a military commission, and was stationed at Great Lakes Naval Station with a Navy Band, asserting a Chicago presence.

It should be noted that to white society at that time “the blues” meant music by Blacks. It was not uncommon for a child

who said the word “jass” or “jazz” in a strict household to have their mouths washed out with soap – it was a dirty word. Still, jazz in Chicago wasn’t only being played by Black musicians. In 1916 Stein’s Dixie Jass band from New Orleans was contracted for an engagement at Schiller’s, a venue on the Stroll. A year later, renamed as The Original Dixieland Jazz Band, cornetist Nick LaRocca and his crew packed in audiences at Reisenweber’s Café in New York City, and recorded “Livery Stable Blues” for Victor – the first jazz record.

Chicago attracted people with ambi-

Creole Jazz Band – the first ensemble to relocate from New Orleans, very popular on the Stroll, booked at the DeLux Café and Dreamland. She was surprised to learn that no one in the band could read music. When a tune was struck up, she would ask for the key, but the other musicians didn’t know. She had to do a lot of improvising to keep up with this bunch.

Although popular and working steadily, the band suffered turmoil and turnover. Cornetist Keppard was replaced by Joe Oliver. When Duhe quit the band out of frustration, eventually returning to New Orleans, Oliver took over and got a booking at the Royal Gardens on East 31st St.

tions. Lil Hardin had studied piano and classical music at Fisk University in Nashville; she relocated to Chicago with her mother Dempsey in 1918, and found work as a demonstrator in Jones Music Store at 3409 1/2 S. State St. Customers naturally would want to hear how a tune sounded before buying sheet music that cost five or 10 cents.

Due to her piano skills and personality, Lil Hardin was soon earning $10 a week. She was also memorizing a lot of scores. Music stores were hangouts for musicians looking for leads to gigs, and Lil herself hoped to get a job with a band. Pianists were at a premium then –a piano was considered a white instrument, due to its expense. Most Black people could only get their hands on a piano in church.

Lil got a chance to break in to performing with Lawrence Duhe’s New Orleans

Lil, however, stayed on as the house pianist at the Dreamland, earning $100 a week. She accompanied Alberta Hunter, duly impressed with the singer’s vocal virtuosity, her beaded gowns and her $500 a week salary (often sweetened with generous tips). Hunter had worked her way up. From 1911 to ’13 she’s worked at Dago Frank’s, from ’13 to ’15 at Hugh Haskin’s Saloon; from ’15 to ’17 at the Panama Club, and in later ’17 was at the Delux, getting $35 a week.

Lil was pretty, slender and petite in an era when buxom was in vogue. She was always stylishly dressed, and looked younger than her years, although she was only 20 when she joined Duhe’s group. Her piano skills outshined all that. Her playing style was described as masculine because of her driving, uptempo rhythms. To emphasize her looks and piano prowess together, she was billed as “Hot Miss Lil.” And so she was known when Louis Armstrong came to town.

Read in the next JazzGram about when Lil, and later Louis, joined King Oliver’s Creole Jazz Band.

DOCUMENTING DUKE

By Corey Hall

Before Edward Kennedy “Duke” Ellington painted “Black Butterfly,” “Black, Brown and Beige,” and “Black Swan” for big band and orchestra, he honored a “Black Beauty” by himself at a piano. Her name? Florence Mills. Her highlights? Earning reverence and renown for her syncopated song and dance skills in the 1920s, in venues from Harlem to Paris. On November 1, 1927, Mills, at age 31, died. According to her biography on Britannica.com, approximately 150,000 admirers attended her funeral. Duke’s tribute to her would be recorded 11 months later.

While Duke’s large ensembles are forever ingrained in the canon of American music, his roots in ragtime, gifts as a solo pianist, and recordings in duo, trio and quartet situations are not as well known. These efforts were discussed in “A Closer Listen,” a webinar/listening session hosted recently by Jazz at Lincoln Center (J@LC) and presented by Seton Hawkins, J@LC’s Director of Education Resources and Public Planning.

Hawkins began by noting how Duke’s first-ever composition, “Soda Fountain Rag,” had its origins in what he heard as a 15-year-old prodigy.

“Duke grew up playing in an East Coast, ragtime style,” Hawkins said about the song, composed in 1914. “And by the 1920s, he had become heavily influenced by the stride of solo piano playing. He listened to James P. Johnson and Willie ‘The Lion’ Smith. That orchestral style of playing is one he would adopt.”

Duke, Hawkins added, learned how to play stride after obtaining a piano roll containing Johnson’s “Carolina Shout.”

“By putting his feet down and having the piano roll play the piece of music on a player piano,” Hawkins explained, “Ellington began to learn this piece by putting his fingers where the

keys

In 1939, Hawkins continued, Duke hired bassist James “Jimmie” Blanton, who excelled in everything: chops, time, intonation and playing with the bow. The two would record as a duo, and Duke also placed Blanton’s bass on top in his orchestra, allowing him to drive the band through his solos. This partnership ended when Blanton died in 1942 at age 23.

Right before Blanton joined Duke, another new guy, Billy Strayhorn, had been hired as a vocal arranger. Duke soon saw Strayhorn’s true talents – composing and playing piano – and collaborated with him in duo settings. On the Ellington/Strayhorn album Piano Duets – Great Times! “Sweet Pea” is quoted in the liner notes about how he and his boss were forever in sync. When asked how he could decipher which notes were his and which were Duke’s, Strayhorn said, “I really have to sit down at a keyboard and play it out myself to know…” This partnership, which lasted nearly 30 years, produced more than 150 songs. During his presentation, Hawkins also cited “Drawing Room Blues,” played by the two men on one piano, as being “beautiful and contemplative.”

Trios, Tensions, and ‘Trane

Although economics made maintaining a big band more difficult from the 1950s on, Hawkins noted, Duke persevered. There were, however, adjustments made based on finances and Duke’s changing style. In 1961, he released Piano In the Foreground, a trio session with bassist Aaron Bell and drummer Sam Woodyard. From this album, Hawkins discussed “Fontainebleau Forest,” a song Duke wrote after visiting France.

“He’s essentially painting a tonal picture for you,” Hawkins said, adding that Duke’s playing had now evolved from stride and began favoring minimalism. “(His playing) is still very percussive, with a lot of arpeggios and whole-note runs. Ellington, very early on, got very good…at using a small number of notes

would go down and literally guide them through muscle memory.”

JIC EVENTS & SPECIAL OFFERS

May 11 (5PM): Jazz Links Jam Session 2022

In Person Event | Jazz Showcase | 806 South Plymouth Court

| Free and open to the public!

CLUBS

Andy’s http://www.andysjazzclub.com/ 11 E. Hubbard/312-642-6805

Show times: 5pm & 7pm/ 9:30pm & 11:30pm

Every Sunday: Andy Brown Quartet (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Reggie Thomas & George Fludas (10:30PM)

Every Monday: Aaron Shapiro Quartet (6PM & 8:15PM)

Every Tuesday: Mario Abney Effect (6PM & 8:15PM)

Every Wednesday: Jeremy Cunningham’s Happenstance (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Aimee Gwen Pat Metheny Project (10:30PM)

Every Thursday: Micah Collier’s Alectet (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Alejandro Salazar (10:30PM)

May 6 & 7: Mario Abney Effect (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Ryan Cohan (10:30PM)

May 13 & 14: Matt Ulery’s Loom (6PM & 8:15), Late Night Concert Series w/ Isaiah Collier (10:30PM)

May 20 & 21: Frank Catalano (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Alejandro Salazar (10:30PM)

May 27 & 28: Reggie Thomas & George Fludas (6PM & 8:15PM), Late Night Concert Series w/ Juli Wood - Eddie Who? (10:30PM)

Cafe Mustache

http://cafemustache.com/ 2313 N Milwaukee Ave./ 773-687-9063

Live music Tuesdays-Sundays

May 9 (8PM): Kyle Madsen/MHC Trio May 23 (8PM): Noah Brooks Coalition/Gregory Dudzienski

Constellation

3111 N. Western/ www.constellation-chicago.com

Show times and cover charges vary. Most shows 18 and over.

May 5 (8:30PM): Kind Folk, Twin Talk - Virtual & In Person EventLivestream Link: https://youtu.be/LIPWQWq72og

May 6 (8:30PM): Jason Stein, Damon Smith, Adam Shead - Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/Lrf-C_kko_s

May 7 (8:30PM): Tatsu Aoki’s The MIYUMI Project

Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/b9mfaZBapsg

May 12 (8:30PM): Reggie Nicholson Concept

Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/WD0FDyLsHmE

May 17 (8:30PM): Italian Doc Remix- Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/cFT-t94EosA

May 20 (8:30PM): Tommaso Moretti's Inside Out Album Release - Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/LBPxSdECJ50

May 27 (8:30PM): Mike Allemana: Vonology Album Release - Virtual & In Person Event - Livestream Link: https://youtu.be/0d6q5fD2_5Y

Elastic ARTS elasticarts.org/ 2830 N. Milwaukee/773-772-3616/elasticarts.org

May 2 (8PM): Dion Kerr Solo & Paul Bedal Trio

May 5 (8:30PM): Stein/Spencer Duo & Myth Chamber Experiment

May 6 (8PM): Sura and The Side Pocket Experience Album Release Party

May 7 (8PM): Avreeayl Ra's Healing Arts Initiative: Meditation In Motion

May 9 (8PM): Trio + & Ben Esposito Trio

May 12 (8:30PM): Aram Shelton Quartet

May 19 (8:30PM): “A” Trio

May 25 (8:30PM): Spectrum 3

Experimental Sound Studio ess.org

5925 N Ravenswood/773-998-1069

Fitzgerald’s 6615 Roosevelt, Berwyn/708-788-2118

Wednesday SideBar Sessions Sponsored by WDCB 90.9 Chicago’s Jazz Station, 8pm, $10 suggested Donation

May 1 (7PM): Big Band & BBQ: Chicago Grandstand

May 4: Shout Section Big Band (7PM at the Nightclub), New Standard Quintet "Another Time Another Place" Album Release (8:30PM at the Sidebar)

May 7 (12PM): Patio Jazz Brunch: The Cellar Boys Trio

May 10 (7PM):"Fat Tuesday" w/ High-Hat Second Line!

Fulton Street Collective/ Jazz Record Art Collective 1821 W. Hubbard/ 773-852-2481. fultonstreetcollective.com/ jazzrecordartcollective.com $10 suggested donation/ $5 with valid student ID. All ages. Cash only. All Livestream Events can be found at: https://www.youtube.com/fultonstreetcollective

May 11 (8PM): Kenny Wheeler's Angel Song - In Person Event

Green Mill 4802 N. Broadway/773-878-5552

SUNDAYS (8PM): Soul Message

MONDAYS (8PM): Joel Paterson & Friends

TUESDAYS: (8PM) Chicago Cellar Boys

WEDNESDAYS: (8PM) Alfonso Ponticelli

THURSDAYS: Andy Brown (5PM), Alan Gresik’s Swing Orchestra (8PM)

FRIDAYS: Chris Foreman (5PM)

SATURDAYS: Paper Machete (3PM)

May 6,7 (8PM): Karrin Allyson Quartet

May 13,14 (8PM): Ari Brown Quintet

May 29 (4PM): Chicago Jazz Composers Collective

Hungry Brain

2319 W Belmont Ave/773-935-2118

Every Wednesday (9PM): Wednesday Night Fellowship

May 1 (9PM): Stirrup: Fred Lonberg-Holm, Nick Macri, Charles Rumback

May 12 (9PM): Matt Ulery's Pollinator

May 27 (9PM): Herbsaint

Jazz Showcase

806 S. Plymouth Ct./312-360-0234

Two sets at 8pm & 10pm & *Sunday matinee at 4pm. Visit www.jazzshowcase.com for weekday JIC member discounts!

JIC member card required.

May 1 (4PM & 8PM): Lucy Yeghiazaryan Quintet feat. Emmet Cohen & Houston Person

May 4 (8PM & 10PM): Chicago Soul Jazz Collective feat. Meagan McNeal

May 5-7 (8PM & 10PM), 8 (4PM & 8PM): Christian McBride & Inside Straight

May 9 (8PM & 10PM): Bob Lark & his Alumni Big Band

May 10 (8PM & 10PM): Drummer Greg Artry Quartet

May 11 (5PM): Jazz Links Jam Session

May 12-14 (8PM & 10PM), 15 (4PM & 8PM): The Cookers

May 17,31 (8PM & 10PM): Christian Dillingham

May 18 (8PM &10PM): Bob Lark Septet

May 19-21 (8PM & 10PM), 22 (4PM & 8PM): Trumpeter Keyon Harrold May 24 (8PM): WDCB 90.9FM

May 25 (8PM & 10PM): Chicago Soul Jazz Collective feat. Dee Alexander

May 26-28 (8PM & 10PM), 29 (4PM & 8PM): Carmen Lundy Quintet

Le Piano

6970 N Glenwood Ave/773-209-7631

TUESDAYS: (7PM) Cabaret “The Daryl & Ester Show”

EVERY OTHER WEDNESDAYS SERIES: (7PM) Brazilian Latin Jazz -"Rio Bamba" Luiz Ewerling

THURSDAYS: (7PM) Derek Duleba Organ Trio

FRIDAYS: Chad Willets Solo Piano Set (7PM), Chad Willets Quartet (8PM)

SATURDAYS: Chad Willets Quartet (7PM), "Afterglow Set" with Petra van Nuis/ Dennis Luxion Duo (11PM)

SUNDAYS (7PM): The Velvet Torch Series

Whistler

2421 N. Milwaukee, Logan Square/773-227-3530

May 4 (9PM): Relax Attack Jazz Series: Guitar for Guaraldi: Spring Fling May 11 (9PM): Relax Attack Jazz Series: Hunter Diamond + Lucas Gillan May 18 (9PM): Relax Attack Jazz Series: Anthony Bruno Trio May 25 (9PM): Relax Attack Jazz Series: Aaron Shapiro Quartet

Winter’s Jazz Club

465 N. McClurg Court (on the promenade) Ph: 312.344.1270 www.wintersjazzclub.com info@wintersjazzclub.com SET TIMES

Tuesday - Saturday 7:30 & 9:30PM Sunday 5:30 & 7:30 PM

ALL ENTRANTS REQUIRED TO PROVIDE PROOF OF BEING FULLY VACCINATED May 1 (5:30PM & 7:30PM): Champian Fulton May 4 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Paul Marinaro Quartet May 5 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Marlene Rosenberg TrioWorks from Oscar Peterson, Ray Brown, Dave Brubeck & more May 6 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Jeremy Kahn Quartet w/ vocalist Angel Spiccia May 7 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Leroy Jones Quintet May 8 (5:30PM & 7:30PM): Chris Madsen Quartet w/ vocalist Alyssa AllgoodAn Evening of Monk & Mingus

May 11 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Michael Lerich Jazz EnsembleThe Music of Charlie Parker on Clarinet

May 12 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Elaine Dame Quartet May 13,14 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Denise Thimes & Victor Goines May 15 (5:30PM & 7:30PM): John Dokes QuartetThe Music of Joe Williams & Nat 'King' Cole

May 18 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Paul Marinaro Quartet

May 19 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Jeremy Kahn Trio w/ Mark FeldmanSalutes Johnny Frigo

May 20 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Eric Schneider Quartet w/ vocalist Kimberly Gordon

May 21 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Benny Benack Quartet

May 22 (5:30PM & 7:30PM): Spider Saloff Quartet - Isn’t it Rich: The Life and Legacy of Stephen Sondheim

May 25 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Andy Brown QuartetA Night Of Count Basie And Oscar Peterson

May 26 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Eric Jacobson Quartet - "Kind of Blue" & More:

A Birthday Tribute to Miles Davis

May 27 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Henry Johnson Quartet w/ Sharel Cassity

May 28 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Lezlie Harrison Quartet

May 29 (7:30PM & 9:30PM): Kate McGarry Quartet

PRESERVATION HALL

By Mark Guarino

IN EARLY MAY

a British banjo player joined the Preservation Hall Jazz Band for a onenight-only performance: Pete Townshend.

The fact that the rock auteur behind The Who paid respects to the 620-square-foot space while on a tour stop in New Orleans shows the global appeal of Preservation Hall over its 61-year history. He told the audience what an influence New Orleans guitarist Snooks Eaglin had on him as a young man and how his father, a saxophonist in the Royal Air Force Dance Orchestra, loved New Orleans clarinetist Sidney Bechet. During the short midnight show, the Preservation Hall Jazz Band turned Townshend signature songs “Won’t Get Fooled Again” and “Let My Love Open the Door” into New Orleans-flavored stomps, and the evening ended with the century-old traditional “When the Saints Come Marching In.”

Preservation Hall, located at 726 St Peter St. in the French Quarter, nearly missed celebrating its 60th year last year after shuttering for 15 months due to the COVID-19 pandemic. That gap is one of only a handful of events that suspended music in the tiny room, an aged 31-by-20-foot space in a building dating back to 1750. Peeling walls, wooden floors, and without air conditioning until 2019, Preservation Hall is America’s only living pilgrimage to the early days of jazz. Visitors pay between $25 and $50 to sit on floor cushions or benches and listen to

45-minute performances that are entirely acoustic — No amplifiers, microphones — and don’t involve alcohol.

The enduring appeal of Preservation Hall is in how it allows audiences to touch the past in a way that is unfiltered and fresh, an important distinction considering the fragile history of traditional jazz since its earliest days.

“Preservation Hall saved New Orleans jazz,” George Wein, founder of the New Orleans Jazz & Heritage Festival and the Newport Jazz Festival, told Vanity Fair in 2011. “When it became an institution in New Orleans, everybody who went down there went to the hall. They paid a dollar to go hear people like George Lewis or Sweet Emma Barrett and made them national figures.”

Indeed, Preservation Hall started as an incubator for traditional jazz in response to competing threats like rock ‘n’ roll and bebop. When it opened in 1961, the location served as an informal rehearsal space for aging jazz musicians — Lewis, Barrett, “Kid” Thomas Valentine, Jim Robinson, Willie and Percy Humphrey, Louis Nelson, Alcide “Slow Drag” Pavageau, and “Kid Punch” Miller, among others — who were living links to Buddy Bolden, Jelly Roll Morton, Louis Armstrong, Bunk Johnson, and other early jazz pioneers yet faced shrinking audiences and venues to perform.

Preservation Hall, New Orleans

CHRIS GREENE FOUND GUILTY OF…

By Corey Hall

Immediately, as instructed by Sly Stone’s voice on the song slamming through the courtroom’s speakers, all attendees “Stand!” Judge Milton John – aka “Still the Judge,” or STJ –emerges from chambers, snaps a selfie, low-fives the bailiff, and takes his position behind the bench.

Then, the courtroom’s doors open, and the Defendant, tenor saxophonist Christopher Alexander Greene – aka “Greene,” – enters, blues marching in a quarter-note acoustic slide step accented with backbeat from STJ’s gavel. STJ lifts his index finger high, signaling that “Stand!” is about to end, so all spectators sit, applaud, and then watch as Greene takes the witness stand and enters PlaySPACE 2:Play Harder into evidence. This live album, released on May 6, and recorded at the Evanston venue mentioned in the title, features the Defendant and his quartet: pianist Damian Espi-nosa, bassist Marc Piane, and drummer Steve Corley.

Citing budget imbalances, critics’ convenience, and straight-up reality, STJ explains how the trial has been skipped and Defendant Greene found guilty. Three Victim Impact Statements (VIS) from the Plaintiffs – People Objecting to the Life and Interests of Chris’ Ensemble, or POLICE – will be read, followed by Greene’s response. STJ unfurls VIS One, counts it off, and begins.

“Middling tunes at middling tempos…Never really enough of anything…” STJ then places the disc into his boombox, selects “Divers,” hits the Playa! Playa! button, and allows the tune to play for the entire 13 minutes. Here is a brief audio bite:

“We were talking about this tune behind your back in chambers,” the Judge’s criss-cross examina-tion begins, “and we want to know: Is ‘Divers’ middling, or, as we suspect, mad?” “I would definitely say mad,” Greene responds. “I would also call

it frantic, over the top, or ‘lit,’ as the kids these days say.” “Was the approach here inspired by Branford Marsalis’ Crazy People Music? I know you and Branford are cool,” STJ says. “Branford is one of my heroes and definitely part of the framework when a song like ‘Divers’ is brought out,” Greene says. “The approach from his band is always on my mind, from Crazy People Music to ‘Dance of the Evil Toys,’ the first song on his new album. ‘Divers’ might not have been an overt Branford reference, but he’s certainly in there.”

“Solid, my brother, solid,” STJ says, as he unfurls VIS Two and reads: “‘(Greene) is the weak link in his own band. Does he even listen to Charlie Parker?”’ Address the court, please. Have you ever listened to Charlie Parker?”

“Didn’t he record some stuff on CTI in the ‘70s?” Greene asks. “Wait!

He’s the Black Country Hall of Fame guy, right?” “He could be country,” STJ responds, “depending on who was in the back seat with him while Miles was trying to eat some actual bird!”

While everyone laughs, a female spectator – later identified as GI Jamila – rolls her eyes Exorcist style. A dude with a fresh ‘stache and goatee sitting next to her also laughs. But upon seeing her reaction, his smile ceases. He then places a boxing glove on his right hand and approaches the stand. “Uh-oh!” everyone yells. “Keep my wife’s shame…Out!...YO!...Mouth!” brother/ man de-mands. “Please answer straight-ahead,” STJ instructs the Defendant, as the man returns to his seat. “Charlie Parker is always there, your Honor,” Greene replies. “I listen to other music, but I always find my way back to him. Even when I’m not listening intently to Bird, I’m hearing him filtered through the men and women who have studied him for years.” STJ then plays the next track, “Caravan,” another Bird model, where Greene leads on soprano saxophone.

“We typically play ‘Caravan’ at an up-tempo, super-fast pace, but the original version is a slow, desert-like kind of thing,”

Board Member, Chiquita Jones

continued from page 2, Duke

to cut through the band and add this extra sheen to his playing. In the trio, he brings a lot of those skills as well.”

Two years later, Duke released Money Jungle, a one-off session with Charles Mingus and Max Roach. While the tension in the studio among the men has been much documented, the recording is still celebrated for its musicianship. (Drummer Terri Lyne Carrington recreated the recording in 2013 and earned a Grammy for her efforts.)

Duke also collaborated with John Coltrane for a quartet date, also released in 1963. The album, named after the two gents, proved to be a positive experience. Duke, in his autobiography Music Is My Mistress, wrote, “We recorded some of his tunes with his rhythm section, and some of mine with my rhythm section. No hassle, no sweat—- John Coltrane was a beautiful cat. The date flowed so smoothly we did the whole album in one session, and that is rare. I loved every minute of it.”

Coltrane, when quoted in the album’s liner notes, echoed his colleague’s commendation: “I was really honored to have the opportunity of working with Duke. It was a wonderful experience. He has set standards I haven’t caught up with yet.”

Developing the space, a one-time art gallery, into a viable performance outlet became the mission of Allan and Sandra Jaffee, a Pennsylvania couple who relocated to New Orleans to turn the informal jazz sessions into a formal venue offering music seven nights a week. “As long as there are musicians playing traditional New Orleans jazz, I would like to have a place where they can come and play for an audience who will come and listen,” Allan Jaffe told an interviewer in the mid-1980s. Two years later the couple organized musicians into the first incarnation of the Preservation Hall Jazz Band, which would take the music to different cities. A revival of New Orleans jazz followed a decade later, aided by the first “Jazz Fest” in 1970; like any roots music institution, Preservation Hall served as a shelter for the music to thrive ever since.

Today, Preservation Hall serves as a brand for the freedom and

spirit of early jazz. A deal with Columbia Records helped get the music out in the 1970s and 1980s. The Preservation Hall Jazz Band now tours the world, including Chicago’s Symphony Center and Thalia Hall in recent years and a 50th anniversary concert at Carnegie Hall in New York City, and has helped expose audiences to the music via collaborations with groups and artists like the Del McCoury Band (bluegrass), My Morning Jacket (rock) and Mos Def (hip-hop). After Allan Jaffee died in 1987, the couple’s son, Ben Jaffe, now operates the venue.

Like his parents, the son recognizes the significance of Preservation Hall reaching its sixth decade. “It’s not just a celebration of our past, but also a celebration of the next 60 years as well,” he told Southern Living last year. “I hope that Preservation Hall will be here for generations to come, because I know in my heart of hearts it makes the world a better place."

Greene says about the Ellington/Tizol composition. “I said to my guys, ‘Let’s do it slower than Duke did when he first recorded it.’” “Dig,” STJ replies, as he unfurls and reads VIS Three: “Greene’s approach earnest, but work needs some heft.” The Judge then asks the Defendant what he has been doing to heighten his heft. “Lots of protein and kale,” the latter responds.

STJ then plays the album’s closing tracks: “Omi (Fresh Water),” by George Duke, and “You Win Again,” by Country crooner Hank Williams. Greene’s admiration for George Duke, he explained, grew after playing a tribute concert in his honor with bassist Mike Manson’s band. (Manson played with Duke for 10 years.) “Omi” is highlighted by Corley’s extended solo, as Greene, Espinosa, and Piane support him sonically on cowbell, woodblock, and cabasa.

Greene discovered “You Win Again” while watching Ray, the film starring Jamie Foxx as Mr. Charles. He then bought Brother Ray’s Modern Sounds In Country and Western Music, which contained the tune. Then he heard Williams’ version and presented it to his colleagues.

Before dismissing Greene from the stand, STJ asks about the voice heard at tune’s end. The words were spoken by poet Maya Angelou and taken from a conversation she had with comedian Dave Chappelle. He rewinds, reclines, and replays: “…Don’t pick it up and don’t lay it down,” Ms. An-gelou is heard saying. “When someone says ‘You’re the best…’ You say, ‘Ah!’ If you pick that up, you also have to pick it up when they say you’re nothing…So I don’t pick it up. I don’t lay it down.” “What does this say to you?” STJ asks. “As long as I’m on this planet, I’m gonna keep try-ing to cause as much ruckus as possible,” Greene replies. “If I’m not making people who are used to a certain style or framework of music just a tiny bit uncomfortable, I’m not doing my job.”

continued from page 6, Preservation Hall

continued from page 7, Chris Greene

A MENTOR’S INSIGHTS ON THE ‘SHARING NATURE OF JAZZ’

A longtime Chicago educator and jazz musician is continuing his legacy of investing in the next generation of artists.

Philip Castleberry, a retired Chicago Public Schools music teacher, serves as one of the mentors in the Jazz Links Fellowship Program.

“I think it’s great for giving them directions for things that are not generally taught in a school setting or even in a lot of home settings, but things that musicians need to know and need to learn early in their careers so that they’ll be better off later on,” said Castleberry.

The 2021-22 Jazz Links Fellowship Program awardees are pianist, Alexis Lombre, and saxophonist, Arman Sangalang. The program is providing these two up-and-coming, young musicians with a combination of mentoring and performance opportunities.

Mentorship makes up most of the year-long fellowship program. Mentees work with different mentors in a variety of areas including practical musical skills and music business. Castleberry specializes in jazz education.

The retired music teacher believes mentoring is critical to what he calls the “sharing nature of jazz.” Musicians are exchanging ideas while playing on the bandstand, talking to their peers, and teaching the next generation.

The Jazz Links Fellowship Program is also feeding the mentorship cycle among fellows. Castleberry notes his mentees seek out his advice about serving as mentors to others.

The active bassist engages with Alexis and Arman in 90-minute sessions about once a week. He presents them with concepts on navigating the local music scene and gives insights into Chicago and broader jazz history. They also cover topics not discussed in core music instruction such as contracts, finances, and personal health.

“The program itself is a great way for them to network with each other,” said Castleberry about the Jazz Links Fellowship Program. It’s an opportunity “to get familiar with the city for those who are less familiar.”

The program has accepted newcomers to Chicago. Having a mentor serve as a guide through the inner workings of the local jazz scene is invaluable.

Mr. Castleberry taught at Lincoln Park High School for 20 years before retiring in 2016. The active bassist has intimate knowledge of the jazz community as a performer. Arman is a grad student at Northern Illinois University. Alexis recently obtained a post-graduate degree from the University of Michigan. Keep an eye out for them on the Jazz Institute of Chicago’s website and social media as their Fellowship Program performances are announced.

ALL WINNERS AT JAZZ IN THE CHI

2022!

Saturday, May 14 was Jazz In The Chi Regional Essentially Ellington High School Band Festival at Whitney Young High School! This great festival for young players is sponsored by JIC, Jazz at Lincoln Center, and Chicago Public Schools. Because of Covid, school participants were limited to the Chicago only, but we had a great turn out, and the music by these young talented players was simply amazing. Players received judication and instruction from professional and academic leaders, and were able to play and enjoy each others musicianship.

Participating schools included: Chicago High School for the Arts, Edwin G. Foreman College and Career Academy, William Jones College Preparatory High School, Kenwood Academy High School, Lincoln Park High School, Eric Solorio Academy High School, William Howard Taft High School, Whitney M Young Magnet High School

ALUMNI SPOTLIGHT

Chicago saxophonist Isaiah Collier’s recent performance at the Soapbox Gallery in Prospect Heights, Brooklyn was selected as one of “5 Things to Do This Weekend” by the New York Times. Isaiah was described as a “Scion of the Chicago Scene” and a “blazing young improviser… boasting some uncanny maturity and a rangy freedom”

Isaiah has been seeing success from his latest LP “Cosmic Traditions” with his quartet, The Chosen Few. Isaiah was joined by Jordan Williams on piano, Jeremiah Hunt on bass and Michael Shekwoaga Ode on drums.

FREEDOM IS SWINGING!

As of this posting, Let Freedom Swing events have taken place this year at the following schools:

• John H. Vanderpoel Elementary

• Adam Clayton Powell Elementary

• Asa Philip Randolph Elementary

• Daniel Boone Elementary

• Dr. M.L. King, Jr Academy of Social Justice

• Lenart Elementary Regional Gifted Center

• John Hay Elementary Community Academy

• Roswell B. Mason Elementary

• Marcus Garvey Elementary

The Let Freedom Swing program has been up and running, bringing the free concert series into Chicago area schools, particularly those in underserved communities. Let Freedom Swing is a partnership between the Jazz Institute of Chicago and Jazz at Lincoln Center. The Let Freedom Swing Quintet is led by the world-renowned jazz trumpeter and educator Pharez Whitted. While bringing high-quality jazz artistry to participating schools, the performers seek to inspire and enrich students with the ideals of being a part of a community and working together for the good of all involved.

JAZZ LINKS ALUM

• Henry O. Tanner Elementary

• Oliver Holmes Elementary

• Gwendolyn Brooks Middle School (Harvey, IL)

…and more to come!

To have a Let Freedom Swing Pop-up Playground Concert performance at your school, contact Managing Director John Foster at: john@jazzinchicago.org.

What's more, we'd like to help! Reach out and let us know what you're up to. Are you about to release an album? Maybe you're heading out on tour? What about that exciting project you've been working on? Let us know, and we'll help promote your work! Send a message to our Managing Director, John Foster, at john@jazzinchicago.org. He'll reach out to get more information.

The JazzGram is a monthly newsletter published by the Jazz Institute of Chicago for its members. The Jazzgram represents the views of the authors, and unless so designated, does not reflect official policy of the Jazz Institute. We welcome news and articles with differing opinions.

Design: YoojDesign

Correspondents: Diane Chandler-Marshall, Aaron Cohen, Corey Hall, Ayana Contreras, Howard Mandel, Rahsaan Clark Morris, Neil Tesser.

Board of Directors: President: David Helverson

Vice Presidents: Timuel Black In Memoriam, David Bloomberg, Warren Chapman, William Norris, Keyonn Pope, Kent Richmond, DV Williams.

Secretary: Howard Mandel

Treasurer: Brian Myerholtz

Emeritus Director: Joseph B. Glossberg

Executive Director: Heather Ireland Robinson

Board Members: Miguel de la Cerna, Rajiv Halim, Jarrard Harris, Chiquita Jones, Greg Kelley, Bill King, Jason Koransky, Terry Martin, Ted Oppenheimer, Bethany Pickens, Mike Reed, Judith E. Stein, Neil Tesser, Darryl Wilson.

Staff: Scott Anderson, Diane Chandler-Marshall, John FosterBrooks, Maggy Fouche, Darius Hampton, Mashaune Hardy, Raymond A. Thomas.

Founded in 1969, the Jazz Institute of Chicago, a not-for-profit corporation, promotes and nurtures jazz in Chicago by providing jazz education, developing and supporting musicians, building Chicago audiences and fostering a thriving jazz scene.

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The Jazz Institute of Chicago is supported in part by The Alphawood Foundation | The Francis Beidler Foundation | The Chicago Community Trust | A CityArts grant from the City of Chicago Department of Cultural Affairs and Special Events | Crown Family Philanthropies | Cultural Treasures | The Philip Darling Foundation | The Gaylord and Dorothy Donnelley Foundation | Dan Epstein Family Foundation | The Illinois Arts Council Agency | Lloyd A. Fry Foundation | The MacArthur Fund for Arts and Culture at Prince | The National Endowment for the Arts | The Oppenheimer Family Foundation | The Polk Bros. Foundation | The Benjamin Rosenthal Foundation | Walder Foundation