April 2023

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

BY CYDNEY HALPIN

April is Jazz Appreciation Month (JAM). Originally intended as a catalyst to encourage people of all ages to actively participate in jazz, JAM heralds and celebrates the extraordinary heritage and history of jazz. I encourage you to celebrate and do something “jazz-centric” this month by attending a live concert event or lecture; reading a book devoted to a jazz great; purchasing a CD or LP; Googling an artist or song you’re interested in finding out more about … the possibilities and opportunities are endless.

However you chose to celebrate, actively take part in the preservation and promotion of jazz and share your interest and enthusiasm of America’s great art form with someone else—perhaps introducing them to jazz for the first time.

“Jazz music is America’s past and it’s potential, summed up and sanc-

tified and accessible to anybody who learns to listen”—Wynton Marsalis

T here is money to be won!

NJJS’s 2023 Juried Scholarship Competition—which will award a $1,000 and a $500 prize in each of two categories: Jazz Performance and Original Composition—is accepting entries.

The competition is open to all students currently enrolled in a New Jersey college undergraduate music program, as well as to Jersey residents currently enrolled in an out-ofstate college undergraduate program. Proof of residency is required for Jersey applicants in out-of-state schools.

Along with the cash award, winners will receive mentorship, the opportunity to perform with an industry professional, and coverage in Jersey Jazz.

This competition will be judged by our prestigious panel of professional musicians, educators, and

industry leaders comprised of:

Don Braden: World class tenor saxophonist, flutist, composer, and educator

Ted Chubb: Vice President, Jazz Education + Associate Producer, Jazz House Kids, trumpeter, composer, and educator

Jason Olaine: Vice President of Programming, Jazz at Lincoln Center

Mariel Bildsten: Trombonist, bandleader, side-woman, and educator

The Submission DEADLINE has been EXTENDED to Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:59PM. Visit NJJS.org/Education/Scholarship Program for complete details. The board and I would like to thank Nan Hughes Poole and an anonymous jazz advocate for their continued generous support of this initiative.

It doesn’t get better than this! Sunday, April 16, marks the return of the Chicken Fat Ball!

Thanks to the generosity of event producers Al Kuehn, Don Greenfield, and Ed Stuart, all net proceeds from this event with benefit NJJS.

This year’s line up of fan favorites includes: Warren Vaché Jr/cornet, Harry Allen/tenor saxophone, Ken Peplowski/clarinet & tenor saxophone, Randy Reinhart/trombone, Mark Shane/piano, Gary Mazzaroppi/bass, Paul Wells/drums. This beloved event will be held at The Woodland in Maplewood, NJ. Bring a picnic and share a table with old and new friends, and enjoy TRADitional jazz at its finest.

This event sells out! For tickets and more information, please see pages 9 & 36.

Swing into spring Sunday, April 30, at 3:00PM, with Morris Museum’s favorite, Dan Levinson.

Dan will be joined by some of his best friends in music with an afternoon of familiar favorites and for-

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

gotten gems. Admired for his worldclass musicianship, vast historical knowledge, and signature charm, Dan always brings something special to the Bickford Theatre. For tickets please visit www.morrismuseum.org.

Celebrate JAM with a road trip or two. Enjoy this Jersey Jazz issue in its entirety and learn more about: Jazz on Sunday Afternoon/Grunin Center featuring Aaron Weinstein 4/16; William Paterson University Jazz Room, various artists 4/2, 16 & 23; Princeton Jazz Festival, various artists 4/15; Mayo Performing Arts Center featuring Boney James 4/8; McCarter Theatre Center featuring Eddie Palmieri and his Salsa Orchestra 4/15; and singer Sandy Sasso 4/1 and 4/19. And while you’re at it, plan ahead for May with John Pizzarelli at the Mayo Performing Arts Center 5/5,

Jazz in June at the McCarter Theatre Center, and Bela Fleck, Zakir Hussain, Edgar Meyer & Rakesh Chaurasi 5/4, and Django A GoGo 5/6 at The Town Hall/NYC, and Django A GoGo, May 3-5 at The Woodland in Maplewood.

Save the Date! Please join us Sunday, May 7th at 3:00PM for our next Jersey Jazz LIVE! Event. This concert is generously sponsored by Rachel Domber of Arbors Records, and is in association with the Madison Diversity in the Arts Festival.

This program will feature Grammy nominated, Brazilian jazz guitar sensation Diego Figueiredo, along with Jazz Society favorite Warren Vaché, Jr. on cornet. This powerhouse duo will present music that’s a fusion between jazz, bossa nova, and classical genres. Please see page 36 for more information on Diego.

Jersey Jazz LIVE! Is held at Madison Community Arts Center, 10 Kings Road, Madison, NJ. Free street parking. Refreshments available for purchase. $10 Members, $15 Non-Members (applicable day of event to membership).

In February, Neal Miner, bassist, composer, and filmmaker, released his third documentary— Bill Crow, Jazz Journeyman—on the life and music of legendary bassist, published author, tubist, Local 802 musician’s union activist, brilliant storyteller, Jersey Jazz contributor, and all-around amazing human being, who turned 95 years young in December, Bill Crow.

Having begun this project in 2020 during lockdown, Neal’s labor of love film is a charming and in-depth exploration of Bill’s incredible, and never likely to be replicated, career.

Presented through BIll’s own words and augmented with passionate testimonials, the viewer experiences all the warmth and ingenuity of this fascinating man and his “lucky” (Bill’s word!) life and career.

Neal has chosen to make his films for educational and historical purposes. His main objective is to release them for a wider audience for free via YouTube, in the hopes that anyone in the world can enjoy them and learn from them.

Whether you already know of Bill and his career, or you don’t know him at all, you’ll definitely enjoy this film and will want to share it! Visit YouTube and search the title Bill Crow Jazz Journeyman or type in the following address in your search engine: http://youtu.be/pKasJBSEKnQ

This documentary is a wonderful way to celebrate Jazz Appreciation month!

EDITOR’S CHOICE

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

April Will Be a Very Busy Month for Student Bands

The New Jersey Jazz Society is committed to recognizing and showcasing upcoming talent in the world of jazz—through the opening acts at our Jersey Jazz LIVE! concerts and the Rising Stars features in Jersey Jazz Magazine. So, it is great to see so much activity at the high school and middle school level in April, which is Jazz Appreciation Month.

In 2019, the National Jazz Festival was created in Philadelphia by a group of instrumental and vocal jazz directors, parents, jazz musicians and avid jazz supporters to enable high school and middle school jazz students to share their talents and compete with their peers across the country. The first NJF took place in 2020 and then became a virtual event in 2021 and

2022 due to Covid. On Saturday, April 22, it will resume as a live event at the Philadelphia Convention Center.

Two New Jersey jazz band directors—John Messenger, Director of Bands at Metuchen High School, and John Ketterer, Director of the Jazz Ensemble at Steinert High School in Hamilton Township—informed me about their students’ involvement in NJF. Both have two student musicians selected for the Diplomat All-Star Band, which will perform at a gala held at the end of the day. For Metuchen, it’s guitarist Nick Armeli and trumpeter JJ Wyetzner; for Steinert, it’s bassist Patrick Vocaturo and tenor saxophonist Luke O’Neil.

At this year’s NJF, Metuchen will compete against other Large Bands,

presenting a 20-minute set, playing Duke Ellington’s “Harlem Airshaft”, Jerome Kern’s “The Song is You”, and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Stardust”.

At the first NJF in 2020, Luke Armstrong, a Steinert bass trombonist and tuba player , who is now a junior music education major at James Madison University, won the NJF LOVE award, given for “love of music to help better the world.”

Armstrong, Ketterer recalled, won an Eagle Scout award for organizing “Music for Meals”, a concert of local community groups where the only entry fee was canned food. Last year at the virtual NJF, another Steinert student, pianist Jack Buckley, won the Student Composer award for his composition, “Spartan Swing”.

In Livingston, NJ, Julius Tolentino, Jazz Director at Newark Academy, is planning two events this month. On Friday night, April 14, NA will host its annual Evening of Jazz

benefit concert. All proceeds will go to the Ana Grace Project in honor of Ana Grace Marquez-Greene, daughter of saxophonist Jimmy Greene and his wife Nelba, who was killed at the 2012 Sandy Hook Elementary School shooting in Newton, CT. Newark Academy jazz students will perform, and they will be joined by special guest, trumpeter Terell Stafford.

On Saturday, April 15, in partnership with Jazz at Lincoln Center, Newark Academy will host the sixth annual noncompetitive Regional Essentially Ellington Festival, offering high school jazz students the opportunity to perform the music of Duke Ellington and other seminal big band composers and arrangers.

Finally, the finals of the New Jersey Association of Jazz Educators (NJAJE) competition will be held on Saturday, April 29, at Metuchen High School, Princeton High School, and JP Stevens High School in Edison.

ABOUT NJJS

Founded in 1972, The New Jersey Jazz Society has diligently maintained its mission to promote and preserve America’s great art form—jazz. To accomplish our mission, we produce a monthly magazine, Jersey Jazz ; sponsor live jazz events; and provide scholarships to New Jersey college students studying jazz. Through our outreach program Generations of Jazz, we provide interactive programs focused on the history of jazz. The Society is run by a board of directors who meet monthly to conduct Society business. NJJS membership is comprised of jazz devotees from all parts of the state, the country and the world.

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A collection of CDs & LPs available at reduced prices at most NJJS concerts and events and through mail order www.njjs.org/Store

The New Jersey Jazz Society is qualified as a tax exempt cultural organization under section 501(c)(3) of the Internal Revenue Code, Federal ID 23-7229339. Your contribution is tax-deductible to the full extent allowed by law. For more Information or to join, visit www.njjs.org

Magazine of the New Jersey Jazz Society

VOLUME 51 • ISSUE 04

NJJS org

Jersey Jazz (ISSN 07405928) is published monthly for members of The New Jersey Jazz Society

382 Springfield Ave., Suite 217, Summit, NJ 07901 973-229-0543 • info@njjs.org

Membership fee is $45/year.

All material in Jersey Jazz, except where another copyright holder is explicitly acknowledged, is copyright ©New Jersey Jazz Society 2020. All rights reserved. Use of this material is strictly prohibited without the written consent of the NJJS.

Editorial Staff

EDITOR

Sanford Josephson, editor@njjs.org

ART DIRECTOR

Michael Bessire, art@njjs.org

CONTRIBUTING PHOTO EDITOR

Mitchell Seidel, photo@njjs.org

CONTRIBUTING EDITORS

Bill Crow, Joe Lang, Dan Morgenstern, Mitchell Seidel, Jay Sweet

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

Alvaro Gorbato, Carol Lo Ricco, Michael Orenstein, Fred H. Politinsky, Richard Ryals, Mitchell Seidel, Steven Sussman, Jayne Tansey-Patron

WEBMASTER

Christine Vaindirlis

New Jersey Jazz Society, Officers 2021

PRESIDENT

Cydney Halpin, pres@njjs.org

EXECUTIVE VP vicepresident@njjs.org

TREASURER

Mike Katz, treasurer@njjs.org

VP, MEMBERSHIP membership@njjs.org

VP, PUBLICITY

Sanford Josephson, sanford.josephson@gmail.com

VP, MUSIC PROGRAMMING

Mitchell Seidel, music@njjs.org

RECORDING SECRETARY

Irene Miller

CO-FOUNDER

Jack Stine

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ADVISORS

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MEMBERS | $ 15 NON-MEMBERS Jersey

FEATURING

Diego Figueiredo & Warren Vaché

SUNDAY, MAY 7 3:00 PM

This concert is generously sponsored by

Rachel Domber/Arbors Records

Madison Community Arts Center 10 KINGS ROAD, MADISON, NJ

FREE STREET PARKING ON KINGS ROAD

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

‘Like

Sitting Around a Dinner Table with Friends—It’s Very Much Like a (Musical) Conversation’

“We Have All the Right Guys, And It Will Be a Swinging Affair.”

The Chicken Fat Ball, said tenor saxophonist Harry Allen, is a little “like sitting around a dinner table with friends.” But instead of deciding what to eat, they decide what tunes to play. “We certainly don’t talk about it ahead of time,” Allen added. “It’s pretty spontaneous. There might be a little discussion backstage right before we go on. One person suggests something. Someone else suggests something. It’s very much like a conversation.”

Traditionally, the Chicken Fat Ball has been staged on the first Sunday in January. The last January concert

was on January 5, 2020. The following year, it was canceled due to the pandemic, and when it resurfaced in 2022, the date was changed to May 30. This year, the new tradition continues as the CFB will be held from 2-5 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, at The Woodland in Maplewood. Allen, who has performed at several of the past events, will be joined by trumpeter Warren Vache, clarinetist/tenor saxophonist Ken Peplowski, trombonist Randy Reinhart, pianist Mark Shane, bassist Gary Mazzaroppi, and drummer Paul Wells.

Pointing out that he’s “in love with

Harry Allen

CHICKEN FAT BALL

the Great American Songbook and the Dixieland songs that came before that,” Allen predicted that the afternoon will be “a blend of straight-ahead jazz and Dixieland. We have all the right guys for it, and it will be a swinging affair.” As for his own playing, “I’m very influenced by Ben Webster, Coleman Hawkins, and Stan Getz. That will certainly be obvious to a lot of people.”

Vache, also a Chicken Fat Ball regular, spent time in the ‘70s as a member of Benny Goodman’s band, an experience that enabled him to play with some of jazz’s leading elder statesmen—tenor saxophonist Zoot Sims, trombonist Urbie Green, pianist Hank Jones, and bassist Slam Stewart. While recording on the Concord label in the late ‘70s, he made several recordings with Rosemary Clooney, playing and recording with such other instrumentalists as tenor saxophonist Scott Hamilton, pianist John Bunch,

guitarist Cal Collins, and drummer Jake Hanna. Their work prompted

The New Yorker’s Whitney Balliett to write that, “These musicians have moved beyond their predecessors; they contain the past and the present.”

During the Covid lockdown, Allen recorded and self-produced five

albums as a leader from his home, and “started releasing singles digitally since CD sales are going down and down. People can find them on Spotify or iTunes or Rhapsody or wherever they buy their music.” In the April 2021 issue of Jersey Jazz, Joe Lang singled out one of the al-

bums, Milo’s Illinois, a duet recording with bassist Mike Karn. “Allen and Karn,” Lang wrote, “have been playing together quite a bit in recent years ... One thing that is ever present in any Allen performance is his innate sense of swing.” The album, Allen revealed, was named after Karn’s late dog, Milo. The title, he explained, is “a little play on words with Illinois Jacquet because they had a jacket for Milo.”

The Chicken Fat Ball is produced by Al Kuehn, Don Greenfield, and Ed Stuart, and this year all proceeds from the event will benefit the New Jersey Jazz Society. The seating is at picnic tables, and attendees should bring their own drinks and snacks.

Tickets are $35 and can be ordered by sending a check, made payable to Al Kuehn, to 12 Lenox Place, Maplewood, NJ 07040, along with a stamped, self-addressed envelope. For more information, call (973) 763-7955.

Warren Vache

The New Jersey Jazz Society is pleased to announce the

2023 JURIED SCHOLARSHIP COMPETITION

New Jersey Jazz Society ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS DEADLINE EXTENDED

This competition will award two $1000 prizes and two $500 prizes in two categories: Jazz Performance & Original Composition. The competition is open to all New Jersey college students currently enrolled in a college undergraduate music program, as well as to New Jersey residents currently enrolled in an out of state college undergraduate program.

Proof of residency required. Along with the cash award, winners will receive guidance, mentorship and the opportunity to perform with an industry professional, and coverage in Jersey Jazz.

SUBMISSION DEADLINE: Friday, April 14, 2023, 11:59 PM Eastern Time

Visit   njjs.org/Education/Scholarship Program  for details.

THIS COMPETITION IS GENEROUSLY SUPPORTED by NAN HUGHES POOLE.

Aaron Weinstein: Heir to Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti and Protege of Bucky Pizzarelli

The New York Times’ Stephen Holden once wrote that violinist Aaron Weinstein is an heir to jazz greats Stephane Grappelli and Joe Venuti. Weinstein, who will be performing at the Jay and Linda Grunin Center for the Arts in Toms River at 3 p.m. on Sunday, April 16, was also a protégé of the late guitarist Bucky Pizzarelli. Shortly after Pizzarelli died in April 2020, Weinstein recalled to Jersey Jazz Magazine the first time he performed with Pizzarelli.

“I realized,” he said, “I was sharing the stage with a guy who had played ‘I Got Rhythm’ three times longer than I’d been alive. He did everything but play my violin to help me through that concert. Over 15 years, I had the

privilege of working on a regular basis with Bucky. During every concert, every recording session, he showed me what it meant to be a great musician. For Bucky Pizzarelli, it meant doing your best to make great music, no matter what the venue, sharing that music with the audience in a way they could appreciate and always wearing a tie while doing it.”

Tony Bennett once called Weinstein “the Groucho of the violin”, and The Times’ Holden described him as “a hyperarticulate wit.” In an interview with DownBeat Magazine, Weinstein explained his onstage philosophy. “Although my music is serious, the time onstage in between the music doesn’t need to be. It’s

part of the performance. The audience is there to be entertained.”

Weinstein’s Grunin concert is part of the Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon series, and Weinstein promises that the music will be selections from the American Songbook. When DownBeat’s Allen Morrison reviewed Weinstein’s 2019 album, 3x3, he pointed out that Weinstein “with fellow enthusiasts, covered vintage tunes like ‘Chinatown, My Chinatown’, ‘Nola’, and ‘Makin’ Whoopee’. The Times’ Holden praised Wein-

stein’s rendering of Fats Waller’s “Ain’t Misbehavin’”, Cole Porter’s “Just One of Those Things”, and Hoagy Carmichael’s “Georgia on My Mind.”

One of the “fellow enthusiasts” mentioned by Morrison will be appearing with Weinstein in Toms River. Guitarist Matt Munisteri is a nationally recognized guitarist, singer, and songwriter. Acoustic Guitar Magazine said his guitar playing “recalls a time when instrumental virtuosity, harmonic sophistication, bucolic story songs, and a straightforward emotional delivery are not mutually exclusive.”

The Aaron Weinstein concert will be held in the Gia Maione Prima Foundation Studio Theatre. To order tickets, for the April 16th concert, log onto grunincenter.org or call (732) 255-0500. Jazz on a Sunday Afternoon is made possible, in part, through the support of the Wintrode Family Foundation. The New Jersey Jazz Society is a proud supporter of this series.

Wayne Shorter: ‘The Work He Left Behind Will Stay with Us Forever’

“Great Humility ... Generosity of Spirit, Mind Blowing Creativity ...”

No matter what kind of day, week, month, or year you’ve been having,” wrote observer.com’s John Kruth in March 2017, “it’s impossible to stay in a bad mood when you get an earful of the opening track from Weather Report’s 1977 (Columbia) album, Heavy Weather, released 40 years ago this month ... The infectious groove of

this music percolates with undeniable happiness as Wayne Shorter’s saxophone yearns for the sky.”

Shorter, who died March 2, 2023, in Los Angeles at the age of 89, co-founded Weather Report in 1970 with keyboardist Joe Zawinul and wrote two of the eight pieces on Heavy Weather, “Harlequin” and “Palladium”. The band was arguably the

BIG BAND IN THE SKY

most successful of the jazz-fusion bands, lasting until 1986. According to The Atlantic’s David A. Graham, writing the day after Shorter’s death, “Shorter’s horn playing and writing were essential to the group’s success. His ‘Sightseeing’, an underappreciated classic, has recently enjoyed new attention from younger musicians such as Christian McBride and Anthony Fung.” During the period of Weather Report’s reign, Graham added, “Shorter also contributed a centerpiece solo to Steely Dan’s ‘Aja’ in 1977 and played on multiple Joni Mitchell albums.”

That would be enough to assure a place in music history for most musician/composers, but it was only a small part of Shorter’s legacy.

Born in Newark on August 25, 1933, Shorter earned a degree in music from New York University, served two years in the Army and then joined Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. His

bandmate was trumpeter Lee Morgan, and, according to Graham, “Shorter was the cool to Morgan’s hot ... The band was one of the best examples of the blues-and-gospel-inflected jazz of the era, known as hard bop.”

In addition to his saxophone playing, Shorter began writing for the band, and his original compositions,

according to The New York Times’ Nate Chinen, “brought to the Jazz Messengers a new degree of compositional sophistication, tunes like ‘Ping Pong’ and ‘Children of the Night’.” In a 1977 interview with DownBeat’s Conrad Silvert, Shorter said, “Art used my tunes right from the beginning. I wrote ‘Sakeena’s Vision’ about his

John Patitucci, right: “He never lost the childlike wonder of discovery in life and music.”

daughter, and ‘Sincerely Diana’ was about Art’s wife. I was getting away from the old 12-bar structure, where the melody can go somewhere else or come back to itself, but in another way.”

In 1964, Shorter joined Miles Davis’ second quintet, which also included pianist Herbie Hancock, bassist Ron Carter, and drummer Tony

BIG BAND IN THE SKY

Williams. In his autobiography, Davis said Shorter was “the conceptualizer of a whole lot of musical ideas we did.” Shorter’s most famous composition for the Miles Davis Quintet was ‘Nefertiti’, the title track for a Columbia album released in 1968. Soon after Shorter’s death, Hancock posted a tribute on Facebook. “He is irreplaceable,” he wrote, “and was able to reach the pinnacle of excellence as a saxophonist, composer, orchestrator, and, recently, composer of the masterful opera, Iphigenia. I miss being around him and his special Wayne-isms, but I carry his spirit within my heart always.”

During his five years with Davis, Shorter also recorded and wrote music for Blue Note Records. In a statement released on March 2, Blue Note President Don Was said, “Maestro Wayne Shorter was our hero, guru, and a beautiful friend. His music possessed a spirit that came from

somewhere way, way beyond and made this world a much better place. Likewise, his warmth and wisdom enriched the lives of everyone who knew him. Thankfully, the work he left behind will stay with us forever.”

Nefertiti was Davis’ last acoustic album, and Shorter remained with him for two 1969 Columbia electric fusion albums, In A Silent Way, and Bitches Brew, leaving to form Weather Report with Zawinul.

In 2000, Shorter created the Wayne Shorter Quartet with pianist Danilo Perez, bassist John Patitucci, and drummer Brian Blade. “Like Davis’ second great quintet,” wrote Graham, this band paired an eminence with players from a younger generation, and, like the Davis band, this one expanded the bounds of acoustic jazz ... Playing without written music, the four musicians seemed psychically linked, navigating often obscure structures—none of the standard form

Herbie Hancock, left: “I carry his spirit within my heart always.”

of melody, then a series of solos, then another turn through the melody.”

Patitucci recalled experiences with that band on Facebook. “Wayne challenged us and empowered us to go on the most incredible journey of life, spiritual unity, and artistic growth,” he said. “His great humility, superhuman strength in the face of adversity, generosity of spirit, mind blowing creativity, and compassion for people, important causes, and young people has been singular ... I love Wayne’s definition of jazz—‘Jazz means—I dare you!!!’ He never lost the childlike wonder of discovery in life and music.”

Reviewing a concert by the quartet in 2013, The New York Times’ Jon Pareles wrote that Shorter, “treats bass lines or single phrases as clues and implications, toying on the spot with tempo, crosscurrents, inflection, and attack; anything can be up for grabs, yet the composition retains an identity.”

Shorter’s 2018 Blue Note album,

Emanon, featured the quartet playing with the Orpheus Chamber Orchestra and included a graphic novel co-written by him with Monica Sly and illustrator Randy DeBurke. In 2021, he introduced Iphigenia, an opera co-written with bassist Esperanza Spalding. In February, he and pianist Leo Genovese won a Grammy Award (Shorter’s 12th) for Best Improvised Solo on Spalding’s “Endangered Species” from the 2022 Candid album, Live at the Detroit Jazz Festival. The album featured a quartet of Shorter, Genovese, Spalding, and drummer Terri Lynne Carrington.

In 2018, Shorter received a Kennedy Center Honor. He is also a National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master (1998) and a recipient of the Lifetime Achievement Honor from the Recording Academy (2015).

He is survived by his wife, Carolina; daughters, Miyako and Mariana; and a grandson, Max. SJ

THE AMERICAN SONG AT NJPAC

Audra McDonald on Sarah Vaughan: ‘She Could Have Been an Opera Singer’

The April 29th Concert at NJPAC Will Highlight Composers Such as Duke Ellington, Stephen Sondheim, and Jule Styne.

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

Although she had classical training and is most closely associated with the Broadway musical theater, Audra McDonald lists two jazz vocalists as major influences and inspirations: Sarah Vaughan and Shirley Horn.

“Sarah Vaughan is someone who has influenced me greatly,” she said in an email interview, “because she was so versatile. And, her voice—she could have been an opera singer if she wanted to.” Most impressive, added McDonald was, “the versatility in her voice and the story she was able to tell and the color in her voice; and the fact that it was a large voice that could go all the way up into the stratosphere. She could sing super big operatic high notes, but then she had the versatility to move it and scat with it. The agility that the voice had and the incredible soul that she had and that she brought to whatever style of music she was singing is something that absolutely inspires me and just continues to inspire me.”

“ IT WAS A BIG CHALLENGE TRYING TO FIND BILLIE HOLIDAY’S VOICE. ”

Horn, McDonald pointed out, “not only is an incredible interpreter of song, but she was an incredible jazz pianist as well. There was no one like Shirley when it came to the economy with which she used her voice. At the same time, she had the incredible brilliance and the harmonic language that she has in the piano. The way she paid attention to the lyric is breathtaking to me.”

On Saturday, April 29, McDonald will be appearing at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center as part of The American Song series. Not surprisingly, her repertoire will be “songs from the Great American Musical Theater Songbook. I’ll be highlighting composers such as Duke Ellington, Charlie Smalls, Stephen Sondheim, Joe Raposo, and Jule Styne.”

Whatever she sings, McDonald feels it’s important, “to know where the song came from or why it exists. You have to know the origin of what you are interpreting. However you choose to interpret it is how you choose to interpret it, but without the knowl-

THE AMERICAN SONG AT NJPAC

edge of where the song came from or what it’s about or what the composer intended—even if you choose not to do what the composer intended—it’s important to know the history.”

McDonald has won six Tony Awards, two Grammy Awards, and an Emmy Award. In 2015, she was

named one of Time Magazine’s 100 most influential people, and she received a National Medal of Arts from President Barack Obama.

Her last Tony Award, in 2014, was for her portrayal of Billie Holiday in Lady Day at Emerson’s Bar & Grill. How difficult was it to portray Holiday? “It was a big challenge trying to find Billie Holiday’s voice,” she said. “Then, all of a sudden, after months of trying to figure it out, it became an aha moment when I realized she sounded a lot like my grandmother. I used to imitate my grandmother to my grandmother when I was little because I thought it was funny. Once I figured that out, that Billie Holiday sounds a lot like my grandmother, then all of a sudden, portraying Billie’s voice became an easy thing for me because it turns out I had been doing it my entire life.”

It was grueling doing it every

JAZZ AT PRINCETON UNIVERSITY PRESENTS

SMALL GROUP X with GREG TARDY saxophone

SMALL GROUP A with MICHAEL DEASE trombone

ARTEMIS

SMALL GROUP I with JON IRABAGON saxophone

RUDRESH MAHANTHAPPA BIRD CALLS

TICKETED HEADLINER CONCERT

CREATIVE LARGE ENSEMBLE with RUFUS REID bass

APRILSATURDAY 15

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8:00 PM CONCERT

RICHARDSON AUDITORIUM

ALEXANDER HALL

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DETAILS & TICKETS music.princeton.edu jazzatprinceton.com

THE AMERICAN SONG AT NJPAC

night, though. “Just keeping up the stamina of singing in a voice that is not naturally your own,” she said, “can be a difficult thing muscularly. I still had to continue to warm up and take voice lessons with my own voice so that it would be healthy enough to approximate the Billie Holiday sound night after night.”

“What a Little Moonlight Can Do” is one of her favorite Holiday songs. “I love the way she plays with the lyrics,” she said. “Each of the recordings of her singing it is slightly different, but the way she swings so hard on that song is just brilliant.” The song was written in 1934 by British composer Harry M. Woods for a film, Road House. Billie Holiday first recorded it in 1935 with the Teddy Wilson Orchestra.

McDonald has two favorite jazz instrumentalists—one past and one present. When she performed songs

from the Great American Songbook last fall at The London Palladium, she sang “My Solitude” in honor of Duke Ellington. “I did the tribute to Duke Ellington,” she said, “because I think he’s an icon and incredible. What he did for Black artists—not only in jazz, but to bring it to a wider audience was immeasurable and moved the needle forever.”

Her other favorite instrumentalist is Esperanza Spalding. “I know she’s a singer as well as being an incredible bass player,” she added. “So, I love that she’s out there doing what she’s doing and singing at the same time. She’s constantly breaking the mold as far as female jazz artists, so I think she’s very important.”

McDonald’s NJPAC performance will be at 7:30 p.m. on April 29 in Prudential Hall. For more information, or to order tickets, log onto njpac.org.

Celebrating 50 Years of Groundbreaking Education

“What Started as a One-Week Sub Role for Rufus (Reid) Turned into 20 Years of Leadership.”

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

Saxophonist Bill Evans remembers driving into New York City from Wayne, NJ, in 1979 to sit in with Art Blakey and the Jazz Messengers at the Village Gate or driving to nearby Gullivers in West Paterson, NJ, to play with baritone saxophonist Pepper Adams. Those are the kinds of experiences he enjoyed as a student at William Paterson University, which is celebrating the 50th anniversary of the its Jazz Studies program this year.

“My time at William Paterson,” he said, “was pivotal in the preparation of my career in jazz. It allowed me to hear and meet many of my jazz heroes. This experience was priceless to me. During the school week, I would practice at night in the music building and play with the different jazz groups put together by the school during the day. Thad Jones would visit on occasion. Mel Lewis and his group would play at some of the Sun-

Johnathan Blake Bill Evans

JAZZ AT WILLIAM PATERSON

day jazz series. William Paterson’s jazz department was much smaller in the late 1970s, but being close to New York City, there were a plethora of great musicians who would stop by and teach for an afternoon.

When Tomoko Ohno was living in Japan in the late 1980s, she had “to purchase concert tickets to hear jazz giants like Rufus Reid and Harold Mabern.” After graduating from Rikkyo University in 1990 with a degree in law and politics, Ohno decided to pursue a career as a jazz pianist and applied to William Paterson. “I had taken piano lessons from a Japanese pianist who had played with Art Blakey,” she said, “and I thought it was a great idea to attend a music department that had never had a Japanese student.” Her audition cassette tape didn’t arrive until May 1990, which was late for the fall semester, but according to Ohno, “Dr.

Krivin (WP Jazz Studies founder Martin Krivin) organized the whole thing very quickly. If it wasn’t for Dr. Krivin, I might still be in Japan.”

For drummer Johnathan Blake, “Having the opportunity to study from teachers who were actively working in the New York jazz scene and being able to see them perform live in various clubs throughout the city was something that made a lasting impression on me. I truly flourished at William Paterson, and it’s all thanks to people like Rufus Reid, Dr. David Demsey, (drummers) Horacee Arnold and John Riley. Thank you all for patience, wisdom, and guidance.”

Krivin, who became a Professor of Music at William Paterson in 1960, designed and founded the Jazz Studies program in 1973, making it one of the first five of such degree programs in the world. He hired the arranger/ bandleader/cornetist Thad Jones as

Artistic Director. When Krivin passed away in September 2011, Dr. David Demsey, current WP Coordinator of Jazz Studies, told me that, “Marty didn’t just hire Thad as an artist in residence but as a permanent, fulltime tenured member of the faculty. This was unheard of at the time. That combination of Marty Krivin’s admin-

istrative experience and Thad’s worldclass musicianship and genius created a program that soon began to gather national recognition. Upon Thad’s departure to Denmark in 1980, Marty hired Thad’s bassist, Rufus Reid (as Program Director), to succeed Thad— another brilliant choice. What started as a one-week sub role for Rufus

Rufus Reid, left, with Jazz Studies founder, Martin Krivin.

JAZZ AT WILLIAM PATERSON

turned into 20 years of leadership.” When Reid retired in 1999, pianist James Williams was appointed Director of Jazz Studies to succeed him.

Ohno remembered that, “Dr. Krivin and Rufus Reid looked like an odd couple, but they were a golden duo for the department. They were always working to invite big name musicians to our concert series, and we students had the tremendous benefit of playing with those giants once in a while—Art Farmer, Jimmy Owens, Frank Wess, Benny Golson, and many more.”

When Williams passed away in 2004, he was succeeded by pianist Mulgrew Miller as Director of Jazz Studies, and, after Miller’s death in 2013, pianist Bill Charlap replaced him.

On March 28, three William Paterson University student groups—the William Paterson University Jazz Orchestra and two other jazz ensembles— celebrated the 100th birthday of Thad Jones, during performances at Dizzy’s

Club in New York City (See “Celebrating Thad Jones’ Centennial”, Jersey Jazz, March 2023). On April 20, William Paterson will commemorate the Jazz Studies program’s 50th anniversary at a Gala honoring Reid and Krivin at The Grove in Cedar Grove, NJ. And, there will be two special WP Jazz Room concerts in April: On April 2, the concert will be a Thad Jones 100th Birthday Celebration with the William Paterson Jazz Orchestra and special guests; and, on April 23, there will be a 50th Anniversary concert with Reid,

Bill Charlap, and special alumni guests.

Demsey, a saxophonist in addition to being an educator, is in his 31st year as Coordinator of Jazz Studies. Having that position, he said, “continues to be one of the greatest gifts of my professional life. To have worked alongside such giants as Rufus Reid, James Williams, Mulgrew Miller and now, Bill Charlap, as well as world-renowned members of our adjunct faculty, has been a dream come true, and continues to be to this day. In many ways, the greatest honor is to continue to work with a continuously renewing crop of such gifted students, who have some spectacular attitudes on life and learning. As remarkable as is the high musical level here, even more miraculous is the atmosphere, the warmth, and care that everyone has for each other.”

Added Charlap: “The things I love most about the William Paterson University music department include

the intense focus of the students, and of my colleagues; the deep history of the jazz program; the high standard of excellence; the warmth of the community; the vibe: both serious and supportive, demanding and nurturing. It is my honor to be Director of Jazz Studies at this illustrious academy.”

Trombonist/vocalist Pete McGuinness, joined the WPU faculty in 2011 as Professor of Jazz Arranging. “Everyone here,” he said, “knows what it takes to be successful in the real world. I see students who are enthusiastic about their futures and seasoned top-pro faculty who truly want to help. This is really a very special place to teach, and we are all so proud that WP has one of the oldest and best Jazz Studies programs in the country.”

McGuiness’ predecessor was drummer Rich DeRosa, who left in 2010 to accept a position as Director of Jazz Composition and Arranging at the University of North Texas Col-

David Demsey

JAZZ AT WILLIAM PATERSON

lege of Music. DeRosa recalled that, in 1998, “when WP created a Master’s Degree in Jazz Studies, Rufus Reid expanded the creative vision of this prestigious jazz program by adding another track. Rufus, along with his esteemed colleague, Dr. David Demsey, implemented the Graduate Jazz Arranging program, which required a new tenured faculty line. This became my job, and I am grateful to both Rufus and Dave for their confidence in my ability. It was an awesome responsibility to build the arranging program from nothing. It began with only two students—Kay Wolff and Shauna Wallace, vocalists who had some experience with vocal jazz arranging. They were exemplary students who set the standard for what would follow. The program continued to grow, and by the time I moved to Texas, there were a dozen arrangers in the program.” Wolff is now Director of Music Adminis-

tration for Jazz at Lincoln Center. Wallace is the owner of 58th Street Entertainment Group, a production company of music, composition, and orchestration for film. When she appeared at Shanghai Jazz in Madison in 1993, Jersey Jazz’s Joe Lang wrote that, “She takes songs and imbues each one with an unmistakable originality. There is an instrumentalist’s feel for phrasing in her approach.”

The growth of the arranging program required additional teaching support, which was provided by pianist Jim McNeely and trumpeter Cecil Bridgewater. “I was extremely grateful to Jim and Cecil for their help,” DeRosa added. “Pete McGuinness replaced me as the Jazz Arranging professor, and he has sustained the program beautifully.”

Trombonist Timothy Newman, now a Professor of Music at WP, received his Bachelor of Music degree from William Paterson in 1990. “The

training and experience I got was unique and incredibly valuable,” he said. “Because of the emphasis on small groups and the construction of the curriculum which builds in lots of small group playing, plus the amazing faculty, William Paterson had a great reputation as a school where one could really develop as a jazz player. Rufus Reid and Martin Krivin were both here, and the program was humming along.”

Reid, the honoree at last November’s Giants of Jazz concert at the South Orange Performing Arts Center, was interviewed in the November 2022 issue of Jersey Jazz. He recalled to JJ’s Jay Sweet how crazy his schedule was when he took over the WP jazz program. “I played at Bradley’s in the city a lot during that time,” he said, “often with Kenny Barron, who also taught at William Paterson. We would teach all day, fight the traffic to get into the city, and the gig wouldn’t start till 10; and we would play till 2 in the morning.” Despite the challenges of juggling teaching and performing, Reid told Sweet he enjoyed his time at the college, is proud of his work there, and appreciated the “support” the faculty and staff gave him.

When I interviewed Reid in 2011 for Martin Krivin’s obituary, he described Krivin as “the program’s champion. He fought and defended us when no one else believed in us or the

PHOTO BY ALVARO GORBATO

Tomoko Ohno

program. His vision was broad and deep. He wanted a direct link to the marketplace of the ‘real practitioners’ of this music so they could interact with young aspiring musicians.”

Pianist Caelan Cardello, a 2022 William Paterson graduate, was Jersey Jazz’s Rising Star in January 2022. He recalled what it was like to study at WP under the late pianist Harold Mabern. “He was one of my main inspirations and motivations,” he said. “Every time I would walk into a lesson with him, he would start playing immediately. He did not waste one second, and he had amazing stories about Coltrane and Monk. When you were playing with him and asking questions, he really showed that he cared about you.”

When Cardello was a senior in high school, he applied to four colleges: Eastman School of Music, Juilliard, Berklee College of Music, and William Paterson. “I ended up

“ RUFUS REID SET THE TONE; THE MUSIC WAS TO BE TAKEN SERIOUSLY AT ALL TIMES. ”

ed, with Dan Kostelnik on piano and James Terrile on drums. Norman had our full attention with his cool way of talking, his stories about Lester, Sarah, Carmen, Bird, and Ahmad. And, his knowledge of songs and his love of the ‘how’ of playing really got us thinking.”

choosing William Paterson,” he said, “because I felt it offered a great medium between being at a full-time jazz conservatory and also being able to have a college experience. I was living on campus and studying with jazz musicians like Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern, but, at the same time, when I would go back to my dorm building, I would be with a bunch of kids who were studying things like engineering and nursing. It was kind of nice to have that separation.”

In preparation for this article, Jer-

sey Jazz reached out to a large group of William Paterson graduates. Here are some more alumni comments.

» Bassist Douglas Weiss: “Rufus Reid set the tone; the music was to be taken seriously at all times. You never knew when he would be roaming the halls, putting his ear up to the door. He was actively engaged as a professor and really drew the music out of the students in a way that I’ve rarely seen.” Weiss also remembered studying with the late pianist Norman Simmons. “I was in an ensemble class that he direct-

» Pianist Bob Himmelberger: When Himmelberger arrived at William Paterson, “Next thing you know, I’m doing rhythm sections with Mel Lewis, playing his music, along with improv and arranging classes with Thad Jones ... At that time, there were two clubs, the Three Sisters and Gulliver’s, both in West Paterson, and every heavy jazz musician played at these clubs, and I got to play there as well. I would also go to the Village Vanguard to see Thad and Mel’s band as well, and Thad would always greet you, and even hang out with you. It was wild, but the music was amazing, so spontaneous. Thad also brought lots of great musicians to perform at the school like Diz-

JAZZ AT WILLIAM PATERSON

zy Gillespie, Sam Jones, Eddie Daniels, George Mraz, Harold Danko and of course, Rufus Reid, to name a few.”

» Drummer Nick Scheuble: “If you’re on a gig and there are graduates of the William Paterson jazz program, you can rest assured that they can really play. The level is extremely high. Just look at the world class musicians that are on the scene who came out of this program. (Scheuble’s daughter, pianist Leonieke Scheuble is currently attending WP).

» Guitarist Amanda Monaco: “I have so many fond memories of being a student at William Paterson. Everyone was always wanting to play, and we would share the excitement of the music 24/7 it seemed. We had so many opportunities to perform at school, and the proximity to NYC meant we were going to hear music all the time. Our teachers were supportive, and their experience as

working jazz musicians gave us the tools we needed to go out into the world. The friends I made at William Paterson almost 30 years ago are still friends and colleagues of mine today.”

» Drummer Mark Guiliana: “My four years in the jazz department at William Paterson molded me into the musician and person that I am today. It is truly impossible to accurately express the amount of gratitude I have for all my generous teachers and amazing classmates. I often think back on those days and realize just how lucky I was to be a part of that inspiring community.”

For information or to order tickets for the Thad Jones 100th Birthday concert on April 2 or the WP 50th Anniversary concert on April 23, log onto www. wpunj.edu/wppresents/jazz-room-series. For information about the 50th Anniversary Gala, log onto wpconnect. wpunj.edu/alumni/forms/legacy/.

TICKETS NOW ON SALE for

in JUNE

JAZZ

Samara Joy • Timbalooloo • Chucho Valdés & Paquito D'Rivera Reunion • Joey Alexander • Melissa Aldana Quartet • Maria Schneider Orchestra

Sheila Jordan and Harvie S Bring Back Memories of Some Earlier Concerts

Mof Musicians You Don’t Always See Together.

The Final Grouping Continued an HIJ Tradition of Wonderfully Mixed Selections

ore than half a century ago, attorney Jack Kleinsinger got the urge to put on a jazz concert. A lifelong jazz fan, he had recently returned from a jazz cruise where his enthusiasm was obvious to those on the bandstand. “Why don’t you put on a jazz concert?” more than one of them suggested. So, he did, fashioning shows that offered more than a little stylistic nod to two of the music’s major producers: Norman Granz and George Wein. Like those two, Kleinsinger programmed his shows from a fan’s point of view: his own.

A mainstream jazz fan, Kleinsinger took great pains to present some of the best musicians who could be found in the New York area. A typical Highlights concert offered a selection of musicians who often played in different groups or together in a jam session type of grouping. From the start, Kleinsinger also made sure to give his audiences a little something spe-

STORY

From left: Roni Ben-Hur, Sheila Jordan, and Harvie S.

cial. Long-time attendees can tell you about the time Gerry Mulligan, himself performing at a Greenwich club a few blocks from the New York University concert hall, showed up with a curved soprano saxophone to fete Zoot Sims. Then there was the time Stan Getz sat in with Buddy Rich’s band or Earl “Fatha” Hines was coaxed out of the audience for a brief solo. Past masters also included Woody Herman, Phil Woods, Helen Humes, Tommy Flanagan, Barbara Carroll, Hank Jones, and Marian McPart-

“

land, among many, many others.

If all of this seems to be in the past tense, it’s only because Kleinsinger is responsible for New York’s longest-running jazz series. -- hopscotching over the years from venues including Theatre DeLys in the West Village to New York University, Hunter College to Pace University downtown near the Brooklyn Bridge to its present location at the Borough of Manhattan Community College near the World Trade Center. Among those assisting Kleinsinger in his early days

KLEINSINGER IS RESPONSIBLE FOR NEW YORK’S LONGESTRUNNING JAZZ SERIES. ”

From left: Tomoko Ohno, Russell Malone, Jay Leonhart, and Vito Lesczak

was a sound engineer named Walter Schaap and his son Phil (later recognized for his work as a jazz scholar) and Arnold J. Smith, East Coast editor of DownBeat magazine who did double-duty as House Manager.

During its salad days, the series ran during the school year, starting in September and continuing through May, but recent performances have been limited to the spring semesters, with Covid making a huge dent in performances and attendance. This past

February’s was billed as the series’ 50th Anniversary event and pretty much expected to be Kleinsinger’s last. It wouldn’t have surprised anyone since Kleinsinger, who started producing in his 30s is now in his 80s and still running the show with limited staff. Perhaps it was the possibility of seeing the last Highlights in Jazz Concert, but attendance for the February concert increased considerably over recent events. Those expecting a typical High-

lights in Jazz show were certainly not disappointed. Of course, it would be difficult if almost impossible to have many of Kleinsinger’s earliest performers attend the major anniversary because they’re just not around anymore. Guitarist Gene Bertoncini, who was featured at the fourth HIJ concert in 1973, was scheduled to be at February’s performance, but couldn’t make it due to health concerns. National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master Sheila Jordan made her first Highlights appearance with bassist Harvie S about 42 years ago. This time, the pair were joined by guitarist Roni Ben-Hur. At 94, Jordan is a genuine living legend of the music and her set featured a little Charlie Parker, Abbey Lincoln and even some Billy Preston. Jordan treats her voice like an actual instrument and that attitude is reflected in the performance of the trio. It wasn’t that she was a

vocalist backed by two instrumentalists but was more like a part of a trio.

Before working with Jordan, Ben-Hur started the show with some duets with fellow guitarist Jay Herzog, featuring some Antonio Carlos Jobim, Thelonious Monk and the Great American Songbook.

A “surprise guest”-- and unannounced musician-- is a usual feature of Kleinsinger’s concerts, but

the surprise for the 50th Anniversary concert came at 5 p.m. the day before the event when trombonist Art Baron called in sick with Covid. Quick work on Kleinsinger’s part landed pianist Michael Wolff and trombonist Steve Turre to fill the void. Wolff combined with Harvie S and drummer Danny Gottlieb to form a trio. Gottlieb, a native of Union, NJ, is something out of HIJ history. Barely out of the University of Miami and

before he made his name with guitarist Pat Metheny’s group, Gottlieb held down the drum chair at a HIJ/ Newport Jazz Festival concert in 1976. He was recommended to Kleinsinger by Mortimer Geist of Springfield, NJ, who a few years earlier was Gottlieb’s high school music teacher. The final grouping continued an HIJ tradition of wonderfully mixed selections of musicians you don’t always see together. Vito Lesczak

came out on the drums, Tomoko Ohno took to the piano, Russell Malone played guitar, and Jay Leonhart, who was once one of the series’ youngest artists, returned for the longest HIJ run on bass. If there was one thing Kleinsinger’s 50th Anniversary lacked, it was multiple horns. That typical HIJ feature over the years has presented exciting Jazz at the Philharmonic-like battles that have become something of a hallmark. Artie Shaw, Rosemary Clooney and Frank Sinatra were all jazz figures who couldn’t stay retired. Kleinsinger, who already presented his “final” Highlights in Jazz concert several years ago, can be added to that list as well. “I know I told people this was going to be my last concert. I’m not giving it up; it’s too much fun,” he said, promising fans that he’ll mount another Highlights in Jazz concert next year and each one thereafter.

Steve Turre

Sunday, May 7 3 pm

photo: Jeff Dean

Made possible by funds from the Union County Office of Cultural & Heritage Affairs, a partner of the New Jersey State Council on the Arts

Afternoon Music is a 501(c) (3) non-profit corporation, a supporting organization of Beacon Unitarian Universalist Congregation in Summit, New Jersey.

The Dan Nimmer Duo

Dan Nimmer, piano

of the Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra & the Wynton Marsalis quintet

A confident player, he was apparently untroubled about whether he could completely pull off each idea. He refused to take the safe path during this entire set, starting with measure one. That’s jazz!

David Wong, bass

Afternoon Music at Beacon

– A Jewel of a Hall

—Tom Wilmeth, Jazz Times with Artists’ reception after the performance 4 Waldron Avenue, Summit, NJ 07901 (Corner Waldron & Springfield Aves.)

INFORMATION

908-248-2773 afternoonmusic.org

TICKETS

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$30 at the door

Celebrating Music Across the Spectrum—From

Lizz Wright to Dick Hyman

Wright is That Rare Exception Whose Musical Diversity is Her Greatest Strength.

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

One of the goals of this year’s Sarasota Jazz Festival was, in the words of Jazz Club of Sarasota President Ed Linehan, to “broaden the tent and reach new audiences.” To do that, the festival couldn’t have made a better choice than vocalist Lizz Wright. Linehan described Wright to me as “not essentially a jazz singer.” That’s true, but in a good way. When Wright took the stage at the festival’s first concert on March 15, it was magical from the very beginning. She is an artist who combines jazz with soul, folk, and a touch of gospel; and she elec-

trified the audience with a repertoire that ranged from Neil Young’s “Old Man (Take a Look at My Life)” to “I’m Confessin’ That I Love You”, the 1930s song popularized by Louis Armstrong, to “Sweet Feeling”, a song associated with the soul singer Candi Station that Wright said will be on her next album.

Another goal of this year’s festival was to have the headliners bring their own bands, instead of adapting to a local house band. Wright’s quartet literally blew the roof off the big top of The Circus Arts Conservatory. From the moment guitarist Adam Levy opened the set, it was clear this band

Lizz Wright

was not there merely to accompany Wright but to be part of a spectacular musical performance. Levy, who looks more like a college professor than a musician, has a long connection with Norah Jones having played on her first album, Come Away With Me (Blue Note: 2002). He has also performed or recorded with Tracy Chapman, Rosanne Cash, and Allen Toussaint, among others. Levy was joined by the Ray Charles-like keyboardist Kenny Banks, Sr., drummer Ivan Edwards, and bassist Ben Zwerin.

Banks performed at Barack Obama’s inauguration and has appeared with artists such as guitarist Earl Klugh, saxophonist Kenny Garrett, and legendary vocalist Aretha Franklin. Edwards studied under drummer Peter Erskine, and Zwerin, a graduate of the Berklee College of Music, was first exposed to jazz while growing up in Paris where his father, trombonist Mike Zwerin, played

with such giants as Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, and Maynard Ferguson.

The New York Times once described Wright’s voice as “a smooth dark alto possessed of qualities you might associate with barrel-aged bourbon or butter-soft leather.” Not all vocalists can successfully shift from one mood or style to another. But Wright is that rare exception whose musical diversity is her greatest strength.

Wright was preceded onstage by a trio led by one of jazz’s young lions, pianist Christian Sands, a protégé of

Billy Taylor. In 2019, Sands succeeded the late Geri Allen as Creative Ambassador to The Erroll Garner Jazz Project, a nonprofit organization dedicated to Garner’s legacy. He also spent six years as the pianist in bassist Christian McBride’s trio and has been called “a jazz pianist of the future” by Wynton Marsalis. When Sands played in McBride’s big band at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center’s 20th Anniversary Gala in 2017, McBride described him to me as “a very, very special young man. He’s the best musician he can be,

always looking to get information from his elders. In a world where young musicians are concentrating on creating something new or gaining Instagram followers, it’s refreshing to see someone who has a throwback attitude. I think he’s going a long, long way.”

In Sarasota, Sands led a trio with his brother, Ryan Sands, on drums and bassist Philip Norris. In addition to playing with Christian, Ryan is currently working as the main drummer for the New York-based improv group, Altus, and leads his own band, the Ryan Sands Trio. Norris grew up in North Carolina. In 2016, he won the Outstanding Soloist Award at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington high school competition before moving to New York to study at Juilliard. The wide-ranging repertoire included Dave Brubeck’s “In Your Own Sweet Way”; Christian Sands’ own composition, “Reaching for the Sun”, which appeared on his 2017

From left, Dick Hyman, Diego Figueiredo, Terell Stafford

PHOTO BY CAROL LO RICCO

Mack Avenue album, Reach; and Duke Ellington’s “Star-Crossed Lovers”.

“Reaching for the Sun”, Sands informed the audience, “reminds me that you should always reach for your goals even when they’re hard.” Ellington’s “Star-Crossed Lovers,” a composition often used to accompany ballet dancers, was inspired by Shakespeare’s Romeo and Juliet. “Duke Ellington,” Sands said, “loved it.”

Something new is often accompanied by something familiar. So, even though the festival featured first-timers such as Wright, bassist Marcus Miller, vocalist Kurt Elling, and multi-reedist Paquito D’Rivera, one of the high points still belonged to 96-year-old pianist Dick Hyman, who lives in nearby Venice, FL. This year, Hyman was accompanied by the talented young guitarist Diego Figueiredo. The enthusiastic crowd on March 17 was treated to three tunes by Antonio Carlos Jobim—“Brazil”, “Samba

De Uma Noto So” (“One Note Samba”), and “Wave” as well as Jerome Kern’s “All the Things You Are”, before Hyman launched into a pulsating solo of Ray Noble’s “Cherokee”, followed by Figueiredo’s equally exciting solo of Brazilian composer Zequinha de Abreu’s “Tico Tico”. In honor of Saint Patrick’s Day, Hyman introduced the traditional Irish tune, “Danny Boy”, and the duo finished with Ernesto Lecuona’s “Malaguena”, followed by a rousing standing ovation.

Due to illness (“nothing too serious but enough to prevent them from traveling to Sarasota”), the March 18th opening concert by tenor saxophonist Houston Person and organist Tony Monaco was canceled. However, the festival’s Music Director Terell Stafford, who had appeared as a guest with several of the earlier performers, led a quartet of pianist John O’Leary, bassist Cameron Kayne, and drummer Mark Feinman, with

special guest, vocalist Synia Carroll.

On short notice, Stafford put together a sizzling set that included Cole Porter’s “I’ve Got You Under My Skin”, Dizzy Gillespie’s “Why Do I Love You?”, Gene de Paul’s “I Remember April” (a tribute to trumpeter Clifford Brown), and Willard Robison’s “Old Folks”. “I Remember April” was part of the final album made by the Clifford Brown/Max

Roach Quintet, Clifford Brown and Max Roach at Basin Street (EmArcy: 1956). “Old Folks”, Stafford pointed out, “is a favorite of my six-year-old daughter.” It was once performed on the radio by Benny Goodman and Fats Waller and recorded by saxophonists

Don Byas and Ben Webster. But it is perhaps known best for the version played by Miles Davis on his 1961 Columbia album, Someday My Prince

Paquito

D’Rivera

Will Come. Carroll sang three songs, highlighted by her duo with Stafford on Ellington’s “In a Mellow Tone”.

Before performing on March 18, D’Rivera accepted the Jazz Club of Sarasota’s Satchmo Award, created in 1987 to honor those who have made a “unique and enduring contribution to the living history of jazz.” The award, of course, is named after Louis Armstrong. The initial winner in ‘87 was Newport Jazz Festival founder George Wein. Others have included Billy Taylor, Gerry Mulligan, and Hyman.

D’Rivera exploded onto the stage with his quintet that included pianist Alex Brown, bassist Hamish Smith, trumpeter/trombonist Diego Urcola, and drummer Mauricio Zottarelli. His music selection was a mixture of bebop, classical/jazz blends, and tunes from his native Cuba. In a tribute to “one of the greatest artists of the 20th century—Dizzy Gillespie,” D’Rivera played a clarinet solo of arguably

Gillespie’s most famous composition, “Night in Tunisia”. Then, he asked, “Who is the greatest composer of all time?” The answer was Mozart, and D’Rivera’s band then performed some examples of the type of jazz/ classical combinations that won him a Grammy Award in 2015 for Best Latin Jazz Album for Jazz Meets the Classics (Sunnyside Records). As a young boy growing up in Cuba, D’Rivera became familiar with the music of Mozart from his father, a classical saxophonist. On Jazz Meets the Classics, he recorded arrangements of music by Mozart, as well as Chopin, and Beethoven, for his jazz sextet.

The set was concluded with a flourish when D’Rivera invited Cuban guitarist Renesito Avich, a Sarasota resident known as a “one man Cuban band”, to join him onstage for a blistering finish to the concert and the festival that had audience members bouncing in their seats.

Paul Wells drums

Gary

Mark

Jacquie Lee: A Jazz Violinist Inspired by Regina Carter and Stuff Smith

“Her Sudden Emergence as a Singer Has Been Somewhat of a Shock to All of Us in Our Family”

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

When Jacquie Lee was nine years old, she went with her family to see violinist Regina Carter at Birdland. “I had never felt a connection to jazz at that point,” she recalled, “but I saw someone who was a woman and a violinist playing jazz. I idolized her for a long time. We had family connections, and I would get to do private lessons and group lessons with her. She’s so incredible and a very, very nice person.”

Lee, now 17, has actually been playing violin since she was two years old. “I don’t think I had much choice in the matter,” she said. Her mother

Rebecca is a classical violinist; her father Mike is a jazz tenor saxophonist. “My mom started both of my brothers and me on the violin,” she explained, “because she believed it was important for all of us to get a grasp of music. In the early part of my life, I was very strongly averse to playing jazz because both of my brothers did it, and my dad did it.” Her brother Julian (27) is a saxophonist and her brother Matt (21) is a drummer. “Then,” she continued, “I got to that age where I really wanted to be like my brothers.”

In her freshman year at Montclair High School, “Covid happened. I was

RISING STAR

14, and that’s when my dad stopped working every night. Covid was terrible for a lot of people and for us as well, but my dad could put a lot of focus into helping me practice and stuff. It was amazing to go downstairs and practice with him for two hours.”

Mike Lee is Director of the Ambassadors Combo at Montclair-based Jazz House Kids, the jazz education program headed by vocalist Melissa Walker and her husband, bassist Christian McBride. Jacquie is part of the Combo and the JHK Big Band, directed by trumpeter Nathan Eklund.

In the spring of 2022, when the Big Band was preparing for the finals of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington high school competition, Eklund selected a violin/clarinet duo as one of the band’s performances. “We have a violinist in our group, Jacquie Lee from Montclair High School,” he told me (Jersey Jazz, May 2022), and “We also have one of our saxo-

phonists, Mark Ricco from Lodi High School, whose primary instrument is clarinet. There’s a great tradition of violin and clarinet in the Ellington Orchestra.” For the violin/clarinet duo performance , Eklund selected Ellington’s arrangement of Juan Tizol’s “Moon Over Cuba”, explaining that “It was really written in spots for a clarinet duo. I realized that it was set up really well to adjust the instrumentation to do it with clarinet and violin.”

Jacquie said she “really loves how that era of jazz (Ellington) sounds.”

And she enjoys adapting the violin to parts originally designed for other instruments. “I think it (the Essentially Ellington performance) was my first time playing a clarinet part. I think I was playing the clarinet 2 part, and Mark was playing clarinet 1. The harmonies were so much fun to learn.

When I’m playing in a big band, whatever instrument part I play, I kind of have to figure out things about that

instrument. Playing the clarinet part, learning how to make the scoop sound and the vibrato and everything like that, it just felt so natural to do it on the violin. I wasn’t sure how it would go because I’d never played the clarinet part before. I was smiling all the time. It was just so fun to play that part.”

For the Charles Mingus Festival & High School Competition, held February 19 at The New School (Jersey Jazz, March 2023), Lee expressed a desire to add vocals to her violin

playing. “I kind of just decided to be a vocalist this year. I asked my Big Band Director (Eklund) if I could sing for the Big Band, and he said, ‘yes’.”

According to Eklund, playing in a big band as a violinist “often requires her to be sight transposing her parts to play from the trumpet or saxophone music, a big ask for most high school musicians but something that she was clearly up for taking on. She already had a strong, established practice routine on violin, so when she started

Jacquie with her father Mike Lee in 2021

PHOTO BY RICHARD RYALS

RISING STAR

singing, she immediately applied those skills toward her vocal preparation.”

Lee also sang with her father’s JHK Combo. “Her sudden emergence as a singer in the past year has been somewhat of a shock to all of us in our family and in the Jazz House community,” said Mike Lee. “Looking back on it, we should have known her training as a jazz violinist would be the ideal preparation to sing complicated chromatic passages required by a jazz vocalist. Unlike saxophone or piano, that have one note designated per key, the violin, which requires great precision to define each pitch, means young students must hear a melody in their mind before they have any hope of replicating it. When she started singing in public for the first time last summer, her acclimation to the challenging intervals and harmonies of this music was almost immediate.”

One of the songs performed by Lee at the Mingus Festival was

Charles Mingus’ “The Dry Cleaner

From Des Moines” with lyrics by Joni Mitchell, who sang it on her 1979 Asylum album, Mingus. “We have this crazy, amazing 13-year-old bass player named Sam Konin,” Jacquie said. “He’s an amazing upright bass player, but he really loves playing the electric bass. So, my dad was kind of trying to find something we could do in the Mingus competition that featured him on electric bass. My dad totally grew up with the Mingus album with Joni Mitchell. It worked out because he also wanted to have something that I could sing on. They made a new award at Mingus for Sam—The Charles Mingus Electric Bass Award.” (Jacquie won an Outstanding Soloist Award and was also the recipient of a New School of Jazz Scholarship).

“ THE COMBO THAT WE HAVE AT JAZZ HOUSE KIDS THIS YEAR IS REALLY, REALLY SPECIAL. ”

“The combo that we have at Jazz House Kids this year,” Lee continued, “is really, really special. I think our rhythm section is absolutely insane. So many great soloists in the combo. I think it really came together in the performance.” (The JHK Combo won the Mingus Spirit Award in the Combo category).

Lee has completed her college applications and auditions. “I think it went really, really well,” she said. “I felt really good about my playing. I can just hope for the best.” Her favorite jazz violinist of the past? “I love Stuff Smith!” she said. “I just think Stuff Smith is one of the most swinging cats in history. He’s so good. I found out about him because I asked Regina Carter who I should listen to. I think she draws a lot of inspiration from him as well. I also really love Ray Nance and the work he did with the Ellington big band.”

FROM THE CROW’S NEST

BY BILL CROW

Les Paul and his wife Mary Ford had many hit records in the early 1950s. They were all multitracked recordings, using technology that Les had helped develop, with many tracks of guitar playing and singing superimposed to sound like a chorus and orchestra.

In June 1961 I was playing at an outdoor concert at Freedomland in the Bronx with the Gerry Mulligan Concert Jazz Band. Les and Mary were on the same bill. I wondered how they would manage to perform, in person, the multitracked tunes for which they were famous.

As we were finishing the last number on our part of the concert, a station wagon passed in front of the bandstand and parked around behind

Bill Crow is a freelance musician and writer. His books include Jazz Anecdotes, Jazz Anecdotes: Second Time Around, and From Birdland to Broadway. This column is reprinted with permission from Allegro , the monthly magazine of AFM Local 802.

it. It contained Les and Mary and a sound man, along with their specially modified guitars and a couple of Ampex tape recorders. I watched them set up. The recorders had duplicate versions of the prerecorded multitracks of the songs they were going to do, and they plugged them directly into the stage sound system. A small gooseneck microphone was mounted on each of the guitars Les and Mary were playing. A control switch on Les’ guitar sent sound from his microphone either to the house sound system, or back to the sound man in the station wagon. That gave him the ability to tell the sound man what tune to get ready on the number two Ampex while they were performing another tune with Ampex number one. They chatted with the audience, and then played and sang live additions to their prerecorded tracks. It was a brilliant piece of engineering, and the resulting sound received great audience approval.

This is an excerpt from a chapter on Duke Ellington, from my book From Birdland to Broadway. I got to play with Duke’s band one afternoon when Gerry Mulligan’s quartet was scheduled to share a concert with them at Lewisohn Stadium, an outdoor amphitheater at 135th and Amsterdam in New York. Duke’s bass player hadn’t arrived, and it was beginning to look like rain. Duke looked at his watch, inspected the sky and walked over to where I was standing with my bass.

“Come with me,” he said, taking my arm and pulling me on stage. I followed him as if in a dream as he positioned me at the left end of his keyboard. When I reached down to get the bass book that was lying under the music stand, Britt Woodman leaned over from the trombone section and said, “Don’t do that. That’s all been changed.”

Meanwhile, Duke was out front

announcing the first number. Britt said, “Just hang around in B-flat. We’ll tell you when to change.”

I’d been listening to Duke’s music all my life, and just followed my ears. With the trombone players giving me helpful clues, everything went fine. Duke stayed in front of the band most of the time, but when he announced a ballad that I didn’t know, he came to the piano. While playing his own part and continuing to relate to the audience, he made sure I had the information I needed. He would point to the piano key that represented my note each time there was a chord coming up that I needed to know about. He never played my note for me. He just pointed to it half a beat before I needed it. I was able to play as if he’d written out a part for me.

I had such a good time playing with Duke that Gerry’s nose got a little out of joint. As the quartet took the stage, he grumbled to Duke about “tiring out

my bass player,” and later said to me,

“How come you don’t have that much fun playing with me?”

I did, of course, but this was Duke’s band! I was quite properly thrilled. A few months later at a jazz festival in French Lick, Indiana, I was in the hotel lobby waiting for the elevator when the doors slid open and out walked Duke.

“Ah, Mister Crow,” he intoned silkily, giving me a courtly bow, “I never had the opportunity to remunerate you for your splendid assistance at the concert in New York.”

“Please be my guest,” I said, returning his bow. “The pleasure was entirely mine.”

He accepted with a smile and a nod and glided elegantly off to the dining room.

J ohn Plante was standing with Marian McPartland at one of the annual Alec Wilder celebrations at St. Peter’s Church in Manhattan,

listening to what he called a “very self-important” female singer who was sharing her renditions of some of Alec’s popular songs. “The lady had gone way over her allotted time slot and just kept going. Everyone was well mannered but beginning to become restless. Marian leaned over to me and said, ‘You don’t suppose they have one of those very large hooks back there, do you?’ I think that the outburst of laughter from me signaled to the singer that it was time to wrap it up.”

Bill Wurtzel told me about a job he played on the roof of Le Meridian Hotel, with his guitar, Lou Caputo on flute and Alex Gressel on acoustic bass. Around 7 p.m., they got a complaint that someone in another building thought the music was too loud. Bill said, “Apparently, they preferred sirens and jackhammers to jazz. We didn’t turn down, and I said to ask the complainers if they had any requests.”

OTHER VIEWS

BY JOE LANG

Vocalist/pianist Tony Desare didn’t let the pandemic put a damper on his creative urges. Almost immediately after having to cancel a busy schedule of upcoming performances, he took to his home studio and started producing daily music videos that he posted on YouTube. There are more than 300 of these videos available for viewing. DeSare eventually decided to gather several of the performances onto a CD, the result being his 2020 release, Song Diaries Vol. 1: Songs of Comfort (self-produced). He selected 15 tunes, a mix of standards such as“The Glory of Love,” “I Get Along Without You Very Well,” “Swingin’ Down the Lane” and “Smile;” more contemporary selections such as “Let It Be,” “What a Wonderful World,” “The Secret o’ Life,” “Lean on Me”, and “To Make You Feel My Love;” plus four of his originals. In 2021, he released Song Diaries Vol. 2 (self-pro-

duced), including 24 selections, most of them standards such as “A Kiss to Build a Dream On,” “Let’s Call the Whole Thing Off,” and “Send in the Clowns,”, among others.“ Both albums demonstrate DeSare’s comfort with a variety of tempos. He is a excellent pianist and vocalist. (For those interested in seeing Tony DeSare in person, he is returning to the Birdland Theater from April 21-23 with shows at 7 and 9:30 p.m.). TonyDesare.com

Tierney Sutton is one special singer whether performing with her tightknit Tierney Sutton Band or in the less highly arranged format that she assumes on Paris Sessions 2 (BFM Jazz). With support from Serge Merlaud on guitar and Kevin Axt on bass ,plus occasional contributions from flutist Hubert Laws on four of the 13 tracks, she has chosen an eclectic mix of tunes that includes four Bra-

zilian selections, “Triste,” “Zingaro,” “Doralice” and “Chorado;” some tunes with lyrics by the Bergmans, “I Knew I Loved You,” “Moonlight” and “A Child Is Born,” some standards, “April in Paris” paired with Joni Mitchell’s “Free Man in Paris,” “Isn’t It a Pity,” “Beautiful Love,” “Pure Imagination” and ‘You’d Be So Nice to Come Home To;” plus Sting’s “August Winds.” Sutton is at her understated best. Mer-

laud, is a wonderful guitarist who sparkles as an accompanist. Axt, a member of the Tierney Sutton Band, knows well how to support Sutton. Laws adds a special dimension to the tracks on which he is present. It all adds up to a thoroughly satisfying listening experience. BFMJazz.com

One of the interesting jazz developments in recent years has been the emergence of an increasing number of female instrumentalist /vocalists. One of the best has emerged from Philadelphia, trombonist/vocalist Hailey Brinnel. Her latest release is a 10-song gem, Beautiful Tomorrow (Outside In Music—2310). Brinnel’s rhythm section has Silas Irvine on piano, Dan Monaghan on drums, and Joe Plowman on bass. Occasional contributions also come from trumpeter Terell Stafford on “Tea for Two,” and trumpeter Andrew Carson and

OTHER VIEWS

saxophonist Chris Oatts on “There’s a Great Big Beautiful Tomorrow,” “Walk Between Raindrops” and “Wayfaring Stranger.” The other selections are “A Cottage for Sale,” “There Will Never Be,” “I Want to Be Happy” and “Candy; plus two Brinnel originals, “I Might Be Evil” and “The Sound.” Brinnel is a jazz-inspired vocalist who also is a superb trombonist. OutsideinMusic.com

Don’t Quit Now (self-produced) is an 11-tune outing from vocalist Jane Irving. Irving has been on the jazz scene for more 30 years, the first 20 of which found her performing in her native Australia. Since 2011, New York has been her home base. For this collection, she is accompanied by pianist Josh Richman, bassist Kevin Hailey ,and drummer Kayvon Gordon. Irving has an appealing voice with a nice jazz feeling that she applies to an enjoyable selection of songs

that include several tunes recorded by Blossom Dearie, “Let the Flower Grow,” “Love Dance,” “Someone’s Been Sending Me Flowers, “Alice in Wonderland” and Blossom.” The other songs are “Baby Don’t Quit Now,” “Spring Song,” “A Night in Tunisia,” “The Underdog,” “Snowbound” and “Lover.” JaneIrving.com

Much fine jazz, mostly live performances, has been discovered in various archives, and have been newly released commercially by several labels. One of the most exciting is Bird with Strings and More (Storyville–1038531) by alto saxophonist Phil Woods. This concert was recorded on June 15, 2005, in Zurich. Joining Woods are pianist Ben Aronov, bassist Reggie Johnson, and drummer Douglas Sides, plus the Zurich Chamber Orchestra. The inspiration for this performance was the legendary

meeting between Charlie Parker and strings that opened up a new format for jazz For this program, Woods selected seven of the tunes played by Parker and added 10 more instrumental tracks. Most of the material was brilliantly either arranged or rearranged by Woods to work with a larger ensemble than that which originally backed Bird. Woods was his usual brilliant, creative self, playing the material

with authority and great taste. The music here is to be savored over and over again. StoryvilleRecords.com

An unusual nonet called The Las Vegas Boneheads includes six trombones and a rhythm section. The group was originally formed as a rehearsal band in 1962 to give jazzers from the Las Vegas show bands an opportunity to stretch out off hours and demonstrate their jazz chops. The band had many top jazz trombonists like Carl Fontana, Charlie Loper, Archie LaCoque, and Bill Harris among its players during its initial incarnation that lasted until the mid-1980s.

Curt Miller, who was in the original band from 1978 until it took a hiatus, decided in 2011 decided to revive the band.. It has been active since then, releasing its second album, Sixty and Still Cookin’ (Curt Miller Music). There are 10 tracks with three

OTHER VIEWS

of them -- Gordon Goodwin’s “Home Again,” Curt Milller’s “The Nervous Nellie”, and “Cherokee,” featuring the first-call LA trombonist Andy Martin. The other selections include Bill Rogers’ “Al Cohn Tune,” “Lee Morgan’s “Ceoa”, Curt Miller’s “Samba Deez Bones”, and Bill Holman’s dedication to Carl Fontana “Carl”, among others. This is a tight ensemble with fine soloists who have created a wonderfully swinging program that is an exercise in pure pleasure. CurtMiller.com

Drummer Vince Ector’s Organatomy Trio + features Ector on drums, Justin Jones on alto sax, Paul Bollenback on guitar, and Pat Bianchi on organ. Just before the pandemic basically shut down the world of live jazz, this group appeared at The Side Door Jazz Club in Old Lyme, CT. The owner, Ken Kitchings, asked Ector if he could record the evening’s music. A few

months later, Kitchings forwarded a copy of the recording to Ector who was thrilled with the way it sounded. As the pandemic wore down and many clubs were reopening, Ector decided that making Live @ The Side Door (Cabo Verde Records—1001) available commercially would get the feel of live music back into jazz listeners’ consciousness and encourage them to get back on the club

scene. The program includes tunes such as Don Patterson’s “Sister Ruth”, Benny Carter’s “The Courtship”, Dizzy Gillespie’s “Con Alma”, Vinnie Barrett’s “Love Won’t Let Me Wait”, four Ector originals, and “Wives and Lovers”. VincentEctor.com

Alto saxophonist Jesse Davis has kind of faded into the background for jazz fans in this country since he took up residence in Italy some 20 years ago. In February 2022, Davis, accompanied by Spike Wilner on piano, Peter Washington on bass ,and Joe Farnsworth on drums, performed at Smalls Jazz Club in lower Manhattan to produce some wonderfully exciting music on Live at Smalls Jazz Club (Cellar Music—005). While often thought of for his uptempo magic, this set shows him to be equally adept at playing ballads with great sensitivity. The program is a well-cho-

sen mix of jazz tunes, “Gingerbread Boy”, “Ceora”, “Cup Bearers”, “Juicy Lucy”, and “Rhythm-A-Ning”; and standards, “These Foolish Things”, “Street of Dreams” and “Lover.” Put this album on, close your eyes and picture yourself in the intimate setting of Smalls digging the kind of sounds that make jazz such a special part of our lives. CellarLive.com

Gentle, relaxing jazz sounds are what you get on Tuesday’s Child (Dark Delishious Music—011) by reedman/percussionist Robert Kyle and pianist Alyse Korn. They play a program of nine original tunes, six by Kyle and three by Korn. On most tracks, Kyle plays tenor sax, soprano sax or flute, but does take up a surdo, a Brazilian drum, on “What If,” and a guiro, a Latin-American percussion instrument, on Vivian’s Danźon,” in addition to flute on both selections.

Kevin Winard plays drums and percussion throughout. The songs have an instant appeal. Kyle plays his saxophones and flute with a welcoming tone, while Korn caresses the keys with elegance, style and grace. They make a finely tuned duo, two players with totally empathetic musical interactions. RobertKyle.com

The title of the new album by trumpeter Jeremy Pelt, The Art of Intimacy, Vol. 2: His Muse (HighNote—7351), gives an accurate clue about its contents. Pelt concentrates on ballads with help from pianist Victor Gould, bassist Buster Williams, and drummer Billy Hart with a string ensemble added for five of the 10 tracks. The final tracks, “When She Makes Music” and “Two for the Road,” are exceptions, with Pelt and Gould in duo format on the former, while Pelt vocalizes on the latter with sole support

from guitarist Chico Pinheiro. Pelt gives each selection a beautiful reading, sensitive and passionate. The other selections are “Slow Hot Wind,” “If I Ruled the World,” “I Can’t Escape from You,” Marian McPartland’s “There’ll Be Other Times,” “Don’t Love Me” and “Two Different Worlds,” plus two Pelt originals, “For Whom I Love So Much” and “Blues in Sophistication.” There are times when you want a musical interlude free of freneticism, and this album fits that bill to perfection. JazzDepot.com

Denver Sessions (Tapestry—16032)

finds LA-based co-leaders saxophonist Jeff Benedict and guitarist Dave Askren, both originally from Denver, with a guest vibist from New York City, Ted Piltzecker, plus Denver bassist Patrick McDevitt, and Denver drummer, Paul Romaine, recording in their hometown. There

OTHER VIEWS

are three originals, each from Askren, Benedict and Piltzecker plus a fun and often surprising approach to the closer, “Stompin’ at the Savoy.” The group gathered together for the first time for a week-long series of gigs leading up to the recording date, and they quickly developed a cohesiveness that made them sound like a working band. All three of the composers have a gift for melody in their tunes and in their improvisations. CapriRecords.com

There are some superior musicians who unexplainably slip beneath the radar far too often. Pianist Lafayette Harris Jr. is one of those. For more than 30 years, he has been providing swinging, accessible and welcoming sounds. His latest recorded effort, Swingin’ Up in Harlem (Savant—2203), finds him in a trio setting with bassist Peter Washington and drummer Lewis Nash for a wonderfully engaging 10tune set. Harris mixes up the tempo with a start of “Swingin’ Up in Harlem,”, a detour to Stevie Wonder’s “Living for the City”, moving over to a trio of standards, “Teach Me Tonight”, “The Nearness of You”, and “Stardust”,

before a visit with the Sonny Rollins classic, “St. Thomas”. There are also standards such as “Over the Rainbow”, “It’s All in The Game”, and “Solitude”, before closing with a Harris original, “Nat’s Blues”. JazzDepot.com

There are times when important jazz players record an album of exceptional music, but do not find a label to release it. Such is the case with Border Widow’s Lament (Night Is Alive—010) by pianist Bill Cunliffe, bassist Martin Windand drummer Tim Horner. Recorded in 2015, it took the ears and commitment to good music of Kathy Salem, owner of Night Is Alive Records, to finally bring this fine music to the public. Cunliffe, Wind and Horner are among the most admired players on their respective instruments. They let their emotions impel the music. They are also composers of the first rank, as can be heard on this album with eight of the nine originals composed by members of the trio. The exception is the title tune, an Irish folk song arranged by Cunliffe who also sketched out the charts for the original material. NightisAlive.com

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NOT WITHOUT YOU!

NJJS org

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Your membership is vital to NJJS’s mission to promote and preserve America’s great art form— JAZZ!

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