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Photo by Scott Friedlander
One imagines when the quartet Conference Call came
together in New York 15 years ago, the name was a
cheekily oblique reference to group improvisation. But
now that geography has separated the members across
states and continents, the appellation is even more
fitting. The foundation of the group is the remarkable
communication between (now) North Carolina-based
pianist Michael Jefry Stevens and Washington Heights
bassist Joe Fonda - their partnership goes back twice as
long as the quartet in question. At ShapeShifter Lab
(Apr. 3rd), their pairing, particularly in the more quiet
moments, is why one laments modern jazz’ dearth of
longterm relationships. But those quiet moments were
in the minority, no surprise given tenor saxophonist/
bass clarinetist Gebhard Ullmann, now returned to his
native Germany, who evinces shades of both homes in
his playing, especially a unique approach to the bass
clarinet. His “Dreierlei” opened and took up over half
of the set, a complex piece but not stultifyingly so,
demonstrating Conference Call’s two best features:
precisely harnessed energy and immediate and organic
responsiveness. Drummer George Schuller (third in
the chair after Matt Wilson and Han Bennink) drove
the Township jive-like second piece, featuring a classic
tenor tone from Ullmann. Stevens’ “What About the
Future” closed the set in succinct fashion but ended up
being the concert’s highlight, mainly due to some arco
magic from Fonda, who makes everything he plays
look easy. - Andrey Henkin
Conference Call @ ShapeShifter Lab
Seeing Art Lande at Jazz at Kitano (Apr. 10th), it is
hard to reconcile the pianist’s early ECM efforts with
Jan Garbarek or Gary Peacock, dour men of jazz, with
the almost manic cutup slaying the audience while
leading a quartet of Bruce Williamson (reeds), Dean
Johnson (bass) and Tony Moreno (drums). When he
wasn’t reading random snatches of poetry or jumping
up from his piano stool, he was exhorting the assembled
New Yorkers to come by his next gig...back home in
Colorado. For a Wednesday night and an obscure
figure such as Lande, Jazz at Kitano was packed,
mostly with musicians, a testament to Lande the artful
educator. But he wasn’t the only one teaching in a
70-minute set made up of 6 tunes, each oddly either 9
or 12 minutes. Williamson, a collaborator of Lande’s
since the ‘70s when both were based in San Francisco,
was a marvel on alto saxophone, clarinet and bass
clarinet. Johnson and Moreno made up a gooey rhythm
section, delicious like melted chocolate. There were
standards like a slightly fractured take on “St. Thomas”
and the plucky, clarinet-led “Moon River” encore or
Lande originals like “Osloxica” (where Norwegian and
Mexican music meet) or “Pitless”, written for trumpeter
Don Cherry. The opening “Sass” was just that, courtesy
of Johnson’s intro and Lande’s pushing-against-time
solo while “Gallery Cool”, written by Paul Grabowsky,
referenced art in the impressionism of Lande’s insidethe-piano
musings and an elfin quality that could be
subtitled “Evening of a Midtown Faun”. (AH)
Having long ago shunned the word jazz to identify
the sounds he creates - preferring his own neologism
‘autophysiopsychic’, meaning from the physical,
mental and spiritual self - it was not surprising that the
program for Yusef Lateef: Celebrating 75 Years of
Music at Roulette (Apr. 6th) featured an expansive
range of music by the 92-year-old multi-instrumentalist,
little of which could be described with that term he has
historically disdained. The evening’s first half
showcased Lateef the composer, with three pieces -
“String Quartet no. 2 2012”, performed by the Momenta
Quartet; “Trio in December 1998 op. 2 No. 2 (Elan
Vital)” featuring the saxophone trio of JD Parran,
Marty Ehrlich and Allen Won and “Autophysiopsychic
(variations for piano) 2012” with Taka Kigawa - that
while best described as being in the European classical
tradition, still evinced the engaging lyricism and
rhythmic resourcefulness that distinguishes all of
composer’s work. But it was the second portion of the
concert, an hour-long duet between Lateef and
longtime colleague/percussionist Adam Rudolph that
was most rewarding. Seated center stage, the elder
master blew tenor sax, flutes (both bamboo and metal)
and oboe, weaving an intriguing panoply of ethereal
and earthy tones into Rudolph’s percussive array of
polyrhythms to create a bluesy Eastern-tinged sonic
tapestry, made all the more dramatic with the solemn
recitation of Lateef’s two poems “When” and “A
Syllogism”. - Russ Musto
Yusef Lateef & Adam Rudolph @ Roulette
Peter Bernstein kicked off his first set at 54 Below
(Apr. 2nd) with an upbeat “This Could Be The Start Of
Something Big”, a suitably optimistic opener marking
the inaugural night of the WBGO Jazz Series at the
room called “Broadway’s Nightclub”. Following up,
the young-yet-veteran guitarist introduced an easy
grooving “Stairway To The Stars” with a knowing grin
that recognized the ironic relationship between the
song’s title and the subterranean location of the
opulently appointed room where his stellar band of
pianist Harold Mabern, bassist John Webber and
drummer Jimmy Cobb was holding forth for the first
time. Bernstein’s lyrical single-note stylings shined on
the Victor Young classic “Delilah”, contrasting nicely
with Mabern’s fluent harmonically rich solo. The
pianist was featured on his own “Edward Lee”, a
soulful dedication to his old bandleader boss Lee
Morgan, showcasing his powerful parallel octave runs
in conversational tandem with Bernstein’s mellifluous
chording. The addition of guest Frank Wess added a
classic jazz element to the group that seemed
particularly at home in the old-style cabaret
environment of the room. Swinging breezily on “The
Street Where You Live” the saxophonist’s airy tone
recalled the sound of his glory days with Count Basie.
His unaccompanied intro to “How About You”
launched the band into a medium-up tour de force
outing, before bringing things home with a moving
“Never Let Me Go”. (RM)
Photo by Alan Nahigian
WHAT’S NEWS
The nominees for the 2013 Jazz Journalists
Association Awards have been released. We are
pleased to have been nominated for Best Print
Periodical of the Year for the seventh time in the last
eight years. Winners in musical categories will be
announced on the JJA website May 1st. A celebration
for the winners will take place at Blue Note Jun. 19th,
where prizes in journalism/media categories will be
announced. Additionally, the JJA has named its class
of 2013 Jazz Heroes, which includes local activists
Robbin Ahrold, president of Century Media Partners
and past Vice President, Corporate Relations for BMI,
and Karl Berger and Ingrid Sertso, co-founders of
the Creative Music Studio workshops in Woodstock.
For more information, visit JJAJazzAwards.com.
The 2013 Nesuhi Ertegun Jazz Hall of Fame
Inductees have been announced. Based on the
results of a worldwide popular vote, Art Blakey, Lionel
Hampton and Clark Terry will be the 43rd-45th
members inducted and the first since 2010. For more
information, visit jalc.org/learn/online-learning/hall-offame.
Trumpeter Wadada Leo Smith was named a finalist
for the 2013 Pulitzer Prize in Music for his 10 Freedom
Summers, released on Cuneiform Records and
receiving its local premiere at Roulette May 1st-3rd.
The 2013 Essentially Ellington Competition will
take place at Jazz at Lincoln Center’s Rose Hall May
10th-12th. For more information, visit jalc.org/learn/
teachers-students/essentially-ellington.
The late trombonist Albert Mangelsdorff is to be
celebrated in his native Frankfurt, Germany by the
naming of a small pond in the city in his honor.
Mangelsdorff apparently visited the pond daily and
was inspired by the many birds who frequented it.
The Library of Congress’ National Recording
Registry, recordings that “are culturally, historically, or
aesthetically important, and/or inform or reflect life in
the United States” has added the following to its list:
“Begin the Beguine” - Artie Shaw & His Orchestra
(1938); Descargas: Cuban Jam Session in Miniature -
Cachao Y Su Ritmo Caliente (1957); The Shape of
Jazz to Come - Ornette Coleman (1959) and The
Audience with Betty Carter - Betty Carter (1980). For
more information, visit loc.gov/rr/record/nrpb/registry.
Jazz at Lincoln Center has acquired the collection of
Frank Driggs, including a massive archive of
photographs, posters, sheet music, records and
personal papers. Driggs was a longtime jazz record
executive for Columbia and later RCA Victor. For more
information, visit jalc.org.
The film The Girls in the Band, a documentary on
female jazz instrumentalists from the ‘30s onwards,
will receive its theatrical premiere at Lincoln Center’s
Walter Reade Theater May 10th followed by a week
run at the Francesca Beale Theater, May 10th-16th.
For more information, visit thegirlsintheband.com.
Clarinetist Anat Cohen is the recipient of the 2013
Paul Acket Award, given annually by the North Sea
Jazz Festival (and named for its founder) to artists
“deserving wider recognition for their extraordinary
musicianship.” For more information, visit
northseajazz.com.
Submit news to info@nycjazzrecord.com
THE NEW YORK CITY JAZZ RECORD | May 2013 5