December 2023

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

BY CYDNEY HALPIN

It’s hard to believe that the Holiday Season is upon us and the year 2023 is fast coming to a close.

The past year has seen the growth of NJJS’s two new major initiatives: the Rising Stars feature at our Jersey Jazz LIVE! events, and our Juried Scholarship Competition. The fruits of these labors were on full display at our November LIVE! event— which was quite the barn burner!

Thank you Don Braden(Musical Director), Oscar Perez(piano), Mary Ann McSweeney(bass), and Ron Vincent(drums), and Chuck Redd(vibraphone) for your musical support, expertise, and wisdom with the 2023 Scholarship Competition Winners Richard LaRouech(trombone) and Joseph Foglia(saxophone). Their showcase was the continuum of jazz history personified—veteran performers and rising stars highlighting jazz’s past, present, and

future. Please read more about the day’s events on our website homepage njjs.org in Sandy Josephson’s article “Jazz Futures.” Video will be forthcoming and accessible on our website and New Jersey Jazz Society YouTube channel.

I’m pleased to announce that NJJS is the recipient of a $3000 grant from Morris Arts. This money is granted for 2024 in support of our Jersey Jazz LIVE! musician payments. The Board and I would like to extend our sincere gratitude to Morris Arts for this gift, as this funding is vital to our LIVE! programming.

While we’re very grateful for this support from Morris Arts, this federal funding doesn’t fully cover all the costs associated with LIVE! events. Very special thanks to Board Member Cynthia Feketie for generously sponsoring in part,

the additional costs of our November and December LIVE! events.

Perhaps you or someone you know would like to help offset the additional costs of our programming by sponsoring or co-sponsoring one of these LIVE! concerts? Please contact me at pres@ njjs.org for more information.

Please join us Sunday, December 10, for Jersey Jazz LIVE! and NJJS’s Annual Meeting featuring The Royal Bopsters. Put your festive foot forward and come cast your vote for the 2024 Board of Directors and enjoy an afternoon of, “lively celebration … with arrangements abounding with giddy delight.”—Trevor Smith, WBGO.

The Rising Stars opening act will be an ensemble showcasing New Jersey City University student Parker Cheek on trumpet, fellow NJCU

student Ahmod Bradley on bass, and NJCU alum Chris Peredes on drums. Please see page 09 for more details.

If you haven’t yet experienced a LIVE! event, we hope you’ll join us for this one. Admission to this concert is $15 for members and $20 for non-members payable at the door with cash or credit card, or online in advance madisonarts.ticketleap.com/jersey-jazzlive-with-the-royal-bopsters/

This is likely to be a wellattended event so plan accordingly. Non-member admission fee is applicable towards membership if joining NJJS on same day as event. There are light refreshments for purchase. There is ample FREE street parking, and the venue is fully accessible. Doors open at 2:30 p.m., and music begins at 3 p.m. Madison Community Arts Center, Rose Hall, 10 Kings Road, Madison, NJ.

PHOTO BY CYDNEY HALPIN

ALL THAT’S JAZZ

Mark your calendars for our Sunday, January 7, 2024, LIVE! concert which will feature pianist/vocalist Daryl Sherman and bassist/vocalist Jay Leonhart as they salute beloved jazz legends Blossom Dearie, Dave Frishberg, and Bob Dorough.

“No admirer of jazz and the American Songbook should miss Daryl and Jay in this celebration of a very special musical and verbal legacy. Not to mention, they sure swing!”—Dan Morgenstern/Jersey Jazz columnist.

Founded in 1972, The New Jersey Jazz Society has diligently maintained its dedication to the promotion and preservation of jazz, and this past year has seen a renewed commitment to these founding tenants, with the expansion of our Juried Scholarship Competition and our Rising Stars Initiative—the opening

act of our Jersey Jazz LIVE! events. We could not have done this without your support through membership dues, event attendance, and the generosity of donors like yourself.

Please consider helping NJJS continue its performance and educational initiatives by donating to our 2023 “YOU Make It All Possible!” fundraising campaign either by mail (watch your mail boxes), or anytime online at www.njjs.org. There’s a red “Make a Donation” button conveniently located on our home page for easy giving. We process our payments through PayPal but you do NOT need a PayPal account. Once inside our site, click on the yellow donate button and you can make a donation with your debit or credit card of choice.

Would you like to maximize the impact of your gift? Many of you work for employers that have a matching gift program that will double the im-

“

YOU MAKE IT ALL POSSIBLE! ”

pact of your gift for free by completing and submitting a simple form. Check with your Human Resources Department for further information.

You can also make a tax-efficient gift from your IRA today! Qualified Charitable Distributions (QCDs), also known as IRA Charitable Rollovers, are the savviest way for individuals age 70½ or older to use their IRAs to maximize their charitable giving. Your IRA donation is a generous way to fulfill your required minimum distribution for the year. Gifts generated directly from your IRA will save you on taxes

while helping NJJS fulfill its mission to promote and preserve jazz.

Every donation gets us closer to our $25,000 goal. If you haven’t already contributed to this annual campaign, please consider a generous tax-deductible gift before December 31. We need YOU to join with us in this collaborative effort.

On behalf of my fellow board members, we thank you for all you do to support jazz music and education. YOU make it all possible! Here’s wishing you all the merriest of the season—peace, love, and light to all.

FEATURING

The Royal Bopsters

SUNDAY, DECEMBER 10 3:00 PM

Madison Community Arts Center

10 KINGS ROAD, MADISON, NJ FREE STREET PARKING ON KINGS ROAD

15 MEMBERS | $ 20 NON-MEMBERS

$ 5 STUDENTS (WITH VALID I.D.)

REFRESHMENTS AVAILABLE FOR PURCHASE

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

Celebrating the ‘Genius’ of Kenny Barron

As most Jersey Jazz readers are aware, from our November cover story, pianist Kenny Barron was honored as a Giants of Jazz ‘Jazz Master’ on Saturday, November 25, at the South Orange Performing Arts Center.

Leading his regular trio, with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa and drummer Johnathan Blake, Barron paid tribute to one of his heroes, the late pianist Bud Powell, by playing the Barron composition “Bud-Like”, followed by Billy Strayhorn’s “Isfahan” and a West Indian piece, “Calypso”. Barron only saw Powell perform live once, and, he recalled, it was not a happy occasion. “It was in 1965,” he said, “and he came to New York from Paris for a tribute to Charlie

Parker. He began to ramble and was escorted off the stage.” But, Barron added: “We have all those records.”

As I watched Barron play, I remembered three other of his live performances I was lucky enough to see. The first was in 1974, shortly after drummer Buddy Rich opened a club on East 64th Street, leading a sextet instead of his big band. Barron was the pianist along with saxophonists Sal Nistico and Sonny Fortune, guitarist Jack Wilkins, and bassist Anthony Jackson. The New York Times’ John S. Wilson praised the band’s “ability to create a tremendously exciting situation and then to sustain it as very few current jazz groups can.”

In 1982, I was on a business trip

in San Francisco and found my way to the Keystone Korner jazz club where Sphere, a group dedicated to playing the music of Thelonius Sphere Monk, was appearing. Barron was the only band member not a former Monk sideman. The others were bassist Buster Williams, drummer

Ben Riley, and saxophonist Charlie Rouse. It was a very special evening.

In October 2012, Barron and Mulgrew Miller played duo pianos at William Paterson’s Sunday Jazz Room series. It was only eight months before Miller, then WPU Director of Jazz Studies, passed away at the age of 57. The mutual respect and admiration the two had for each other was extraordinary as they played together and alternated solos.

Our November article was full of tributes from many of the SOPAC performers, but at the concert, pianist Renee Rosnes, prior to playing Barron’s “Cook’s Bay”, put it all in perspective. “I’ve appreciated and been inspired by the genius of Kenny Barron for almost 40 years,” she said.” Added her husband, pianist Bill Charlap, before soloing on Jimmy McHugh’s “Sunny Side of the Street”, “There is no greater maestro than Kenny Barron.”

PHOTO BY CHRISTOPHER DRUKKER

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 11

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

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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, Jay Sweet, Matt Vashlishan

CONTRIBUTING PHOTOGRAPHERS

John Abbott, Renee Faith Broady, Christopher Drukker, Dana Golan, Shakiru Bola Okoya, Fred H. Politinsky, John Thomas

WEBMASTER

Christine Vaindirlis

New Jersey Jazz Society, Officers 2021

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Cydney Halpin, pres@njjs.org

EXECUTIVE VP vicepresident@njjs.org

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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

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Irene Miller

CO-FOUNDER

Jack Stine

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Royal Bopsters to Preview Some Songs from Upcoming Album

What do the Gershwins’ “But Not For Me”, Harold Arlen’s “My Shining Hour”, and Tadd Dameron’s “On a Misty Night” have in common? All three songs were on the Royal Bopsters’ Motema Music album, Party of Four, which DownBeat Magazine’s Allen Morrison called “an entertaining gem”, giving it four stars.

When the Royal Bopsters perform at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s Jersey Jazz LIVE! concert at 3 p.m. on December 10 in Madison, NJ, you can be assured that those three tunes will be on the set list. Party of Four was the last Royal Bopsters album to feature founding member Holli Ross, who passed away in May

2020. Jersey Jazz’s Joe Lang called the recording, “a fabulous farewell to a vibrant presence on the New Jersey/New York City jazz scene.”

The Bopsters’ leader, Amy London, said the group will be going into the studio in 2024 to record a new album.

One or two pieces from the album will be previewed on December 10 includ-

ing “I’m Not Sure”, a melody written by Cedar Walton. Bopsters Dylan Pramuk and Pete McGuinness co-arranged it based on a recording by Roy Hargrove. “Dylan wrote the lyrics,” London pointed out, adding that “it’s a very powerful piece about global warming.”

Jeanne O’Connor succeeded Ross in the group, and McGuinness

The Royal Bopsters at William Paterson in 2022.

is retiring at the end of the year, so the new recording will feature London, Pramuk, O’Connor, and the newest member, vocalist/soprano saxophonist Danny Bacher.

In 2022, the Bopsters won a Bistro Award for Jazz Artistry and appeared at such venues as Bird-

land, the William Paterson Jazz Room Series, Nardis Jazz Club in Istanbul, and Jazzland in Vienna.

Some other selections likely to be featured at Jersey Jazz LIVE! are “Spring Song”, a composition by McGuinness that London wrote the lyrics for; and “Let’s Fly”, a composi-

tion by Annie Ross and David Ball.

London recalled that she brought her music students to see Ross at New York’s Metropolitan Room. “Annie Ross is a legend,” she added, “and the students loved her. It was like a master class. One day, she called me up and said, ‘Come over to my apartment. I have something for you. She handed me this scratchy looking cassette. The writing on it said, ‘Let’s Fly’. She and a guy by the name of David Ball entered a songwriting contest when she was 14 years old and living in Los Angeles. She won, and the prize was that Johnny Mercer and the Pied Pipers would record the song. She gave it to me, and I added a chorus and wrote a contrafact (a new melody over the chord changes) and a lyric. So, we’ll be doing that.”

The Bopsters will be accompa-

nied by a three-piece rhythm section: pianist Will Gorman, bassist Cameron Brown, and drummer Mike Campenni. Gorman, a graduate of William Paterson, studied there with Bill Charlap and Harold Mabern.

Brown is a veteran bassist who began his career in the mid-‘60s, recording in Europe with George Russell and Don Cherry. Among those he has played with during a nearly 60-year career are vocalist Sheila Jordan and drummers Art Blakey and Philly Joe Jones. Campenni was a member of pianist Mike Longo’s New York State of the Art Jazz Ensemble and has also played with the Carol Sudhalter Quartet and Band of Bones.

The Royal Bopsters will be preceded by a Rising Star opening act featuring a trio led by New Jersey City University trumpeter Parker

Clockwise, from top left: Dylan Pramuk, Amy London, Pete McGuinness, Jeanne O’Connor.

PETE MCGUINNESS PHOTO BY FRED H. POLITINSKY

Cheek, a senior studying Jazz Performance. Other members of the trio will be fellow NJCU student, bassist Ahmod Bradley, and drummer Chris Peredes, a recent NJCU graduate. Cheek has been studying with trumpeter Nathan Eklund, an NJCU Adjunct Professor, who is also Coordinator of the Big Band program at Jazz House Kids. Bradley and Cheek sometimes

play together with drummer Winard Harper, and Bradley has also performed with tap dancer Savion Glover at the Blue Note. Peredes, a member of the Mood Merchant jazz neo soul group, has also been influenced by the fusion sounds of bands once led by Chick Corea and Herbie Hancock.

The Madison Community Arts Center is located at 10 Kings Road in Madison, NJ. Admission to this event will be $15 for NJJS members and $20 for non-members. Student admission is $5 with valid ID. There will be light refreshments for purchase. To order tickets in advance, log onto madisonarts.ticketleap.com/jerseyjazz-live-with-the-royal-bopsters.

Funding for Jersey Jazz Live! has been made possible, in part, by funds from Morris Arts through the New Jersey State Council on the Arts/Department of State, a partner agency of The National Endowment for the Arts

Parker Cheek

JAZZ ARTS PROJECT PRESENTS

HOLIDAY SPIRITS

A CONCERT EVENT & FUNDRAISER

FEATURING

PAQUITO D’RIVERA ALSO APPEARING: JAZZ ARTS ACADEMY STUDENTS

December 17, 2023 ~ 3PM tworivertheater.org

Two River Theater, Red Bank, NJ

VLucy Wijnands Swings Ella

“I’ll Just Be Doing A Lot of My Lifelong Favorites”

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

ocalist Lucy Wijnands burst onto the scene in 2021 after winning the Blues Alley Jazz Society’s Ella Fitzgerald Jazz Vocal Competition. On December 5 at Birdland Theater, Wijnands will perform her first Ella tribute since that event: “Lucy Wijnands Swings Ella”. For the Blues Alley competition, Wijnands sang three Johnny Mercer songs recorded by Fitzgerald: “Too Marvelous For Words”, “Laura”, and “Dearly Beloved”. As she prepared for

the Birdland engagement, Wijnands said, “I’m working on the set list, but I know I’ll be singing ‘Mr. Paganini’ because that is something I’ve been listening to since I was a kid.” The full title of the song, written by Sam Coslow, is “(If You Can’t Sing It) You’ll Have to Swing It (Mr. Paganini)”. It was first recorded by Fitzgerald in 1936 after it was performed by Martha Raye in the movie, Rhythm on the Range. Fitzgerald also sang it on the Ed Sullivan Show in 1968.

JAZZ AT BIRDLAND

Wijnands heard it on the album, Ella Fitzgerald Twelve Nights in Hollywood, recorded live in 1961 and ’62 at the Crescendo Club in Hollywood and reissued by Verve in 2009. AllMusic’s John Bush called it “one of the best (and certainly most underrated) live records in her (Ella’s) discography.” He also called “Mr. Paganini” one of the highlights of the album. It’s a song the 26-year-old Wijnands has “basically memorized backwards and forwards.”

At Birdland, she’ll be reprising her award-winning version of “Laura” and adding Pierre Norman and Sammy Kahn’s “You Brought a New Kind of Love to Me” and Harold Arlen and Johnny Mercer’s “Blues in the Night”, among many others. “I’ll just be doing a lot of my lifelong favorites,” she added.

During the pandemic, Wijnands recorded an album, which was released in June of this year with the title, Something Awaits. The title

track was written by her father, stride pianist, Bram Wijnands, with lyrics added by Lucy. There are two original compositions by bassist Omer Avital and Wijnands. One song, “Start All Over Again” was co-written by them. The other, “(Way Down in Bedstuy”) was composed by Avital with Wijnands adding lyrics later.

Other tracks include “Time Was”, closely associated with The Lettermen, and Teddy Randazzo and Bobby Weinstein’s “Goin Out of My Head”, most notably recorded by Little Anthony & the Imperials. Wijnands began singing the latter song while she was in college at SUNY Purchase’s Conservatory of Music. “I was in a combo with (pianist) Pete Malinverni, former head of the Jazz Studies program. It was a songwriter combo. We did a lot of Joni Mitchell covers. Then I heard that Ella Fitzgerald did a cover of ‘Goin’ Out of My Head’ which

I really enjoyed. It’s just a song that I really like.” As for “Time Was”, Wijnands just loves “the nostalgia of the lyric. I just think it’s a beautiful song.”

The high point of the album, though, is a six minute-plus rendition of Rodgers and Hammerstein’s “You’ll Never Walk Alone” from Carousel that is powerful and emotionally chilling. “It’s a perfect message for what we were all feeling during

the pandemic,” Wijnands said. “That song holds a special place in my heart as my mom has a very special connection with it. It’s one of the songs her marching band would play when they traveled to London. It was a special moment for all of them.” Wijnands is accompanied on the album by Avital on bass, pianist Gadi Lehavi, and drummer Itay Morchi.

Wijnands was featured as a Rising Star in the June 2021 issue of Jersey Jazz, and she performed at the New Jersey Jazz Society’s 50th Anniversary concert in October 2022, singing Vernon Duke’s “Autumn in New York” and the Gershwins’ “They Can’t Take That Away From Me”.

In the June 2021 JJ Rising Star article, vocalist Alexis Cole, a faculty member at Purchase, described Wijnands as “one of the most rhythmic singers I’ve heard. She kills at up tempo swing and fast samba numbers as

well as being an artist of great depth performing ballads.” On the subject of up tempo vs. ballads, Wijnands said, “I definitely don’t prefer one over the other. I love the energy of up tempo, having fun. I do think it comes pretty naturally to me to switch between those two sorts of realms. They’re kind of completely different types of energy, but I love singing anything and everything. Singing is just something that feels good. Up tempo and ballads – they both bring me joy.”

The first song Wijnands recalls singing with her dad was “You Made Me Love You”, performed by Judy Garland in A Star is Born. “I grew up (in Kansas City) watching these MGM musicals and watching Judy Garland and Mickey Rooney and all these people on screen,” she recalled. “I would just sing that song all the time. One day, my friend in middle school said, ‘I didn’t know you could sing. You

should go to your dad’s gig and sing.’ I went with 10 of my friends, and we all drank Shirley Temples, waiting for my big moment to sing that song. That was the first song I sang, and Judy has always been an inspiration to me.”

Joni Mitchell has been “like an endless discovery for me,” Wijnands

said. “I keep finding out new music. I kind of discovered her music when I was in college. I knew her famous songs, but I started studying her lyrics a little bit more, and I kind of became obsessed with the upper register in her voice. Barbra Streisand is another influence of mine. I’ve been listening to Live at the Bon Soir for months now.” (Live at the Bon Soir, released by Columbia Records in 2022 is an album of music recorded over three nights in November 1962 shortly after Streisand was signed by the record company. The material was retrieved from Streisand’s archives and remastered).

At the 5:30 p.m. December 5th Birdland appearance, Wijnands will be accompanied by pianist Caelan Cardello, bassist Jonathan Muir Cotton, and drummer Hank Allen-Barfield. (Cardello was a Jersey Jazz Rising Star in January 2022).

On November 26, Wijnands’

birthday, she released a single of “Always and Forever”, accompanied by her father. “I thought it would be nice to release that version,” she said, “the original version with the original composer.” Earlier in November, she performed at the San Miguel Jazz Festival in Mexico. On December 3, she is appearing with guitarist Pasquale Grasso at Mezzrow in Greenwich Village. And in February, she will embark on a European tour, which will include Club Gustav in Oslo, Sunside in Paris, and Music Village in Brussels. On April 15, she will do another tribute to Ella Fitzgerald at the Blues Alley jazz club in Washington, DC. At that performance, her father will be joining her.

For more information or to order tickets to ‘Lucy Wijnands Swings Ella’, go to birdlandjazz.com or call 212 581-3080.

PHOTO BY DANA GOLAN

Scotty Barnhart is a noted trumpeter, composer, arranger, and educator. Most of his work has come through his association with the Count Basie Orchestra, where he began as a featured trumpeter in 1993. Since 2013, Barnhart has been the orchestra’s Director and has continued to preserve the legacy and tradition of one of the most essential musical establishments of the 20th century. Barnhart not only carries Count Basie’s musical legacy with elegance and grace but also connects with Basie’s personality, which, he said, was kind, caring, accessible, and positive.

BY JAY SWEET

The Count Basie Orchestra’s most recent album is the Grammy- nominated Basie Swings The Blues (Candid Records), an ambitious collaboration of the swing sensibilities of the Basie Orchestra, backing some of the great blues singers and guitarists such as George Benson, Keb Mo,’ Buddy Guy,

Robert Cray, Bobby Rush, and Bettye Lavette.The concept came about after Barnhart delivered a speech on behalf of Count Basie for his induction into the Blues Hall of Fame in 2019. “After that event,” he said “I decided to do a Delta Blues record, but the problem was that there had been no big band that had done what I wanted us to do, which was to get all these great jazz blues guitarists to record with us and mix the grandeur of the Basie Orchestra with the gutbucket blues of people like Muddy Waters, or Sun House. For a year, I was nowhere with it.”

The sound came together during a private performance where the orchestra was hired to play at an event at the beginning of the pandemic. It was hosted by a wealthy fan right before the shutdown. “At one point,” Barnhart said, “the host asked to sit in with the band, and when he was told he could, he pulled out

his $50,000 1962 Gibson guitar and impressed the band with his ability. We’re playing this 12-bar blues in G, and he sounded like every blues guitarist in history rolled into one. I was astounded. I couldn’t believe what I was hearing. I told the saxophones to go ahead and do a riff. Then the bones and trumpets had a riff going, and he was playing. That was it. That was the sound I had been looking for for a year, and now I knew what we had to do. Then, it was just a matter of figuring out who we would get as special guests. So we went through our list and got everybody we wanted.”

The album got a lot of attention outside of jazz circles. Martine Ehrenclou, reviewing it for Rock and Blues Muse, wrote that “The assembled host of vocalists do what such great vocalists as Jimmy Rushing, Joe Williams, Helen Humes and, even for a time, Billie Holiday did when record-

ing and performing with Basie. They deliver the lyrics in resonant, magnificent fashion, augmented by super-tight arrangements and periodic memorable solos. Still, it’s clearly the singers who are the focal point, and the roster includes both old-school and contemporary blues artists.  “Vintage blues is ably represented by Bobby Rush and Bettye Lavette among others. Rush’s crafty harmonica licks and crisp, crackling vocal make ‘Boogie In The Dark’ a delight,

while LaVette, better known for dynamic soul numbers and inventive covers of rock numbers, shows on a splendid version of T-Bone Walker’s ‘Stormy Monday Blues’ she’s perfectly capable of stepping into 12-bar territory and holding her own as well.”

Blues Rock Review’s Allan Claudio added, “Throughout Basie Swings The Blues, the Count Basie Orchestra flows the album together with both mood-altering rhythms and horn exclamation points. Full

The Count Basie Orchestra

GRAMMY NOMINEE

disclosure. Basie Swings The Blues is not a blues rock album. What it is, is something extraordinary, classic, and yet unique.” At press time, Basie Swings the Blues was Number 7 on the JazzWeek charts.

As a child, Barnhart was used to being around greatness and music.

Vocalist Bettye Lavette is one of the guest artists on Basie Swings the Blues.

“I had a beautiful upbringing,” he said. “I was born and raised in Atlanta. My mother was a wonderful vocalist, pianist, and organist, and my family had been at Ebenezer Baptist Church with the King family for about 120 years. When I was three months old, I was christened by Dr. Martin Luther King, and then, several years later, I was baptized by Daddy King when I was six. My grandfather and Dr. King Sr. were best friends, and I grew up with the King family at church. It was there that I got exposed to music. Every Sunday, Daddy King Sr. would have a different choir. They were mainly gospel-oriented. They used to use a Hammond B3 organ, and I loved listening to the organist walk the bass lines with his left foot and all of that. So when I heard Basie for the first time, I said, ‘Oh, that’s the same thing I hear in church.’ I tell people all the time that the jazz orchestra is just an extension of the gospel choir,

“ I’M VERY PROTECTIVE OF MR. BASIE’S LEGACY. I WANT TO PRESERVE IT. ”

that’s all. It is about the same size. It’s just more sophisticated. So that’s how I got into jazz. About once a year or so, Daddy King would also have a world-renowned classical artist come to the church, a classical pianist, opera singer, or whatever. So, I also got to witness that as well. I was surrounded by music all the time.

Barnhart started playing trumpet when he was nine years old. “I had great teachers,” he recalled, “and my high school band director was one of the most influential people in my life and development. He saw at an early

age that I had some talent. One day, he told me, ‘Count Basie is in town. Go see him tonight,’ and so I did. The second time I saw the orchestra was at the Fox Theater in Atlanta, and when the show was over, I was by myself. So I’m standing across the street from the theater in front of a hotel, waiting for my parents to pick me up, and I see the entire band approaching me. They were going to the hotel. I recognized one of the trumpet players, and I must have said, ‘Hello, I play trumpet.’ He said, ‘Well, come inside and have dinner with me.’ So, I’m sitting down

with Sonny Cohn. Sonny was in the orchestra for 30 years, and we’re sitting at the table right by the window. All the while, my parents are looking for me. So, I see the car going up and down the street. I’m talking to him. We were talking music and I finally waved at my parents through the window. They saw me, and my parents pulled over to the side, put their hazards on, and sat and waited on me because they saw me sitting across from Sonny Cohn. He told me to ‘return in the morning at 9:30. I want you to meet Mr. Basie.’ I said, ‘Yes, sir.’

“So my mother took me back in the morning, but that’s the same morning I had to audition for the Atlanta Braves to play the national anthem. When I got there, I was waiting with the band and at a table with Freddie Green, Sonny Cohn, and Eric Dixon. It was like an out-of-body experience. But Basie was up in his room;

he hadn’t come downstairs yet, and I had to leave before he came down. That’s why I never met him personally, but I felt like I met him; and I’ve had some strange dreams about him that showed me exactly what would happen in my life, and it happened.”

Before joining the Count Basie Orchestra 30 years ago, one of Barnhart’s key inspirations was Wynton Marsalis. “I was on this tour called Jazz Abroad. The tour was run by a couple of high school directors out of Illinois, and, for years, they were putting together the top high school and college musicians in the country and taking them to Europe for three weeks. We were in London when the tour was winding down, and we had a night off. Wynton Marsalis was playing, and about 30 of us went to see him.

“This is July of 1982. He was already turning the jazz world on its ear. The electricity in the room was un-

believable. He walked right up to me because only a few Black people were in the club, and when brothers see one another, we just gravitate to each other. So the next thing I knew, he was standing next to me in his white suit and holding his horn. He put his hand on my shoulder and said, ‘Man, I got the greatest drummer in the world.’ He was talking about Jeff “Tain” Watts, and then someone came up and

grabbed him and said, ‘Mr. Marsalis, there’s somebody we want you to meet. He’s an old trumpet player from the Lionel Hampton Orchestra.’ The reverence this older musician showed Wynton then made an impression on me. After hearing him, I knew I needed to figure out how to improve. At the night’s end, Wynton gave me his number, and I asked him all these questions. The next thing I knew, we were talking on the phone, back and forth.” Barnhart was 17 at the time.

After recording with pianist Marcus Roberts for some time, Barnhart got the call to play with the Count Basie Orchestra. “The guy whose place I took was Melton Mustafa. Melton went to Florida A&M, where I went to school. He called my instructor when looking for a replacement because the two were in school together in the early ‘70s. He asked him.’Do you know anybody who

can come in and take my place?’ So I was recommended, and the next thing I knew, I was getting a call from Frank Foster, and I thought it was a joke. Frank Foster said, ‘You’ve been highly recommended for the Count Basie Band.’ This is 1993.”

After joining the Basie Orchestra, Barnhart did everything he could to be of service, which is partially why he eventually became Director, “I did the lights. If somebody needed an interview, they would call me. I was the band librarian. I just knew that stuff. I was the band’s union representative. They voted me into that position without even asking me. I wanted things to be done right, and I still do. It’s a daily thing for me. Not one hour goes by that I’m not thinking about what we need to do. So I’m supposed to be doing what I’m doing … I’m very protective of Mr. Basie’s legacy. I want to preserve

it, which is what I always work on.”

In addition to performing and directing the Basie Orchestra, Barnhart continues to work as a professor at Florida State University (since 2003). He teaches with the same nurturing attitude his instructors showed him. “I had all positive reinforcement, all positive all the time, and that’s what I try to get to my students. The words “can’t” and “I don’t know how” are prohibited in my office. We don’t even use those terms.” He is also working on releasing a second edition of his incredible book on the history of jazz trumpet, The World of Jazz Trumpet – A Comprehensive History and Practical Philosophy (Hal Leonard: 2005), and an upcoming radio show, Trumpet Hour.

To hear Jay’s Sweet’s entire conversation with Scotty Barnhart, go to 30 Albums for 30 Years (1964-1994).

Riza Printup’s Harp Trio –‘Standards, Holiday Songs, Ballads, and Some of My Originals’

“People are Getting to Know More About What the Harp Can Do, and How it Can Contribute to This Art Form”

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

In 1958, jazz harpist Dorothy Ashby teamed with flutist Frank Wess, bassist Herman Wright, and drummer Roy Haynes on the Prestige/New Jazz album, In a Minor Groove. In 1992, when Prestige reissued it as a compilation with some tracks from an earlier album, Hip Harp, Michael G. Nastos of AllMusic, wrote that Ashby “strummed the harp like nobody else,”

adding that the recording is further enhanced by “the exceptional flute sounds produced by Frank Wess.”

On March 10, 2013, harpist Riza Printup performed at a Jazz Vespers concert at Harlem’s Abyssinian Baptist Church. In preparation for the concert, she reached out to Wess. “I really wanted to start bringing back the music of Dorothy Ashby. I asked

Frank if he would be willing to do it, and he said yes. He remembered meeting Dorothy, but he didn’t remember making any of the recordings. He asked me to do all the arrangements and select the tunes. That was really special. We played a lot of the tunes from In a Minor Groove, and somehow it all came back to him. I will never forget that. I think this was one

of the very last things he did, and he was so gracious.” (Wess passed away on October 31, 2013, at the age of 91).

Printup, who will be leading a trio at Teaneck’s Brvsh Cul7ur3 on Saturday, December 16, studied classical harp at Indiana University but took some jazz courses taught by the late David Baker, a trombonist/cellist who founded the jazz studies program

at Indiana’s Jacobs School of Music. “There weren’t any courses for a jazz harpist,” Printup recalled. “I initially asked if I could do a double major, but, because of the course load and nature of the program, they said no. I just took the courses anyway. I took his Improv 101 classes, and, of course, he started off with bebop. He was so gracious and really had patience with me. I took piano lessons, jazz history, any class that I could fit in with my course load.”

Jazz and classical, Printup explained, “are completely different. In classical harp, everything is written out – every note, every phrasing, every fingering. And, with the harp we have seven pedals. When it comes to playing even something as simple as ‘Happy Birthday’, everybody freaks out – ‘what pedal is that’? In jazz, it really comes down to the theory, understanding jazz theory. Then, from there, learning to navigate around the harp. So, now you go from every-

thing written out to absolutely nothing written out because it changes. If you play a melody one way and then add an accidental or semi-chromatic line, all of a sudden everything changes with the pedals. You can play your chords one way one day and then the next day, or even the next performance, you change the harmony of it or add extensions on these chords, and your pedals change.

“So, it went from just trying to memorize everything in the classical realm to now understanding theory at a much deeper level. It’s apples and oranges. Diving into the lessons of jazz,” she added, “really helped me to understand my instrument better and get to know my instrument on a much deeper level.”

At Brvsh Cul7ur3, Printup will be joined by bassist Kengo Nakamura and drummer Alvester Garnett. “It’s like a piano trio,” Printup said, “but with the harp. There will be swing. There

Riza with husband, Marcus Printup

will be ballads. All kinds of different rhythms. And, because it’s in December, I will be incorporating holiday tunes. It will be a blend of standards, holiday songs, ballads and some of my originals. What I bring is tunes that I love and my interpretations of them.”

Printup is married to jazz trumpeter Marcus Printup, and in March 2020, they released an album, Gentle Rain, on the Steeplechase label. It features just the two of them without any other instrumentation. Reviewing it for JazzTimes, Veronica Johnson wrote that, “Marcus Printup is known to many as the fiery trumpeter adjacent to Wynton Marsalis in his Jazz at Lincoln Center Orchestra . . . But he’s just as powerful on a ballad. Those balladry skills are well displayed by Gentle Rain, for which he’s backed solely by a harp, eloquently played by his wife Riza – a daring configuration that’s rarely been attempted in jazz.” When Riza plays with Marcus, she

said she just wants “to dig in more. He just elevates the level of playing from the get-go. He will challenge me.”

The Printups have created a jazz education program, called RiMarcable Music for Arts & Education. It’s based on a concept called “I Have a Song Inside My Heart”, which is designed to help early childhood and lower elementary school students become empowered in self-expression through the music of jazz. The curriculum is available to all general ed-

ucation music teachers. “We also do in-school residencies,” Printup explained, “which I’m doing now with the Montclair Community Pre-K (a private non-profit preschool) through a partnership with Jazz House Kids.” The program, she said, “takes the first six major areas of jazz. We start with the blues, then we go to New Orleans, then swing, bebop, Afro-Cuban jazz, and hard bop. The goal is not to teach them repertoire per se but to include the repertoire

as we are learning about history.”

On Sunday, December 9, Printup and her Jazz Explorer band will be presenting a community concert, in collaboration with WBGO-FM, at the Montclair Art Museum. The concert, which is free, is being held from 1-2 p.m. It’s open to all ages, but, of course, is targeted to pre-K and younger elementary school students.

Printup thinks people “have a misconception about what the harp can do. There are harpists today – like Brandee Younger and Edmar Castaneda -- who have the courage to dive a little more deeply into this art form. We’re all doing our own thing, and now people are getting to know more about what the harp can do, and how it can contribute to this art form.”

For information and to order tickets to the December 16th Brvsh Cul7ur3 performances log onto brvshcul7ur3.com or call (201) 357-5745.

Riza Printup with Frank Wess at Abyssinian Baptist Church in March 2013

17-23 MARCH

PlusJazz Trolley Pub Crawl, Late Night Jam Sessions, Jazz Films and More...

Photo: Dee Dee Bridgewater courtesy of Hernan Rodriguez,

Water Gap Jazz Orchestra: A Suite of Suites for the Holiday Season

BY DR. MATT VASHLISHAN

On Saturday, December 16, at East Stroudsburg University of Pennsylvania and Sunday, December 17, at the Morris Museum’s Bickford Theatre in Morristown, NJ, the Water Gap Jazz Orchestra will play two significant pieces that define the holiday season: The Duke Ellington Nutcracker Suite and The Grinch Suite. We’ve asked WGJO Director Dr. Matt Vashlishan to preview those performances.

The Duke Ellington Nutcracker Suite needs little introduction.

Arranged by both Duke Ellington and Billy Strayhorn, it was recorded in 1960 for Columbia Records and became an instant classic. The themes follow the Tchaikovsky original remarkably well, which I believe contributes to its success. You don’t have to be a music major to figure out it’s a jazz arrangement of a classical piece.

Movements of the suite consist

of the “Overture”, “Toot Toot Tootie Toot”, “Peanut Brittle Brigade”, “Sugar Rum Cherry”, “Entr’acte”, “Volga Vouty”, “Chinoiserie”, “Danse of the Floreadores”, and “Arabesque Cookie”. Although the names differ from the original, every theme can be heard in its jazz equivalent. There is adequate solo space for the musicians as well as the classic use of woodwinds in the saxophone section, which results in a challenging piece of music that the musicians and audience alike enjoy each year. To make it even better, we are joined by vocalist Nancy Reed and special guest Edward Ellington II (Duke’s grandson!) who will read the Nutcracker story between movements, adding a great bit of humor to the show.

The Grinch Suite was a huge project that I finished for the December 2022 concert at ESU. I originally planned to write an arrangement of

Dr. Matt Vashlishan leading the WGKO in 2022 at East Stroudsburg University.

PHOTO BY RENEE FAITH BROADY

“You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” for our 2019 Ellington Nutcracker concert but when finished, I started playing around with the other melodies used in the movie. I realized there were three major themes as well as definitive melodic content throughout. It’s a brilliant production without really crossing the line towards a musical and is something I have become completely obsessed with since. I wanted to create something similar to what Ellington and Strayhorn did with the Nutcracker: arrange a suite of music from a well-known holiday production converted into the jazz language that can be performed annually. I try to use every project as a learning opportunity, and it’s best to emulate those you admire. For this project, my influences were: commercial jazz orchestra (“Introduction”), traditional big band (“You’re a Mean One”), wind ensemble/Bob Mintzer (“Welcome Christmas”), and modern/Bob Brookmeyer and Slide Hampton (“Trim Up the Tree”). Whether or not these styles and composers presented themselves in the finished product was not particularly important, but it gave me a direc-

tion to get started. Some tunes came quicker than others, but the entire project spanned a period of three years.

The piece consists of four movements: “Introduction”, “You’re a Mean One Mr. Grinch”, “Welcome

Christmas”, and “Trim Up the Tree”. Here are a few highlights of my thoughts writing each:

I: “Introduction” demonstrates how one can transform the simple Whoville melody into a “jazz version.” I state it four ways: Once by itself, again with harmonic accompaniment, as a full big band version, and finally one for the sax section.

II: “You’re a Mean One, Mr. Grinch” was written as an alto feature for me, who some would say is the real Grinch! It provides solo space for plenty of instruments, which I feel is a good warm-up for a suite of this size. Out of all the movements, this is the one that people will recognize the most because it holds true to its original format.

III: “Welcome Christmas” came to me one day while noodling on the piano before a rehearsal. It was one of those things that when it hit me, I knew it

was what I would use. I tried to write this movement from the perspective of the Grinch: Mean at first, glaring down on the town of Whoville from the mountain tops, gradually becoming happier as the piece progress-

es, and finally ending beautifully as his heart has grown several sizes.

IV: “Trim Up the Tree” was written to depict the new happy Grinch with his dog Max on their sleigh flying down Mount Crumpit bringing toys into Whoville, while occasional “demons” of the Grinch’s past try to break through and pull him from his objective. In the end the “new and improved” Grinch prevails.

While the Grinch Suite will never come close to the historic genius of Ellington and Strayhorn, maybe it can become another annual event we can all look forward to and a way to communicate the jazz language to those who may have never discovered it. So far, it is working quite well.

For tickets or more information about the Morris Museum concert, log onto morrismuseum.org or call (973) 971-3706.

Edward Ellington II (Duke’s grandson) reads the Nutcracker story between movements. PHOTO

Snarky Puppy

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‘SASSY’ Award Winner Tyreek McDole: Serendipitous Transition from Classical Percussionist to Jazz Vocalist

“He is Already a True Entertainer at his Young Age ... The Music World Better Get Ready”

BY SANFORD JOSEPHSON

In 2018, Tyreek McDole, a student at the Osceola County School for the Arts in Kissimmee, FL, was playing classical percussion for a performance of the 1987 Stephen Sondheim/James Lapine musical, Into the Woods. “During rehearsal,” he recalled, “one of the actors got sick. I had studied all the music, so I sang the part for the wolf. As I started singing, heads started turning in the room. I guess I found out I had a voice then. Little did I know that the Jazz Director (Edwin

Imer Santiago) was listening. So, he asked me to join the jazz band and to sing at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Essentially Ellington competition.” At the EE event, McDole was named Outstanding Vocalist. (This past spring, Osceola County School for the Arts took first place at Essentially Ellington for the second year in a row).

On Sunday, November 19, at the New Jersey Performing Arts Center, as part of the TD James Moody Jazz Festival, the 23-year-old McDole won

McDole performing at the Sarah Vaughan finals

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this year’s Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition, the second male winner in the “Sassy” award’s 12-year history. Said vocalist Jane Monheit, one of the judges: “I was simply astonished by the gorgeous quality of Tyreek’s instrument. He had a beautiful feel and is already a true entertainer at his young age. The music world better get ready.”

Santiago remembered that moment during the performance of Into the Woods. “I just heard something in his voice,” he said. “He sang in pitch, he had confidence, and he showed potential. When we got to Essentially Ellington in New York, he was our secret weapon. In the warmup room, he said, ‘I’d like to try something, call and response.’ I felt there was trust between Tyreek, myself, and the band, so I said yes. It worked, and it fired up the band. He continues to develop. When I hear him sing today, I hear a maturing of his voice.”

At the Sarah Vaughan Competition finals, McDole sang Harry Warren and Al Dubin’s “September in the Rain”, Billy Strayhorn’s “Lush Life”, and Milton and Pinetop Sparks’ “Every Day I Have the Blues”, a song closely identified with Joe Williams. “I just felt like going with some of my strengths,” he said. “I’ve been singing those songs since I started singing. I think it’s really important to pick material that’s really close to you—not just in the musical sense but in an emotional sense. Each of those songs have stories that I was telling during that competition.

“I also just want to shout out to all the great vocalists in the Sarah Vaughan Competition,” he added. “They’re all incredible, and I’ve been inspired by them.” The other four finalists were: Darynn Dean, second place; Ekep Nkwelle, third place; Bianca Love; and Emma Smith. (McDole received a $5,000 cash award; Dean was awarded

$1,500; and Nkwelle received $500).

McDole has been compared to such jazz vocal legends as Williams, Andy Bey, and Johnny Hartman. And, while he is in awe of those giants, he said Louis Armstrong has been a major influence on him. “I’ve been in a band since I was in middle school (in

St. Cloud, FL), playing trumpet and classical percussion. I am relearning the trumpet. Being able to sing and play trumpet on that level has always inspired me.” Dizzy Gillespie and Kenny Dorham are two other trumpeter/vocalists who have motivated him, as well as female vocalists

NJPAC President and CEO John Schreiber presents McDole with the SASSY Award.

PHOTO BY SHAKIRU BOLA OKOYA

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Betty Carter and Sarah Vaughan.

After graduating from Osceola, McDole received a scholarship to the Oberlin College and Conservatory in Oberlin, Ohio. “I’m very grateful for my time there,” he said. “There are so many great musicians on the faculty and alumni who went through that program.” Among the current faculty members are 2024 National Endowment for the Arts Jazz Master saxophonist Gary Bartz, drummer Billy Hart, and trumpeter Eddie Henderson. McDole pointed out that pianist Stanley Cowell graduated from Oberlin, and trumpeter Donald Byrd taught there in the 1990s. And, there is an Oberlin Sonny Rollins Jazz Ensemble, established with the legendary saxophonist’s support. Two other important mentors have been bassist Rodney Whitaker and his daughter, vocalist Rockelle Fortin, whom he met at the Dr. Phillips

Center for the Performing Arts Jazz Camp in Orlando a few years ago. “If it wasn’t for those two,” he said, “I wouldn’t be where I am today.”

Now living in New York, McDole has performed with several veteran jazz musicians including saxophonist Ted Nash and trumpeter Nicholas Payton. In June 2022, he joined Nash’s quartet at Manhattan’s Chelsea Table to recreate John Coltrane and Johnny Hartman, the iconic 1963 Impulse! album. “We did all the material from that record,” he recalled. “That

was a really fun concert, really challenging, trying to recreate the magic.”

Reviewing the one-night show for The Front Row Center, David Walters praised Nash’s “soul-stirring tribute, bringing together the deeply super-rich vocals of Tyreek McDole, the twinkling keys of pianist Isaiah J. Thompson, the expressive beat of drummer Matt Wilson, and the legato tones of bassist Ben Allison . . . What the live evening with Mr. McDole and Mr. Nash pointed to me,” he continued, “was the light touch of

conviviality that Coltrane brought to this partnering. It was like when the setting sun, a cool breeze, and the sweet smell on the wind come together and make the perfect summer eve.”

A few months ago, McDole performed with Payton at New York’s Smoke Jazz & Supper Club. “He let me sit in with his great band that included Vincente Archer on bass, Bill Stewart on drums, and Mino Cinelu on percussion. It was a beautiful moment for me because I’ve been admiring Nicholas Payton’s music for so

“ I’M VERY THANKFUL TO THE FOLKS AT JAZZ AT LINCOLN CENTER. ”

PHOTO BY JOHN THOMAS

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long. He’s one of our trumpet titans.”

On Thursday, November 30, McDole played at a “Swinging in the Holidays” concert with the Jazz House Kids All-Stars at JHK’s Jazz@ the Annex in Montclair. The band was led by tenor saxophonist Birsa Chatterjee and included bassist Liany Mateo, alto saxophonist Ebban Dorsey, trumpeter Andrew Wagner, drummer Ben Schwartz, and pianist Esteban Castro. The concert, McDole said, is “preparation for our maiden voyage on next year’s Jazz Cruise.” (Mateo and Schwartz have previously been featured as Jersey Jazz Rising Stars, Mateo in October 2023 and Schwartz in July/August 2022). This month McDole will be part of Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Future of Jazz Orchestra that will be collaborating with the Alvin Ailey Dance Company at City Center from December 15-17.

As his career continues to move forward, McDole thinks back to the

transformative events that occurred just five years ago. “I’m very grateful to Osceola County and Essentially Ellington for creating a platform to celebrate the music we love. Being part of Essentially Ellington radically changed my life. It created a great opportunity to perform in New York at Jazz at Lincoln Center—with Wynton Marsalis and some of my other heroes. I’m very thankful to the folks at Jazz at Lincoln Center—not only for the preservation of the music, but for the innovative ways of growing and spreading the gospel.”

The Sarah Vaughan International Jazz Vocal Competition received more than 280 submissions representing 37 countries. In addition to Jane Monheit, judges were vocalists Patti Austin and Lizz Wright, NJPAC Jazz Advisor bassist Christian McBride, and Mack Avenue Music Group producer and A&R consultant Al Pryor.

BY DAN MORGENSTERN

I’m pretty sure not to be the only one who’s wondered what Dudley Murphy, director of the two best early sound, or maybe simply best, short jazz films, period, was all about.

Now, thanks to Dudley Murphy, Hollywood Wild Card by Susan Delson, we finally know—not only all about Murphy himself but also about the early days of sound and more. The book was actually published in 2006 by the University of Minnesota Press but not previously known to me.

Delson is terrific about filmmaking and Murphy’s fascination with Black matters—he was friends with Fats Waller and made Emperor Jones which launched Paul Robeson as well as such major figures as Man Ray, Rene Clair, Eugene O’Neil and even Ezra Pound. He also directed the 1929 short film, St. Louis Blues, starring Bessie Smith, in her only film appearance.

However, Delson is not all that

secure about jazz, seeming to not realize what Bessie was all about or that the setting for Murphy’s Black and Tan was not just “a nightclub” but a pretty good replica of the Cotton Club. But I thank her for a great job on the fascinating Dudley, a wild card indeed, and deserving of eternal thanks for letting us see as well as hear the one and only Bessie.

When the book was originally published, novelist Kurt Andersen wrote that Murphy “seems more like a wacky fictional character than a real person,” but he added that he was “grateful to Susan Delson for introducing him to me.”

“ WE FINALLY KNOW ABOUT THE EARLY DAYS OF SOUND AND MORE. ”

OTHER VIEWS

BY JOE LANG

If you put Live at Swing 46 (self-produced) by the George Gee Swing Orchestra into your CD player, do not be surprised if you feel like cutting a rug or at least snapping your fingers and tapping your toes. This nine-piece aggregation swings its forever off from first note to last, sounding like a full big band. There are 15 tracks of tunes associated with, among others, Count Basie (“Red Bank Boogie” “Jumpin’ at the Woodside,” “Diggin’ Around,” “Easy Does It” and “Splanky”), Duke Ellington (“Take the “A’ Train” and “Things Ain’t What The Used to Be”), Benny Goodman (“Christopher Columbus” and “Sing, Sing, Sing”) and Chick Webb (“Let’s Get Together”). Among the other five selections is an original by Gibson, “Boogie Down to SWING 46.” The nine players are Eddie Pazant, Michael Hashim and Tony Lustig on saxes; Music Director David Gibson on trombone; Freddie Hendrix and Tatum Greenblatt

on trumpets; and a rhythm section of Steve Einerson on piano, Marcus McLaurine on bass, and Brian Fishler on drums. The solo interludes are well distributed among the players. Of special note, this was the last recording on which the late Eddie Pazant played. George Gee.com

The University of Central Florida’s Flying Horse Big Band is the equal of most professional bands. Under the direction of saxophonist Jeff Rupert, UCF Director of Jazz Studies, this 18-piece group is filled with fine soloists and offers strong ensemble playing. On A Message from the Flying Horse Big Band (Flying Horse Records—101523) FHBB plays 10 selections written by musicians who played with Art Blakey’s Jazz Messengers. The selections are by Wayne Shorter (“Free for All,” “This Is for Albert,” “Lester Left Town” and “On the Ginza”), Horace Silver (“Room 608,” “Peace” and “Greg-

ory Is Here”), Hank Mobley (“Hipsippy Blues), Cedar Walton (“Mosaic”), and Benny Golson (“Whisper Not”). The charts were written by Michael Philip Mossman, Harry Allen, Mark Taylor, and Billy May. The Flying Horse Big Band is flying high with this superb program. FlyingHorseRecords.com

In 2020, the centennial year of the magnificent trumpet player Clark Terry was celebrated. Terry was a jazz

legend who inspired countless musicians with his playing, sense of humor, and willingness to mentor many of them. For that occasion, baritone sax giant Adam Schroeder commissioned Mark Masters to arrange a program of original compositions by Terry. Because of the pandemic, it was not until 2023 that Schroeder’s idea came to fruition. The 12-piece ensemble finally hit the studio on June 15 and 16 to record the 13 selections comprising CT: Adam Schroeder and Mark Masters Celebrate Clark Terry (Capri Records—74170). Simply said, it was worth the wait. Terry infused much of his music with his sly humor, and Masters has nicely captured this with his imaginative charts. The musicians, in-demand players from the Los Angeles area, are well up to the demands of the challenging charts. From the wryly titled opener, “Serenade to a Bus Seat,” to the swinging closer, “In Orbit,” the band brings celebratory life

OTHER VIEWS

to the arrangements, with many fine solos taken along the way, particularly by Schroeder. CapriRecords.com

In 1993, the late trumpeter Roy Hargrove performed a concert of his composition, The Love Suite: In Mahogany (Blue Engine Records) at Jazz at Lincoln Center. The concert was recorded and appears on this new digital only release. Hargrove led a septet of himself on trumpet, Jesse Davis on alto sax, Ron Blake on tenor sax, Andre Hayward on trombone, Marc Cary on piano, Rodney Whitaker on bass, and Gregory Hutchinson on drums. There are five movements, “Young Day Dreams (Beauteous Visions),” “Obviously Destined,” “Stability,” “The Trial”, and “Into the Outcome.” Titles of the movements seem to suggest a tour through the various phases of a loving relationship. The music is exciting and full of opportunities for all the players to show off their solo

chops, with Hargrove getting the most front and center spots. The playing is consistently high octane and full of interesting movement. Hargrove has assembled a fine band to perform this impressive work, one that deserves its belated sharing with a wider audience. Available at Amazon.com and other major streaming platforms

Listening to Grand Company (Cellar Music—101422) by pianist Ray Gallon, one wonders why this is his first piano trio recording with this lineup. Here is someone who has a fertile mind for improvisation and true talent as a composer. If he was going to wait until more than 30 years on the scene to make an album, he sure picked a peerless pair of jazz giants to fill out the trio, bassist Ron Carter and drummer Lewis Nash. They address a nine-song program including five interesting Gallon originals, “Acting Up,” “Zombette,” “Two

Track Mind,” Pins and Needles”, and “Monkey Bars,” plus “Drop Me Off in Harlem,” “Nardis,” “If I Had You”, and “Old Folks.” One of the great appeals of jazz is the way great musicians, not normally playing with each other, fit together with an almost uncanny naturalness. cellarmusicgroup.com

In the Covid-infected year of 2020, Hays Street Hart, the trio of pianist Kevin Hays, bassist Ben Street, and

drummer Billy Hart, performed a livestream show in December from Smoke Jazz Club resulting in their much-acclaimed album, All Things Are. Three years later, they have reunited to record an album of equal quality, a studio recording titled Bridges (Smoke Sessions—2307). Here are three players who sound like they were born to play together. The program includes Wayne Shorter’s “Capricorn,” “With a Little Help from My Friends,” Bill Frisell’s “Throughout,” Hart’s “Irah,” Milton Nascimento’s “Bridges (Travessia)”, and three Hays originals. smokesessionsrecords.com

Master tuba player Jim Self has released an eclectic catalog of albums.

On his latest, My America 2: Destinations (Basset Hound—102-20), he returns to a variation on a theme he explored about 20 years ago—songs of Americana. This time he has selected songs that deal with specific destina-

OTHER VIEWS

tions and enlisted Kim Scharnberg to provide the arrangements once again. An all-star group of 12 Los Angeles area musicians participate in various combinations. Details on the personnel are on the album. Self plays five variations of his basic instrument, the tuba. The approach to each selection is unique with some songs combined to form a piece with a new title. Examples are “King of the Road” and “Route 66” presented as “King of Route 66,” and “Blue Bayou” and “Blue Bossa” merging into “Blue Bayou Bossa.” Another interesting selection is an updating of “Washington Post” as “Washington Postmodern.” Other numbers include “Chicago,” “New York State of Mind,” “Back Home in Indiana”, and “Georgia on My Mind.” Each arrangement by Scharnberg is well-conceived and often fascinating. JimSelf.com

Chess Moves (Steeplechase—31949) is the latest album by trumpeter Alex

Norris. Abetted by Ari Ambrose on tenor sax, Rick Germanson on piano, Paul Gill on bass, and Brian Floody on drums, Norris presents a 10-song program of nine originals plus “My Ideal.”

Norris has a gift for creating straightahead tunes reflecting aspects of his musical growth that become welcome additions to your musical experiences. He is clever in naming his compositions. Examples are “Chess Moves,” referencing the care with which he has approached his growth as a musician in mid-career; “Too Many Trips” is inspired by the road life; “There it Went” is a contrafact on “Gone with the Wind”; and “Lights Out”, his reflection on the influence of the late Wayne Shorter. No matter the tempo, Norris plays with clarity and imagination. Particularly moving is his lovely, muted trumpet on “My Ideal.”

Ambrose is a fluid and adventurous soloist; Germanson, a last-minute addition to replace the group’s reg-

ular pianist Jeremy Manasia, fits right in seamlessly; Gill is especially notable for his superb arco bass lines; and Floody is always there with just the right accents. Amazon.com

HOLIDAY ALBUMS

If you like your Christmas music swinging, Winter Wonderland (self-produced) by the George Gee Swing Orchestra is sure to please you. Gee’s nine-piece group sounds like a much larger band thanks to the superb arrangements of trombonist David Gibson who serves as the band’s Musical Director. The 10 selections include mostly secular seasonal material such as “Winter Wonderland,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” “I’ll Be Home for Christmas,” “Baby, It’s Cold Outside,” “The Christmas Song,” “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve”, and “Jingle Bells,” but they also give a nod in the direction of traditional

carols such as “What Child Is This,” “God Rest Ye Merry, Gentlemen”, and “O Tannenbaum.” John Dokes adds his voice on five selections, including “Baby, It’s Cold Outside” where he is joined by a fine singer who was at one point the band’s female vocalist, Hilary Gardner. GeorgeGee.com.

Vocalist Kristen Lee Sergeant and saxophonist Ted Nash have been making sweet music together for the past several years. They recently teamed up on a magnificent Christmas album titled Holidays (Sunnyside—1731) which finds Sergeant backed by a 16-piece big band fronted by Nash and playing arrangements mostly by him. The songs include Dave Frishberg’s “Snowbound,” “My Favorite Things,” “ Solstice,” a new tune with music by Brian Byrne and lyrics by Sergeant, the edgy “Blue Xmas,” an sardonic tune by Bob Dorough to which Sergeant added a few

OTHER VIEWS

lyric alterations, “What Are You Doing New Year’s Eve,” “Sleigh Ride,” “A Child Is Born,” with an arrangement by saxophonist Sherman Irby, “The Christmas Song”, and “I’ve Got My Love to Keep Me Warm.” Sergeant is a vocalist with a superb voice who can swing or nicely caress a lyric with equal effectiveness. She takes full advantage of having the support of the band and Nash’s charts. There are outstanding contributions by pianist Adam Birnbaum and the other soloists, many of whom are bandmates with Nash on the Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra. SunnysideRecords.com

Merry & Bright (Capri -074167) is the kind of holiday release you would expect from the Jeff Hamilton Trio, swinging, tasteful and replete with pleasing twists and turns. The selections, “It’s the Holiday Season,” “Caroling, Caroling,” “The Little Drummer Boy,” “Let It Snow! Let It

Snow! Let It Snow!,” “Bright, Bright the Holly Berries,” “It’s the Most Wonderful Time of the Year,” “Here Comes Santa Claus,” “Santa Baby,” “O Tannenbaum”, and “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” create a program that is eclectic and filled with songs that lend themselves well to jazz interpretations. Drummer Hamilton’s trio includes Tamir Hendelman on piano, and Jon Hamar on bass. They have been playing as a

unit since 2018 and have developed sense of how to perfectly complement each other. CapriRecords.com

This Christmas with Night Is Alive (Night Is Alive—0013) finds vocalists

Teddy Horangic and Frank Lacy supported by a sextet led by saxophonist Wayne Escoffrey in an eight-song program of Christmas classics. The arrangements by pianist Xavier Davis are well executed by the sextet of Escoffrey on saxes, Jeremy Pelt on trumpet, James Burton III on trombone, Davis on piano, Richie Goods on bass, and Quincy Davis on drums. While he does not have a classic singing voice, Lacy, mostly noted as a fine creative trombonist, shows here that he knows how to put across a lyric, letting his jazz sensitivity lead the way on his phrasing. He is the singer on “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow!,” We Three Kings,” “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas” and “This

Christmas,” the last of which he performs in duet with Horangic, who also sings “Sleigh Ride” and “O Holy Night.” “White Christmas” and “The Christmas Song” are strictly instrumental numbers. NightIsAlive.com

Pianist/vocalist John Paul McGee and his trio mates, bassist Joel Powell and drummer Larry Wilson, form the core group for A Gospejazzical Christmas, with guitarist Patrick Arthur added for three tracks, “Emmanuel,” “Little Drummer Boy” and What Child Is This,” while McGee is the sole player on five of the 11 selections “Christmas Time Is Here,” “The Manger Medley,” “O Holy Night,” “Mary Did You Know” ,and “Go Tell It on the Mountain.” McGee also adds vocals on “Have Yourself a Merry Little Christmas,” and “Go Tell It on the Mountain,” with Lori Williams singing on “Christmas Time Is Here” and Wendi Henderson-Wynn the vocalist on “Jesus, What a Wonderful Child.” Mc-

OTHER VIEWS

Gee has nicely paced the program, letting his gospel influence seep into his jazz interpretations, and he does so effectively. (Jazz Urbane—JU-008/0023)

On Textures in Hi-Fi, released in 2000, vocalist/pianist Robert Hicks had arrangements by Pete Rugolo who led an all-star big band for the recording. The influence of Rugolo, who was among the most innovative of big band arrangers, is evident on Hicks’ Winter Awhile (Velocity Records—VCD05

1531). This is apparent from the first track where Hicks has taken five Christmas classics, “O Tannenbaum,” “Nutcracker Overture,” “The Holly and the Ivy,” “Away in a Manger” and “Jolly Old Saint Nicholas,” and arranged them in a five-part suite that he titled “Big City Christmas” for a 23-piece jazz orchestra including a six-piece string section. Many of the titles of the other selections give an insight into how he approached the pieces, “Bop

King Wenceslas,” “Wassail Beat Suite” and “I Saw Three Ships Come Swinging In,” the last of which is preceded by a short version of the regular song by Michael Long on a variety of Irish instruments. He has also included two original pieces, “Winter Awhile” and “Holy Holy Holiday Hula” on which Hicks, who wrote the words and music, adds his hip vocalizing. The musical settings range from six-pieces to 16 pieces, with a variety of instrumental styles from straight ahead jazz to classical. RobertHicksMusic.com

When one thinks of Christmas music, the first singer who comes to mind is Bing Crosby, whose recording of “White Christmas” is the best-selling Christmas single ever released. You will not find this song, though, on the recently released Bing Crosby’s Christmas Gems (Primary Wave Music). This album compiles 14 selections by Crosby that come from radio broadcasts,

television shows, and rare recordings.

Among the tunes from radio broadcasts are “Let It Snow! Let It Snow! Let It Snow,” “O Little Town of Bethlehem,” “How Lovely Is Christmas,” “Away in a Manger,” (a duet with Kathryn Crosby), “Good King Wenceslas,” “Joy to the World”, and “Marshmallow World,” a duet with Ella Fitzgerald. One additional radio track is Crosby’s rendering of “The Night Before Christmas,” broadcast on the Voice of America in 1968. The television tracks are “Christmas Island,” another duet with Kathryn, and the duet with David Bowie on “Peace on Earth/The Little Drummer Boy,” a surprising hit that has become one of Crosby’s most enduringly popular Christmas tracks. Then there are the obscure recordings. From a 1959 single are “Just What I Wanted for Christmas” and “The Secret of Christmas.” “White World of Winter” was recorded in 1965 but has faded from memory. Finally, “Christmas Star” was record-

ed for a limited edition 1972 single. Thanks to the Crosby family, we have a new collection of rare Bing Crosby Christmas selections. BingCrosby.com

Please note that there will be additional album reviews appearing in the News section of NJJS.org in the near future. One will be devoted to reviews of vocal albums and the other of albums containing reissues or previously unreleased older material.

Larry McKenna, Legendary Philadelphia-Based Tenor Saxophonist

His “Magnificent Artistry Deserved a Much Wider Audience”

BY JOE LANG

We have lost another special jazzman. Tenor saxophonist supreme Larry McKenna left us on November 19 at the age of 86. McKenna was a lifelong Philadelphian who played most of his career in his hometown area, sometimes venturing into other places in Eastern Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and, too infrequently, New York City. Like so many musicians who stuck close to home, McKenna gigged in small jazz groups, big bands, society bands, wedding bands, and whatever other gigs came his way. It was jazz, however, that brought out the magnificent artistry that deserved a much wider audience. Except for six months with Woody Herman, McKenna eschewed life on the road for the environs in which he felt most com-

fortable, close to his wife and children. This limited the widespread recognition and acclaim that his talent deserved.

I do not remember where or when I first saw McKenna, but I do remember being totally blown away by his playing. I had heard him on recordings before seeing him live, so I was prepared to dig him, but in person he took it to another level.

New Jersey trumpeter Danny Tobias summed up Larry’s playing as follows: “Some players play mostly by ear and are free to play beautiful lines without thinking about every passing chord underneath them. Some are aware of every change but lack the ability to soar over it all. Larry was the union of both”.

Somewhere along the line, I had

occasion to briefly meet and speak with Larry. In 2018, I was attending an event called “Woodchopper’s Ball”, a four-day tribute to Woody Herman sponsored by the Los Angeles Jazz Institute. McKenna was among the all-star lineup of participating players. At one point, I was sitting in the back of the ballroom listening to the ongoing concert when McKenna arrived on the scene. He immediately went to speak with (saxophonist) Frank Tiberi and then came over to me to say hello as if we were old friends. I was surprised that he even remembered me, but that was Larry, a man of warmth and an incredible memory. From then on, whenever I had occasion to see him, I always made it a point to speak with him, and

he was always happy to converse.

When I asked guitarist Pete Smyser, a frequent musical partner of Larry’s, for a few words about McKenna, he responded this way: “Larry was and will remain an inspiration for me personally and so many others. He was beyond generous with his time, sharing his insight and wisdom. His taste was impeccable and his creativity boundless. He was a wonderful person in every sense. I’ll miss Larry dearly. Memories of him will carry some sting for a while, but I’m oh so glad to have them.”

Trumpeter Terell Stafford, who is Director of Jazz Studies at Temple University’s Boyer College of Music, told Temple’s WRTI Radio that, “You never wanted to play a melody with Larry. You would end up sounding like such an amateur trying to match his style, dignity, and eloquence. When he started to take a solo, forget about it – it was almost like he wasn’t soloing, just writing a bunch of beautiful melodies that

BIG BAND IN THE SKY

lasted chorus after chorus after chorus.”

I had the pleasure of writing the liner notes for an album by singer Susie Meissner on which Larry was an outstanding contributor. Subsequently I saw Larry with Susie at Chris’ Jazz Cafè in Philadelphia. Before the gig, Larry saw me with a friend, Rob Robbins, whom Larry also knew. He made a beeline to our table and joined us for several minutes of engaging conversation. Meissner shared some words about Larry upon his passing: “Performing with Larry McKenna was one of the great privileges of my life. Through our many collaborations together, I was given the opportunity to experience the soulfulness he brought to each tune. His solos on a ballad were without equal, and I always felt so lucky to hear them being created on the bandstand. You could count on Larry to regale the band members with behind-the-scenes stories from his encounters with jazz giants from the past. There are a lot of

broken hearts in Philadelphia tonight.”

by those lucky enough to obtain them.

McKenna’s last recording was released earlier this year and was re viewed in the June issue of It was a marvelous exclamation point to a fabulous career. It was the only al bum he ever made with a string section, and his singularly transcendent way of playing a ballad is front and center.

To get a deeper insight into Larry Mckenna, I suggest that you check out a 2007 interview from All About Jazz that can be found at allaboutjazz.com/larry-mckennakeeping-the-legacy-alive-larrymckenna-by-victor-l-schermer.

As I have been writing this remembrance, I have been listening to some of McKenna’s recordings. One that really struck my heart and memory is not commercially available. During his appearance at the Woody Herman event mentioned above, he performed a concert with the great trumpet player Bobby Shew and a fine rhythm section. This was the first time they had met and played together. During his commentary after the first tune, Shew, who has played on the Herman band and with a who’s who of West Coast jazzers, effusively spoke about how thrilled he was to finally have an opportunity to perform with McKenna. They did indeed make wonderful music together. After the concert, those around me were awed at what they had just heard, especially Larry’s playing. To most of them, he was previously off their radar. The CDs that he brought along to sell were quickly bought up SandySasso.com

With the loss of Larry McKenna, there is a deep void in the world of jazz and its enthusiasts. He was a man revered by his peers and fans alike. R.I.P. dear Larry!

He is survived by a sister, Patricia McKenna Bahner of Powell, Ohio, a son, Matthew, and several nieces and nephews.

BIG BAND IN THE SKY

Nobuko ‘Cobi’ Narita

“I Had Always Felt Women Jazz Musicians Did Not Get the Attention as Artists That They Should”

As a teenager in 1941, during World War II, Narita, along with her family, was interned with other Japanese-Americans at the Gila River Relocation Center in Butte, AZ. After the Narita family’s release from detention, she completed high school and received a scholarship to Gettysburg College where she majored in theater. Narita, who died recently at the age of 96, moved to New York in 1969 at the age of 44 when she was offered a position as Executive Vice President of the International Council of Shopping Centers. Shortly after that, she began volunteering for the jazz ministry at Saint Peter’s Church. Then, she started writing grants for Jazz Interactions, an organization

dedicated to the preservation of jazz.

Continuing to work for other jazz-related organizations such as the Collective Black Artists and the Universal Jazz Coalition, she established the Universal Jazz Coalition Salute to Women in 1978. Its name was later changed to The New York Women’s Jazz Festival. “I had always felt women jazz musicians did not get the attention as artists that they should,” she told the Library of Congress. “Club owners will always pick a male leader for a band. And, the male leader, with an opportunity to choose among equally qualified musicians, will pick men rather than women.”

Narita rented a space on Lafayette Street in 1983 and called it the Jazz Center of New York. There, she produced workshops and jam sessions. Young musicians learned from veterans such as vocalists Abbey Lincoln, Dakota Staton, and Maxine Sullivan.

Among the artists who performed

there were Dizzy Gillespie, Max Roach, Ahmad Jamal, and Harold Mabern.

In 1996, Narita founded the International Women of Jazz, which raised awareness about female jazz artists. After learning of her death, current IWJ President Jacqueline Lennon released this statement: “We are saddened to hear of the death of our beloved co-founder, Cobi Narita, and send our heartful condolences to her family. In 2006, at the Women’s Jazz Festival, we honored Cobi as Founder and President ... She will live on in our memories as a beacon of light to the jazz community”

In a tribute on wbgo.org, percussionist Bobby Sanabria called Narita “a supremely important figure to the NYC jazz world, in particular as a champion for the musicians. I credit her with giving me a start in NYC as a bandleader and music educator. She was a savior and supporter of the careers of many.”

THANK YOU and welcome to all who have recently joined or renewed their memberships. We can’t do what we do without you!

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

NOT WITHOUT YOU!

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