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DOWNBEAT TONY WILLIAMS ANAT COHEN STEVE SMITH UNHERALDED DRUM LEGENDSNOVEMBER 2008DownBeat.comNOVEMBER 2008 U.K. £3.50

November 2008VOLUME 75 – NUMBER 11PresidentPublisherEditorAssociate EditorArt DirectorProduction AssociateBookkeeperCirculation ManagerInternKevin MaherFrank AlkyerJason KoranskyAaron CohenAra TiradoAndy WilliamsMargaret StevensKelly GrosserMary WilcopADVERTISING SALESRecord Companies & SchoolsJennifer Ruban-Gentile630-941-2030jenr@downbeat.comMusical Instruments & East Coast SchoolsRitche Deraney201-445-6260ritched@downbeat.comClassified Advertising SalesSue Mahal630-941-2030suem@downbeat.comOFFICES102 N. Haven RoadElmhurst, IL 60126–2970630-941-2030Fax: 630-941-3210www.downbeat.comeditor@downbeat.comCUSTOMER SERVICE800-554-7470service@downbeat.comCONTRIBUTORSSenior Contributors:Michael Bourne, John McDonough, Howard MandelAustin: Michael Point; Boston: Fred Bouchard, Frank-John Hadley; Chicago:John Corbett, Alain Drouot, Michael Jackson, Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer,Mitch Myers, Paul Natkin, Howard Reich; Denver: Norman Provizer; Indiana:Mark Sheldon; Iowa: Will Smith; Los Angeles: Earl Gibson, Todd Jenkins, KirkSilsbee, Chris Walker, Joe Woodard; Michigan: John Ephland; Minneapolis:Robin James; Nashville: Robert Doerschuk; New Orleans: Erika Goldring,Willard Jenkins, David Kunian; New York: Alan Bergman, Herb Boyd, BillDouthart, Ira Gitler, Eugene Gologursky, Norm Harris, D.D. Jackson, JimmyKatz, Jim Macnie, Ken Micallef, Jennifer Odell, Dan Ouellette, Ted Panken,Richard Seidel, Tom Staudter, Jack Vartoogian, Michael Weintrob, KevinWhitehead; North Carolina: Robin Tolleson; Philadelphia: David Adler, ShaunBrady, Eric Fine; San Francisco: Forrest Bryant, Clayton Call, Jerry Karp, YoshiKato; Seattle: Paul de Barros; Tampa Bay: Philip Booth; Washington, D.C.:John Murph, Bill Shoemaker, Michael Wilderman; Belgium: Jos Knaepen;Canada: Greg Buium, James Hale, Diane Moon; Denmark: Jan Persson;France: Jean Szlamowicz; Germany: Detlev Schilke, Hyou Vielz; Great Britain:Hugh Gregory, Brian Priestley; Israel: Barry Davis; Japan: Kiyoshi Koyama;Netherlands: Jaap Lüdeke; Portugal: Antonio Rubio; Romania: Virgil Mihaiu;Russia: Cyril Moshkow; South Africa: Don Albert.Jack Maher, President 1970-2003John Maher, President 1950-1969SUBSCRIPTION INFORMATION: Send orders and address changes to: DOWNBEAT, P.O. Box 906,Elmhurst, IL 60126–0906. Inquiries: U.S.A. and Canada (800) 554-7470; Foreign (630) 941-2030.CHANGE OF ADDRESS: Please allow six weeks for your change to become effective. Whennotifying us of your new address, include current DOWNBEAT label showing old address.DOWNBEAT (ISSN 0012-5768) Volume 75, Number 11 is published monthly by Maher Publications,102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-3379. Copyright 2008 Maher Publications. All rights reserved.Trademark registered U.S. Patent Office. Great Britain registered trademark No. 719.407. Periodicalspostage paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additional mailing offices. Subscription rates: $34.95 for oneyear, $59.95 for two years. Foreign subscriptions rates: $56.95 for one year, $103.95 for two years.Publisher assumes no responsibility for return of unsolicited manuscripts, photos, or artwork.Nothing may be reprinted in whole or in part without written permission from publisher. Microfilmof all issues of DOWNBEAT are available from University Microfilm, 300 N. Zeeb Rd., Ann Arbor,MI 48106. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. magazine, UpBeat Daily.POSTMASTER: SEND CHANGE OF ADDRESS TO: DOWNBEAT, P.O. BOX 906, Elmhurst, IL 60126–0906.CABLE ADDRESS: DOWNBEAT (on sale October 21, 2008) MAGAZINE PUBLISHERS ASSOCIATIONÁ

DB InsideDepartments508 First Take10 Chords & Discords13 The Beat14 The ArchivesNovember 4, 197619 The Question21 Vinyl Freak22 Backstage With ...Jack DeJohnette24 Caught26 PlayersMarcus GilmoreElvin BishopJoanna PascaleAdam RudolphGene Krupa44 Tony WilliamsBridge To The Beyond | By Ken MicallefDespite being one of the most influential drummers of the 20th century,Williams never felt he got proper credit for his innovations behind the kit. Morethan 11 years have passed since he died at a far too young age. With this perspectiveof time, we focus on three albums on which he participated or led—Filles De Kilimanjaro, Believe It and Wilderness—as a guide to his musical progression,talking to drummers and collaborators about the true extent ofWilliams’ rhythmic ingenuity.DOWNBEAT ARCHIVES67 Reviews90 Transcription92 Legal Session94 Jazz on Campus98 Blindfold TestThe Bad PlusFeatures34 Anat CohenVillage AmbassadorBy Dan Ouellette38 New Orleans:Three YearsAfter KatrinaMusical Healing?By Ned Sublette4450 Chick Webb,Jo Jones, Gene Krupa,Sid Catlett, Sonny Greerand Dave ToughSix Forgotten BeatsBy John McDonough54 Steve SmithRhythm RootsBy Yoshi Kato58 Bobby Sanabria &Mike ReedMaster Classes62 Toolshed67 Uri Caine Ensemble Gunther Schuller6 DOWNBEAT November 2008Cover photography by Tom Copi; taken at a 1967 Miles Davis Quintet show.

First TakeBy Jason KoranskyTrackingWilliams’ GeniusWhile we were in production forthis issue of DownBeat, I had a discussionwith someone about TonyWilliams being on the cover. Heposed the question: “Why TonyWilliams?”Good question. Of course, theanswer could easily be, “Why not?”After all, his influence on jazzdrumming was as profound as anyartist’s over the past 50 years. But inthe feature on Page 44, we don’t celebratean anniversary of Williams’birth or death, or another significantmilestone or reissue. Rather, KenMicallef delves into a few ofWilliams’ seminal recordings, andlearns from Williams’ collaboratorsand fellow drummers about how profound animpact he had on the course of jazz.How did DownBeat cover Williams over thecourse of his career? Soon after he joined MilesDavis’ quintet, DownBeat featured him for thefirst time, including the then teenage drummer ina roundtable discussion in the magazine’s NewYork office with Art Blakey, Mel Lewis andCozy Cole, which appeared in the March 26,1964, issue.Even at this young age, Williams had anastute ability to dissect his playing, and hewas quite opinionated about the state of jazzdrumming.“When I hear the hi-hat being played on 2and 4, through every solo, through every chorus,through the whole tune, this seem to me to be—Ican’t play it like that,” he said. “Chit, chit, chit,chit—all the way through the tune. My time ison the cymbal and in my head, because when Iplay the bass drum, I play it where it meanssomething. I just put it in. When a person playsthis way, they don’t play the bass drum, theydon’t play the hi-hat—well, they say they’replaying completely free—that word is a dragtoo. What makes it different is that they don’thave any bottom.”Jump forward more than 10 years, after herecorded the milestone jazz-rock album BelieveIt. In an interview with Vernon Gibbs thatappeared in the Jan. 29, 1976, issue, Williamsdiscussed the challenges of mining new veins ofcreativity and creating his own musical identityafter his historic work with Davis.“If I felt that playing with Miles was thebest I’m ever gonna play, then I would justgive up,” he said. “The reason it came out sowell was because it was fresh; when the freshnesswears off, I have to find something else todo or else I’m not stimulated. I still think thereTony Williams:catching up onhis readingare very few people who can play jazz drums acertain kind of way. But just because of that itdoesn’t mean that I have to go out and prove itall the time because I happen to be one of thefew people who can do it on a certain reallyclassy level. It doesn’t mean that I have tospend my life being a martyr. I don’t want to bea martyr and I don’t want to be a museumpiece. I don’t want people to come out and hearme because it’s nostalgic.”The martyr language is interesting. In ourfeature this issue, Wallace Roney said thatWilliams “felt the critics never credited him forbeing the innovative jazz drummer he was.”Williams did not want his music to exist in abubble, or become a snapshot of a bygone era.In the November 1983 issue, Paul de Barrosinterviewed Williams. When asked about whatdirection his music was going, Williamsresponded, “The popular direction. I like MTV. Ilike The Police, Missing Persons, LaurieAnderson.”He then went on to discuss if jazz should getthe same institutionalized treatment as classicalmusic does in American society: “[H]ow muchis that really going to do for musicians? I don’tthink society really recognizes classical music,anyway. It’s all patronage, and grants, a certainclass of people. Jazz was originally the music ofthe people in the streets and not in concert halls,so when you lose that, you suffer the consequences.There’s nothing wrong with jazz beingan art form, but it has a certain roughness andvitality and unexpectedness that’s important. Iguess I’m old-fashioned.”Old-fashioned would probably be the lastterm one would associate with Williams. As welearn in this issue of DownBeat, his influencestill pushes today’s artists to pursue new frontiersin their music.DBDOWNBEAT ARCHIVES

Chords & DiscordsDon’t Forget ButterfieldI was surprised not to read Paul Butterfield’sname in Frank-John Hadley’s article on guitaristAmos Garrett (“Players,” September’08). Garrett came to prominence in Butterfield’sgroup Better Days 35 years ago. Thearticle also highlighted Garrett’s new focuson the music of Percy Mayfield, and led oneto believe that Garrett was unaware ofMayfield’s music until recently. Actually,Garrett is featured on the Better Days recordingof Mayfield’s “Please Send Me SomeoneTo Love” in 1973.Tom ReneyAmherst, Mass.No Reed FanReading about Ed Reed (“Players,” September’08) prompted me to buy his CD TheSong Is You. I could not even stand to getthrough one whole hearing in the car. I’mglad he cleaned up his life, but his attemptsat creative variations around the melodic linehurt the ears like nails on a chalkboard. Thisguy is no singer.Ronald SanfieldBostonGlasper Could Use DecorumI was stunned that Robert Glasper could notpick out any pianists he heard in his “BlindfoldTest,” and yet he finds a way to belittlethe playing of at least half of the artists(September ’08). This was a sad commentaryon the state of this generation’s musicians.How often does the musician not guess asingle other musician in his or her field andthen proceed to cut on their playing? Eventhough Glasper is a great pianist, he needs toget over himself.Gregoire Raymondgregoireraymond@yahoo.comWhat’s the Best Peggy Lee?John McDonough’s review of the Peggy Leereissues (“Reviews,” August ’08) was informative,but at the end of the first paragraphhe mentions that none of the recordingsreviewed are among her best. This makesme wonder: What does McDonough considerLee’s best recordings and could he sharehis opinions on them?Ari GoldbergLondonTeacher Thanks DownBeatI can’t say enough about how wonderfulDownBeat has been to make issues availableto high school students for free. Each month,I have students here at Lake Zurich HighSchool asking when the new DownBeats areMARK SHELDONConsider OrnetteI saw Ornette Coleman at the Chicago JazzFestival over Labor Day weekend and itwas like being with an all-time great at hispeak. Mainstream listeners deserve tohear a historical master at such a late ageand understand that he still gracefully createsthe shape of jazz to come. Considerputting him on the cover.Arnie LevitanSkokie, Ill.going to arrive. Your articles support myemphasis on jazz history, listening and practicingthrough interviews with pros and articlesabout the legends. Not only that, bybeing on top of all the most progressivemusicians, my students know where to lookfor inspiration and who to go hear when theycome to town. Kudos to you on recognizingyour target audience for the future. Yourquality product is a wonderful supplement tothe education that is happening in thetrenches.Josh ThompsonLake Zurich, Ill.Remembering Bobby DurhamI was sad to note the passing of drummerBobby Durham (“The Beat,” September ’08).As trombonist Al Grey’s partner, I would liketo add that Bobby was also a longtime drummerin Al’s quintet in clubs and cruises.Rosalie SoladarScottsdale, Ariz.Have a chord or discord? E-mail us at editor@downbeat.com.

the first A&R chief for A&M, was visiting theNew York offices of Helios Music, a song publishingcompany, trolling for new material.A German native of a small border town nowpart of Poland, Ogerman moved to New York in1959. When Creed Taylor brought Ogerman toVerve as musical director in 1963, his orchestralarranging and conducting gigs included writingcharts for Getz, Connie Francis, WesMontgomery, Oscar Peterson and Kai Winding.Seminal pairings in 1967 with Jobim and Sinatracemented his reputation even further.“A guy wearing an elegant looking suitwalked in, and one of the songwriters asked if Iwanted to meet the boss and introduced me toClaus,” LiPuma said. “I was astounded, becauseI knew that Claus was a famous arranger andhad worked on two records I loved, AntonioCarlos Jobim’s Composer Of Desafinado, Playsand Bill Evans’ With Symphony Orchestra. Isensed I’d found a kindred spirit.”They kept up their bicoastal friendship for afew years, but busy schedules kept them apartthrough the early 1970s. After landing at WarnerBros. in 1975, LiPuma started producing a newGeorge Benson record, which called for strings.With Ogerman’s help, the resulting album,Breezin’, became a big hit, with the single “ThisMasquerade” reaching No. 1 across theBillboard pop, jazz and r&b charts and winningthe Grammy for Record of the Year. Their collaborationlater that year on Gilberto’s Amorosokicked their musical partnership into gear.With LiPuma’s connections to various artistsand with his unwavering support, Ogerman wasable to focus on his compositional gifts andother longstanding musical dream projects.Although by the mid-’70s Ogerman began tohave his own compositions recorded by artistslike Jobim and Evans, LiPuma helped spearheadalbum projects that put a spotlight on thewriting, like Gate Of Dreams, Cityscape andClaus Ogerman Featuring Michael Brecker.At the October 2007 sessions for Across TheCrystal Sea in New York, Pérez impressedOgerman so much during the rehearsals that thecomposer tweaked the scores to give the pianistmore solo space. Apprehensive beforehandbecause Ogerman delivered the music to himjust days before the recordings began, Pérezsaid being given a greater role in the projectmade him even more nervous.“It put more of a challenge on me,” Pérezsaid. “But that was fine. Claus’ music alwaysseems to be floating by, there’s no rush to it. Allthe songs were stories—he told us how much alot of the music meant to him as a kid, and thatput me into the feeling he was looking for.”Pérez notes that two tracks, “The PurpleCondor,” which is based on de Falla’s musicand opens with bassist Christian McBride andpercussionist Luis Quintero locked in a dance,and “The Saga Of Rita Joe,” from a theme byMassenet, were opened up considerably.“I’d worked with everyone in the rhythmsection, and we saw that the trick was not tooverplay, even though, for jazz musicians,there’s that temptation,” Pérez said. “WithWayne, I’ve learned that less is more, whichserved me well on Across The Crystal Sea.”Pérez added the only time Ogerman gavehim some guided instruction was on the closing“Another Autumn,” asking him to listen to arecording by Cristina Branco, the Portuguesefado singer, to appreciate the feeling of thesong’s legato notes.“Claus is so good at letting artists find themselves,”Pérez said. “On ‘The Purple Condor,’ Iwas given 100 bars to improvise on, and I’mthinking, ‘Oh, God.’ Claus’ reply was, ‘You,need this’—and on our first day of recording.”Asked to compare Shorter and Ogerman,Pérez said, “Wayne treats music as if it belongsto the galaxy, and Claus is more interested ingreen flowers and intense colors.”Bringing in Cassandra Wilson to performwas Ogerman’s idea, who said that letting theorchestra play on and on “gets tiresome.” Afterthe singer’s tracks were finished, the tapes werebrought Los Angeles and the orchestration wasrecorded in the Capitol Recording Studios’vaunted Room A. By that time, LiPuma saidthat Ogerman had decided that he was going torelinquish his top billing on the album to Pérez.“Claus, being the gentleman and smart individualthat he is, knows Danilo has more notorietythan he does, so it made sense to put thecredit for the CD on him,” LiPuma said. “Itended up being a gift.”Because the album’s rhythm, piano andvocal tracks were recorded separately from theorchestral arrangements, no one heard thealbum in its entirety until after the sessions weremixed. When he finally heard the completedalbum, Pérez said, “I understood what Claushad in mind. I just had no idea—it was so beautiful.So often when I was improvising duringthe sessions I was worried that I was taking toomany chances, maybe bumping against thestrings’ lower tones. Listening to how it cametogether was emotional.” —Thomas StaudterThe ARCHIVESForty Years of theNomadic HerdBy Herb Nolan“There is a brilliant future forbands,” Woody Hermansaid. “If we can get financialand other kinds of help fromthe record industry first,then radio and television.They invest money in a lotof projects but thus far havebeen deaf to the big bandsound. I don’t think bigbands have to be a dyingproposition. If it does happen,it will be because wewere defeated, but I don’tthink the young people comingup are going to put up with it.There’s a great deal of involvementon their part and therecord industry is stupid forignoring it.”Von Freeman:Underrated butUndauntedBy John Litweiler“Sometimes on records I wonderif I was able to get what I wasreally thinking,” Von Freemansaid. “Sometimes it might beonly eight bars or a chorus, thenthat thing would escape me. Notthat anything I’ve had to say isEarth-shaking, but some of thesehard numbers, there’s so manybeautiful ways to play, and youknow you’re missing them. Iheard that Beethoven wrote thislittle part eight times before hegot it right. Now, maybe you andI would be satisfied with the firstseven versions.”November 4,1976Albert King: True to HisType of the BluesBy Chuck Berg“Little things can make youhave the blues,” Albert Kingsaid. “You don’t have to be oldto have the blues. You live andstruggle. Even in your businessyou can have two or three blowupsand you say, ‘Why me!’And naturally, you ain’t got noup spirit. So you want to hearsome good blues music. But theblues, they’re always there. Aslong as things go OK you don’tthink about them. But when youhit that rough spot, that’s whenthey come around. So bluesmusic is going to be here along time.”DB14 DOWNBEAT November 2008

RiffsFONT Awards Smith: The Festival ofNew Trumpet Music gave IshmaelWadada Leo Smith its award of recognitionat the sixth annual installment ofthe event in Brooklyn, N.Y., on Sept. 13.Other FONT performers this year includedJeremy Pelt, Avishai Cohen andRalph Alessi. Details: fontmusic.orgBest Buy Swallows Napster: Retailchain Best Buy announced that it wouldacquire the digital download serviceNapster for $54 million on Sept. 15.Details: bestbuy.comLatin Stamp:The United StatesPostal Serviceunveiled its stampcommemorating XLatin jazz at a ceremonyat the National Postal Museumin Washington, D.C., on Sept. 8.Percussionist Candido Camero performedat the ceremony. Details: usps.govAxes Captured: Photographer RalphGibson’s black and white shots of jazz,funk and rock guitarists are on displayat the Museum of Fine Arts, Houston,through Jan. 19, 2009. The photosare also collected in the book State OfThe Axe (Yale University Press).Details: mfah.orgFame Relaunches: Fame Records,which became famous for its MuscleShoals, Ala., sound in the ’60s, hasrestarted. In its heyday, the label and itsstudio hosted such r&b stars as ArethaFranklin, Otis Redding and WilsonPickett. Along with repackaging historicrecordings, the revamped label will alsoissue new music through a distributiondeal with EMI. Details: emigroup.comRIP, Arthur Duncan: Blues singer andharmonica player Little Arthur Duncandied on Aug. 20 in Northlake, Ill., of complicationsfrom brain surgery. He was74. Duncan performed frequently in theChicago area and recorded for Delmark.LILLIAN SCHRANKMarie’sVersion ofNationalAnthemStirs UpDenverOn the final night of theDemocratic NationalConvention in Denver,as Senator Barack Obamaspoke to more than84,000 people packed inInvesco Field, singerRené Marie performedfor a much smaller audienceat the club Dazzle.While fireworks followedObama’s speech, René MarieMarie’s appearance onstage followed verbal fireworks set off eightweeks earlier when she sang the NationalAnthem at the mayor’s annual “State of theCity” address.Rather than offering the anthem in traditionalform, the singer offered the melody of the “StarSpangled Banner” blended with the words of“Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing.”Marie had been working on this interpretationfor months. In February, the vocalist premieredher 12-minute suite “Voice Of MyBeautiful Country” that integrated “AmericaThe Beautiful,” “My Country, ’Tis Of Thee”and “Lift Ev’ry Voice And Sing” sung to themusic of “The Star Spangled Banner.” Threemonths later, she sang the concluding anthemsection of the suite at the Colorado prayer luncheonbefore government officials, includingColorado Governor Bill Ritter, to great applauseand even hugs. Two weeks after the prayer luncheon,the singer received an e-mail fromDenver Mayor John Hickenlooper’s office invitingher to sing the National Anthem at hisspeech on July 1.“There was much more pomp and circumstanceduring the speech than at the prayer luncheon,”Marie said. “When the color guard camein, I actually questioned what I was about to do. Ithought for a second and told myself to sing itstraight. At the mike, I was so scared that I juststood for a while before I decided to go aheadand sing it in the way that felt right to me.”Before too long, her version of the anthem hitthe media and became a national story. “I wasnaïve enough to think that those interviewswould present what I did and why, and then Icould move on,” she said.Instead, those following the story would readhow the singer seemingly boasted that she“pulled a switcheroonie on them.” In fact, Marienotes that the “switcheroonie” comment wasmade in passing to a photographer from one ofthe Denver daily newspapers while he was settingup his equipment.“My mother called me after reading thatcomment,” Marie said, “and asked if I had reallysaid that. I tried to explain that I didn’t mean itthe way it sounded and that I wasn’t gloating.”Gloating or not, she received more than1,500 e-mails, including death threats. From thesinger’s perspective, what she did may not havebeen politically correct, but, “I wasn’t thinkingabout it in political terms or in terms of promotingmy career. The only thing in my mind wasartistic expression.”The night before her opening performanceduring the week of the convention, Mariereceived another death threat and had a dreamof people shooting at her and coming at herwith knives. She offered to cancel her date atDazzle along with resigning from the board ofthe Colorado Coalition for the Homeless.Those suggestions were rejected. So she tookthe stage at Dazzle during the convention andsang “Voice Of My Beautiful Country” threetimes during the six sets she performed overtwo nights.“The first time I sang the song,” she said, “itleft a bitter taste in my mouth. It was like eatingsomething you like and then getting sick from it.The second time it was not so bad. And the thirdtime, it felt good to do it.”Hickenlooper said that Marie “is a remarkableand uniquely talented singer who was justmaking an artistic statement in an inappropriateplace. It took me a while to figure out was goingon. I recognized the words to ‘Lift Ev’ry VoiceAnd Sing’ and believed the National Anthemwould follow. After, I though I should havewalked up after she finished and said, ‘I can’tsing very well but let’s sing the anthem together.’That way she could have made her artisticstatement and those expecting the anthem wouldhave been satisfied.” —Norman ProvizerLUIS CATARINO16 DOWNBEAT November 2008

The QUESTION Is …By Dan OuelletteWhat jazz artistwould make thebest president?In light of this presidential season, let’splay fantasy election in the spirit ofLester “Prez” Young. But in keepingwith such historical campaigns as Dizzyfor President, Vote for Miles and Zappafor President, maybe it’s not unthinkablefor jazz musicians to seek the office.SHONNA VALESKATenor saxophonist Benny Golson: I’d elect Sonny Rollins. He loves people, lovesmusic and loves animals. He’d teach everyone about jazz. If everyone knew about andunderstood jazz, there wouldn’t be any more wars. Sonny wouldn’t have to engage inwars. If there was a problem with a country, he’d swing ’em to death.Tenor saxophonist Donny McCaslin: I’dnominate Joe Lovano for president. He’ssuch an inspiring musician on the bandstandand such a generous human beingoff the bandstand. Joe leads by example inboth areas and has a deep knowledge ofthe history of music. We need a leader whocan inspire us, who is aware of history andwho is compassionate.Drummer Willie Jones III: I’d vote for Wynton Marsalis. He’s well spoken, has a definitephilosophy and can articulate to the public. And he’s political. He’s concernedabout getting his musical philosophy out to as many people as possible, which couldbe transferred to the political arena. He’s great on a platform. My second choice wouldbe John Clayton, who’s also well spoken and has a great personality when dealing withpeople. He’s not nearly as political as Wynton, but he too has a philosophy that he articulatesto the public.Saxophonist Pee Wee Ellis: I’d vote for Sonny Rollins. He’s a fair-minded man with agreat sense of humor and fair ethics. Plus, he’s broad-minded and well rounded. Hedoesn’t just play bebop; he’s also at home with calypso and funk. My second choicewould be Herbie Hancock. He’s eclectic.Vocalist Kendra Shank: I’d vote for Charles Lloyd in hopes that his gentle soul anddeeply spiritual, healing music would bring us peace.Pianist Geri Allen: Dr. Billy Taylor would getmy vote. As a humanitarian, he personifies theoffice. He’s always been gracious and generousto all the different camps, to all the differentpeople involved in music. He’s made hugecontributions personally and has been a witnessto so many major transitions. He’d be anadvocate for voices not getting heard. He hasan open mind for music outside his owntastes. He gives all people an opportunitygiven their merit of artistry, and he has accessto far-reaching possibilities.Saxophonist J.D. Allen: I’d elect Ornette Coleman for president. If he could make 12tones agree with each other, imagine what he could do with seven continents? I’d alsoelect Branford Marsalis as vice president, simply because he’s a smart cat and can executehis ideas in any situation, and Cindy Blackman for secretary of defense becauseshe’s a powerhouse.DBGot an opinion of your own on “The Question”? E-mail us: thequestion@downbeat.com.GILDAS BOCLEJerald MillerNu Jazz LaunchesNew Methods ofDigital Distribution“Nu jazz; for a Nu era” is the audacious sloganfor Nu Jazz Entertainment, a completely digitallabel led by Jerald Miller, which is using newformats to sell traditional straightahead jazz.The label uses major online music servers, inaddition to its web site, nujazzentertainment.com, to sell audio and video performancesfor download. Miller made this decision after heobserved the pitfalls other jazz labels face andthe downturn of the retail music business.“When I came up with my idea to do NuJazz, I didn’t want to concentrate on things inthe traditional level,” Miller said. “I had to dothings that are smart, that are economical, thatdon’t sacrifice the quality of the music.”By abolishing the need for traditional retailagreements while embracing the virtual marketplace, Miller can focus on his goals of promotingthe music and careers of his label’s talent.But Miller has taken a unique approach toselling phyiscal product. Instead of CDs, artistson the label are presented through prepaid digitaldownload cards that can be sold at stores orartists’ performances.“I needed to find a way to translate digitalsales for product at artists’ gigs in the physicalformat,” Miller said. “That’s where I came outwith the concept of making all the releases availableon prepaid digital download cards. I’m thefirst jazz label doing it.”Those releases include saxophonist JimmyGreene’s The Overcomer’s Suite. Miller also hasplans to issue previously unreleased DukeEllington master recordings (Miller managedEllington’s estate in the late 1990s). Recently,Miller arranged to have Nu Jazz titles availablethrough 300 digitital download services in morethan 60 countries.“I’m seeing a significant amount of salesfrom countries that I have done no marketing into date,” Miller said. “It’s amazing that peoplego out and discover music the way they do.”—Thomas ClanceyPABLO SECCANovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 19

Griffin Played Hard,Lived QuietlyFour days after performing what would becomehis final concert, saxophonist Johnny Griffindied of a heart attack at his country home inAvailles-Limouzine, France, on July 25. He’dhad heart problems since 1993. Griffin was 80years old.“Johnny Griffin was the nicest person thatI’ve ever been around,” said drummer KennyWashington, who worked with him often overthe last 28 years. “He was always positive, to thepoint where club owners and promoters wouldtake advantage of him. In all the years I waswith him, I never saw him get mad.”Maybe that was because Griffin chose totake revenge in a characteristically gentleway—by living freely and well. In recent years,he worked when he wished and enjoyed gardeningand tending the 10-room château in theFrench countryside with his wife, Miriam, thathad been their home since 1984. It was an unexpectedand elegant outcome to a life that wouldnot likely have come to Griffin had he remainedin the United States.Born April 24, 1928, in Chicago, Griffincame of age as bebop was displacing swingin the mid and late ’40s. Known for theglancing speed and intensity of his attack,Griffin was a titan of the straightahead, musculartenor persuasion.“He had this way of abruptly lunging atthings at any moment,” said pianist MichaelWeiss, a member of Griffin’s quartet since 1987.“But he could also finish the same line with asweet lyrical melody. Griffin should be rememberednot only for his technical virtuosity, butfor how he used that technique in his overallexpression, woven into the fabric of his style.”If Griffin received perhaps too much creditfor his speed, he received too little for otherqualities.“I don’t mean to take anything away fromJohn Coltrane,” Washington said, “but whenIra Gitler coined that phrase ‘sheets of sound,’Johnny was playing like that in the early’50s—stacking chords and playing throughthe changes. Griffin is from that in-betweenera of tenor players. He was into Don Byasand Coleman Hawkins. He took a lot of whatthose great swing players had like tone—Buddy Tate, Ike Quebec and LuckyThompson—and he meshed that with bop, soyour got the best of both.”Griffin started his career in the big time at18 with Lionel Hampton, and scored his firstrecord session sitting next to Arnett Cobb onHampton’s famous “Hey Ba-Ba-Re-Bop” inDecember 1945. Another 227 sessions andconcerts would be added to his discographyover the next 60 years, during which time herecorded with fellow tenors from Cobb andJohnny Griffin at New York’sBlue Note in 2005Dexter Gordon to Coltrane and, more recently,James Carter.One of his most exciting tenor partnershipsbegan in 1960 with Eddie “Lockjaw” Davis.Picking up on the two-tenor tradition of WardellGray–Dexter Gordon and Flip Phillips–IllinoisJacquet, the pair were a study in contrasting personalitiesbut perfectly matched skills, as eachset a high bar for the other. The “Tough Tenors,”as they were called, worked on and off for thenext 25 years.After marking time playing r&b in the late’40s and a two-year stint in the army, Griffinburst onto the hard-bop scene of the mid-’50swith a vengeance, working first with Art Blakey,then Thelonious Monk, and finally a series of hisown albums between 1958 and 1963 for OrrinKeepnews’ Riverside and Milestone labels,including The Little Giant and Way Out!In 1963, Griffin’s long battle with the IRSbegan. At the same time, young critics werebeing beguiled by the new free jazz. “I though itwas all rubbish,” he told his biographer, MikeHennessey in the book The Little Giant: TheStory Of Johnny Griffin (Northway).Griffin also felt his personal life was sinking.“I was misusing my body,” he said, “drinkingtoo much and not eating right.” So he leftAmerica for Europe and would not return for 15years. “If I had stayed in America I would bedead by now,” he told Hennessey. “I was astoned zombie when I left.”In Europe, a reinvigorated Griffin found acommunity of peers. He worked with the greatClarke–Bolland Big Band, his first full band gigsince Hampton, and regained strength and confidence.In 1978 he returned to the U.S. to considerableacclaim and a series of new albums forGalaxy/Fantasy, once again for Keepnews. ButAmerica was now a place to visit, not to live. Hereturned frequently during the next 30 years, butnever permanently.“Johnny had a stroke around 2003,” Weisssaid, “and lost a considerable amount of weight.I played with him at the Blue Note in 2005 andwe thought his endurance would be a problem.But he couldn’t stop playing.”“He never wanted to depend on anybody,”Washington said. “He always had some moneystashed, so he was never under anyone’s thumb.That was a lesson for me. Grif told me to alwayskeep some scratch around so if somethingdoesn’t go right, you’re free to go home.”—John McDonoughJACK VARTOOGIAN20 DOWNBEAT November 2008

By John CorbettThe QUESTION Is …Ernie And Emilio CaceresErnie & Emilio Caceres(AUDIOPHILE, 1969)MICHAEL JACKSONIn 2003, a fetishistic little reissue wasproduced in a run of only 500 copiesof a 78-rpm 10-inch record on theParis Jazz Corner imprint. Sportingartwork by R. Crumb, it featuredmusic by the Brothers Caceres,Emilio and Ernie, recorded forBluebird in the 1930s. Aside fromcatering to the splinter group of vinylcollectors dedicated to the antiquatedformat, it offered listeners a rarechance to hear these legendary buttoo-little-known Mex-Tex jazz musiciansfrom San Antonio.Baritone saxophonist and clarinetistErnie was, of the two, far morefamous. Starting in the late ’30s, afterhe had toured extensively with thesmall band led by his violinist brotherEmilio, he played in various higher profilesettings, including the bands of BobbyHackett, Glenn Miller, Tommy Dorsey,Benny Goodman and Woody Herman.From 1949, he led his own group in NewYork. Along with the sweet early swing, herecorded in a wild array of settings duringhis productive life, from dates with EddieCondon and Sidney Bechet and intermittenttelevision gigs with the Gary MooreOrchestra to a Metronome All Stars trumpet-heavysession with Miles Davis, FatsNavarro and Dizzy Gillespie, as well asCharlie Parker. Meanwhile, family manEmilio opted to live and work close tohome in Texas.Ernie moved back to San Antonio in themid-’60s. In 1969, two years before hisdeath, he teamed up with Emilio onceagain for an LP of their old favorites,recording for the little Audiophile label,based in Mequon, Wis. It’s a wonderfulprize for those who can track it down,exploding with color, warmth and musicality—thewisdom born of experience—androllicking, mischievous, filial joy. Emilio isterrific, with nimble fingers, a gorgeous,sensuous sound and voluminous doublestopsthat recall his early love of Joe Venuti(as well as a little of Stephane Grappelli’ssugar), but also betraying a sensibility thatrecalls his heritage in norteño music. It’sbeen said that the brothers’ sound, matchinga big, unforced baritone sax with theviolin, also has its affiliations with aMexican esthetic. This may be true, but themusic is genuine swing, uncut and unambiguous.With Cliff Gillette on piano, George Pryoron bass, Curly Williams on guitar and JoeCortez, Jr., on drums, the group rompsthrough pieces they’d recorded 30 yearsprior, like “Gig In G,” updating it by switchingErnie from the original clarinet lead to alurking, supporting role on bari, with Emiliokicking heavy booty on fiddle.Harry Carney aside, there are too fewchances to hear the big sax featured in aconvincing way in swing, but one listen toErnie flutter his way through “PoorButterfly” and the possibilities becomeimmediately clear. He’s a quicksilver clarinetist,too, featured sassily on a brisk “IFound A New Baby,” but his most distinctivemark might be on the baritone. Alongwith the rosin workouts, Emilio submits aluscious romantic ballad, “Estrellita,” hisbrother joining for a joint moment of clarinetand violin.There’s nothing frumpy or out-of-dateabout this great record. It’s a family testimonial(check it out, there’s still an activeCaceres musical line in jazz): two greatmusicians toward the end of the line givinga brilliant, bear-hug of a performance. DBE-mail the Vinyl Freak: vinylfreak@downbeat.comMore than 60 years separate the first jazz recording in 1917 and the introduction of the CD in the early ’80s.In this column, DB’s Vinyl Freak unearths some of the musical gems made during this time that have yet to be reissued on CD.November 2008 DOWNBEAT 21

Joe MorrisBackstage With …By John EphlandLYN HORTONJoe Morris Steps Upfor Hartford JazzIn 2007, after 40 years producing one of thenation’s longest-running free outdoor jazzevents, bassist Paul Brown stepped down fromprogramming Monday Night Jazz (MNJ) inBushnell Park in Hartford, Conn. The timing ofthe transition was out of sync with the normalfunding cycle for the series and it was alsocrunch time for programming.Scrambling to secure funding and create anevent that would equal Brown’s vision, DanFeingold, president of the Hartford JazzSociety, led his volunteer organization towardmaking two key decisions: take a differentdirection and bring in guitarist/bassist JoeMorris as artistic director.Programming chairman Bill Sullivan metMorris in 2001 at Morris’ trio concert inHartford. He also admired the Firehouse 12series that the musician launched in NewHaven in 2005. Sullivan said that New Havenseries’ agenda was consistent with the newdirection set for MNJ 2008.For his part, Morris said he was happy tostretch the series with more daring programming.He based his choice of performers onwhat he considers the music’s quality, originality,as well as the character of the band leaderor players. Ultimately, Morris picked who hecalls, “Traditional bands with rhythm sectionswhose musicians use melody, take solos andplay with grooves.”The musicians mostly came from theNortheast so that expenses would be minimal.Matthew Shipp, whose trio performed the firstsummer gig at the 37-acre park, said thatMorris’ involvement at the festival will have asignificant impact on the series. Other performersthis summer, including saxophonist TimBerne, echoed the sentiment. Hartford reedistLee Rozie, who handled the post-concert jamsessions at Black-Eyed Sally’s, said, “Joe’sprogramming is a welcome change after yearsof stylistic predictability.”Feingold said that plans for 2009 willinclude traditional and avant-garde artists, aswell as Latin musicians. —Lyn HortonMARK SHELDONJackDeJohnetteMultidirectional drummer Jack DeJohnetteremains true to his calling. HisStandards Trio work with Keith Jarrett andGary Peacock is in its 25th year, andDeJohnette acts like an artist replicatinghimself simultaneously among his differentgroups and running his own label, GoldenBeams. But working in the trio setting iswhere DeJohnette seems to surface inmost often. This time it was one with ChickCorea and Bobby McFerrin, where theymade their last stop at the GilmoreInternational Keyboard Festival inKalamazoo, Mich., on April 26.How did this new improv trio ideacome about?I’ve been playing with Bobby for morethan 20 years, and with Chick I go evenlonger back. The shows were exciting,fun, free and creative. The idea for thetour actually came from Bobby’s sonTaylor. Bobby had done duos with Chickand me separately and Taylor suggesteddoing it as a trio. They are all a continuationof what I have always done.Is there something irresistible about playingin trio settings for you?Trios are like a pyramid, a triangle, a magicnumber. It seems to evolve for three people.My son-in-law [Ben Surman], whoadded ambient sounds and bass effects tothe Bill Frisell recording [The ElephantSleeps But Still Remembers on GoldenBeams], rounded things out. We addedJerome Harris for the live version. Bill and Ihave electronic gizmos for a full sound ofall these colors. The other combination isTrio Beyond with John Scofield and LarryGoldings, which plays Tony’s [Williams]music. When we get some time to do it,Trio Beyond will get together. It’s just sobusy. As for the Camp Meeting trio, a lotof jazz piano players like what Bruce[Hornsby] did. He went to school for jazz,so it’s not foreign to him.What’s the latest news on GoldenBeams?The most recent recording is Peace Time,which is doing some things with meditationand relaxation, music that’s workingin hospitals with patients to help soothethem. We have a dear friend in the hospitalwith a form of cancer, and she hasa copy of Peace Time to help her getthrough her treatments. We need somemusic to calm all the business in our society,that goes beyond time, where we liveright in the now.CREDITYou have a number of tours this year,with the Standards Trio, with Frisell, yourelectronica-ambient group Ripple Effect,and another new group you formedcalled The Intercontinentals.The Intercontinentals are going to do a tourin November in England. The Intercontinentalsincludes a fantastic South Africansinger named Sibongile Khumalo; she’s anopera singer who can improvise and singanything as well as any jazz vocal instrumentalistI know. Also Billy Childs, who Ihave been wanting to work with for a longtime, and Jerome. Ripple Effect came outof a collaboration with Ben, who puttogether a remix of some music I haddone. He added his father, John Surman, alongtime collaborator of mine, again withJerome Harris. There’s also an unusualvocal instrumentalist, Marlui Miranda fromBrazil. She is part Indian and is an ethnomusicologist.She uses a lot of Indian languagesand rhythms in her music. Anotherproject that will be coming out on GoldenBeams next year is the trio with JohnPatitucci and Danilo Pérez. We have anincredible empathy, and I am looking forwardto doing some touring with them. Icould go on and on with ideas for otherprojects, but I am trying to keep it realisticas to what is possible. I am blessed to be ina creative space, surrounded by creativepeople, and it feels infinite.DB22 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Temecula FestHonors JazzVeteransNestled in the hilly wine countryhalfway between LosAngeles and San Diego, Temeculahas become one of California’spremier arts destinations.Several jazz events areheld in town, and 2008’s highlightwas the fifth annual TemeculaInternational Jazz Festival,held July 10–13. The rich senseof history that pervaded theweekend was proof that jazz is atimeless art form. Veterandrummer Dick Berk, who at 18had backed Billie Holiday at Monterey, joinedsaxophonists Richie Cole and Jimmy Mulidoreto serenade the festival’s supporters at the beginningof the event.The festival’s centerpiece was a reunionperformance by legendary bandleader GeraldWilson and singer/cowboy film star HerbJeffries, who had not performed together inmore than five decades. When Jeffries decidedto head for Paris in 1947, the reins of his bandwere given to Wilson, who never looked back.TODD JENKINSHerb JeffriesNow 90, tossing and nodding his gray lion’smane, Wilson enthralled the audience with histai chi-like conducting style and boundlessenergy. Upon the 95-year-old Jeffries’ entranceonto the stage, he and Wilson were presentedwith city and county commendations. Jeffriesthen delivered a warm, charming set backed byWilson’s taut orchestra. As Jeffries’ set closedwith “Flamingo,” his 1941 hit with DukeEllington’s orchestra, the audience marveled atthe performers’ youthful spirit. —Todd JenkinsNew Orleans StarsJump-Start DemocraticFestivitiesJust before theDemocratic conventionstarted inDenver, a healthyassortment of theCrescent City’smusical stars filledthe city’s FillmoreAuditorium for theFriends of NewOrleans event onAug. 25.Beyond the serious“Heroes of theStorm” awards, performersincludedthe Meters (withIrmaThomasAllen Toussaint in place of Art Neville), andthe Voice of the Wetlands All-Stars with TabBenoit, Irma Thomas, Donald Harrison,Terence Blanchard and many others. Theartists played in various combinations, includingRandy Newman and Blanchard teaming upon Newman’s “Louisiana 1927.”—Norman ProvizerDINO PERRUCCINovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 23

%CaughtPaal Nilssen-LoveKongsberg Fest SpotlightsNorway’s Hometeam ImprovisersWhile most jazz festivals gain their reputationby programming international headliners, theKongsberg Jazz Festival, held every July in aquaint silver mining village about 90 minutesfrom Oslo, excels because it places a premiumon Norwegian artists. While this year’s event,which ran from July 2–5, had its share of bignames—Wayne Shorter’s Quartet with ImaniWinds, Roy Hargrove, Ron Carter, andSaxophone Summit with Joe Lovano, DaveLiebman and Ravi Coltrane—the most rewardingmusic was made largely by homegrown talent.One of the unspoken themes of this year’sfestival was how Norway’s also becoming alocus for international collaboration. Actshelmed by Norwegians were frequently joinedby musicians from neighboring countries likeSweden and Denmark, and as far away as theU.S., the Netherlands, Germany and France.Performing at the sepulchral Smeltehytta, arenovated smelting plant, the quartet Dans LesArbres kicked things off with a gorgeous murmur.The collective improvisations of NorwegiansChristian Wallumrød (piano), IvarGrydeland (guitar, banjo) and Ingar Zach (percussion),with French clarinetist Xavier Charles,transformed extended technique into a symphonyof muted tones and gestures. The spell wasbroken a few hours later when, at the cozyEnergiMølla club, The Fat Is Gone cleaned outeardrums with a wild and woolly free-jazzassault stoked by drummer Paal Nilssen-Love(in the first of five different projects he was partChicago-based trumpeter Orbert Davis was profoundlymoved by Nelson Mandela’s autobiography,Long Walk To Freedom, and paid compositionaltribute to the occasion of the SouthAfrican leader for his 90th birthday on July 21.Racial unity was one of Mandela’s mandates,and that ideal permeated the diverse ranks of the50-plus member Chicago Jazz Philharmonic atthe dramatic Pritzker Pavilion in Chicago’sMillennium Park for this performance. Davis,with debonair aplomb, not only composes andconducts for the CJPO, but fronts from the podiumwith burnished yet fiery trumpet blasts.Selections from his “Collective Creativity Suite”preceded the four-movement “Hope In Action”Mandela homage, attempting to balance thedemands of keeping the orchestra membersengaged in the presentation while wooing theaudience with the intimacy of non-notated jazzelements.Though many of the musiciansin the CJPO, true to Davis’boast, are adept in classical andjazz, the core jazz presence centeredon bassist Stewart Miller,drummer Ernie Adams, pianistRyan Cohan and guest saxophonistsAri Brown and ZimNgqawana, (the latter flew infrom South Africa for the event).“1,000 Questions, One Answer”boldly kicked off proceedingswith textured interplay betweenDavis’ pocket trumpet, soulfuloutpourings from the wellmatchedBrown and Ngqawanaand penetrating trills from NicoleMitchell’s piccolo.For anyone skeptical that theCJPO is an arid Third Streamof in three days), Swedish saxophonistMats Gustafsson and German firebreatherPeter Brötzmann. Initiating ashowcase for the superb SmalltownSuperjazz label, the trio ripped througha set of high-energy ebb-and-flow, witheach musician finding gambits andlicks in one another’s improvisations tomutate and stretch. The stream-of-consciousnesstrip was never less thanfluid, even if the musical flow sometimesseemed like whitewater rafting.A couple of days later the sameclub hosted a dynamic new quartet ofScandinavian upstarts—Swedishreedists Fredrik Ljungkvist and JonasKullhammar, Danish bassist Jonas Westergaardand Nilssen-Love. It was the group’s second gig,so there was an occasional lack of energy andcohesion, but when it clicked the band delivereda feverish post-bop exploration, and a clarinetsolo by Ljungkvist toward the end of the set wasso explosive that his cohorts almost seemed inawe. Kullhammar also turned up as a guest ofthe searing-hot Norwegian organ trio Jupiter,adding thick tenor lines and solos that reached alogical boiling point, always in sync with theheavy grooves.There were also some terrific performancesby young mainstays of the Norwegian scene.Pianist Morten Qvenild, joined by his In TheCountry rhythm section and Jaga Jazzist vibistAndreas Mjøs played two hours of new compositionsstartling in their minimalist beauty, butsinger Susanna Wallumrød stole the show onher two-song cameo. Jaga Jazzist trumpeterMatthias Eick played music from his new ECMalbum, The Door, during an intimate performanceat the Kongsberg Kino, articulating hisdreamy, almost pop-like melodies with a technicalprecision that makes his horn seem to dripwith honey. The quartet Supersilent helped winddown the festival with a powerful set that saw itsincreased instrumental palette find its way.Trumpeter and vocalist Arve Henriksen hasmade his sideline drumming far more effective,while sound artists Helge Sten has added texture-ladenguitar to the enterprise. More than adecade on these improvisers keep finding newways to surprise. —Peter MargasakOrbert Davis Sends Musical Birthday Greeting to MandelaOrbert Davis rehearsingMICHAEL JACKSON CARSTEN STOLZENBACH24 DOWNBEAT November 2008

confection, Davis peppered the set with lighterfare, including “Relax Max,” a cha-cha-chá thatsinger Dee Alexander delievered with irresistiblecharisma. The versatile Alexander subsequentlyturned the mood on its heels with an evocativerendition of Miriam Makeba’s “Little Boy.”Actress T’keyah Crystal Keymah interspersedwith poignant excerpts from Mandela’s memoirs,including key phrases repeated for dramaticeffect. During his time in captivity on RobbenIsland, Mandela was permitted one letter everysix months and spent time in solitary confinement.“Prisoner 466/64” evoked the dull clamorof hammers on rock, recalling the forced laborMandela endured and the deadening torpor ofthese years of containment, with low tones fromthe sousaphone, bass clarinet, tuba and timpani.—Michael JacksonAmerican, North AfricanMusical Bonds Forgedat Festival GnaouaJaleel Shaw(left) withGnawamusiciansSUZAN JENKINSThe Festival Gnaoua in Essaouira, Morocco, is aspectacle of hypnotic music, brilliant colorpalettes and teeming humanity. At its core it celebratesthe music of the Gnawa brotherhood,spirit music purveyors whose sound is driven bythe pulsating bass ranged, three-stringed, camelskinnedguimbre plucked and drummed by theinvited Maalems (or masters). The Gnawa shareancestral lineage with African Americans andhave encouraged joyous musical partnershipsfrom the time Randy Weston first becameimmersed in Gnawa music in the late 1960s tothe Wayne Shorter Quartet’s eager absorption atthis year’s festival—the 11th annual installment—whichran from June 26–29.With the festival, the tranquil Atlantic coastaltown of Essaouira, a haven of Gnawa life, welcomesnearly a half-million festival revelers tothe free event every year. The festival invitesmusicians and the occasional band from theWest, sub-Saharan Africa and other parts ofMorocco to interact with the Gnawa musicianson its two main stages and after-hours acousticsets, and their spirit-centered, trance-inducingmusic dominates the proceedings. Shorter’sgroup and alto saxophonist Jaleel Shaw proudlyrepresented the ancestral African developmentknown as jazz, bringing deep wells of that sensibilityto the tranquil cadence of life in Essaouirathat explodes during Gnawa festival weekend.Shorter’s quartet delivered cunninglyimplied, circular and freely plumbed themes andgrooves, all imagined through the prism of atelepathic band relationship. Bassist JohnPatitucci at one point instigated a wicked tango,drawing a huge smile of encouragement fromdrummer Brian Blade, slashing then tastefullydownshifting the traps alongside. Pianist DaniloPérez grew ever more assertive as the set wendedits way onward. Then the Gnawa musiciansentered to the eager anticipation of the group,particularly the rhythm section, which had plottedits fusion course earlier over savory taginesand couscous at lunch. Before long Shorterfound his place, blowing short phrases amidstthe insistent rhythms that engulfed and clearlybemused him.The next evening Shaw, who had beenenthralled by their vibe, stepped up for somebrotherly dialogue with Malian ngoni playerBassekou Kouyate’s band. Just when it felt as ifthe venue, Place Moulay Hassan, couldn’t beuplifted any higher, Maleem Mahmoud Ghania,one of the pillars of Gnawa music, upped theante. As the huge throng hung onto his mightyguimbre and baritone chants, Guinea paced hiseight percussionists, chanters and acrobaticdancers through a staggering set that left manywrung out from ecstasy. Then he invitedKouyate and Shaw back out for a brilliant finalcall to the spirits of their ancestors.—Willard JenkinsNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 25

PlayersMarcus Gilmore ;Bloodline FuelWhile it may not be uncommon to find youngdrummers who can execute the range of rhythmicdialects and hybrids that were mainstreamedinto jazz during the ’90s and early ’00s, it’s rarerto hear a young musician who can articulatethose beats with Marcus Gilmore’s finesse. Anencounter with Chick Corea offers one example.In the summer of 2006, Gilmore toured with thepianist, playing timpani and orchestral percussionfrom notated scores, while also propelling aCorea-led quartet. At that time, Gilmore was justa couple years out of high school.“Chick said he hired me because he knew Ididn’t always have to play loud,” Gilmore said.“We were playing with a chamber orchestra,with violins and cellos, in old churches andcathedrals that weren’t made for brass cymbalsor drums. He said, ‘I know you can be delicateand sensitive.’”Since then, Glimore, still shy of 22, hasbecome an in-demand sideman for a wide rangeof leaders, all of whom he feels energize hiswork.“One thing I love about being a sideman isthat I can play in so many different situations,”Gilmore said. “I feel stagnant after I’ve donethe same thing for a long time, so I have toswitch it up.”Gilmore said this in mid-August as he concludedan engagement in Sardinia, Italy, withSteve Coleman, to whom his uncle, GrahamHaynes, introduced him in 2002, when he was15 years old. Two weeks before, he’d concludeda four-night run at Manhattan’s Jazz Standardwith Vijay Iyer, who began to use Gilmore regularlyin 2003. On the following night, he lefttown with trumpeter Nicholas Payton, anemployer since 2004. Later in August, uponreturning to New York, he played choros andswing tunes with clarinetist Anat Cohen, thenflew to the Windy City for a Chicago JazzFestival set with Iyer.The drummer has already become accustomedto fulfilling jam-packed itineraries. Hisrecent resumé includes such consequentialrecordings as Gonzalo Rubalcaba’s Avatar (BlueNote), Christian Scott’s Anthem (Concord) andIsraeli guitarist Gilad Hekselman’s WordsUnspoken (LateSet), as well as projects withCassandra Wilson, Aaron Parks, AmbroseAkinmusire and Walter Smith. Back in highschool, Gilmore recorded and toured with ClarkTerry’s big band, and in 2004 he drum-battledwith his grandfather, Roy Haynes, on GeneKrupa’s “Sing Sing Sing” on a nationally broadcastJazz at Lincoln Center concert.To some degree, Gilmore’s esthetic andmusical proclivities stem from his famousbloodline.“My grandfather strongly influenced my conceptionof drumming,” Gilmore said. “If not forhim, I wouldn’t be playing. He wasn’t particularlyhands-on, but I was eyes-on, always, from theget-go. By third grade, I knew I wanted to be adrummer, and I asked him for a drum set. On my10th birthday, he came by with one of his kits.“Basically, he tried to head me into my owndirection,” Gilmore continued. “He talked abouthow important and fundamental it is for alldrummers to have their own sound on the ridecymbal, and I listened to his ride cymbal beat,crisp and clean, like he speaks—you hear everyword, every syllable. I can ask him what this orthat was like, and he can tell me. It’s a beautifulthing to have access to that much information.”Gilmore bedrocked his rapid learning curveon assimilating the fundamentals at JuilliardSchool of Music, where his mother enrolled himat 11 in courses that covered orchestral and folkloricpercussion, as well as music theory. Heenjoyed and played r&b and hip-hop, but devotedmost of his energy to “finding jazz and classicalrecords.”“I met Elvin [Jones] around that time, whenmy grandfather played a double bill with him atBryant Park, and I studied him and Philly Joeand my grandfather’s contemporaries, as well asIgnacio Berroa, who I heard with Gonzalo,”Gilmore said. “Jazz has a spontaneous elementthat wasn’t there in other things I was hearing.They could be exciting or smooth, but usuallydidn’t change, didn’t explore. In jazz I’d alwaysbe intrigued—something would start here, gothere, go so many places.”In Coleman’s company, Gilmore began tofind an outlet for his own experimental inclinations.“Steve was working on an on-the-spotarrangement of ‘Countdown’ when I met him,and it opened up my mind,” Gilmore said.“Later, he sang me a drum chant that he wantedme to play. It took me a while to get it, but finallyI did. No one had ever sung me rhythms thatwere so intricate and required that level of independence.”The logical next step, Gilmore said, is to documenthis personal development with an albumof his own. “I have enough material to make arecord, but I need to make more time,” he said.“I’m always coming back from somewhere andabout to go somewhere.” —Ted PankenMARK SHELDON26 DOWNBEAT November 2008

PlayersElvin Bishop ; Elder’s SummitElvin Bishop has played blues guitar since the1960s and his self-produced new album, TheBlues Rolls On (Delta Groove), shows howmuch he wants to pass on to a new generation.“I got to thinking about how nice guys wereto me when I was starting out and how lucky Iwas to play with guys like Hound Dog Taylor,Big Joe Williams, Paul Butterfield, Junior Wellsand Clifton Chenier,” Bishop said from hishome north of San Francisco. “Then I got tothinking about the guys coming up now andhow it’d be nice to go back and do the tunesfrom some of those old guys and get these newguys to help me out and illustrate the way bluesflows from one generation to another.”Guided by Bishop, the flow is natural. B.B.King joins him in updating the Roy Miltonjump-blues “Keep A Dollar In Your Pocket”and blues harp elder James Cotton, with up-andcomingsinger John Németh and veteran harmonizerAngela Strehli, deliver the Chicago bluesflag-waver “I Found Out.” Middle-aged folks onother songs include zydeco master R.C. Carrier,boogie revivalist George Thorogood, harmonicachamp Kim Wilson and guitarists WarrenHaynes, Tommy Castro and Mike Schermer. Inaddition to Németh, representatives of the youthmovement are guitarists Derek Trucks andRonnie Baker Brooks and bayou accordionplayer Andre Thierry and the Delta’s preteenand-teenageHomemade Jamz Blues Band.Bishop does not want anyone to get theimpression The Blues Rolls On is just anotherblues album with “a bunch of names up there tosell the thing.” He reasoned, “I tried to come upwith material that would be right down theartists’ alley, match things up good.”Bishop’s own slide guitar is pronounced onJimmy Reed’s “Honest I Do.”“I play the melody and get a lot of satisfactionout of it, because in a way it’s the voice Inever had,” Bishop said. “It’s got a big rangeand you can put the vibrato you want on it.”“Where a lot of guys play slide in open tuningand fire off a bunch of licks simply becausethose notes are underneath their fingers, Elvinpicks only the choice notes and plays themmeaningfully,” Schermer added.For Bishop, the idea of combining differentgenerations is rooted in the early ’60s, when heaccepted a scholarship to the University ofChicago. His school’s South Side location providedthe ultimate in luck for a blues enthusiast.“It was ground zero for the Chicago blues,”Bishop said. “I got to make friends with theguys. When you actually see a guy’s hand on theguitar doing this stuff, you can get somewhere.”—Frank-John HadleyJEN TAYLOR28 DOWNBEAT November 2008

PlayersJoanna Pascale ;Forbidden PracticeThe music of Tin Pan Alley and Broadwayserved as a backdrop for Joanna Pascale’s youthand inform her recent album, Through My Eyes(Stiletto). But the Philadephia singer’s embraceof this upbeat material did not come so easily.Pascale’s mother was religious, and forbadeher from listening to pop music. A year or sobefore high school, Pascale began listening tothe radio when she could get away with it. Shebecame enamored with a Philadelphia stationthat spun big band records, and this exposure toFrank Sinatra, Nancy Wilson and SarahVaughan provided a gateway to jazz.Suprisingly, Pascale’s mother eventuallycaught on. Rather than anger, the music evokednostalgia. The concord was mutually beneficialas Pascale did not find much personal appeal inthe mainstream pop singers who emerged in themid-’90s, anyway.“It took her back because my grandfatherwas an amateur singer who died way before Iwas born. When she saw there was this connection,she just let it happen and allowed me to listento it,” Pascale, 29, said at her home in SouthPhiladelphia. “It’s funny because I wasn’tallowed to listen to my generation’s popularmusic, but I could listen to Billie Holiday sing‘My Man.’“Looking back,” Pascale continued, “I’mgrateful because I immersed myself in the GreatAmerican Songbook. The songs are a part ofme. It’s not like I’m going back and learning thismusic because it’s novel. I’m digging into thismusic because it’s who I am.”While there are rare exceptions—StevieWonder’s “Happier Than The Morning Sun,”Carole King’s “Will You Still Love MeTomorrow?”—Pascale’s muse compels her todelve into the past and unearth obscure repertoire.She largely avoids war horses and the signaturesongs of other artists. “I’m trying to findthese gems that have fallen through the cracks,”she said. “‘What Is This Thing Called Love?’ isnot a song that I particularly care for.”Pascale earned a bachelor’s degree in jazzperformance in 2001 at Temple University,where she now teaches. When Lights Are Low,Pascale’s first album, came out in 2004.Through My Eyes not only features the songsshe typically performs, but also the band thatbacks her three times a week at SoleFood, aseafood restaurant at Philadelphia’s LoewsHotel. Pascale’s hallmarks include an understatedvibrato and a knack for beginning phrases atunexpected moments. Her interpretations bear acloser resemblance to instrumentalists thansingers—she almost never plays it straight. Thegroup includes saxophonist Tim Warfield,drummer Dan Monaghan and bassist MadisonRast, who Pascale married in 2005.While Pascale yearns for more exposure,she expresses satisfaction with her career. Sheconsiders herself fortunate to have come ofage in Philadelphia. “There were so manygreat venues that were around where the oldermusicians would not only play, but just hangout,” she said. “You could sit in with thesepeople, but you couldn’t just get up and fake it.They would invite you up, and you had to sinkor swim.”—Eric FineSTEVE STOLTZFUSHIROSHI TAKAOKAAdam Rudolph ; Framing the WorldPercussionist Adam Rudolph was an early advocatefor fusing jazz and world music, carrying ona tradition of avant-garde multiculturalismforged by Don Cherry. But that attraction todiverse musical traditions was not formedthrough Rudolph’s association with the trumpeteror through his international travels, but byhis seemingly more downhome upbringing onChicago’s South Side.“I heard a lot of great artists who lived in myneighborhood,” Rudolph said. “From Howlin’Wolf I learned how musical technique shouldserve the expression of deep feeling. From theArt Ensemble of Chicago I learned how importantit is to have the courage to pursue the ideasof your own creative imagination. I also learnedthat if I wanted to have a long relationship withmusic, I had to learn as much as I could aboutevery phenomenon of music that there is.”Recently, Rudolph has been applying thoseconcepts to several different projects. HuVibrational is a percussion group with HamidDrake, Brahim Fribgane and Carlos Niño; theGo: Organic Orchestra is an open-ended large30 DOWNBEAT November 2008

ensemble that Rudolph conducts through cuedimprovisational concepts; and Moving Picturesis a malleable ensemble that has been a vehiclefor Rudolph’s compositional ideas since 1992.The blend of musicians and opportunitiesoffered as fodder for these projects in New Yorkbrought him back East a year ago, after twodecades of being primarily based in Venice,Calif.On Moving Pictures’ recent Dream Garden(Justin Time), Rudolph uses his octet to combinedisparate instruments in an additive techniquesimilar to a painter blending colors on a paletteand then allowing them to clash on canvas. Hewrites for the group using his “cyclic verticalism,”which combines African polyrythms andIndian rhythmic cycles.“Each composition zeros in like a laser into aparticular esthetic and formalistic element,”Rudolph said. “When all the musicians understandthat the compositions aren’t just ‘play ahead and then go,’ they can go deep into whattheir role and function is. They can be as free asthey want to be, but the music has direction andfocus.”Rudolph does not take a literal-mindedapproach, as he emphasizes concepts andphilosophies rather than more concrete elementsin blending traditions.“What people call ‘world music’ oftenbecomes a smorgasbord of styles and instruments,”Rudolph said. “What interested memore as time went on was the cultural cosmologythat underlies the music.”At the same time, Rudolph brings his yearsstudying jazz trap drummers to his cross-culturalpercussive approach.“The drummers who influenced me mostwere people like Elvin Jones, Tony Williamsand Ed Blackwell, because they had their ownvoices on the instruments,” Rudolph said.“That’s what I’m trying to do for myself as ahand drummer.”Listening to Rudolph discuss the broader philosophybehind his music—which he sees asone element of the Hatha yoga he’s studied formore than 30 years—the boundary between hiscreative efforts and his spiritual beliefs isblurred. “John Coltrane made overt what everybodyknew was in this music already,” he said.“That you could project a sense of your ownevolution in your personal mysticism.”Rudolph’s compositional specifics encompassa greater philosophical perspective—the spontaneousexisting within an arranged framework.“That’s what this so-called jazz music isabout,” Rudolph said. “In life we don’t knowwhat’s going to happen next. Each day dawnsbut once, and every moment we get the illusionof routine, but we don’t know what’s going tohappen next. The mind loves to go forward andworry, or rehash the past, but all that reallyexists is the moment of the eternal now, andthat’s one of the things this music celebrates.”—Shaun BradyNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 31

VillageAmbassadorAnat Cohen offers a fresh, multiculturalclarinet sound to the jazz worldBy Dan Ouellette Photos by Michael WeintrobWithin the span of a little less than amonth this summer, Anat Cohen performedin front of two diverse audiences,captivating both.On July 13 at the North Sea Jazz Festival inRotterdam, Holland, the clarinetist/saxophonist andher quartet delivered an exuberant set in front of alarge jazz-minded crowd. Most of the people therewere curious to catch the reeds player who has capturedthe Rising Star Clarinet prize two years in arow in the DownBeat Critics Poll. Cohen not onlyproved to be a woodwind revelation of dark tonesand delicious lyricism, but also a dynamic bandleaderwho danced and shouted out encouragementto her group—whooping it up when pianist JasonLindner followed her clarinet trills on a Latin-flavorednumber by chopping up the clave and flyinginto a dissonant space. With her dark, curly, shoulder-lengthhair swaying to the beat of the music asshe danced, she was a picture of joy.On a hot late afternoon on Aug. 7, Cohen andher band took their song to the streets, this time onan outdoor stage in New York’s Union Square infront of people bustling by on their way home fromwork, lazily hanging out while snacking on barbecuefrom street vendors or sleepily lounging on thesmall grass lawns. It was a totally different audience—notnecessarily jazz aficionados, but musicbuffs who gravitated to the stage because ofCohen’s groove and bubbly, woody tone on theclarinet. The group offered no balladry as theybreezed through an amalgam of styles, sometimesBrazilian with a Middle Eastern vibe, Afro-Cubanwith an Israeli folk sensibility, classical with an IvoPapasov-like wedding party gaiety or straight-upjazz where Cohen snake-danced on clarinet withguitarist Gilad Hekselman.Different crowds, similar response. The audiencesstayed put instead of wandering off—atNorth Sea to any one of the 15 other stages presentingmusic; at Union Square to any number of shopslining 14th Street at rush hour.“It doesn’t matter where we are, whether it’sNorth Sea or here,” Cohen said after the UnionSquare show ended with rousing applause. “We’rehaving fun, which is what the audience is pickingup on, and yes, we’re busy.” She added, “Almostdoing too much,” before skipping off to do a duetwith guitarist Howard Alden at the chamber musicvenue Bargemusic at the Fulton Ferry Landing inBrooklyn. A few days later she jaunted off to theNewport Jazz Festival, where she was enlisted byfestival impresario/pianist George Wein to be amember of his Newport All-Stars group that alsofeatured Alden, bassist Esperanza Spalding anddrummer Jimmy Cobb.Has Cohen’s rise to prominence been meteoric?Not if you’ve been following Cohen’s longstandingbut on-the-fringes Stateside career, first in Bostonand then in New York with a variety of bands, fromBrazilian choro groups to her own Waverly Sevenband that pays tribute to Bobby Darin.34 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Messianic? Certainly in the secular sense, marked by idealismand an aggressive crusading spirit, which permeatesCohen’s musical outlook.Exerting gravitational jazz pull? Indeed. While her musicopens ears and turns heads, at the same time she’s unintentionallybecome the centerpiece for a new jazz scene in NewYork due largely to her indie label, Anzic. Originally foundedto self-release her debut CD, 2005’s Place And Time,Anzic expanded to give Cohen’s colleagues a home base todocument their own music. In addition to her own albums,Anzic has released discs by Anat’s brother Avishai Cohen(including After The Big Rain), Waverly Seven and ChoroEnsemble.On the eve of releasing her latest CD, Notes From TheVillage, Cohen downplayed her role in becoming the focusof a burgeoning musical community. “There was a scenehere before I arrived in 1999,” she said. “I was attracted to itbecause of the enthusiasm, its openness to world music andits dedication to playing jazz, whether it’s traditional, out orwhatever. I was proud to be a part of this. If I wasn’tinvolved, everything would still be happening. There is theimpression that Anzic started the scene, but that’s not true.”Cohen acknowledges that she has served as a catalyst forthe scene’s growth, particularly through Anzic. “I don’t seemyself as the center,” she said. “All the musicians who are part of the labelare striving to do the same things I am. We practice, we write, we record.I’m happy to gather people together to make a bigger force. We’re all doingCDs, so it’s like, let’s unite and make a bigger noise, a bigger statement.”She hastened to add that Anzic is not a closed society. “We’re lookingfor other people to connect with the music, to record different people fromother scenes. That’s how we will grow.”Cohen’s partner in forging Anzic’s artistic vision, arranger and labelgeneral manager Oded Lev-Ari, said, “With record sales overall falling,individual artists need to have some kind of fair mechanism by which theycan get their music out. Anzic artists are more involved in all aspects oftheir CDs—from manufacturing to marketing—which makes them awareof all the costs involved in their recording adventures. We enter into anagreement where both parties share the risks. Nothing is hidden; there areno surprises.” He added that one of the most obvious differences betweenAnzic and other labels is that artists are paid immediately for CD sales versuswaiting for the recording advance to be recovered.That system works for Lindner, who recorded Live At The Jazz Galleryfor Anzic and has a new album in the wings. “I’ve been on major labels acouple of times and it hasn’t been a good experience,” he said. “Youalways have to answer to higher authorities, so it’s hard to be artistic ifthey’re not fully behind you. Anzic has complete artistic freedom. Thatcomes from Anat.”Saxophonist Joel Frahm, a member of Waverly Seven as well as abandleader who released We Used To Dance on Anzic in 2007, likes thelabel model. “It’s less like a typical jazz label in that it’s not a cold businessventure,” he said. “We’re trying to develop as a family. And Anat isgreat at bringing people into the Anzic orbit. She’s so eclectic. She playsso many styles convincingly that she becomes an ambassador for music.”Cohen performs atthe 2008 NewportJazz FestivalBorn in Tel Aviv, Cohen started playing clarinet at home when shewas 12, attracted to its low tones. Her first clarinet was her father’s.She graduated to her own instrument when she went to the TelAviv Conservatory along with her two brothers—her older brother Yuvalhad already picked up the alto saxophone and her younger brother Avishaichose the trumpet, because, Anat said with a laugh, “it only had three buttons,so he thought it would be easy to play.” (The three siblings performtogether in the band the 3 Cohens that released Braid in 2007.)At the conservatory, Cohen played in a dixieland band and at her juniorhigh for the arts studied classical music, in a chamber setting with celloand piano. While most aspiring reeds players set aside their “beginner”instrument for a saxophone, she clung to the clarinet because of its expressivequality. She also began to practice on the tenor saxophone.At the Thelma Yellin High School for the Arts, Cohen majored in jazz,learning early on that the clarinet had lost its popularity in modern music.“People felt it was a folkloric instrument and that it was associated withklezmer,” she said. “Increasingly, my teacher told me to bring my big saxto school, but leave my clarinet at home.” When she reported for her twoyearmandatory Israeli military duty in 1993, she toted her tenor that sheplayed in the Israeli Air Force band.During her years of tenor fascination, Cohen found inspiration in JohnColtrane, Sonny Rollins and Dexter Gordon. She was accepted to BerkleeCollege of Music in 1996 for her saxophone playing. She brought alongher clarinet, figuring that it could be valuable as “a doubling instrument forplaying in big bands.” However, one of her teachers, Phil Wilson, heardher play the clarinet and encouraged her to pursue exploring its depth.“Phil told me that I had a voice on the clarinet,” she said. “I told him Icouldn’t play it that well, that my fingers wouldn’t move like they do onthe saxophone. But he was the first person in my adult life who got methinking about getting my chops on the clarinet.”Cohen committed herself to dual-instrument activities, blowing thetenor in contemporary jazz settings as well as in an Afro-Cuban bandwhile carrying the clarinet to choro sessions and Colombian andVenezuelan folk gigs where the instrument was favored.While for her 2007 album Noir Cohen brought to the mix soprano, altoand tenor saxophones as well as clarinet, her Poetica CD, released simultaneously,was an all-clarinet affair. “My goal was to reveal the poetic sideof the clarinet,” she said. “It’s a voice, not a style. I didn’t want to do aBenny Goodman tribute.”While both discs were enthusiastically received, Cohen’s prowess onthe clarinet upped her status. To bring new life to an instrument relegatedto second-class citizenry in jazz gave Cohen a rep for fostering originalitywith her special touch and vision.“As I began to get recognition as a clarinet player, it triggered in me therealization that I am a clarinetist who can bring something new to theinstrument,” Cohen said. “I didn’t believe that fully until I got my firstclarinet award. After that, I started playing it a lot more in my live shows.The clarinet itself has a nice classical sound, but I try to play it with a gutsysound like the tenor saxophone. That’s become part of the lexicon of mysound. But it can be a challenge. An overblown clarinet can start behavingbadly by squeaking.”Lindner attributes Cohen’s rise to Anzic giving her the opportunity to36 DOWNBEAT November 2008

grow as a musician and composer. “Anat is coming into her own,” he said.“She’s experimenting more. She’s done a lot of sidewoman jobs over theyears, including in my big band, so now she’s doing it on her own. Shehas a lot to say. It’s an illusion that all of a sudden she’s arrived. She’sbeen in New York for years developing her playing. Now with the albumsand press, she’s growing quickly as a leader.”Her brother Avishai agreed. “Anat is one of the hardest working peopleI know,” he said. “She’s done all kinds of gigs, music and has workedwith all kinds of people. She gives herself to it all. Her records are incredible,she’s gotten the attention of the press and booking agencies, she gotbooked into the Village Vanguard last year—the first time for a womanhorn leader—and she plays the clarinet effortlessly. She’s a natural. Theclarinet expresses her personality. She just keeps getting better.”At both her live shows I attended this summer, most of the tunesopened lyrically with Cohen on clarinet, which, when the dynamicskicked in, she set aside for the tenor for speedy and wailingruns. A highlight of both sets was Cohen’s multikulti cooker “WashingtonSquare Park,” which is also the leadoff track to Notes From The Village.Originally recorded on a soprano sax, Cohen rearranged her live sets toopen with the clarinet and then bang in with the tenor. “Even though there’smore clarinet in my sets now, if there’s enough space, I love playing thetenor,” she said. “It brings more rock and funk to the sound of this tune.”As she points out in the liner notes to the CD, “Washington SquarePark” buoys with a “diverse musical universe” she experiences in theGreenwich Village park. In addition to a New Orleans trad band and modernjazz groups, there are the hard rockers, the folkies and a kora playerwho “gave me the idea for a beginning of a song that keeps moving toother styles and grooves—just like one might do when walking around[the park] on a nice day,” she said. “That African guy on the kora startedthe tune for me. I just sat in front of him, meditating on his sound. I wenthome, got on the piano, developed a bass line based on what he playedand then came up with the melody that captures the vibe of the park.”Live, Cohen opens the tune with a rush of 16th notes on the clarinet,catches a groove, snags an edge with a tenor sax billow and swings backinto a beat pocket before quieting the piece on clarinet by ending it with ahushed lyricism. While the CD title could suggest that Cohen has set outto paint a multicanvas cityscape of New York, she said the theme of NotesFrom The Village reflects her thoughts from her travels. “Each song has apart of me,” she said. “On each of my originals, I have rhythms that Iheard, collected in my head, then transferred into a tune once I got home.”As for the covers—John Coltrane’s “After The Rain,” ErnestoLecuona’s “Siboney,” Sam Cooke’s “A Change Is Gonna Come” and FatsWaller’s “Jitterbug Waltz,” a rousing concert staple—Cohen chose arange of material that she identified with as a musician and then arrangedthem with a mélange of styles. “Jason and I arranged ‘After The Rain’ tocapture the strong spirit of [Coltrane’s] playing,” she said. “We recorded itin the first take. It’s a majestic song that everyone felt in the moment. Forthe entire album, instead of tightly arranging the music, we played it withthe more loose feeling of a live show.”Cohen is well aware that jazz often fails as an equal opportunityemployer when it comes to women leading bands. But she chooses not todwell on the issue. “Yes, I’m sure it’s a challenge where you wonder ifyou don’t get recognized or get a gig because of gender,” she said. “But Ibelieve we can all swing each other. The music speaks for itself. As abandleader, I’m one of the guys.”Paramount in Cohen’s mind is keeping her artistic ball rolling. “Myname is out there now,” she said, “so I need to do my part in creatingmusic. It’s a constant process that never ends, but we all have to keep writinga new piece of music with a message of beauty and positive thinking,getting it out there, hopefully getting a stage to perform it on.”As for her own future projects, Cohen hasn’t pinned down a theme orstyle. “I like playing so many different kinds of music,” she said. “Whoknows? Maybe I’ll be playing my clarinet and saxophones on old-fashionedNew Orleans music or maybe an album of the blues.”DB

Deacon JohnKermit Ruffins atthe John Bruniousfuneral second-lineDetroit BrooksDr. Michael White

By Ned SublettePhotos by Erika GoldringMusicalHEALING?New Orleans is alive, threeyears after suffering oneof the worst disasters inAmerican history. But how well itcan heal from its wounds is still anopen question.No one who plays or loves musicwants the city to fail, but that possibilitystill seems real. A big part of the community that created NewOrleans music is still gone. Meanwhile, the struggle to get movingagain is generating some powerful, committed music. “Right now,”saxophonist Donald Harrison said, “people in New Orleans reallyneed the music, because we’re in a situation of high adversity—allthe permits to get your house fixed, trying to put the infrastructureof the city back together. Maybe that adds another layer of intensityto the music.”There are not many other towns in the United States where anartist bio can read like this one for blues singer Brother Tyrone’snew album, Mindbender: “In August 2005, Brother Tyrone walkedout of his apartment in the Lafitte housing project in New Orleansinto chest-high water, holding one of his nieces over his head. Hisfamily made its way to the New Orleans Convention Center,where, after two days, they were able to reach Baton Rouge in theback of a stolen pickup truck.”Now that’s the blues.The complexity of the situation, involving hundreds of thousandsof individual stories, is mind-boggling. Assessing the conditionof the city today is a glass-half-empty/half-full situation, andthe gap between the two is widening. Some people will tell youthey’re doing fine, notably those who lived on the more desirablereal estate, the “sliver by the river” that wasn’t flooded. But manypeople will say otherwise. For them, Hurricane Katrina is still goingThreeyears afterHurricane Katrina(and havingdodged Gustav),New Orleansstruggles to regain—and reinvent—itsmusical identityon. Some people are just getting backto what they were doing before theflood. Some people will never getback.Exhibit A for the contradictoryfeeling of New Orleans is the upbeatsound of much of traditional clarinetistDr. Michael White’s recent CD release,Blue Crescent (Basin Street). White, a professor at XavierUniversity and a 2008 National Endowment for the Arts HeritageFellowship recipient, lost his home and archives in the flood. Hedescribed his loss as “my life’s work—thousands of books, recordings,CDs, rare artifacts, vintage instruments, films, research materials,sheet music, original music. Immeasurable in terms of financial—andcultural—toll for New Orleans and jazz.“[But], as hard as that was, that’s not the most difficult thing thathappened to me with the Katrina experience, and certainly it’s notthe thing that presses in my mind the most,” he continued. “Post-Katrina life has been much more difficult than the losses.”Still, most of White’s new album sounds cheerful, even a cutcalled “London Canal Breakdown,” unless you know the title’s reference:The London Canal breach was what took out White’shome. But then there’s an eight-minute dirge—the heart of the jazzfuneral, what you have to play before you have a second-line—played at a tense, funereal tempo with the traditional muted snaredrum. It’s called “Katrina.”There’s no ambiguity in The City That Care Forgot (429Records), the summer release by New York-based New OrleanianDr. John (Mac Rebennack). It’s seethingly angry, and locatedentirely in the here-and-now, with Rebennack’s band the Lower911 and ace New Orleans sidemen, including 78-year-old arrangerWardell Quezergue. The man who produced King Floyd’sNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 39

“Groove Me,” Jean Knight’s “Mr. Big Stuff”and many more, Quezergue lost most of hisbelongings and had to be helicoptered out of theflood. Who said we aren’t making historicalbums any more, with funkiness, topicality andtruth-telling? One song begins: “They tell meforgive/They tell me forget/Ain’t nobodycharged/For the murders yet.”The Lower Ninth Ward is still largely aghost town. The New Orleans black votingbloc is scattered, changing the balanceof political power in the state, and providinga motive for what MassachusettsCongressman Barney Frank called “ethniccleansing by inaction.” Demographer GregRigamer estimates that as of this summer, NewOrleans was back up to 72 percent of its prefloodpopulation. But for African Americans,the estimate is 63 percent. That means that morethan one-third of New Orleans’ black communityis still in exile, either hoping to come back orbuilding new lives elsewhere.Most of the big names of New Orleansmusic—Irma Thomas, Aaron Neville, AllenToussaint, Dave Bartholomew, Fats Domino—are back in the area. So are many of the localheroes, the ones you hear multiple times over theyears if you hang out in New Orleans. Somehave gotten a lot of media attention in the lastthree years, though not necessarily for the reasonsthey might have hoped. Many are spendingmore time on the road, getting paid to play foran international public that’s newly been madeaware of the city’s musical legacy. (One wildcardin terms of media visibility for NewOrleans music and culture is what might happenwith David Simon’s HBO project “Treme,”presently in the pilot stage. Music reportedlywill play an important role in it, and Simon, creatorof “The Wire,” has tapped Kermit Ruffinsand Harrison to appear.)The absences are more noticeable among therank and file. Local 174-496 of the AmericanFederation of Musicians (the double numberreflects the fact that 174 was the white unionand 496 the black one, until they merged in1971) went into trusteeship after the city collapsedin August 2005. It’s back up to about650 members, said singer/guitarist/union president“Deacon” John Moore, but that’s downfrom about 1,000 members pre-flood, and thereisn’t as much work for them as before.Theatrical performances are down. TheMunicipal Auditorium hasn’t reopened, nor hasthe Mahalia Jackson Theater; the city had toborrow money on the capital markets to makelocal improvements, then hope to get the moneyreimbursed by FEMA, so municipal rebuildinghas been slow. Meanwhile, Louisiana is a“right-to-work” state, and most of the musiciansin New Orleans aren’t union.Many musicians are poor, and, according toMoore, with the destruction of housing stock,skyrocketing rents, high gas prices and the costDr. Johnof living in New Orleans, “it’s just almostimpossible for poor people to come back.” Somehave opted not to return, even if it meant givingup their music careers and working a 9-to-5.This leads one to wonder just how manymusicians there are in this musical city. “Wenever had a good set of numbers before Katrina,and we certainly don’t have a good set of numbersafterward,” said Bruce Raeburn, curator ofthe William Ransom Hogan Jazz Archive atTulane University. “Most of the people we’retalking about have been invisible, as far as themedia’s concerned. There’s been an undergroundof musical activity here that’s never beenlooked at all that closely by people. Peoplealways bounce on the surface and seem to lookat the flavor of the month in terms of who’s hotas personalities and never get into the core or thedepth of the musicians who work and reside inthe important neighborhoods, like Treme,Seventh Ward, Gert Town and Central City.”The people who have had the most difficultyin returning are the working-class families, fromwhose ranks the new generation of musicianswould emerge and who provide a critical public.“The people in the audience are just as importantto me as I am to them,” said guitarist DetroitBrooks. “If they’re not sitting in that audienceand I’m playing, what is it worth? That’s why Ilook at it that they’re trying to make this city outas a Disney World, but it’s gonna lose the valueof what New Orleans was about.”While you don’t see a sea of blue tarps onrooftops now when you drive over the city onthe interstate, there’s still plenty of damage. Likethe other major institutional archives in town,the Hogan’s irreplaceable collection, which wason the third floor, survived the flood. But anentire community’s worth of private holdingswas trashed, ranging from exquisite collectionslike White’s or the live-concert 2-inch multitracksin various flooded recording studios, allthe way down to the drowned shoebox full offamily pictures, the submerged closets full oftapes and the floated-away flyers.Worse, the living archive of the community’snetwork of relationships was lacerated. A generationof elders was lost; most of the flood victimswere senior citizens, and old folks havebeen dying since then, both from stress and frominadequate care. Greater St. Stephen Full GospelBaptist Church, which prior to the flood hadsome 20,000 members, is now down to no morethan 5,000. One of their three church campuseswas flooded out in 2005, and their originalhome-base church in Central City suffered a disastrousfire in July. Fewer musicians get hiredfor church gigs now. Across the way from thatburned-out sanctuary on Liberty Street is thehouse where Buddy Bolden lived, still standingbut in disrepair, one of many blighted houses ina city of abandoned homes.As it always has in hard times, the traditionalculture is fulfilling an essentialrole in the spirit of the town. The deepmusical and cultural tradition of the Mardi GrasIndians, which reaches in an unbroken line backto the 19th century, is a shout that the communityis alive. Harrison, who besides being a jazzpolymath is Big Chief of the Congo Nation, isguardedly optimistic that enough of his peopleare back that he can field 10 people when hetakes to the street for Mardi Gras 2009. Thequestion is, will there be a next generation ofMardi Gras Indians?The second-lines have a new sense ofurgency to them. These are the traditional brassband-drivenSunday parades that go back to thebeginning of jazz. The Revolution Social Aid40 DOWNBEAT November 2008

and Pleasure Club’s parade this year was impeccablein all its details and had two fine bands—Rebirth Brass Band and New Birth. It began infront of Congo Square, the epicenter of the city’sAfrican American music heritage, then crossedover into uptown, ending up at the blocks of rubbleof the just-demolished Magnolia Projects, bywhere the Dew Drop Inn once had round-theclockjam sessions all weekend long.Some out-of-towners on the parade who sawthe Magnolia debris thought they were lookingat storm damage. No, the U.S. government didthat. And the feds also knocked down the St.Bernard project, destroying 963 apartments thathad been peoples’ homes. Brother Tyrone stillshuttles back and forth between Baton Rougeand New Orleans. His former home, the Lafittehousing project, built by local artisans in 1941and structurally sound after the hurricane, isbeing demolished.New Orleans has kept up its busy schedule offestivals year round. Nobody disputes the importanceof music to New Orleans’ tourism brand,but musicians question how much of it is lip service.In June 2008, when veteran New Orleansreedman and educator Kidd Jordan was in NewYork to receive a lifetime achievement award atthe Vision Festival, he was asked in a panel convenedby writer Larry Blumenfeld about thestate of music in New Orleans. Jordan’sresponse was to pull out a clipping from theNew Orleans Times-Picayune and ask someoneto read it. It was a long list of names of musicianswho were coming into town to play at JazzFest. No New Orleans musicians—who constitutethe bulk of Jazz Fest programming—werenamed. Then Jordan instructed the reader to turnthe clipping over and tell him what was on theback side. It was the obituaries.“People don’t understand,” White said. “Thelosses are continuous. They’ve been continuoussince the storm. It’s not like it happened, and it’sover, and we move on, and that’s it. The losseshave been continuous, because there are manypeople dying of Katrina-related situations.”But the music is also continuous. Most of theclubs that were open before are open now. Thereare fewer sidemen, but there are enough to sustainthe music. Musicians have a special love forSnug Harbor, the city’s premier modern jazzclub, located on Frenchmen Street. Despite themandatory evacuation of the city after HurricaneKatrina, owner George Brumat stayed in theclub the entire time in defiance of the NationalGuard and the police, recalled Snug’s announcerYorke Corbin. When the electricity was off,“George sat outside in front of the glass doorduring the day with his baseball bat—he was abig guy—showing passers-by that there was apresence here,” Corbin said. “At night he wouldsit in the plate glass window with a candle and abook and an old shotgun, conveying the samemessage.”Brumat not only kept looters away, he wasinstrumental in getting utilities restored to theBig Sam WilliamsNightlife Highlights When In TownA visitor to New Orleans gets a tremendousmusical banquet, almost for free.Maybe Big Sam’s Funky Nation atTipitina’s, or Ivan Neville’s Dumpstaphunk.Stop in at d.b.a on Frenchmen Street andyou might catch Walter “Wolfman”Washington and his fine band, theRoadmasters. You’d be hard-pressed to saywhether you were hearing jazz, blues orfunk, because in the New Orleans way, it’sat the intersection of all three, and if youclosed your eyes, you might not be surewhat year it was. Cross the street to theApple Barrel on Saturday night and there’sCajun-Choctaw swamp-blues growler CocoRobicheaux, with no cover at all and, forthat matter, no P.A. system to speak of.On Friday nights at Snug Harbor you canusually catch Ellis Marsalis, and othernights you might hear Jason or DelfeayoMarsalis, Marlon Jordan, Germaine Bazzle,Charmaine Neville, Irvin Mayfield or JesseMcBride.Early evening on Saturdays at d.b.abelongs to John Boutté and the Hot Calas,also for no cover. As soulful a jazz singer asyou’d ever want to hear, Boutté does thebest of the many versions of RandyNewman’s wrenching “Louisiana 1927,”neighborhood, which is home to New Orleans’premier live-music bar-crawl strip. SnugHarbor reopened in October 2005, about twomonths after the storm. From the date ofreopening, when most of the city was dark atnight and business was soft, the club paid musiciansa guarantee, as it had done before. Thenin July 2007, Brumat died of a heart attack atage 63. But Snug Harbor has remained open,booked by Jason Patterson. It still presents livemusic seven nights a week, and still pays musiciansa guarantee.Mark Bingham, owner of Piety StreetStudios in the Bywater, has bookings, but henotices a difference: Fewer people are drivingthe song that was already an anthem beforethe flood and has become a basic standardsince. Boutté’s passionate version updatesthe lyrics to sing about the flood in whichhe and his band members lost their houses.The Treme Brass Band plays Wednesdaynights at the Candle Light Lounge. In season,the Wild Magnolias rehearse theirMardi Gras Indian battles, with intensedrumming and chanting, at their CentralCity clubhouse, Handa Wanda.This city of 323,000 (Greg Rigamer’s estimate,though other numbers are lower) hasits own music magazine, Offbeat, that is stillpublishing, and there are music listings inthe weekly Gambit. New Orleans has aunique radio station, WWOZ, a legacy of thecommunity-radio movement of the 1960s,which plays mostly local music. (It streamsat wwoz.org.) Every two hours they read alist of live gigs, so listeners know that PapaGrows Funk is still at the Maple Leafuptown every Monday, like they werebefore the flood, and that Rebirth BrassBand is still there every Tuesday. OnThursdays, Soul Rebels still hold it down atthe Bon Ton on Magazine Street and KermitRuffins and the Barbecue Swingers havetheir longtime gig at Vaughan’s. —N.S.over to the studio from their homes in town, andmore are flying in from other cities to recordthere. There are some locally based projects happening:White’s album was done at Piety Streetfor local label Basin Street Records, which cameback to life but hasn’t had an easy time of it.Basin Street owner Mark Samuels lost his houseand his office in Lakeshore, spent a school yearin Austin while commuting back and forth, andis now running the company out of his rebuilthome with part-time staff.Almost everyone talked to for this storyagreed that not only the flood, but the recovery,has seen dysfunctional leadership at all levels ofgovernment, from the national to the local, but42 DOWNBEAT November 2008

there’s praise for volunteer and charitable initiatives,though they haven’t been enough to meetthe vast need. “The things that helped me gettogether,” Samuels said, “were programs like theBeacon of Hope, which was a neighborhoodgrass-roots organization to help people gut theirhomes and get themselves back, or MusiCares,the Red Cross, Desire NOLA or the IdeaVillage, which were organizations that did giveus some funds without too much headache thathelped us stay on our feet.”And, of course, New Orleans music hasn’tonly been hit with the damage to the city; it alsohas to deal with the changes that have beenreshaping the music industry, so Samuels has adouble-tough row to hoe.But so do many people. Trumpeter IrvinMayfield’s been busy as can be leading the NewOrleans Jazz Orchestra, but he’s still dealingwith the horror of his father having drowned inthe flood. Pianist Henry Butler, who released analbum on Basin Street this year, PiaNOLA, isn’tback, though he shows up in town for gigs.Butler now lives in Denver, flying from thereto play all around the country and the world.“My property and all my belongings that wereworth anything in that house in Gentilly weresubmerged,” he said.The Road Home—the $10.3 billion dollarstate program that’s supposed to help peoplelike him—turned Butler down. “I probablycould have gotten something if I had gotten anattorney,” he said. “[But] I’m realizing moreand more that you just gotta know what battlesto fight.”He has a house in Denver now, and he’s gota good piano again, though he hasn’t been ableto reassemble a home studio yet. Will he comeback to New Orleans? “Well,” he paused for along time. “That would be nice. My heart—mymusical heart‚ is there. (pause) I don’t knowwhat direction that city is going to take.”One concern is the state of music in theschools. The K–12 schoolchildren of NewOrleans are being subjected to an experimentwith a two-tier system of (integrated) charter and(mostly black) public schools that in many locationsplaces more emphasis on passing standardizedtests than on music education. Many schoolmarching bands are not back, and they have traditionallybeen a feeder for the brass-band sceneas well as for modern jazz players. Tipitina’sFoundation has been raising money to buymarching band instruments, and, on a moreadvanced level, they sponsor a Monday nightprogram for up-and-coming young musiciansdirected by Harrison at The Music Shed recordingstudio. (An album recorded with some ofthose young players, The Chosen, was releasedin September.)Dedicated cadres of musicians are teachingin a variety of privately sponsored programs,including the three-week Louis “Satchmo”Armstrong Summer Jazz Camp, which this Julyfeatured Jimmy Heath as artist-in-residence. Nordoes the educational imperative stop withteenagers. White has been involved in a collaborationwith the Hot 8, probably the most streetfunkyof the second-line bands, teaching themtraditional-style New Orleans music.New Orleans is still a terrific place to studymusic if you’re college age. Colleges are a bigpart of the New Orleans economy, and everyuniversity in town offers music programs, asdoes the New Orleans Center for Creative Arts(NOCCA). The Thelonious Monk Institute forJazz Studies has moved its operations to LoyolaUniversity in New Orleans, allowing for thereturn to the city of its artistic director, trumpeterTerence Blanchard (whose 2007 Blue Notealbum A Requiem For Katrina: A Tale Of God’sWill is a spine-tingling masterpiece).Meanwhile, the city has become a magnet foractivists and a front line in the battle for socialjustice.And the music these days is compelling. “Mymusic has grown exponentially since Katrina,”Butler said. “Partly because I’ve been feeling itmore. I’m trying to express more. I’m trying togive more.”DBNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 43

BridgeTo TheBeyondJOSEPH JOHNSONThough regarded as one of the greatestdrummers of the 20th century, inmany ways Tony Williams remainsuncredited for his contributions to Americanmusic. Speak to his collaborators and themusicians he has influenced about his music,and you often hear what amounts to mysteriesand fables.Also, stories of a genius emerge. Williams’“controlled chaos” (to quote Bob Belden)sparked not only new musical movements, butstrains and possibilities that went unfulfilledafter he died of a heart attack on Feb. 23, 1997,while recovering from a gall bladder operation.Even Williams had a hard time putting hisdrumming concepts to words.“Tony said that when someone asked himabout what he was thinking when he played orwhat was the process that went through hismind, or what process did he go through whenhe played the instrument, he said, ‘If I couldtell you in words I wouldn’t have to play,’”said saxophonist Wayne Shorter, who sharedthe bandstand with Williams in Miles Davis’1960s quintet. “That was like the title [Filles De Kilimanjaro]. But alot of young people and maybe some elders want some significantcapsulized moment that sheds light on that title.”Williams’ legacy is thick with the sense of urgency that characterizedhis life and drumming. Joining Davis’ group at the age of 17,Boston-bred Williams exploded on the scene, equally influencingyounger drummers and the drummers who had influenced him.“The first time I saw him he was 13 years old,” Shorter said. “Iwas playing with Art Blakey then. We had one engagement atStoryville in Boston. Here comes Tony Williams with his father,and Art knew them. He told Tony to get up on the drums and play.TracingTony Williams’revolutionaryinfluenceon jazzdrumming,fromFilles DeKilimanjaroto WildernessBy Ken MicallefTony demonstrated; he went from Sid Catlettto Max Roach. He was advanced. He had agrasp of the style. We were thinking, what washe going to be like when he was 21?”What he became was a pioneer, whose arcof influence can be measured by the broadrange of recordings on which he participatedand led. Williams’ drumming on the Davismasterworks Nefertiti, Miles In The Sky andFilles De Kilimanjaro represents a seriousintellect bringing the avant-garde to bear in anew jazz drumming language. He altered thetighter swing beat of the past with a more flowing,eighth-note feel—its profound currentseventually revolutionized jazz and rock.Williams almost singlehandedly createdjazz-rock on Tony Williams LifetimeEmergency!, then reached a burning fusion pinnacleon Believe It. Post fusion, Williamscooled down as a member of V.S.O.P., andcreated his own masterful post-bop expressionwith his powerful ’80s group. (Mosaic Select’sTony Williams documents this period.)Eternally curious, Williams began studyingcomposition near the end of his life, resulting in Wilderness, hisorchestral forays contrasted by group performances with MichaelBrecker, Herbie Hancock, Stanley Clarke and Pat Metheny.Williams was a bridge to the beyond. He seemed to live in aconstant state of exploration. Further innovations are hinted at inunreleased recordings, such as a 1964 John Coltrane gig at Boston’sJazz Workshop where Williams subbed for Elvin Jones (the taperemains with Williams’ wife) and his unreleased Columbia album,Barbarians. What might have transpired if Davis had agreed toWilliams’ bright idea to open for The Beatles, or if Williams hadfulfilled his dream to become a soundtrack composer?November 2008 DOWNBEAT 45

Williams’ impressionistic, fiery drummingevolved in Davis’ ’60s quintet.Shorter remembered Davis givingWilliams the freedom to embark on his artisticjourneys.“When we did the Plugged Nickel, oneevening it got crowded,” Shorter said. “Tonystarted bearing down and some kid from theaudience said, ‘The drums are too loud!’ Milessaid, ‘Leave the drummer alone.’ Did Miles evertalk to us about what we played if we had arehearsal? We never had a rehearsal. Did he giveus direction? Never. Tony was opening up.Miles wanted this development, this growth, seewhere it was going. You are messing with theindividual when you start dictating stuff.”Seven Steps To Heaven, E.S.P., Miles Smiles,Nefertiti and Miles In The Sky are vehicles forWilliams’ scorched earth campaign, but onFilles De Kilimanjaro a shift occurs, where hesees and seizes the future.“When Tony joined Miles,” drummer BillyHart said, “he’d already been exposed to a highlevel of harmonic development from playingwith Sam Rivers. Tony was into Varese,Stockhausen and Messiaen, and by being so prolificas a young student under Alan Dawson,Tony had figured out the bebop guys, and thatthey were playing Latin from Dizzy and Bird’sinterest in Afro-Cuban. Around the same time,the Brazilian thing hit. Tony had that advantageover the previous bebop drummers in that hecould compare the Cuban vocabulary with theBrazilian.“You can hear that before Miles In The Sky,”Hart continued. “On all the records, like whenthey go to a pedal point on ‘My Funny Valentine,’Tony didn’t do like Elvin Jones and play apolyrhythmic thing; he’d go into straighteighths. It sounds like bossa nova. On Miles InThe Sky you can hear that process step-by-step.Filles De Kilimanjaro is where he is getting towhat guys are playing today. Tony was in aposition to use all the incoming styles as part ofhis vocabulary.”“Kilimanjaro was the real germ of whatjazz-rock became and later fusion,” drummerLenny White said. “In ‘Frelon Brun,’ Tony isbasically playing ‘Cold Sweat,’ but he is sci-fiingit. He’s opening it up and implying a six feelon top of the four. The stuff he played there isamazing. He played that beat but he made itTony Williams.”Belden confirmed the “Cold Sweat” influence,privy as he is to the record’s master tape.“On the session reel for Kilimanjaro, Tony said,‘I’m hungry, I’m going to get a sandwich,’ andhe leaves,” Belden said. “You hear a click. Tonygoes to the record store and listens to ‘ColdSweat’ and comes back and plays the tune.”“This is the thing that separates Tony fromeveryone else,” White added. “When I heardhim, I heard all of the drummers from before:Philly Joe Jones, Max Roach, Roy Haynes. Theywere all in his playing. The future of wheredrumming was going to go was now in the sameguy. He could take that lineage and roll it up intoone sound. The sound of his drums was likeMax, Philly and Art Blakey, but it was hissound.”Filles De Kilimanjaro is also a pivotal jumping-offpoint for Davis. The music is performedby two bands, one of the past with HerbieHancock and Ron Carter, and the other of thenear future of In A Silent Way with Chick Coreaand Dave Holland. The shape-shifting explorationsof the original quintet are heard on “ToutDe Suite,” “Petits Machins” and the title track,while the latter group plays “Frelon Brun” and“Mademoiselle Mabry.” Kilimanjaro is thebridge where Davis aims for a pop- and rockorientedfuture, while Williams draws evendeeper breaths for his preparations as a leader.“The group [during that period] was evengreater than the sum of their parts,” drummerBill Stewart said. “One of the things I love aboutTony’s playing in this period is his listening ability,his interaction and timing. He plays theseinteractive things at moments in the music thatpropel the music forward. It’s about the spaceshe plays those things in. I loved his sound, andthe way Columbia recorded his drums duringthat period. The other thing that crept into hisDrummers Speak Tony’s LanguageTerri Lyne Carrington“Every time I hear Tony I remember how greathe is. It’s always fresh and amazing. Tonybrought the drums to the forefront more thanever. He took from Roy Haynes and moved itforward in his own way. I hate to talk inabsolutes, but Tony made the greatest individualpersonal statement on the instrument ever.His technique was incredible and he had themost important element—time feel.”Billy Drummond“In terms of superimposing different metersand feels against that even-eighth feel, he wasthe first jazz drummer to do it. That comesfrom Latin music, that up-and-down feel asopposed to the jazz, dotted-eighth, 16th feel.He was blurring the lines between the two,but he also did that on Miles Smiles, and thehi-hat on all fours against the ride rhythm.That is where the seeds are planted.”Peter Erskine“Words seem inadequate to describe hiswork with Miles, and how new it was and yetcompletely tied into tradition. Tony did aninteresting thing, the M’Boom period wherehe followed the work Max Roach had done interms of working with a percussion ensemble,like on Ego with Don Alias and WarrenSmith. That was a bridge to Believe It. OnBelieve It, all of a sudden the drums wereright in your face, the visceral reaction wasthat it was one of drumming’s biggest shotsacross the bow.”Dafnis Prieto“What I like about Filles De Kilimanjaro is theelasticity of the beat. He’s removing the conceptionof the drums as the foundation of themusic. The drums take different roles.Sometimes you hear the hi-hat going oneway and the cymbal going in a different way.It’s not pretentiously tight, because obviouslyhe can do it tight. He did effects, like closingand opening the hi-hat fast, or striking thesnare or the tom and the hi-hat together, thatsplashy sound. Then silence after that. It createdthat tension and release in his drumming.”Steve Smith“The music Tony composed and recorded forBlue Note with his last group is some of thebest work of his career, but it seems to belargely overlooked. Tony was the principalcomposer of the music for the this quintet, andby this time his drumming had matured intoan extraordinary combination of an evolvedand unpredictable jazz approach married to arock-influenced conception where he drew ahuge, yet melodic, sound from the drums.”Lenny White“Believe It is jazz-rock, not fusion. The connotationis different. Believe It is a culmination ofwhat he had done with Lifetime, but withanother innovation in a whole new drumsound with his larger kit, and another innovationin a way to play an eighth-note feel. Andagain he played backbeats; Tony playedgrooves and beats with a jazz sensibility. Heplayed his grooves on the sock cymbal. He’sgot Papa Jo Jones up top with his backbeatstuff on the bottom with bass and snare, playingin between like a great jazz drummerwould. He’s playing the history of jazz drumming,because he is comping. He never forgothis roots.”—K.M.

style by Miles Smiles, he was playing the hi-haton all fours sometimes. You hear that onKilimanjaro, but in more of an even eighth-notecontext.”The album’s opening track, “Frelon Brun,”contains the seeds of Williams’ future drummingodyssey. Against the “Cold Sweat” vamphe blows single-stroke rolls between snare andbass drum, blistering flam/crash combinations,abrupt splashes and rumbling full-set punctuations,all while dancing and darting like a demonsprite, and at breakneck speed with effortlesscontrol and precise execution.“If you look at ‘Frelon Brun’ and when itwas recorded, 1968, and what was happeningmusically, socially, the things that Tony washearing and was influenced by, he took all ofthat and all of his innovations, and even played abackwards rock beat and innovated on that,”drummer Cindy Blackman said. “The eighthnotefeel stuff that he did was innovativebecause of the way he would turn the beataround, the way he would liberally improvisewith playing just a beat. In ‘Frelon Brun’ he tookall the history from Art, Max, Papa Jo, Roy andPhilly then he added himself on top of that. He’sfamous for his bass drum and tom rolls, but onKilimanjaro he’s doing it between his bass drumand hi-hat. And it feels good.”After working with Davis until 1969,Williams led Lifetime (with Larry Young andJohn McLaughlin) through the groundbreakingEmergency! sessions, followed by Turn It Overand Ego (his two personal favorites, WallaceRoney said) and The Old Bum’s Rush. Herecorded Stan Getz’s Captain Marvel in ’72, atthe tail end of this period. But Emergency! is oneof the great untold stories in jazz.“Near the end of his time with Miles, Tonywanted to play with a guitarist,” Roney said.“Miles responded by getting George Benson,but it didn’t work. Meanwhile, Tony cameacross a John McLaughlin tape via JackDeJohnette. Tony put together Lifetime withMcLaughlin and Larry Young. He wanted tomake music like the younger cats were making,but he didn’t want to sell out. Meanwhile,Columbia is making offers to everyone in Miles’band to make a record, but they reneged withTony. Polydor gave him some money and theyrecorded Emergency!“Within a week they were gigging at CountBasie’s in Harlem and everybody was there,from [Jimi] Hendrix to Marvin Gaye,” Roneycontinued. “And Miles shows up at Tony’s gig,and stands directly in front of the stage, watching.Afterwards, Miles said, ‘Tony I want youback in the band. And I want your whole band.’Tony wanted Miles to call it ‘Miles Davis presentsthe Tony Williams Lifetime.’ Milesrefused. Then Miles went behind Tony’s backand asked Larry and John to play on In A SilentWay. Tony showed up to the session and therewas his band, just after he asked Miles not to dothat. He only played rim there because he wasmad. He told Miles he would never play withhim again. They remained friends, but he stuckto his guns. It was never resolved.”Meanwhile, Columbia’s Al Kooperapproached McLaughlin about signingLifetime. “The band was gaining popularity,”Roney said. “Columbia wanted to call theband Lifetime, not the Tony WilliamsLifetime. Tony got pissed. He said, ‘I see whatyou’re trying to do. You’re trying to talk to thewhite boy. You want to make it John’s band.But it’s my band, and you have to respectthat,’ and he threw Al Kooper out of the dressingroom. But Kooper was still talking to JohnMcLaughlin so Tony felt betrayed. Had Johnleft it alone, Tony would have negotiated. Johntook the contract for himself, and that is howMahavishnu was born. Tony said he looked upone day at all the work he had done, and BillyCobham via Mahavishnu became what Tonywas. So for Ego he got an all-black band. Tonywas not a racist but he felt the industry hadscrewed him, and he didn’t feel like he got hisdue until years later.”Amagic meeting of simpatico souls frozenin a moment of time, Believe It, from1975, inspired thousands of rockers toexplore jazz. Accompanied by Allan Holdsworth,Alan Pasqua and Tony Newton,Williams created a fusion masterwork thatremains a landmark recording with his NewTony Williams Lifetime. Sparked by Holdsworth’ssheets-of-sound guitar style, Pasqua’ssympathetic Rhodes and Newton’s Motowndrenchedbass, Williams reinvents his playingwith the classic yellow Gretsch kit and its legendary24-inch bass drum.“Tony was a great leader in that he wouldnever tell me what to do,” Pasqua said. “He ledthrough example. He knew what he wanted.Tony played his tunes to us on piano, he was agood composer. He was into the big backbeatand groove. He was listening to Hendrix, thenLed Zeppelin. He did not talk about it, he wasjust doing it. I still have his manuscript to‘Wildlife’ framed on my wall.”Recorded in two days at the CBS 30th Streetstudio, Believe It is almost all first takes with nooverdubbing. Williams takes it to the rock crowd,firmly establishing his intent through roaringdrumming with an even greater eighth-note feelremaking his trademark rudimental fury.“He was misunderstood,” Pasqua said ofWilliams during this period. “It was hard for himto accept all the adoration that he got.”“I wrote ‘Fred’ and ‘Mr. Spock’ for thatrecord,” Holdsworth said. “‘Fred’ had been aballad. I played it to Tony and he just startedplaying that beat. It converted it from a ballad towhat it is. ‘Fred’ was the original demo recordedat a different session. We went into the CBSstudio, which had an old tube console. We wereall in the same room, Tony had a glass wallaround his drums. We played like we wererehearsing. Alan and I figured out later that insome of the heads we weren’t even playing thesame thing. Sometimes we’d play a head or apart, then later on I’d realize I hadn’t been playingthe same notes as Pasqua. It was loose. Thatgave it something as well. It was organic.“It was a loud band, before the days of mastervolumes,” Holdsworth continued, referring tothe group’s gigs at The Bottom Line and theVillage Gate (more unreleased recordings,Belden said). “Tony was loud, but unbelievablyJAN PERSSON48 DOWNBEAT November 2008

dynamic. He could also play super soft. Hisdrumming was like Red Bull on steroids. It wasan honor, pleasure and privilege to be thrown inthe middle of that band.”Williams’ next-to-last recording, 1996’sWilderness, features the fruit of hisorchestral studies in four tracks thatwere, by his own admission, modeled on themusic of Aaron Copland. Metheny, Hancock,Brecker and Clarke are also onboard for somewide-ranging improvisations. Williams’ electronicdrums kick the funky “China Town” and“China Moon,” his brushes sweep through thelovely “Harlem Mist ’55” and “Machu Picchu,”his swing beat catapults “China Road” and heoffers the carefree Latin of “Gambia.” Methenypenned “The Night You Were Born,” and herecalled the sessions fondly.“My favorite thing on the album is when thecore quintet took Tony’s score and quickly did asmall-group version of it,” Metheny said. “It allhappened fast—we split off the parts for each ofus and found the sections that would be good toimprovise on. That version mirrors the orchestralversion in such a special way. I can’t think ofanything else quite like that.“Tony’s mood was upbeat,” Metheny continued.“He was thrilled to finally realize this piece,and he was excited about the band that he puttogether for the date. He and I were on the phoneoften before and after the sessions, and the lasttime we spoke just before he went into the hospitalwe talked for about two hours. He had beensuch a huge hero of mine and he had mentionedwanting to do a new version of Lifetime.Wilderness offers a different idea of Tony’srange as a musician and fills in an area of his talentthat even his biggest fans—like me—wereunaware of. The orchestral piece is especiallyimpressive.”Not long before his death, Williams did around of interviews during a weeklong gig withhis trio at New York’s Birdland. I interviewedhim and asked, “How do hold your stick?” Hereplied, “Shake my hand. Put out your hand!”Then he slid the stick into my hand. “That,” hesaid, “is how you hold the stick.” He was ingood humor.“I spoke with him on the Wednesday beforehe died,” Roney said. “He wanted to talk toHerbie and do another V.S.O.P. tour for Wayne,as his wife had just died. That was good. Tonywas in his 50s, he’d already received recognitionfor leading great bands, he was getting credit forstarting fusion and he was offered these greattours. He felt that he’d showed the world thatfusion was his. Other drummers—BillyCobham, Jack DeJohnette, Steve Gadd, SteveSmith, Jeff Watts and Will Calhoun—were hailinghim, and he became at peace with that. Buthe never felt he got his due. He felt the criticsnever credited him for being the innovative jazzdrummer he was, the one who started fusion. Hefelt he never got that.”DBNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 49

SIXFORGOTTENBEATSALTHOUGH NEGLECTED IN SOCIETY’S Acouple of years ago I played a parlorCOLLECTIVE MEMORY, DRUM PIONEERSgame of general knowledge with a dozenCHICK WEBB, JO JONES, GENE KRUPA,or so family members. The answer to oneSID CATLETT, SONNY GREER AND of the questions was Bing Crosby, which someoneDAVE TOUGH STILL WIELD SIGNIFICANT immediately pounced on. But one otherwise bright,INFLUENCE OVER JAZZ college-educated young woman in her early 20sBy John McDonough still looked puzzled.50 DOWNBEAT November 2008“Who’s Bing Crosby?” she muttered. The muffled thump that followed wasthe sound of jaws dropping. The incident went to the heart of a fascinating issuein a century crowded with celebrity and legend—the fragility of collective culturalmemory, particularly in music.The longer the history of jazz stretches out, the more this question seems tomatter. As the traditional record companies shrink and big reissues becomescarcer, the more important it will become. Should I have been surprised a fewyears ago when a smart copy editor at one of the world’s great newspapers asked“Who was Harry James?” about a column I’d written? It was sobering. But asthe cultural deposits of departed generations accumulate like tectonic plates, Ibegan to wonder: Should James—or Crosby—be remembered today?The vast catalog of accumulated popular culture—music, film, literature,television and theater—constitutes a vocabulary of shared experience by whichwe communicate meanings from day to day. It’s the means by which one generationcommunicates with another. We encounter it all the time in conversationand media.Those who listen to jazz with the intent to comment draw on a vocabulary ofprecedent, turning proper names into adjectives—convenient labels that sort andclassify. We may describe a young tenor saxophonist’s sound as “Websterish,”DOWNBEAT ARCHIVESDOWNBEAT ARCHIVES

Jo JonesDave ToughSonny GreerDOWNBEAT ARCHIVESDOWNBEAT ARCHIVESSid CatlettGene KrupaDOWNBEAT ARCHIVES VERYL OAKLANDChick Webb

an altoist’s sensuality as “Hodges-like,” or a player’s phrasing as “Parkeresque”or “Tatum-esque.” Perhaps naively we expect youthful readers of ajazz-oriented magazine to understand and translate these references intorecognizable sounds based on their knowledge of Ben Webster, JohnnyHodges, Charlie Parker and Art Tatum. Soloists of such distinctive voicesnot only played with big, unmistakable signatures, but they founded wholedynasties of style that would touch and define generations to come.They also played to the beat of drummers whose signatures, in somecases, were equally bold and unmistakable—and always moreomnipresent. The soloist’s phrasing and the drummer’s sculpting of timeare decidedly different functions, but intimately interdependent and interactive.The soloist moves with the drummer as the swimmer moves withthe sea.In the DownBeat Hall of Fame polls through 2008, only nine drummershave been inducted to that body, compared to 16 trumpet players, 25pianists and 30 reed players. Of those nine Hall of Fame drummers, six arefamiliar to most young fans today because they have their roots in somebranch of jazz still relatively contemporary. Presumably all readers knowMax Roach, Art Blakey, Tony Williams, Elvin Jones and—the only onestill living—Roy Haynes. As for Buddy Rich, who led a contemporary bigband until his death in 1987 and lived on a special plateau of celebrity rarein jazz, he remains probably the world’s most famous jazz drummer.None seem in any danger of imminent neglect.It may seem curious, though, that the first, and presumably mostimportant drummer elected to the Hall of Fame (in 1972) is a name fewerand fewer young people seem to know—Gene Krupa. Why has Krupa,who for more than three decades reigned as the popular personification ofthe jazz drummer, faded so sharply from view? And why have critics, whovote in the Hall of Fame, ignored so many of the drummers who turnedtime into art before 1945?The problem is, said drummer Kenny Washington, “if you listen toElvin Jones first, you’ve got a problem. He was an original, but behindthat originality lays every great drummer in jazz. If you got him on thesubject of Sonny Greer, he could talk in minute detail for a half-hour. Butmany young people are trapped in the mystique of John Coltrane andMiles Davis, and they never get any farther than that. Trying to play likeElvin is the worst thing you can do if you haven’t checked out hissources.”The cruel fact is that a drummer’s fate rises or falls with the musiciansaround him. If no one listens to Count Basie, Duke Ellington, BennyGoodman, Coleman Hawkins, Tommy Dorsey, Roy Eldridge or LesterYoung, no one will hear the drummers behind them. They become strandedin recent history—that zone of cultural memory that lays just beyondthe frontiers of nostalgia where scholars begin to outnumber witnesses.“College-level students think it all started with Dave Weckl, SteveGadd or Peter Erskine,” said Les DeMerle, who played with Harry Jamesin the ’70s and ’80s. “But when those kids hear Weckl, Gadd or Erskinetalk about the godfathers like Buddy [Rich] and Jo [Jones], they’ll researchit. They have to hear it from someone they respect. That’s why I alwaysexpose my students to that history and those drummers before they’re 20. Igot curious about Chick Webb when I’d heard Gene and Buddy talk abouthim when I was a kid.”It is not that these drummers’ work has vanished from the scene orbecome obsolete. Quite the opposite, in some cases. It has simply evolvedbeyond its origins into new contexts and meanings—too often leaving itsoriginators behind. There is no better example of this than Krupa, whosemagnum opus, “Sing Sing Sing,” is continually revived and recycled incontemporary movies, television and advertising.Jazz education, in its desire to polish its ensembles and compete inband festivals, seems to be failing jazz history. “For years,” Washingtonsaid, “it has a lot to do with the teachers because there’s no one saying,‘You know this stuff or you fail.’ A lot of the time, a good portion of theteachers don’t know it. In my classes, the kids either buy that Jo Jones Trioon Everest or they fail. That’s a must.”Not long ago I asked members of a top high school band what they

knew about Krupa, Sid Catlett, Sonny Greer, Jo Jones, Dave Tough orChick Webb. One said that he “kind of heard” of Krupa. “That doesn’tsurprise me,” Washington said. “I teach at the college level, and the samething happens. They might know Krupa but have they ever heard hisrecords? No. Zero. You can’t get these guys to do five- and seven-strokerolls and learn the basic 26 rudiments.”No surprise either to Haynes. “Not any more,” he said. “A long timeago maybe, but no longer. I love all those guys, and I knew them allexcept Chick Webb. They all were great.”Haynes’ son, Craig, also a drummer, walked in during the interview.“I’m more surprised when young fans do know those guys,” he added.It’s worse than that, explained Chico Hamilton. “The average black kiddoesn’t even who Duke Ellington is,” he said. “They don’t know whoCount Basie was. Some white kids know, but black kids have no idea,because they don’t play or hear jazz anymore. How would they knowdrummers?”Why do these six drummers deserve to be better rememberedthan they are? To begin with, because they first awakened thepossibilities of the drums in jazz. These six men brought thedrums from the back of the bandstand, projected them into the soul andcharacter of the music, and made it move in unimagined ways. The earlyNew Orleans drummers were important as well, but as the early jazzrecords of the ’20s show, drummers were more of a functional commoditythan a unique brand then, typically squeezed between a tuba and banjo.The drummers’ day came in the ’30s, when rhythm sections began tobreathe and recording technology advanced.Each of these drummers established his reputation before World War IIwith a big band, and each had a touch and sound powerful enough todefine an orchestra from the drum chair.Today, when Webb (1902–’39) is mentioned, it is often as anappendage to the career of Ella Fitzgerald, who he discovered in 1935 andwhose popularity largely swallowed up both Webb and his band. But inthe early days of the swing era, Webb was every young drummer’s god, inpart because, until Krupa left Goodman in 1938, he was the only drummerleading a major working orchestra. He put the drums in the spotlight andmade them the center of attention and the spark behind the band as no oneelse ever had.“He laid down the blueprint of big band drumming,” Washington said.By the standards of the time, he was jazz’s first drum virtuoso-soloist,though he never recorded any extended solo pieces. A hunchback due tospinal tuberculosis, his playing combined surgical precision, superb time,and an inciting speed and flash. On stage at the Savoy the crowd and themusic were said to move to his command. Drummers envied such authority.Alas, those days and most of the people from then are now gone.Once Fitzgerald caught on, the band increasingly became her accompanist.But what survives on a handful of Decca records such as “Liza,”“Clap Hands, Here Comes Charlie” and “Harlem Congo,” and two wellrecordedtranscription sessions in 1936 and ’39, give some idea of the startlingnew power Webb wielded from the drum chair, playing a differentsound for each soloist.None was more star struck by Webb than Krupa (1908–’73), whosepress rolls and bass pulse were born in an older style (i.e. Zutty Singleton)but were sufficiently streamlined to kick start Goodman’s breakthroughband in 1935–’36. If Webb was the musician’s drummer, Krupa belongedto the world. To an accomplished technique, he added a natural charismathat tabbed him for stardom.“He understood that the drummer was always moving,” DeMerle said,“and that eyes are attracted to motion.”So he took advantage of that potential vision of rhythm and imageand gave a riveting physical expression. His solos became a spellbindingchoreography of delirium. When the Goodman band went toHollywood, the cameras lingered longer over Krupa’s primal magnetismthan Goodman’s stoic reserve. “But don’t misunderstand,” Washingtonsaid, “this guy could really play.”

Haynes, a longtime admirer, added, “He reallyknew how to tune his set. He had a sound.”By the end of the ’30s, Krupa was leading hisown big band. He was the world’s most famousdrummer and the matrix for Rich’s looming stardom.He would redeem his fame, however, withmuch finer work starting with the inspired primitivismof “Sing Sing Sing,” which DownBeat predictedin October 1937 “will make record history.”“Teeming with imaginative variations,” thereviewer wrote, “this is musical genius.” The factthat all genius ultimately becomes a cliché merelyattests to the original inspiration.Greer (1895–’82) took big band drumming inan entirely different direction that could only havethrived within Duke Ellington’s band of inspiredcontradictions. “I love Sonny,” Haynes said. “Igot closer with Sonny when I was my 60s.”Hamilton did not wait that long. “Sonny was thefirst drummer I ever saw,” he said. “My mothertook me to the Paramount Theater in L.A. when Iwas 8. Everything he touched turned to music.”More an artist than a virtuoso, his instinct for color, shading and ArtNouveau flourish fit perfectly with Ellington’s early jungle effects and hislater interest in Mideast exotica. He was perhaps the only drummer whocarried timpanis, chimes and a gong in his set.“Greer was always more of a percussionist than a drummer,” DeMerlesaid. Hamilton considers him “jazz’s first percussionist.”Greer’s growth paralleled Ellington’s, so that by the early ’40s he gavethe band’s richest work a defining sense of style and dimension that noother player could have delivered—and perhaps no other band could haveused. No single personnel shift in Ellington’s history had a more transformingimpact than the departure of Greer in 1951 and the subsequentarrival of Louie Bellson.“A lot of players tried to imitate Sonny at his peak,” Hamilton said.Yet, today that influence seems too dispersed to track. There is noGreer dynasty perhaps because he made no musical home outside ofEllington. He was an unforgettable eccentric. One of Greer’s originaldrum sets was among the treasured artifacts displayed for years at SteveMaxwell’s Vintage and Custom Drums in Chicago. Various offers werepolitely declined, until recently when a certain fan made an offer thatcould not be refused—something in excess of $25,000. Greer’s set nowresides in the home of Charlie Watts.If Greer was a sui generis eccentric, Jo Jones (1911–’85) was a vastlyinfluential visionary who gave the original Count Basie band a stunningaerodynamic efficiency that helped change the basic laws of motion injazz. “He was my mentor,” Hamilton said.By shifting time off the bass drum to the hi-hat (while bass and guitarkept a soft pulse), Jones’ beat had a lift and elasticity that seemed to coaston air. Its coaxing contours didn’t so much “drive” the band as carry it,becoming the perfect foil for the satin fluidity of tenor saxophonist Young.Jones, who was inducted into the DownBeat Hall of Fame in Augustthrough the Veterans Committee, was the essence of modernism in an ageof streamlining—a musical metaphor for an overarching sensibility thatsought to turn functional machines into sculptured expressions of speedand velocity. He did it all with a minimum of choreography and a maximumof poise and control. Arguably the most important pre-war jazzdrummer, his airy caress of the hi-hat is a sound many have approachedbut few have achieved.Most pre-war drummers bloomed once with the right sound in the perfectcontext. Tough (1908–’48) did it twice. It would be hard to imaginetwo more dissimilar bands than Tommy Dorsey’s quasi-dixieland band ofthe mid-’30 and Herman’s early bop madhouse of the mid-’40s—or thatone drummer could be so central to each. “He played the way the bandleaderwanted him to play,” Hamilton said.Greer with the Duke Ellington OrchestraWith Dorsey, Tough pitter-pattered melodically on rims, woodblocks,toms and cymbals in clever, relaxed clusters that sounded like jelly beanstossed on a tin roof. His rim shots seemed to drop by lucky accidents, buthis hi-hat triplets had a buoyant, stabilizing consistency. His personalityshaped every Dorsey record on which he played. A few years later,though, there was no room for pitter-patter in Herman’s born-to-be-wildFirst Herd. So Tough focused on the hi-hat, opened it up and made it boilunder the band. A smoldering, unceasing sizzle punctuated by splatteredbackbeats drove the band as no drummer ever would again on the lastgreat classics of the big band era (“Apple Honey,” “Red Top,” “NorthwestPassage”).“Players with chops play on top of the beat,” DeMerle said. “Davedidn’t have big chops but he could play behind the beat like Mel Lewisand Grady Tate. They play under a band. That’s an art.”Finally, there is Catlett (1910–’51), the most versatile but perhapsleast remembered of the six. In a career that spanned Sidney Bechet toCharlie Parker, he ended up buried under his own versatility. He was anactivist drummer, often insubordinate but never inappropriate. He couldimpale a phrase in mid-air with a casual rim shot or splash and make itshimmer. But he hitched his wagon to so many different stars and styles,he surrendered the focus that lets history find and properly brand itsimmortals. As long as critic Whitney Balliett lived, he had a powerfuladvocate in the media and the court of posterity. But today we have tofind Catlett on our own. He left huge footprints in Goodman’s 1941band and countless small groups through the ’40s.“He was a huge man,” Hamilton said. “But he had the lightest touch ofany drummer I knew.”Haynes and DeMerle made virtually the same observation. Thebreadth of his impact can be heard with various groups in a 1944 EsquireConcert. Then there is the recently discovered Town Hall performancewith Parker and Gillespie issued by Uptown Records in 2005. “He playseven lighter than Max,” Washington said.The wonder was that Catlett’s elegance was equally at home in the1947 Symphony Hall and Town Hall concerts of Louis Armstrong.Notions of “early” and “modern” became irrelevant in his big hands.Other forgotten drummers exist: Baby Dodds, Zutty Singleton, WalterJohnson, Ray McKinley, Cozy Cole, Kenny Clarke, Panama Francis,George Wettling, Don Lamond, Gus Johnson, Shadow Wilson, J.C.Heard, Nick Fatool, Denzil Best, Mel Lewis and more. To remember sixis not to forget the others. What’s old may be abandoned. But once abandoned,it just awaits its time to be discovered and born once more, and perhapscelebrated as new, original and path-breaking all over again. Fordrummers, it’s always a matter of time.DBDOWNBEAT ARCHIVES54 DOWNBEAT November 2008

RHYTHMROOTSSTEVE SMITH HOISTS THE LEGACY OF HIS DRUM PREDECESSORS ONTO HIS SHOULDERSBy Yoshi Kato Photo by Mike SheaSteve Smith has been traveling the world this year,sharing his love of drumming and lessons learnedthroughout his 34-year professional career. “Sonorhas me touring New Zealand, Australia, China, Japan,South America, Europe and all over North Americabecause it’s the 30th anniversary of me playing theirdrums,” he said. “I’m teaching what I call ‘U.S. ethnicdrumming.’ The drum set is a U.S. innovation.”Those who haven’t attended any of the 58-year-oldBoston-area native’s 50 Sonor clinics can still investigatehis lessons thorough his new two-DVD, one-CD set DrumLegacy: Standing On The Shoulders Of Giants (HudsonMusic) extended master class.After each number (dedicated to one of the “giants” ofjazz drumming), Smith sits down to talk with educator andfellow drummer John Riley, who breaks down the trackand has Smith explain and demonstrate technical aspects ofthe performance at his kit. Smith and Riley help to explorethe foundation set by post-swing era pioneers such as ArtBlakey, Max Roach and Elvin Jones.On a Sunday afternoon in early August, Smith performedat the San Jose Jazz Festival as a member of saxophonistGeorge Brooks’ Indian fusion Summit group.During the quick ride back to his hotel with his wife,Diane, he recognized a venue he played in the mid-’70s asa member of violinist Jean-Luc Ponty’s band.An authoritative drummer with a large yet fluid sound,Smith is a lifelong student and willing teacher. The onetimeBerklee student credits the many fruitful teacher/mentorrelationships he’s had over the years with giving himthe inspiration to do the same for the next generations ofplayers. “Drummers are open about sharing what we do,”he said. “There’s something that helps the teacher clarifyhis or her own process by doing that.”Delving into the jazz legacy and exploring musical traditionsbeyond jazz and blues, Smith is in a constant questfor growth. “The reason we study the roots drummers versusonly studying the present day drummers on the DVD isyou’re getting a potent example of where the ideas originatedfrom,” he said.“In order to understand Jack DeJohnette, for instance,it’s important to study Tony Williams, Elvin Jones andRoy Haynes,” continued Smith, who also released theDVD/CD set The Art Of Playing Brushes (Hudson) withAdam Nussbaum last year. “To understand those guys,it’s important to study Philly Jo Jones, Art Blakey andMax Roach. It’s also clear and more understandable thansometimes studying the more modern drummers, whohave assimilated [Led Zeppelin drummer] John Bonham,[Jimi Hendrix drummer] Mitch Mitchell, hip-hop drummersand others.”When he was still a young student, one of themain ways Smith developed his drum vocabularywas through learning famous drumsolos. “Of course, I learned ‘Take Five’ and ‘Sing SingSing’—not that I learned these solos verbatim,” he said.“Most drummers don’t. But they’ve listened to them andplayed around with the ideas to the point where theyhave a grasp of what the drummer was doing. As youdevelop as a soloist, you want a repertoire of soloingideas to draw upon.”As Smith learned the technical basics, he developed agood ear through being an avid fan. “When I was young, I56 DOWNBEAT November 2008

58 DOWNBEAT November 2008got together with another drummer buddy, andwe’d go to a concert and see Tony Williams orlisten to a record by Miles Davis,” he said.“Then we’d discuss what’s going on in themusic and apply it to our own playing.”In addition to being a sideman in Brook’sSummit and vibraphonist Mike Mainieri’sSteps Ahead, Smith currently leads two differentgroups. Vital Information celebrated its 25thanniversary this year; the group currently featureskeyboardist Tom Coster, electric guitaristVinny Valentino and bassist Baron Browne.Smith’s Jazz Legacy, in turn, featuresBrowne, tenor saxophonist Walt Weiskopf, altosaxophonist Andy Fusco and pianist MarkSoskin. It was founded in 2006 and came out ofthe Buddy Rich tribute group Buddy’s Buddies,which featured the same members save the lateRich band alumnus tenor player Steve Marcus.“When Steve died in 2005, that changed thefeeling and the connection to Buddy Rich; itwas like an end of a chapter,” Smith said. “Wewere ready to move beyond the Buddy Richrepertoire, as well, so we decided to stay togetherand asked Walt to play with us. We can stillpay tribute to Buddy Rich. But we also pay tributeto Art Blakey and some of the other guys Ilove—Elvin, Tony Williams and even a drummernamed Joe Dukes, who’s not well knownbut who was a fantastic organ drummer.”Having multiple band outlets in which hecan express himself perfectly suits Smith, whosplits time between Ashland, Ore., andManhattan. “With Jazz Legacy, it’s straightahead,but we play with a lot of energy, too,” hesaid. “Reminiscent of Tony Williams’ quintet inthe ’90s, the band he had with [trumpeter]Wallace Roney and [pianist] Mulgrew Miller.Even though it was jazz, he played it with a bigsound. It somewhat reminds me of that.”Judging from Smith’s kit, one would not beable to tell which group he’s leading, for themost part. There are no, say, MIDI drum padsor double bass drum setups for a VitalInformation concert. “My drum set-up is slightlydifferent for those two groups,” he said. “Iuse the same drum set, but the tuning of thebass drum is different. With Vital Information,I’ll tune the bass drum more to funk, with a littlehole in the front head and a little mufflinginside of it. But with Jazz Legacy, I use a moretraditional jazz tuning with no hole in the frontand just some felt strips on the bass drum.“And I’ll probably tune the toms up a littletighter, a little higher pitched,” he continued. “Iuse the same cymbal set-up with both.”Though Smith never finds it hard to practice,he can understand the reluctance musicians canhave to hitting the ’shed. Whether from notknowing what to tackle or being unmotivated tolog in those hours, the prospect of playing insolitude can be challenging. “A primary way iswhen I have some gig coming up, and I want toprepare for that gig,” he said.Using an upcoming Summit recording as an

example, Smith explained that he and Brooksgot together and went over 10 compositions afew months before the recording. “By the timewe did the recording, I had a handle on what hewanted to do,” he said. “It was challenging,because a lot of it was in odd time signatures.There was a tune in 11, and one in 21 and othervarious odd time signatures.”As a member of the rock band Journey from1978–’85, Smith is perhaps the only artist to befeatured in DownBeat to have been depicted ina home and standalone arcade video game(based on the adventures of the group). “WithJourney, I was listening to all the rock drummersthat came before me,” he said. “I did asimilar study and process that I did with thejazz giants.”Not that he was entirely unfamiliar with thegreat rock timekeepers, having grown up enjoyinglistening to them “and taking that informationin organically. I got more serious about it asa way to come up with new ideas,” he said.“During that time, I studied John Bonham andCharlie Watts—the people who made strongcontributions drumming compositionally in away that worked well with the music.”The Beatles’ Ringo Starr and Deep Purple’sIan Paice were two other drummers whosework he studied. “At the same time, I was influencedby the fusion drummers. Billy Cobham,Lenny White, Narada Michael Walden,Alphonse Mouzon and Terry Bozzio were someof my favorites,” he said. “So I was bringingthat influence into Journey’s music.”As a polystylist who later took up sessionwork, it’s not surprising that his drum explorationscontinued in new directions after Journey.“I spent years investigating the r&b drummers,from Bernard Purdie and the otherJames Brown drummers to Zigaboo Modeliste,”he said. “By going through so many ofthese drummers, I built up a repertoire of beatsto key songs.“Part of learning to be a jazz musician islearning the repertoire. You learn Monk andMiles tunes and Coltrane music,” he continued.“Part of being a drummer in today’s world islearning a repertoire of beats. And the sourcesof those beats are some of the classic hit tunes,whether it’s learning beats that Bernard Purdieplayed on Aretha [Franklin] tunes, Zigabooplayed on The Meters’ records or the LedZeppelin drum beats.”The idea isn’t to reproduce a song like afaithful cover band drummer. Rather, “it’s agreat way of having a repertoire of beats. Then,when you’re in a situation where you’re askedto come up with a creative part, you have a lotto draw upon. You’re not just limited in yourknowledge of beats.”Playing with Summit, Smith didn’t appear todraw directly from his jazz, rock or r&b studies.Rather, he exhibited a style of drumming hestarted to develop when he was hired in 2001 toplay with Indian tabla player Sandip Burman.“I hadn’t listened to any Indian music at all,except for maybe Shakti,” he said. “But afterbeing hired and playing some more Indian gigs,I started to find it interesting. The next year,2002, I was teaching at a drum camp inGermany. There was a teacher from South Indiateaching some of the rhythms, and I went to hisclass every day.”He learned about konnakol, a form of SouthIndian vocal percussion. “I started working onthat, and whenever I’d meet a musician eitherfrom India or who knew about Indian rhythms,I’d have them show me something,” he said.“Eventually, I started playing with Summit, andthat got me in contact working with [tabla maestroand Summit bandmate] Zakir Hussain.”This is the cycle in which Smith finds himself:He absorbs lessons from masters such asHussain, and then, given his appeal to youngplayers, he allows these nascent drummers tostand on his shoulders to get a better view of thedrum giants. “The ideas that are being usedtoday originated somewhere,” he said. “Whenyou go back and hear the people that originatedthose ideas, they’re in a pure form.” DBNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 59

WoodshedMASTER CLASSby Bobby SanabriaEXAMPLE 1: Common West African Rooted Bell Patterns in 6/8 MeterClave Consciousness 101The Afro-Cuban rhythms that inspired Dizzy Gillespie in the 1940s havemade steady inroads back into the consciousness of jazz. I say “inspired,”because Gillespie wasn’t the first to use these elements in the jazz world.Listen to early New Orleans music, ragtime, second-line, “St. LouisBlues” with its Cuban-rooted bass line and more to hear elements of theAfro-Cuban music influence in jazz. Many of the riff figures of the bigband swing era are uncannily similar to rhythmic figures that can be tracedback to Afro-Cuban music.These connections are not commonly taught in jazz history courses orby jazz musicians, which perplexes the Latino musical community. Forinstance, many don’t realize that James Reese Europe’s 369th InfantryHellfighters Band, the group that first exposed jazz to European audiencestoward the end of World War I, was composed of more than 20 PuertoRican musicians, including composer Rafael Hernández. But one needonly listen to the snare drum in a New Orleans second-line to realize thebeat demonstrates the Afro-Caribbean rhythmic contributions to jazz.The rhythm that is the undercurrent of New Orleans second-line comesfrom Cuba via West Africa. That beat is called “clave.” It’s the buildingblock, glue, cement and keystone to the music. As my old boss, MarioBauzá, the musical director and co-founder of the Machito Afro-Cubans,once told composer/arranger Edgar Sampson, “It’s what makes Cubanmusic Cuban.”At its root, clave is a rhythmic design made up of five attacks. Theword in Spanish is rooted in three other words: clavo, which means “nail,”clavar, which means “to hammer in or out,” and llave, which means“key.” The instrument itself, which consists of two small wooden sticksused to tap out the rhythm (although it can be clapped and/or tapped onanything) has its roots in the clavijas, wooden pegs to tie down rope onsailing ships during the colonial period.The entire rhythmic design must be considered a whole. Two clavepatterns, with roots in bell patterns in 6/8 ofWest African ceremonial music from theYoruba, Bantú Congo, Arará and Efik people,have developed. (See Example 1)These two distinct clave patterns have cometo be known as “la clave de son” (the son clave)(Example 2) and “la clave de rumba” (therumba clave). Son is the folk song tradition thatdeveloped in eastern Cuba, and is at the root ofwhat we today know as salsa. The son clave isthe central driving force in styles like mambo,EXAMPLE 3Bobby Sanabriacha-cha-cha, danzón, son-montuno, bolero-son, danzonette, guajira,guaracha and son. The rumba clave is deeply tied to the street music ofHavana and Matanzas, which is called rumba. This tradition involvesdrumming, dance and vocals in three distinct styles—yambú, guaguancóEXAMPLE 2A: Son Clave (Ponché: implies stress in son clave)3{{EXAMPLE 2B: Rumba Clave (Bombo: implies stress in rumba clave)3{Melodic fragment in 2/3 clave from Billy Cobham’s “The Pleasant Pheasant”Melodic fragment in 3/2 clave from Tito Puente’s “Para Los Rumberos”RumbaclaveSonclaveDownbeatsand colúmbia. Each style combines elements, in various degrees, that arerooted in southern Spanish and Middle Eastern vocal traditions with WestAfrican drumming as well as dance steps with origins in Spain and WestAfrica. Today, the rhythmic knowledge of rumba and son’s various styles22{22{{3{3{60 DOWNBEAT November 2008

EXAMPLE 4: Basic Clave Consciousness Exercise in 4/4 EXAMPLE 5: Basic Clave Consciousness Exercise in 6/8Column A (2 side of clave) Column B (3 side of clave) Column A (2 side of clave) Column B (3 side of clave)» Clap out any of the bell rhythms in Example 1 and sing orclap out figures and sing bell rhythms. The bell rhythms inExample 1 are written in 3/2 clave direction, so to start in 2/3clave direction, start the bell rhythm in the second bar followedby the first bar. The 2 side bell rhythm correspond with the2 side written figures of Column A, the 3 side bell rhythmcorresponds with the 3 side written figures of Column B.» While doing this tap clave in 6/8 with right or left foot.Remember, the clave in 6/8 as written in Example 1 is in the3/2 direction. To start in 2/3, start in the second bar followedby the first bar.» You can also tap out with right or left foot beats 1 and 4while clapping clave in 6/8 and singing figures, or vice versa.is used by many as a barometer of one’s prowess as a dancer, vocalist,drummer or instrumentalist. Just as the clave rhythm itself spread to NewOrleans, so too did the concept spread to other forms of music in theCaribbean.Beginning in the late 1930s with Bauzá, many musicians in NewYork’s Afro-Cuban music scene began explaining the rhythmic concept ofclave to those outside of the culture by separating the entire clave phraseinto a group of three notes and two notes, and vice versa. This helped neophytes,especially arrangers new to the concept, to understand how theclave was made up of a syncopated bar (the 3 side) and an unsyncopatedbar (the 2 side). Depending on the rhythmic construction of a melody, itmay start on the 2 side or the 3 side of the clave. A simple example of amelody beginning on the 2 side is shown in Example 3.Musicians versed in Afro-Cuban based music may tell another musician,particularly a rhythm section player, “The tune starts in 2/3.” Thismeans that the clave pattern—as in Example 2—starts on the 2 side followedby the 3 side. That player will play his or her patterns accordingly.If a piece of music was in 3/2 clave, and the rhythms played by any or allof the rhythm section and or horns were played in 2/3 clave, the rhythmicintegrity and energy of the piece would be compromised. It would be similarto a bevy of wrong notes being played on the chords of a tune. Playing“crossed” could be as slight as a momentary disruption of the trance-likestate of the groove, to a complete disruption of the entire momentum ofthe piece by playing rhythms that don’t correspond to the establishedrhythmic pathway of the piece.Most rhythm section and horn players in jazz have some rudimentaryknowledge of Afro-Cuban music. But what separates the men from theboys, the women from the girls, is when they solo. Here is when the playerdemonstrates his or her knowledge, or lack thereof, of the music. In jazz,one is typically judged on how one circumnavigates chord changes, but inCuban music (and other Afro-Caribbean forms), you’re judged on howyou circumnavigate clave. Example 4 is an introduction to a teaching techniqueI use with my students at the New School and Manhattan School ofMusic on how to develop clave consciousness.Column A has some basic rhythmic phrases written that correspond tothe 2 side of the clave, be it son or rumba. Column B has basic rhythmicphrases that start on the 3 side of the clave. Sing a numbered phrase fromcolumn A and then follow it by singing a numbered phrase from ColumnB. You are now singing two now united phrases that are in 2/3 clave. Atthe same time that you are singing the rhythms, clap/tap either the sonclave or rumba clave. You can make up longer phrases by combiningmore lines alternating from each column. Remember to alternate betweenthe two columns.To practice starting on the 3 side of the clave, start in Column B (3-sidephrases) and then alternate with a phrase from Column A (2-side phrases).Another practice technique is to sing either the son or rumba clave whiletapping out the rhythms. The written rhythms must be tapped or sung onlyon the appropriate side of the clave, where they lay.Now you can start singing melodies from the Real Book and start figuringout their clave direction and thus tap clave out while you sing them.To start off, “Caravan” is in 3-2 clave and “A Night In Tunisia” is in 2-3clave. The principles of clave also apply to 6/8 meter (Example 5). DBDrummer, percussionist, composer, arranger and educator Bobby Sanabriahas performed and recorded with Dizzy Gillespie, Tito Puente, Ray Barretto,Chico O’Farrill, Mongo Santamaria, Larry Harlow and Mario Bauzá. He evenhas a street named after him in the Bronx. His latest recording, Big BandUrban Folktales (Jazzheads) was nominated for a Grammy. Visit him on theweb at bobbysanabria.com.November 2008 DOWNBEAT 61

WoodshedMASTER CLASSby Mike ReedMike ReedAssembling a Team SoundCollective arranging makes groupidentity leap off the pageI once heard McCoy Tyner mention how littlemusic was actually written down during histime with John Coltrane. I thought this to beshocking in light of the fact that my peers andI were being indoctrinated into complex bigband charts and meticulously parceledarrangements, especially of Coltrane tunes. Itwasn’t until being exposed to the ideas ofinstant composing and extended improvisationthat I understood Tyner’s meaning.The notion of collective group arranginghas been around since jazz’s beginnings: fromthe integration of Creole and Negro bandswho were forced to merge in New Orleansaround the turn of the 20th century, saxophonistBooker Ervin’s flourishes and countermelodiesshaping Charles Mingus’ compositionsand Sun Ra’s compositions allowingspace for his arrangements to evolve throughthe band’s personality and performances. Foreach of these instances the process and musicalneeds are different, but the underlying conceptsand results point in the same direction.Primarily, there are arrangements that canonly be realized by a collective approach andfor which the musical piece will gain its fullidentity off of the page.I worked though this process with my quartetPeople, Places & Things on “Is-It,” originallyrecorded in 1960 by the MJT+3. It wasour source material. Playing the tune as writtendidn’t seem to fit the dynamic of the band,however. We all felt that it was a great tune—especially with its 16th-note intro—so ourgoal was not to re-create the tune but figureout how we could make it our own. This couldmean extending the melody, reharmonizing orshifting time signatures, all of which are typicalrearranging techniques. After a few weeksof playing the tune and trying out differentideas, I decided that maybe we should deconstructthe material to the essence of its originalidentity.What we were left with was an extended18-bar tune using the first A section, whiledropping the bridge altogether.Drums and bass vamp up front with thebass repeating a two bar phrase. Tenor andalto saxophones enter dynamically low andimprovise. On cue, the form begins.Our reconstructed head consists of the firstfour bars of the original written material, fol-JEN REEL62 DOWNBEAT November 2008

“IS-IT” FIRST A SECTIONSince I’ve presented this idea of grouparranging, I want to include insights fromthe other contributors:Tim Haldeman(tenor saxophone)“Greg [Ward] suggested we add two beatsto the opening 16th-note line in the melody(not in the original), and it worked great.Mike decided to have Greg and I pause atcertain points in the melody, one of usholding a note, the other just blowing for acouple of bars. This worked in setting upthe solo section where Greg and I playtogether for a while. These tweaks in themusic give it a lot of direction, and keepeveryone on their toes.”Jason Roebke (bass)“The original melody makes this a saxophonetune. The rhythm section lays a bedfor the saxes to be out in front. If we playedtoo much it could get messy against thesyncopated melody line as well as the doublesax solo section. So as drummer andbassist, we felt it best to keep the tunerolling instead of getting in the way.”Greg Ward(alto saxophone)“The great thing is that the arrangementleaves room for change on the spot. Everyperformance can be different. This keeps usand the audience involved in the music.”—M.R.lowed by four bars of saxophone improvisation.Next come bars 5–6 of the original materialand four more bars of saxophone improvisation.The form ends with measures 7–10 ofthe original composition and repeats. At theend of the repeat we climax with a “shout”section, which consists of each musician pickingany note, and any rhythmic manipulationto last from beat 1 through beat 3.During the solo section the bass uses theoriginal two-bar line as an anchor while bothsaxophones solo at the same time. This turnsinto a great sparring game between thesoloists. By the end of the saxophone improvisation,a little space is given in which thedrums become slightly more lively.Saxophones then crescendo back in and referencethe first line of the tune. However, theoriginal line is extended by adding 16th notesat the beginning so that the line begins on beat1 of the measure and continues so as to joinwith the original melody, which begins onbeat 3. The line is also stopped shortly afterthe first phrase to cause a jarring, but preciseeffect.The arrangement we came up with in theend allowed for a group identity to shinethrough.DBDrummer Mike Reed’s recent discs, LooseAssembly: Speed Of Change and People, PlacesAnd Things: Proliferation, are available on 482Music. He can be contacted via his web site,mikereedmusic.com.November 2008 DOWNBEAT 63

ToolshedClockwise from top: Gretsch PresidentFred Gretsch; 125th AnniversaryGretsch Progressive Bop drum set; andGretsch founder Friedrich GretschGretsch, at 125,Celebrates itsContribution to the‘Jazz Golden Age’Most of the major names in jazz drumminghave played a Gretsch kit at one time oranother. Jimmy Cobb played Gretsch drumson Miles Davis’ Kind Of Blue recording sessions,and Max Roach played a Gretsch kit atBirdland in New York starting in the late1940s. In fact, some of jazz’s most revered andinnovative drummers—like Tony Williamsand Elvin Jones—spent pretty much theircareers behind Gretsch trap sets.Gretsch turned 125 this year and markedthe anniversary by introducing new lines oflimited-edition drums and other products,conducting an online promotion to find theworld’s best unsigned bands, holding a majorconcert event in New York and making instoreappearances at select musical instrumentretailers and major musical institutionsworldwide. The drums still resonate with thesame signature sound they’ve had fordecades, dating all the way back to an eracompany President Fred Gretsch refers to as“the jazz golden age.”Based in Savannah, Ga., the company hasearned its reputation for that highly soughtafterGretsch sound through 125 years ofcommitment to manufacturing professionalquality,handcrafted instruments. It has been afamily business for all but 18 years of its history(the company was owned by Baldwin from1967–’85), led by four generations of ownerswith the last name Gretsch. The company haspioneered several important drum manufacturingtechniques, including development ofthe rolling rack, the use of die-cast parts andthe invention of multi-ply drum shells to keepdrums from losing their round shape. Grestchhas also been known to collaborate withartists for manufacturing ideas, dating back topersonal consultations with Chick Webb, DaveTough and Louie Bellson.“There is a recipe that we developed inconjunction with input from the great playersof the day, asking them to try this and that,and finding out what they needed and wantedfrom their drums,” said Gretsch, who beganworking for the family business as a youngman in 1958. “We dialed in those recipes andhave maintained them to this day. We believethat continuity counts, so our commitment isto make that sound we call the ‘Great GretschSound’ continually available, as it was thenand into the future.”Gretsch likes to reminisce about the state ofjazz drumming during his early years with thecompany. “I look back to those days when wehad a huge stable of Gretsch drum artistsas endorsers,” he said. “When you look atthe [DownBeat] drumming polls back then,seven of the top 10 drummers were playingGretsch.”Brooklyn-based jazz drummer Bill Stewart,who leads his own group in addition to performingregularly with guitarist John Scofield,has been playing Gretsch drums for 18 years.He got turned on to the brand by trying otherpeople’s Gretsch drum sets.“I always found them to respond the way Ilike a drum to respond to my touch,” Stewartsaid, noting that he prefers a variation on theclassic Broadkaster-style kit. “Grestch drumshave a solid point on the attack, so eachstroke seems defined. They have a little harder-edgedattack than some of the other qualitydrums that I hear on the market today.They’re resonant. They also respond to awide range of dynamics. If I play them softly,they respond sensitively. They have a lot ofprojection on the loud end. They give backwhatever energy I put into them. So, once Ihit the drum hard, I don’t feel like it’s not gettinglouder.”Stewart named Williams and Jones as thetwo jazz drummers he associates most withthe Gretsch brand, “even though the toneTony and Elvin got out of the drum set wasdrastically different,” he said. “On recordsfrom the ’60s in particular, you hear a commonthread there because of the way theGretsch instruments sound.”This year, Gretsch Drums developed twolimited-production custom kits for jazz players:the Progressive Jazz kit and theProgressive Bop kit. Both were made byhand in the company’s Ridgeland, S.C., customworkshop. The Progressive Jazz kit(MSRP $6,145), modeled after the classicGretsch “Birdland” kit from the 1950s, featuresclassic six-ply USA custom shells andgold-plated drum hardware. The ProgressiveBop kit (MSRP $5,950) also features six-plyUSA custom shells, but it has a bebop configurationand a silver sparkle inlay. Each ofthe kits contains a 125th anniversary logoand special heads with the anniversary logo.Production was limited to 125 kits worldwidefor each set.—Ed Enright»More info: gretschdrums.com64 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Ludwig Rolls Out Lines toCelebrate 100 YearsLudwig will celebrate its 100th year inbusiness in 2009, but the century-oldcompany has already begun to announceits anniversary products.Its first anniversary series, the LudwigCentennial Series Maple Drums, wereannounced this summer. The series featuressix-ply toms and floor toms, andeight-ply snare and bass drum mapleshells. Centennial’s three “core” shellpacks each come standard with a bass drum,a 12-inch rack tom, 16-inch floor tom andsnare drum. A player can customize the setwith a range of kick, snare and componentdrums. Finish options include transparenthigh-gloss and Ludwig’s new SuperFlakeSparkle lacquers. In addition to the Centennialkits, Ludwig has plans for more sumptuousbirthday goodies. The engraved Black Beautyis a limited-edition black nickel-plated snaredrum. The outer engravings, hand-carved byJohn Aldridge, expose the bright shine of thenatural brass shell underneath. Sold as an editionof 100, the Black Beauty won’t be cheap;but it’s not nearly as lavish as Ludwig’s forthcomingGold Triumphal snare drum. The serialnumbers of the 100 snares, each hand-platedin gold, correspond to each year of thecompany’s existence.“It’s going to be the greatest collector’sThe name, Complex Ride,trumpets the nuance inthese three new ZildjianKs, the second series in Zildjian20-inch Ka line designed with BillComplexStewart. They combine Ridethe classic K drynesswith more untamed shadingsand unlikely responses.Heavy up on the 22-inch and itmight put the brakes on a little. Paint softlyon the 20-inch and listen hard to the colorswhirling. Sting the modest bell on the 24-inchand hear otherworldly overtones open up.The 20-inch seems to be the thickest andheaviest, and it has that classic dark and deepK tone. It delivers crisp sticking sound with awood tip, and the overtones build but don’toverload. The bell is on the small size—playable—and because of the thickness it canget loud. This cymbal has a traditional lathingon top, and a “scratch” lathing—a morerough, large-groove finish—underneath. Iwould play this cymbal on any kind of jazz gig.The 22-inch is a beautiful cymbal for jazz.You can lay into it hard and it doesn’t blowout. It has one of the most beautiful washes—drum that we’ve ever produced,” said JimCatalano, Ludwig band and orchestra director.The company will also produce a line ofspecial drum sets that pay tribute to its keyartists. “One [set] will be what we’re callingour Fab Four Outfit. It’s a replica kit that honorsRingo Starr, one of the guys who put uson the map,” Catalano said.The company is currently creating its 100thanniversary DVD, which features Ludwig factorytours and interviews with Ludwig artistsand company heads.“Our mission is to respect the people wholook at Ludwig as that traditional vintage company,but also to attract the more moderndrummer,” Catalano said. “We still treatLudwig like a family. We’re responsible forcarrying on that tradition.” —Mary Wilcop»More info: ludwig-drums.comyou don’t mind hearing theovertones build up. Thebell design, which has aless-pronounced profile,allows the drummerto control the volumemore. The 22- and24-inch Complex Rideshave a traditional lathing ontop, with “scratch” lathingunderneath almost to the edge—the outer2 inches is unfinished and slightly thicker.The 24-inch is a monster of a cymbal, butit’s a gentle giant. It has the largest “wash” ofthese three, but it is never whiny. Dependingon how you play it, the sound can get big, sorock and jazz players should check this cymbalout. The bell, while not a huge target, is a lotof fun to play around with—it can yield a lot ofdifferent exotic bell sounds, agogo and cowbell-ish,with their own beautiful overtones.The edge of the cymbal has a bowl-like flangedownward, which adds to the excellent control.MSRP: 20-inch Dry Complex Ride II, $559;22-inch, $663; 24-inch, $769. —Robin Tolleson»LudwigCentennialmaple drumsZildjian K Custom Dry Complex Ride II:Stewart’s Untamed ShadingsOrdering info: zildjian.comNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 65

1» A G ThingEvans’ new G-Plus single-ply tomheads give a warm tone andample sustain, with a denserattack, improved projectionand increased durability. G-Plus heads are ideal for playerswho prefer the tone of asingle-ply, but need thestrength and protectionof a double-ply head.The heads are constructedfrom a single ply of a 12-millimeterfilm and come either clear orwith a translucent frosted-stylecoated finish. MSRP: $24–$47.More info: evansdrumheads.com2» Full BodiedToca Percussion’s new cajon, featuringa burl oak front, has thebass frequencies of the typicallytenor instrument covered well.At 20 1 /2 inches tall by 12 1 /2 wide,the new cajon is slightly larger thanstandard cajons and better able todeliver a lower, throatier voice—anideal addition to flamenco, worldmusic and ethnic instrumentensembles. The cajon is adjustablefor subtle shifts in tone and timbre.Resonance is enhanced bygenerous rubber feet that lift thecajon higher off the floor, isolatingit acoustically and preventing vibrationsfrom choking. MSRP: $269.More info: tocapercussion.com3» Legendary SticksVater has introduced Legends ofJazz Series hickory drum stickmodels from drummersJimmy Cobb, ChicoHamilton and CharliPersip. Hamilton’s stickcombines a 5A grip witha gradual taper for aresponsive and quickfeel; Persip’s shorter stickis just larger than a 5A gripwith a barrel-style tip thatproduces a defined ridecymbal sound without toomuch ping. Cobb’s modelmeasures between a 5A and5B in the grip, with a long taperand medium-sized teardrop tipfor warm and defined cymbaltones. MSRP: $14.99.More info: vater.comToolshed6»2»4»«15»«32GEAR BOX 34 » Bronze BeautiesSabian has released its B8 series, aselection of high-quality trianglescrafted from uni-rolled bronze. Thetwo ranges, B8 and hand-hammeredB8, are crafted from B8bronze and consist of 4-, 6-, 8- and10-inch sizes. Non-hammered modelshave a focused sound, while thehand-hammered range producesmusically complex overtonesfor a richer sound.More info: sabian.com5» Personal ApproachAntonio Sanchez’s new HudsonMusic Master Series DVD displaysthe drummer’s skills over a series ofchallenging songs and solo segments.Performing on his smallertraditional jazz set, and the larger kitthat he uses with the Pat MethenyGroup, Sanchez presents musicalconcepts, exercises and suggestionsfor developing musicians that applyto drum students of all levels.Sanchez explains technical,musical and philosophical pointsthat apply to drummers ofall styles. MSRP: $29.95.More info: hudsonmusic.com6» Time MasterDavid Stanoch’s new book,Mastering The Tables Of Time,Volume 1, combines the foundationsof rhythm and trap setdrumming styles using a commonsystem to assimilatethe disciplines of timekeeping,coordination, rudiments,polyrhythms and musicalphrasing. The bookprovides players witha library on rhythmand trap set drummingas it was traditionallyconceived inthe U.S., combiningEuropean rudiments,African polyrhythms,four-way coordination,jazz and backbeatgrooves andsoloing vocabulary.MSRP: $24.95.More info:rhythmelodic.com66 DOWNBEAT November 2008

INSIDE REVIEWSMasterpiece AAAAA Excellent AAAA Good AAA Fair AA Poor A75 Jazz77 Blues81 Beyond83 Historical85 BooksBOBBY HOLLANDGeorge DukeDukey TreatsHEADS UP 3143AAA 1 /2This is a wild and crazy album, especially if you’re nostalgicabout the guitar-scratching, double-clutchingrhythms of James Brown and George Clinton and thebedroom ballads of Stevie Wonder and Aaron Neville.It’s great to hear producer extraordinaire George Dukebust out with the soul music he apparently grew up loving—andwith some social punch, as well.“Are You Ready” is retro-hit material, with EarthWind and Fire-style uplift and a gorgeous melody,crooned by Duke himself—who doesn’t do a bad job onthe creamy, beseeching soul ballad “Listen Baby,”either. If you can stay seated for the dovetailed rhythmicjoints of “Everyday Hero,” you’ve probably got arthritis.(I love Ron Bruner Jr.’s dry, thwacking drum soundon this, as well as the closing instrumental jam, “ImagesOf Us,” with Duke wailing on Fender Rhodes.)There’s humor, too: a hilarious, Star Wars-style epicin the Parliament-Funkadelic vein, “A Fonk Tail,” and“Creepin’ (Ghoulie Remix),” a “Monster Mash” remixof Duke’s femme-view finger-wag at men cheating onthe down low. “Sudan” is a nice political gesture butdoesn’t go anywhere as a protest song. There’s strongsoloing all around, particularly from Michael “Patches”Stewart, whose trumpet is to funk what Harry “Sweets”Edison’s was to jazz.My only reservation is that ultimately this is still a producer’srecord. Its immaculately re-created details speakmore to studio know-how than to driving, real-worldpassion, and its sonic crispness and cleanliness—whilestunning as craft—make one yearn all the more for somefuzz and dirt around the edges. —Paul de BarrosDukey Treats: Everyday Hero; I Tried To Tell You; A Fonk Tail; DukeyTreats; Listen Baby; Mercy; Somebody Laid It On Us; Creepin’ (GhoulieRemix); Right On Time; Sudan; Are You Ready; Images Of Us. (64:31)Personnel: George Duke, vocals, narration, Fender Rhodes, piano,Clavinet, synthesizers, vibes; Rachelle Ferrell (1, 9), Lori Perry (1,8), JosieJames (2, 4, 6, 8), Dee Dee Foster (2), Jim Gilstrap (2, 9), Napoleon MurphyBrock (4), Lynn Davis (6), Christian McBride (8), Little John Roberts (8), LeonNdugu Chancler (8), Byron Miller (8), Howard Hewett (8), Kenya Hathaway(8), Teena Marie (10), Jonathan Butler (10), vocals; Darrell Cox (4), Leon“Ndugu” Chancler (6, 8), Sheila E. (6), Josie James (6, 8), Lynn Davis (6),Byron Miller (8), Howard Hewett (8), Lori Perry (8), Kenya Hathaway (8),rap; Michael Manson (1-2), Byron Miller (4,6), Larry Kimpel (5,9), ChristianMcBride (8), Wayman Tisdale (9), Michael Manson (10), bass; Larry Kimpel(5), Jef Lee Johnson (1, 2, 4–6, 8–10), Jubu (5, 7), Ray Fuller (5), Wah WahWatson (6), Ray Fuller (9), guitar; Ron Bruner Jr. (1, 2, 10), Leon “Ndugu”Chancler (4, 6), Vinnie Colaiuta (5, 7), Little John Roberts (8), TeddyCampbell (9), drums; Josie James (1), Fred White (1), Corine Duke (7), backgroundvocals; Sheila E. (1, 4, 6), Lenny Castro (5, 7), percussion; EveretteHarp, alto saxophone (1, 2, 4, 6); Dan Higgins (1, 2), Larry Williams (4, 6),Kamasi Washington (6), tenor saxophone; Michael “Patches” Stewart,trumpet (1, 2, 4–6); Reggie Young (1, 2), Isley Remington (4,6) trombone;Fiona Frawley, Nigel Martinez, “foreign correspondent” voices (10).Ordering info: headsup.com»November 2008 DOWNBEAT 69

Pandelis Karayorgis,Nate McBride &Curt NewtonBetwixtHATOLOGY 652AAAAAny record on which a pianist turns toFender Rhodes these days seems likely tobe a commercial calculation, an approximationof the electric-Miles Davis estheticin a contemporary lo-cal version. Such atreat, then, to hear a fresh take on the disabusedinstrument. The Greek-bornBostonian Pandelis Karayorgis is not withouthis funky edges on the amped keyboard, buthis method isn’t to put down kitschy grooves orcreate a sexy ’70s fusion ambiance. In his hands,and with his wonderful trio, the Rhodes is transformedinto a versatile, gritty, pitch-based electronicsound generator—a perfect free-bop tool.On their first CD, We Will Make A Home ForYou (Cleen Feed, 2005), the threesome wentunder the moniker MI3, but they’ve opted forbirth names this outing. Nevertheless, the workingconcept is the same, taking a batch ofThelonious Monk tunes (four this time), a selectionof fertile compositions by others and a fewKarayorgis originals, and laying them out into abrilliant program. Sun Ra’s “Saturn” is a lovingnod at the electronic keyboard pioneer, adaptingthe signature tune associated with his earlyyears; Karayorgis mutates the conventionalRhodes sound with several devices, including aMutron, giving his solo an appropriately synthlikestretchiness and vocality.The Monk pieces—especially a sweet, ratherRa-ish version of “Brake’s Sake”—providegreat material for the electric keyboard, thesupersaturated sound emphasizing the right-onoddness of some of the chords. MishaMengelberg’s classic, Monkish “Hypochristmutreefuzz”is likewise a nifty foil for theband, prompting a tasty little solo from drummerCurt Newton, whose unfettered, unforcedapproach suits Karayorgis. Nate McBride, whowas also based in Boston until settling inChicago, continues to be one of the most riveting,beautifully melodic bassists around.Karayorgis contributes his own pieces in thepost-Monk lineage, all creatively conceived andfull of spunk. He can handle down-tempo workswith equal intelligence—for instance, the eerieghost-voice on Hasaan Ibn Ali’s “Off My BackJack.” Satisfying, stem to stern, Betwixt mightencourage other sympathetic souls to hit theRhodes.—John CorbettBetwixt: Green Chimneys; Saturn; Break Even; Heaven;Betwixt; Hypochristmutrieefuzz; Pinocchio; Brake’s Sake; LightBlue; Curt’s Escape; Off My Back Jack; Humph. (65:45)Personnel: Pandelis Karayorgis, piano; Nate McBride, bass; CurtNewton, drums.»Ordering info: hathut.comKenny GarrettSketches Of MD: Live At TheIridium Featuring Pharoah SandersMACK AVENUE 1042AAJazz needs fire-starter soloists, and those whohave caught Kenny Garrett on a good night realizethat the alto saxophonist is a guy who canheat up a room real quick. His combination ofnu-bop agility and post-Coltrane expressionismunites into a tornado of sound that swirls withpassion and earns itself lots of house.Odd, then, that this performance from thefamed New York club is frustratingly static—especially when you consider that the mightyPharoah Sanders is along for the ride. The problemisn’t the soloing. Both the 48-year-oldGarrett and the 68-year-old Sanders have a roilingrhythm section at their disposal, and each areencouraged to generate some sweet squalls. It’sthe vamping. The five tracks on Sketches Of MDare based on repeated riffs that ebb and flow asthe two reed principals and keyboardist BenitoGonzalez place their declarations on top. AfterTed NashThe Mancini ProjectPALMETTO 2134AAATed Nash travels someof Henry Mancini’s lesstraveled roads in thistour of the composer’sfilm work, using thematerial more as a compassthan a road map.By exploring some ofMancini’s secondarymovie themes, often from less familiar or successfulfilms, Nash acknowledges a personalhero with a repertoire and in a way that, in hiswords, “feels as if it were a record of originalcompositions.” In a curious twist for a tributealbum, the object of the tribute doesn’t get in theway all that much.It’s probably more characteristic of a musicianthan a listener to see that as a virtue.Mancini and lyricistJohnny Mercer wrotesome of the most popularmovie songs of the1960s, but Nash avoidsall that. From BreakfastAt Tiffany’s, for instance,you won’t hear “MoonRiver.” Instead, Nashturns to the light, sunnycue that essentially representedthe exciting characterand spirit of Manhattanin the picture.Other themes are pulled from deep within thescores of Night Visitor, Blind Date, A Shot InThe Dark, Soldier In The Rain, Sunset, TheParty, Experiment In Terror and Two For TheRoad, plus the TV series “Mr. Lucky” and“Peter Gunn.” Virtually all were done byMancini in partnership with Blake Edwards,whose work as a director was a good deal lessconsistent or reliable than Mancini’s music orthe rock-solid talents of Nash.In a way, this is also a tribute to Nash’s fatherand uncle (Dick and Ted), who were long-timepresences on Mancini’s stylish soundtracks. ButNash works here in a standard jazz quartet setting,offering no echoes of the composer’s distinguishing,now pleasantly dated voicings. Hismost expressive playing comes through thetenor and alto. His flute (“Soldier In The Rain”)is thoroughly accomplished, but somewhat nondescript.Perhaps I have a tin ear for the flute,but I find it hard to hear through its passiveblandness.Nash transposes the music into his own contemporary,post-genre language. It’s a blend ofwarm lyricism when he wants it to be (“Cheryl’sTheme”), but often somewhat tiresome meditativesighs (“Theme From Night Visitor”) anddeclamatory incantations exist alongside but notinside the rhythm section (“Lujon,” “ExperimentIn Terror”).“Breakfast At Tiffany’s,” with its soft, midtempofour-four bed, provokes some nice, low-70 DOWNBEAT November 2008

awhile their linear approach becomes utterlypredictable; the architecture becomes the enemy.The pulse-driven funk of the title tune is syncopatedand seductive. But as its 10-minute lifecycle plays itself out, the pussyfooting thatGarrett does with his somewhat hokey electronicseffects becomes a time-waster. The piece hasa banging groove, but lacking a start or a finish,it drifts into a muddy place where Garrett’shushed references to “Nefertiti” become amomentary dalliance.Backbeat drives “Wayne’s Thang,” a Garrettstaple that follows “Sketches Of MD” andextends the notion that the album’s program isone long tune. When the cheesy texture of theechoed wah-wah horn starts taking over, itseems the track has been hijacked by EdgarWinter. (The Wayne being referenced may wellbe Mr. Shorter, but the music feels like WayneHenderson is being saluted even more.) Thefade-out finale implies that their playbook wasempty as far as conclusionary strategies go.Disappointingly, the disc’s opening volley isits most memorable excursion. “The Ring” findsthe leader and his guest blowing modal mayhemfrom their horns—rich, weighty and appealing.Here, the ostinato is fresh enough to be appealing.It’s those riff tunes that follow that are theslippery slope. They give all the action a proforma feel. Garrett may be a fire-starter, but hisparty records need a bit more design.—Jim MacnieSketches Of MD: Live At The Iridium Featuring PharoahSanders: The Ring; Intro To Africa; Sketches Of MD; Wayne’sThang; Happy People. (56:41)Personnel: Kenny Garrett, saxophone, electronics; PharoahSanders, tenor saxophone; Nat Reeves, bass; Benito Gonzalez,keyboards; Jamire Williams, drums.Ordering info: mackavenue.com»key probings, while “The Party” has a light butfunky rigidity that he manages to loosen up a bit.But Nash resists the impulse to actually swingmost of the time, as if to do that might betraysome baser instinct of jazz’s past that is just notdone by smart players in the new millennium.But Nash is a smart player, and he can swing.Yet, the only time the music actually jumps to itsfeet and begins to cook comes with a startlingand welcome lurch a couple of minutes into“Dreamsville.”That, and the fact that so much of TheMancini Project sounds, as Nash intended, like asession of originals, may be the weakest featuresof a good piece of work. —John McDonoughThe Mancini Project: Theme From Night Visitor; Dreamsville;Something For Nash; Shot In The Dark; Lujon; Breakfast AtTiffany’s; Cheryl’s Theme; Mr. Yunioshi; Soldier In The Rain; TheParty; A Quiet Happening; Two For The Road; Experiment InTerror; Baby Elephant Walk. (64:18)Personnel: Ted Nash, saxophones, flute, piccolo; FrankKimbrough, piano; Rufus Reid, bass; Matt Wilson, drums.»Ordering info: palmetto-records.comCDs»George DukeDukey TreatsPandelis Karayorgis,Nate McBride & Curt NewtonBetwixtKenny GarrettSketches Of MD: Live At The IridiumFeaturing Pharoah SandersTed NashThe Mancini ProjectThe HOT BoxGeorge Duke, Dukey TreatsCRITICS»Critics’ CommentsWith proper honors to Bernie Worrell and Sly Stone, the hard funk here (“Everyday Hero,” “Creepin’(Ghoulie Remix)”) is durable, solidly backbone dislocating. The rest is pretty bland r&b and glitzy jazz-funk,with a shout-out to the victims of Darfur that sits uncomfortably next to “Listen Baby.” —John CorbettMore a work of funk theater with a faint jazz undertone than a collection of songs, it’s a commercial concoctionof vamps, hooks, horseplay, rhythms and a bit of protest. A virtuoso piece of studio production by Duke,but repetitive and boring.—John McDonoughTook it off before the finale three separate times. Finally made it to the end twice. Predictable, anachronistic,formulaic and redundant. From the overly agitated funk to the shop-worn soul tunes, it sounds like it’s madeby someone who wants to be au courant, but is hazy on the glories of modern production. —Jim MacniePandelis Karayorgis, Nate McBride & Curt Newton, BetwixtKarayorgis’ touch is crisp, clean and occasionally even swinging as he takes the Fender Rhodes down to thechamber size of a piano trio. It responds with a simulated idiosyncrasy in which the rhythm section oftensounds more real than the music it supports.—John McDonoughWhat might have looked good on paper doesn’t play out all that well. There are ho-hum stretches that findthe energetic improvisations blending into a neutral zone—the music is novel, but playing gets tedious.There are some sparks, however, and Monk usually provides them.—Jim MacnieKarayorgis is a creative, inventive pianist, but feeding his Fender Rhodes into a Mutron, distort pedal andring modulator makes this album sound like ET dropped in for a session with an earthly piano trio. On“Saturn” and “Hypochristmutreefuzz,” this odd interplanetary brotherhood kind of works, but most of thetime, it sounds silly and self-consciously superhip.—Paul de BarrosKenny Garrett, Sketches Of MD: Live At The Iridium Featuring Pharoah SandersRemember what Garrett sounded like when he played with Miles Davis’ ’80s band, chomping and slashinginto grooves for a quarter of an hour, sometimes longer? Well, apparently he does, too, and this is a lookback, with Sanders on board (though not making a particularly major contribution). —Paul de BarrosStrange, unearthly, often manipulated sounds emit from this live club set, and sometimes it’s hard toaccount for their presence. Garrett’s more contemporary, hard-edged passion feeds Sanders’ abrasive criesin this energetic but static revival of cross-generation radicalism.—John McDonoughNicest when a pairing brings out the best in each of the pair. Sanders slows Garrett down, which allows abetter audition of his soulful sound, and Garrett peps Sanders up, steering him away from some of hisdroopier modal tendencies. That vamp on the title cut sure grows old, though.—John CorbettTed Nash, The Mancini ProjectJohn John Jim PaulMcDonough Corbett Macnie de BarrosA 1 /2 AA 1 /2 A 1 /2 AAA 1 /2AAA AAAA AA 1 /2AAAA 1 /2 AAA AA AAAAAA AAA 1 /2 AAA 1 /2 AAANash has got a gloriously rich tone, and it’s enhanced by the measured manner in which he delivers hislines—for Nash, ardor is well calibrated. Mancini is just neglected enough to make these tunes seem fresh,and the quartet’s inventiveness (take a bow, Frank Kimbrough) keeps the creative vibe front and center. It’sloaded with sweet subtleties.—Jim MacnieNash’s father and uncle both played for Mancini, so this is a rare insider’s view of the great mood/film jazzcomposer’s work. Nash avoids the obvious warhorses, and thanks to a first-love passion for the music—notto mention his brilliant technique on piccolo, flute, soprano, alto and tenor sax—the reed man has neversounded so relaxed and fluid. He also brings a sweet sense of mystery and even darkness to Mancini’smusic, mixing up the ensemble textures with a smart sense of programming.—Paul de BarrosOn this pleasing outing, Nash digs up a program of Mancini numbers, both familiar (“Baby Elephant Walk,”“Shot In The Dark”) and not so (“Something For Nash”), using the lighter moments as fragmentary transitions.The whole band sounds good, especially Matt Wilson, whose generous drumming is ideal. Nash isradiant on a full complement of horns.—John CorbettNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 71

Uri CaineEnsembleThe Othello SyndromeWINTER & WINTER 910 135AAAAAUri Caine’s composer projectsare in a league bythemselves. Even thoughtwo prior works—Urlich/Primal Light, his breakthroughtreatments ofMahler and “The Goldberg Variations”—can beargued to be masterpieces of post-modern cutand-paste,the source materials don’t throw astowering a shadow as Shakespeare’s Moor, realizedthrough Verdi’s opera. Subsequently, TheOthello Syndrome has a narrative the otherscan’t touch, a demanding tale that requires morethan brilliant collisions of genres, even those assubversive as Nguyên Lê’s Queen-like lead guitarin the romping Verdi transcriptions.A story like Othello’s cries out for voices thatcan flesh out the characters and themes, and atleast one song that will bring down the house.Caine’s cadre of singers is diverse. MarcoPaolini’s guttural Italian makes for a perfectlyunctuous Iago. Josefine Lindstrand and JuliePatton provide the comeliness and terror essentialto Desdemona. Sadiq Bey and DhaferYoussef are excellent role players, evocativelydelivering text and vocalese. But the star isr&b/gospel legend Bunny Sigler, whose glee on“She’s The One I Love” is winning and agonyMario PavoneTrio ArcPLAYSCAPE 100807AAAA 1 /2Matt Wilson opens TrioArc with an abrupt barrageof drums, joined by MarioPavone’s sly, questingbass, which plays aroundWilson’s churning rhythmsas if running between the raindrops in a torrentialdownpour. Pianist Paul Bley enters morethan a minute later, darting in with terse exclamationsthat shoulder their way in and thenmold themselves around Pavone and Wilson’standem locomotion.The suddenness of its beginning and theunhurried communication that follows add to thetimeless feeling of this remarkable recording.There’s a sense that the tracks on Trio Arc arenot so much seven discrete recordings but part ofa continuum that is tuned into from time to time,snapshots representing facets of a greater whole.The intuitive cohesion throughout is all themore stunning in that Pavone and Bley have notplayed together in 35 years. When he was 27,the bassist fell in with the pianist, eight years hissenior, upon his arrival in New York in 1967,on “Am I A Fool?” isstunning. The latter,which features a soaringsolo by clarinetist AchilleSucci, is the type of compellingperformance thatwill get you off your seatand replay it.In addition to his platoonof singers, Cainehas doubled-down on theelectronics component ofhis makeovers with the searing electronicssounds of Stefano Bassanese and BrunoFabrizio Sorba, as well as his own keyboards,heard in tandem with his steamrolling Bedrockcohorts drummer Zach Danziger and bassistTim Lefebvre. These elements make gambitslike the sleek piano trio workouts and the solosof regulars like trumpeter Ralph Alessi more iridescentthan ever. This is Caine’s best to date forits conceptual audacity, fidelity to its subject andimpeccable craftsmanship. —Bill ShoemakerThe Othello Syndrome: Othello’s Victory; Fire Song; DrinkingSong; Love Duet With Othello And Desdemona; IntroductionsTo Act II; Iago’s Credo; She’s The Only One I Love; Iago’s Web;Desdemona’s Lament; Am I A Fool; The Lion Of Venice;Othello’s Confession; The Willow Song/Ave Maria; Murder; TheDeath Of Othello. (75:33)Personnel: Uri Caine, piano, keyboards; Ralph Alessi, trumpet;Chris Speed, Achille Succi, clarinet; Nguyên Lê, guitar; JimBlack, Zach Danziger, drums; John Hebert, Tim Lefebvre, bass;Stefano Bassanese, Bruno Fabrizio Sorba, electronics; JoyceHammann, violin; Sadiq Bey, Josefine Lindstrand, Marco Paolini,Julie Patton, Bunny Sigler, Dhafer Youssef, vocals.Ordering info: winterandwinter.com»joining Bley’s trio withdrummer Barry Altschul thefollowing year. A Europeantour followed in 1971–’72,and then nothing for morethan three decades.The intervening yearshave not severed the bondsthat Pavone and Bley hadformed. While Wilson hasworked with both, hedoesn’t have to mediate; all three contribute withequal subtle command. Trio Arc was whollyimprovised over the course of one four-and-ahalf-hoursession with no planning or discussionbeforehand. But unlike many free-form dates,there’s no time wasted on searching for commonground or playing tug-of-war between divergentvisions. Each of the six trio pieces (the disc endswith a brief solo performance by Bley) is conciseand focused. The trio, if anything, errs onthe side of brevity, ending after 42 minutes withthe sense that there is much more to be said.—Shaun BradyGunther SchullerJourney Into JazzBMOP SOUND 1004AAAAAComposers of today’s Olympian jazz-classicalconcertos would do well to listen to these deceptivelyunderstated, coolly creative pieces thatcapture the zeitgeist of the 1960s. These threenewly recorded 20-minute works (dubbed“Third Stream” by Gunther Schuller himself)explore and synthesize myriad interactionsbetween a jazz combo improvising and a chamberorchestra reading a through-composed scorewith some big band gestures. All the newrecordings reward relistening.“Variants For Jazz Quartet And Orchestra”and “Concertino For Jazz Quartet AndOrchestra,” originally written for and performedby The Modern Jazz Quartet and chamberorchestra, dovetail jazz quartet with chambersymphony in an effortless mastery built to last.“Journey Into Jazz” blends “Peter And TheWolf” and “Johnny One-Note” as a parable formusical seekers. Schuller airily narrates NatHentoff’s text; he’s as amiably convincing as hissubtle score is in conveying this fable of youngtrumpeter Eddy Jackson’s hard-won grasp ofjazz’s elusive but valued culture.The scores veer gracefully between referencingclassics and bebop. The wispy, wilyvignettes eschew “overblowing” and Hollywoodhistrionics, as Schuller weaves in Gil Evans-likechorales and unexpected gestures pop up continually.“Variants’” opening crescendo dissipatesinto a single sustained piano note, and a four-barquietus stuns amid its roiling finale. ConductorGil Rose flashes a cool hand at balancing strictwriting with looser solos, shading dynamics andpacing smoothly. Branches of Schuller’s mightyoak—bassist Edwin, drummer George—anchorthe “rhythm sections” admirably, while NewEngland Conservatory students/colleagues performkey interpretive roles in these genre-bustingworks.—Fred BouchardJourney Into Jazz: Variants For Jazz Quartet And Orchestra;Journey Into Jazz; Concertino For Jazz Quartet And Orchestra.(58:16)Personnel: Boston Modern Orchestra Project, Gil Rose, conductor;Edwin Schuller, bass; George Schuller, drums; TomBeckham, vibraphone (1, 3); Tim Ray (1), Bruce Barth (3), piano;Gunther Schuller (2), narrator; Dave Ballou (2), trumpet; JasonHunter (2), tenor saxophone; Matt Darriau (2), alto saxophone.Trio Arc: Slant; Hello Again; Quest; Miro; Lazzi; Sweet; SoloBley. (42:13)Personnel: Mario Pavone, bass; Paul Bley, piano; Matt Wilson,drums.» Ordering info: playscape-recordings.com» Ordering info: bmopsound.org72 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Mike Reed’sPeople,Places &ThingsProliferation482 MUSIC 1060AAAAMike Reed’sLooseAssemblyThe SpeedOf Change »482 MUSIC 1062AAAAAt its best, jazz is like a strong tree, deeply rooted in the past but reachinginto the future. Since the 1980s, merely paying tribute to history hasbecome one of the worst blemishes on jazz recording; if you’re handy,you could tile your bathroom with dreary, uninspired records that aim tohonor Miles Davis, John Coltrane, Thelonious Monk, Duke Ellington andso on, which nail the notes but miss the spirit by a country mile. Chicagobaseddrummer Mike Reed leads two bands that deal with the past and getit right. Not only have he and his cohorts done their investigative homeworkby learning the idioms and ideas they wish to emulate, they’veworked hard to reconcile what they’ve learned with their knowledge ofcontemporary ways and means. These ensembles don’t simply re-create;they create.It was probably inevitable that Reed would initiate a project likePeoples, Places & Things, which aims to draw attention to the pre-freejazzcutting edge that invigorated the Chicago scene between 1954–’60.Before he embraced the avant-garde, he spent years working on his mainstreamjazz chops, so he brings an insider’s understanding to OscarBrown, Jr.’s blues-drenched “Sleepy” or “Status Quo,” the John Neelytune that opened Clifford Jordan and John Gilmore’s muscular Blue Noteclassic Blowing In From Chicago. Saxophonists Greg Ward and TimHaldeman rip through convoluted runs in unison, but they also make themusic fly into free-fall zones and ratchet up the energy with confidentlydiscordant simultaneous solos. Bassist Jason Roebke offers plenty of inthe-pocketbounce, but also uses scrabbling arco excursions to bring therequisite exotic tonalities to a pair of vintage Sun Ra compositions. Byapplying their outside talents with discipline and verve, the quartet’s membersgive some old seeds plenty of rich nourishment.Reed is also a member of the Association for the Advancement ofCreative Musicians, and that organization’s mores and esthetics informLoose Assembly’s music. There is no single AACM sound; rather, itsmembers tend to acquaint themselves with myriad languages as part of anongoing mission to find and refine a personal voice. You can find elementsfrom throughout the AACM’s history on the quintet’s second album, fromRoscoe Mitchell’s distillations of pure sound to Nicole Mitchell’s widescreen,pan-generic orchestrations; but that’s simply foundation. The groupuses the singular array of textures afforded by their reeds-mallets-twostrings line-up to render strong melodies in a constantly changing array oftonal colors. The group’s occasional ventures into meter-less, unscriptedexploration serve a larger purpose of adding contrast and tension to thesweep of approachable tunes like Max Roach’s “Garvey’s Ghost,” onwhich Mitchell ably stands in for the original’s full choir. —Bill MeyerProliferation: Is-it; Wilbur’s Tune; Be-Ware; People; Status Quo; Planet Earth; Sleepy; Places;FA; Pondering; Saturn; Things. (59:07)Personnel: Greg Ward, alto saxophone, clarinet, percussion, piano; Tim Haldeman, tenor saxophone,percussion, piano; Mike Reed, drums, piano; Jason Roebke, bass, percussion, piano.The Speed Of Change: The Speed Of Change; Garvey’s Ghost; Ground Swell; Tezetaye AntchiLidj; “X”; Soul Stirrer; Exit Strategy; Picking Up Greta. (42:36)Personnel: Ward, alto saxophone; Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone; Josh Abrams, bass; Reed,drums and percussion; Nicole Mitchell, voice (2, 8), flute (8).Ordering info: 482music.com»November 2008 DOWNBEAT 73

B.B. KingOne Kind FavorGEFFEN 11791AAAAOne Kind Favor returnsB.B. King to the studio settingof the ’50s, completewith a true stereo soundand an intimate, first-takeambiance. It’s back-to-thebasicsB.B., and it’s hisbest album in years as King doesn’t have tocompete with an all-star aggregation of specialguests. Instead the spotlight is King’s alone onthe 83-year-old blues icon’s first studio recordingin three years. And he shines brilliantlyunder its illumination, as he revisits his originalinfluences, revitalizing and recasting the musicwith a more musically mature approach than hecommanded in his youth.The core of the album is material from seminalblues giants such as Lonnie Johnson, BillBill Broonzy and Blind Lemon Jefferson. Thecatalog of the vastly overlooked MississippiSheiks, a sort of combined string band and backwoodsvaudeville act, is lovingly showcased,revealing some of the roots of King’s storytellingblues sensibility. It was the music that heheard growing up. King now substitutes a hardwonwisdom for the youthful exuberance ofthose early recordings. Hisvoice isn’t as strong or insistentas it was, but he can domuch more with it, imbuingsimple phrases with thewealth of his life experienceand musical expertiseKing’s guitar, marvelouslyminimal in number of notesand artfully evocative witheach one, every solo, if notevery single-string run, is amaster-class in emotional expression. “I Get SoWeary,” by T-Bone Walker, and “BackwaterBlues,” where he opts for Broonzy’s originaltake instead of Bessie Smith’s hit rendition, arehighlights. But the uniform quality of the entirealbum makes the concept so successful. Themost modern of the material, a nod to Howlin’Wolf and a personalized remake of John LeeHooker’s rendition of Leroy Carr’s “BluesBefore Sunrise,” maintains the thematicapproach in suitable style. —Michael PointOne Kind Favor: See That My Grave Is Kept Clean; I Get SoWeary; Get These Blues Off Me; How Many More Years;Waiting For Your Call; My Love Is Down; The World Is GoneWrong; Blues Before Sunrise; Midnight Blues; BackwaterBlues; Sitting On Top Of The World; Tomorrow Night. (57:09)Personnel: B.B. King, guitar, vocals; Nathan East, acoustic bass;Jim Keltner, drums; Dr. John, piano; horn section.»Ordering info: geffen.comSUBSCRIBE!1-800-554-7470Sonny RollinsIn VienneDOXY/EMARCY DVD0602517675483AAA 1 /2As the saxophonist isin his mid-’70s, noone begrudges thenights when SonnyRollins is merely mortal.Still, everyonewho attends a Rollinsconcert hopes theywill catch him whenthe spirit is upon him, when the cadenzas seemto stretch on forever, and his musical ideas flowlike sweet water.There are flashes of that inspiration duringthis concert DVD from France in 2006—Rollinsis feeling strong—but just as interesting is thelook inside the dynamics of his longtime sextet,with Victor Lewis on drums in this instance.You can see the shine on the face of Rollins’nephew, trombonist Clifton Anderson, when hehears the saxophonist shift into a higher gear,gauge the concentration of Lewis as he navigateschanges, and sense the entire band’s joy atseeing Rollins once again find flight.The video opens with the band already inmotion—grooving hard on “They Say It’sWonderful,” a Rollins concert staple. Lewis andguitarist Bobby Broom take long features,and their solos inspire the directorto select some rapid-fire shots anddizzying cuts that distract from themusic. “Global Warming” has moredizzying camerawork, but Rollins rivetsthe attention, playing from beginningto end over a tempo that is equalparts samba and march. It sounds likea triumphant set-closer, and indeed thescene shifts to dark from dusk as theband digs into the funk vamp of“Sonny, Please,” and more muscularwork from the leader. Such performancesalways create harsh contrastwith pieces like “I See Your Face Before Me,” ashowcase for percussionist Kimati Dinizulu—who always sounds out of place on a ballad—and bassist Bob Cranshaw.Why does Rollins maintain this band, withmusicians who can never match his inspiration?Because they can give him the cushion he needsat the beginning of “Don’t Stop The Carnival,”push him as Anderson does with his solo andride hard with him as they do when he works thecrowd at the lip of the stage. —James HaleIn Vienne: They Say It’s Wonderful; Global Warming; Sonny,Please; I See Your Face Before Me; Don’t Stop The Carnival. (76:48)Personnel: Sonny Rollins, tenor saxophone; Clifton Anderson,trombone; Bobby Broom, guitar; Bob Cranshaw, electric bass;Victor Lewis, drums; Kimati Dinizulu, percussion.»Ordering info: emarcy.com74 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Kenny BarronThe TravelerSUNNYSIDE 3079AAA 1 /2Kenny Barron’s piano is an oasis ofcalm in a turbulent world. There aresome perfectly chilled moments here,notably the gorgeous interplay betweenSteve Wilson’s soprano and Barron’spoised, uncluttered comping on “Illusion,” and their crystalline simpaticoon the more lively title cut. All selections are Barron originals, save for“The First Year” and “Memories Of You.” “Duet,” with Lionel Louekeon acoustic guitar, sounds like a spontaneous improvisation.The surprises here are the three vocal selections, the subtlest of whichcomes from Gretchen Parlato, who breezes through the Brazilian-tinged“Phantoms.” “Clouds” features Ann Hampton Callaway, whose voicesounds a little like Sarah Vaughan. Grady Tate warbles á là Johnny Mathisthrough “Um Beijo.” By then you want no more distractions fromBarron’s own urbane excursions. The uptempo “Speed Trap” ruffles thefeathers, with bassist Kiyoshi Kitagawa displaying impressive horsepowerunder Wilson’s inquisitive soprano and Barron’s driving, Monkish attack.The taste and restraint of drummer Francisco Mela is notable: He’s sensitiveto the decisive, yet filigree touch of the leader, who signs off the sessionwith a beautifully weighted stride-style solo track. —Michael JacksonThe Traveler: The Traveler; Clouds; Speed Trap; Um Beijo; The First Year; Illusion; Duet;Phantoms; Calypso; Memories Of You. (68.50)Personnel: Kenny Barron, piano; Kiyoshi Kitagawa, bass; Francisco Mela, drums; Lionel Loueke,guitar (7–9); Steve Wilson, soprano sax (1, 3, 6); Ann Hampton Callaway (2), Gretchen Parlato (8),Grady Tate (4), vocals (4).Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com»Michael Moore &Fred HerschThis We KnowPALMETTO 3900AAAAFriends since 1975, reed playerMichael Moore and pianist FredHersch had never recorded their duetsuntil this meeting in 2003. Their threedecades working together in various settings are evident in the warmth andsupport that flows here. From the first notes of “Aquellos Ojos Verdes”the territory of This We Know is clear: Hersch’s measured-but-propulsivepiano creates a rock-solid base for Moore’s lyrical flights.The majority of the originals—five by Moore, three by Hersch—aresprightly and melodic, emphasizing Moore’s woody tone on clarinet andslightly urgent-sounding cry on alto sax. The set closes with two notableexceptions: Moore’s “Langrage,” which begins with a bleat-turned-snorton alto and moves with a freedom that reflects his work with the Dutchavant-garde; and Hersch’s “Canzona”—a refrain that sounds more fullyorchestrated than the other duets. On occasion, there is a yin-yangapproach, with Hersch’s solo emphasizing a dark bass part on “Lee’sDream,” while Moore’s alto strikes a jaunty pose. Hersch remains buoyantwhile Moore mines a melancholic strain on “Sandwiches & Brandy.” Mostoften, though, they dance as one, moving with purpose to the fulsome tango“Doce De Coco” or skipping through “Four In One.” —James HaleThis We Know: Aquellos Ojos Verdes; Bedtime Story; The Sad Bird; Four In One; Spirit Of ’76;Doce De Coco; This We Know; Lee’s Dream; Sandwiches & Brandy; Langrage; Canzona. (58:40)Personnel: Michael Moore, clarinet, alto saxophone; Fred Hersch, piano.»Ordering info: palmetto-records.comNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 75

Wolfert Brederode QuartetCurrentsECM B0011581AAA 1 /2The 11 pieces on Currents are as shimmeringand delicate as ice sculptures, hoveringin the same limbo between solidityand dissolution. Dutch pianist WolfertBrederode has an exacting method ofcomposing fragility, building each track asan aural house of cards ready to fall at thefirst errant wisp of breath.While this is Brederode’s debut as aleader for ECM, he has two outings on thelabel with singer Susanne Abbuehl, whoalso shares credit with Brederode on Currents’“As You July Me.” He leads a quartet of sympatheticplayers: Norwegian bassist Mats Eilertsen,drummer Samuel Rohrer and clarinetist ClaudioPuntin, both from Switzerland.Puntin is especially well-suited forBrederode’s minimalist romanticism. He playswith intense concentration and unwaveringcontrol, emitting languorous moans that seemto float gracefully around the pianist’s brittlerepetitions. Eilertsen and Rohrer add the rightsheen, rounding out the sound without everbecoming overbearing—a difficult tightrope towalk. If Brederode’s own work often seems toexist in a cloud of thought bordered by Puntin’sclarion keening, Eilertsen and Rohrer work tokeep it aloft as a balloon, careful not to puncturethe thin surface.Brederode’s compositions occupy a spacesomewhere between Philip Glass and JimmyGiuffre, a modernist chamber jazz that fitsthe hushed, airy ECM esthetic without fallingprey to the frigidity so often threatened bythat style. Currents is heady and introspective,but an essential warmth tints the minorkeyatmosphere.—Shaun BradyCurrents: Common Fields; Empty Room; As You July Me; HighAnd Low; With Them; Frost Flower; Scarabee; Desiderata; Soil;Ebb; Barcelona. (58:13)Personnel: Wolfert Brederode, piano; Claudio Puntin, clarinets;Mats Eilertsen, bass; Samuel Rohrer, drums.Ordering info: ecmrecords.com»SUBSCRIBE!1-800-554-7470WilliamParkerQuartetPetit OiseauAUM FIDELITY 050AAAAIf William Parker’srecent pan-ethnicbig band recordingDouble SunriseOver Neptune constituteshis mostspecifically orchestratedrecord to date, this album represents theother side of the coin. He asks his quartet towork from a minimal starting point—on the titletune only the melody’s notes are preset—andsee where they can take it.Sometimes the journey is fairly direct, othertimes it is long and winds through contrastingterritory, but it’s never less than absorbing. Thisis also, despite its looseness, a coherent andapproachable performance. Parker and his confederatesmake liberal use of identifiable genreelements, from the acoustic funk and reggaerhythms that subdivide “Groove Sweet” to“Malachi’s Mode”’s Kwela-like theme to “FourFor Tommy”’s frantic bebop head, which ensurethat there’s always something for the listener tohang onto when they play heads out.Parker’s sense ofhumor is also on display,whether it’s thejoyous humor that infuses“Malachi’s Mode” or“Four For Tommy”’swry wit. Dedicated tothe “bebop look” thatParker used to get whenhe gigged with TommyTurrentine and strayedfrom the changes, thelatter tune is full of justright“wrong” notes thatwould doubtless have earned just such aglance. Trumpeter Lewis Barnes and saxophonistRob Brown speak in the inside-out languagefirst articulated nearly a half-century agoby Ornette Coleman; they know and lovewhat’s come before, and their playing isinfused with its lore, but they won’t let themselvesbe fettered. Instead, they take Parker’smelodies, fill them with joy, sorrow and adventure,and make them fly. —Bill MeyerPetit Oiseau: Groove Sweet; Talaps Theme; Petit Oiseau; TheGolden Bell; Four For Tommy; Malachi’s Mode; Duet From AMountain; Shorter For Alan. (70:23)Personnel: William Parker, double bass, Ojibwa cedar flute;Lewis Barnes, trumpet; Rob Brown, alto saxophone, B-flat clarinet;Hamid Drake, drums, percussion.»Ordering info: aumfidelity.com76 DOWNBEAT November 2008

JAZZEuro SamplingGyldene Trion: Live At Glenn Miller Café(Ayler 079; 6218) AAAA Saxophonist JonasKullhammar has been making seriouswaves of late. Here, fronting a hard-edgedSwedish trio, he’s caught doing what hedoes best. Joined by the powerful, flexiblebassist Torbjörn Zetterberg and the explosivedrummer Daniel Fredriksson, Kullhammarrips into extended improvisations withgusto, channeling the spirits of SonnyRollins in his motivic variations and JohnColtrane in his plush yet blustery sound.On a pair of Monk tunes, a pair of originalsby the bassist and “The Night Has A ThousandEyes,” Gyldene Trion goes throughexhilarating peaks and valleys; and whilethe saxophonist may be the focal point, therhythm section proves invaluable, constantlystoking and soothing the fire.Ordering info: ayler.comActis Furioso 2: World People (Leo 510;73:33) AAA The latest from Italian baritonesaxophonist Carlo Actis Dato offers nothingnew, but it’s another solid, freewheelingand humorous outing from this high-energynonet. Perhaps the biggest star here isfellow saxophonist Massimo Rossi, whosearrangements on four of the album’s sevenpieces are models of vigorous contrapuntalinvention. The leader’s compositions areebullient, charged vehicles for raucousimprovisation, well-blended mixtures ofswing, Italian folk melodies and Afro-Caribbean rhythms.Ordering info: leorecords.comSandro Fazio: The Birth (Dodicilune 246;50:51) AA As serene as Dato is wild, Italianguitarist Fazio maintains a tight control ofthe proceedings, a snoozy post-fusion datethat too often stifles the participants withthe slickness of the arrangements. Superbtenor saxophonist Francesco Bearzatti andDutch reedist Tineke Postma duel nicely inthe opener “Ostinato,” but more often thannot the improvisations fail to catch fire.Ordering info: dodicilune.itGwilym Simcock: Perception (Basho 24;69:16) AAA 1 /2 Over the last year or so, 27-year-old London pianist Simcock has beenthe toast of England’s jazz press. Thisrecording justifies the hype most of thetime. Supported by the rhythm section ofbassist Phil Donkin and drummer MartinFrance, Simcock lays down some galvanicimprovisations that have left me breathless—theebb-and-flow of the openingLatin-touched track “A Typical Affair” is atour-de-force, as the pianist lays it all on thetable. My enthusiasm wanes, though,Gwilym Simcock:rhythmic agilityby Peter Margasakwhen guest musicians like saxophonistStan Sulzmann and guitarist John Parricelliturn up on about half the tracks, accentuatinga post-fusion fussiness in the arrangements.But when Simcock takes off, with adazzling mix of rhythmic agility and melodicgenerosity, it’s easier to ignore.Ordering info: bashorecords.comRød Planet: RPM (ILK 137; 55:47) AAAThis beguiling trio—laptopper Jakob Riisand drummer Stefan Pasborg fromDenmark and Liudas Mockunas fromLithuania, hence the titular RPM—navigatesome netherworld between jazz and freeimprovisation, see-sawing between puresonic exploration and agile rhythmic giveand-take.Riis generates abstract washes ofelectronic sounds and processes the outputof Mockunas in real time, creating a funhouserefraction, but on the surface themain action is between sax and percussion.At times the more skittery playing byPasborg reminds me of Chicagoan MichaelZerang, a roiling, steady stream of lowimpactclatter, but most of the time he’s settingup delicate polyrhythms or hypnoticbeats. Mockunas dances through them withhis reedy tone. This is where Riis’ listeningskills come in handy, as he finds nooks andcrannies to fill in—or ignore.Ordering info: ilkmusic.comSaft: Thirteen (Kakofone 002; 65:56)AA 1 /2 Rhythm prevails in the knotty, angularmusic of this trio from Aarhus, Denmark.Saxophonist Mette Rasmussen, pianistKasper Bjerg and drummer Søren Mehlsenhave constructed tightly wound tunespacked with cross-cutting patterns to createdeep tension. Although generous space isaccorded to improvisation, even the solopassages are far more concerned with theelaboration of tricky grooves than melodyor harmonic movement.DBOrdering info: kakophone.dkMARY DUNKINNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 77

Garaj MahalWootOWL STUDIOS 125AAASpacey, art-rock chordprogressions and clippedfunk jams abound onGaraj Mahal’s third studioeffort, a pleasantly strangecombination of influencesthat aims to challenge assumptions about jambands the way Weather Report challengedassumptions about fusion. It often succeeds.Garaj Mahal’s technical precision shines here.However, in their efforts to join cerebral compositionsand funk-based improvisation, the musicsometimes feels a bit schizophrenic, and thecombination of prog rock song structures withfunk rhythms doesn’t always work.When it does, however, the results are clever.The album’s opener, “Semos,” employs a seriesof see-sawing, electronic toy-sounding chirpsthat settle uneasily into clever and originalgrooves. At first, the track feels like it’s goingthe way of an easy funk jam, but that comfortdissipates within a few bars as the tune dips fluidlyinto jazz-rock, especially when augmentedby Eric Levy’s playful keyboard parts. Asrhythms speed up and various parts indulge incomplex paths around a theme, they resist thejam band proclivity for elongatedbuild-ups.Perhaps the most straightforwardfunk piece on thealbum, “Hotel” leaves rockinfluences behind for themost part, opting instead topursue a laid-back melodythat benefits from FareedHaque’s intricate guitarwork and guests AdamTheis on trombone and DJ Nick Aspect’s subtlescratching. On a (misspelled) tribute to the legendaryNew Orleans music club Tipitina’s, Levychannels James Booker’s light touch on thekeys, helping the song fill the shoes it has setitself up to fill in the title.While Garaj Mahal’s technical mastery isundeniable, the drive of songs like “Pundit-Ji,”coupled with the frenetic pace of what’s happeningjust below the surface, tends to detract fromthe overall accessibility. On the other hand, thatgives the final product rights to a thinking man’sjam-band moniker. —Jennifer OdellWoot: Semos; Hotel; Pundit-Ji; Bass Solo; 7 Cows JumpingOver The Moon; Corner Peace; Ishmael And Isaac; UptownTippitinas; Jamie’s Jam. (70:14)Personnel: Kai Eckhardt, bass; Fareed Haque, guitars; AlanHertz, drums; Eric Levy, keyboards; Adam Theis, trombone (2);Wendy Levy, vocals (1); DJ Nick Aspect, scratching (2).Ordering info: owlstudios.com»SolomonBurkeLike A FireSHOUT! FACTORY 826663AAA 1 /2Solomon Burke dazzlesin the winter of hiscareer. The past fewyears have found himin gracious form in thestudio; he’s served upan outstanding album, Nashville (2006), a betterthan-goodone, Make Do With What You Got(2005) and a decent career renovator, Don’tGive Up On Me (2002). Like A Fire sits wellaside Make Do.Producer-drummer Steve Jordan follows thesame game plan used for Burke on those earlieralbums by producers Don Was, Joe Henry andBuddy Miller: The singer interprets songs writtenor chosen for him by assorted pop musicnotables. This time out, the singer evidences hisincredible facility for granting soul-time swaggerand supplication to tunes from Eric Clapton,Ben Harper, Jesse Harris, Keb’ Mo’ and Jordan.An ordained minister before his teen years,Burke turns his dramatic “preaching” style looseon Clapton’s catchy, the-masses-should-love-ittitle track, transforming maudlin and solipsisticlyrics into a sacred text directed to his Maker.He injects such emotion into the words of Mo’s“We Don’t Need It” themawkish family ditty becomesa rousing anthem to Americanvalues. With anxiety andurgency bound up in his bigvoice, Burke sings Harper’sotherwise pretentious “AMinute To Rest And A SecondTo Pray” as if he were insidethe head of a condemned manon the scaffold.Burke also has his singularway with three Jordan originals, sporting attractivemelodies and perceptive lyrics on life’semotional states—“The Fall,” “Ain’t ThatSomething” and “Understanding.” His toucheven extends to two sweet little nothings fromHarris, “What Makes Me Think I Was Right”and “You And Me.” But not even a vocalist asgifted as Burke can escape the sweetnessencrusting “If I Give My Heart To You.” Spareand meticulous playing by organist RudyCopeland, and dependable rock veterans likeDanny Kortchmar, Larry Taylor and Dean Parksunderscore the emotional veracity of this singer,who holds his own against anyone in the canonof soul music. —Frank-John HadleyLike A Fire: Like A Fire; We Don’t Need It; The Fall; A Minute ToRest And A Second To Pray; Ain’t That Something; WhatMakes Me Think I Was Right; Understanding; You And Me;Thank You; If I Give My Heart To You. (39:13)Ordering info: shoutfactory.com»78 DOWNBEAT November 2008

BLUESby Frank-John HadleyOver ThereDon “Sugar Cane” Harris: SugarCane’s Got The Blues (MPS00979; 49:24) AAA 1 /2 At the 1971Berlin Jazz Festival, the bluesfiddler—who had been workingwith John Mayall—fronts an adhoc Anglo-German band thathas ex-Soft Machine RobertWyatt flailing away at his drumslike Elvin Jones and sonicadventurer Wolfgang Dauner onkeyboards. Go straight to the 14-minute title track: Harris’ bowingof strings reveals the profoundhurt inside a complex, troubledman. “Sugar Cane’s got theblues!” screams Harris—believehim, duck for cover. Two more extendedworkouts, Horace Silver’s “Song For MyFather” and his blues-rock band Pure Food& Drug Act’s “Where’s My Sunshine?” fascinatebecause the musicians are so unpredictable.Doug MacLeod:Dutch characterOrdering info: promising-music.comPhilipp Fankhauser: Love Man Riding(Crosscut 11098; 56:47) AAAA Fankhauserrecords outstanding albums in his homecountry Switzerland without being an outstandingsinger himself. Within parameters,he works wonders with shadings anddynamics, and, as shown by seven selectionson his 11th album, he has a gift forwriting richly sonorous and sophisticatedsongs about secure, broken or quixoticrelationships. Fankhauser also playssuperb guitar on “Lonely In This Town.”He’s fortunate to have Dennis Walker, oncean associate of Robert Cray, contributingchoice material and producing. Walkermakes sure ex-Cray bassist RichardCousins and the other supporting musicianscompact soul and blues in the serviceof the song, no matter the tempo or mood.Ordering info: crosscut.deRobert Cray: Live At The BBC (Mercury0011058; 70:51) AAA 1 /2 The one-in-a-millionbluesman with pop star status in theStates, Cray wowed his fans in the U.K.with 1988 and 1991 radio appearances thattypically found him singing with sassy selfassuranceand playing terse chordal stylelead guitar on first-rate cheating or breaking-upsongs familiar from his albums. Heriskily throws himself into “These Things,”an inner power governing his emotionsdown to the smallest detail. Live At TheBBC easily bests 2006’s Live From AcrossThe Pond.Ordering info: robertcray.comWatermelon Slim And The Workers: NoPaid Holidays (NorthernBlues 0047; 52:21)AA 1 /2 Treated like royalty by the Englishmusic press and audiences, these blue-collarOklahomans lend conviction to even themost dog-eared phrases in the studio. Thatsaid, the songs on the new album aren’t sogood, and Slim’s infrequent harmonicaplaying impresses more than all his singingand slide guitar work.Ordering info: northernblues.comDoug MacLeod: The Utrecht Sessions(Black and Tan 032; 56:43) AAAA In aDutch studio, singer and guitarist MacLeodcame up with something rare: an exceptionalacoustic blues album full of originalsongs characterized by a combination ofimmediacy and intelligence. (He’s solo onseveral tracks, joined by a near-invisiblepercussionist and string bass player on therest.) Understanding the importance ofrestraint to the blues, he skirts the predictablewith fresh imagery in lyrics freshand his music barb-wire sharp. It took gutsto write and perform “The Demon’s Moan”about the predatory evil he encountered asa young innocent.Ordering info: black-and-tan.comKeef Hartley Band: Halfbreed (Esoteric2050; 50:48) AAA 1 /2 Spit James plays guitarwith the focused fervor of peers EricClapton and Peter Green on this littleknowngem in the late-’60s British bluesrockcanon. Spit who? Real name IanCruickshank, today a leading DjangoReinhardt stylist. Also valuable to the successof this record: singer-guitarist MillerAnderson, a rhythm section anchored byJohn Mayall’s drummer Hartley and jazzhorns arranged by trumpeter HenryLowther.DBOrdering info: cherryred.co.ukTONY WINFIELDNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 79

FreddieHubbard &The New JazzComposersOctetOn The Real SideTIMES SQUARE 1810AAANo trumpeter everplayed with the consistentphysical intensitythat Freddie Hubbard brought to the instrument.From 1960 to the late ’70s, only Hubbardchallenged the hegemony that saxophonists likeJohn Coltrane held for playing multiple choruses.His subsequent lip problems are well chronicledand it was presumed that Hubbard wouldnever play again. Here he is at age 70, making areentry in the company of the crack New JazzComposers Octet. It’s a measured showingfrom a bandstand warrior who almost gaveeverything in battle.Hubbard has given up the trumpet for themore forgiving flugelhorn, and confines himselfto the middle register on a bouquet of hisbest-loved tunes. In-house arrangements—bybassist Dwayne Burno, trumpeter David Weissand trombonist Steve Davis—are sturdy andworkmanlike. Horn ensemble lines are full andS.M.V.ThunderHEADS UP 3163AAAHow’s it possiblenot to becompletely flooredby Thunder,an album featuringthree virtuosofusion musiciansjoining forces forsomething of awet dream forbassists? Easy. S.M.V., a band allying Return toForever superstar Stanley Clarke with MarcusMiller and Victor Wooten, doesn’t feel like thesum of its often astonishing parts. Yes, these 13tracks showcase killer chops and uniquearrangements. Still, these tunes mostly comeoff as mere launching pads for this trio of lowhertzmasters—the fretboard ripping is goodand plenty.The title track is a metal-edged funk stomper,while “Los Tres Hermanos” (the three brothers)sports a catchy Spanish-tinged melody and“Classical Thump” is a thumb-popping jam withMiller and Wooten, two players whose approachwas clearly shaped by Clarke’s playing in RTF.Several pieces directly reference past work: Therising-and-falling “Tutu,” with Clarke onacoustic bass and J.D. Blair laying down a funkythe playing—individual andcollective—is fiery. Weiss’sziggurat chart on “Ozone”launches Craig Handy andMyron Walden on successiveprojectile sax solos. Hubbardsticks and moves, using shortphrases—musical haiku actually—seldomfor more than achorus. He’s at his mostmelodic on “Up JumpedSpring” but briefly summonsthunder on “Gibraltar.”Those who listen to this album with clinicalears—closely scrutinizing every Hubbardnuance—will inevitably be disappointed. This isnot the Blue Note Hubbard of yore. They willhave missed the forest (a fine collection by contemporaryplayers) for the trees (Hubbard’scameos). That would be a shame for everyoneconcerned.—Kirk SilsbeeOn The Real Side: Lifeflight; Up Jumped Spring; Theme ForKareem; On The Real Side; Take It To The Ozone; Skydive;Gibraltar. (52:28)Personnel: Freddie Hubbard, flugelhorn; David Weiss, trumpet;Steve Davis, trombone; Myron Walden, alto saxophone; JimmyGreene, tenor, soprano saxophone; Norbert Stachel, baritonesaxophone, flute; Xavier Davis, piano; Dwayne Burno, bass; E.J.Strickland, drums; Craig Handy, tenor saxophone, flute; RussellMalone, guitar.»Ordering info: timessquarerecords.netbackbeat, was written and producedby Miller for the 1986Miles Davis album of thesame name. Clarke’s “LopsyLu/Silly Putty,” with GeorgeDuke soloing on Minimoog,joins a tune from the former’s1974 solo debut with its 1975successor, and Wooten’sbluesy “Hillbillies On A QuietAfternoon,” with Duke onclavinet, is a reworking of apiece from Clarke’s 1979 live IWanna Play For You.RTF leader Chick Coreaturns in a typically brilliant, probing piano soloon “Mongoose Walk”; it’s a welcome soniccontrast on a recording that, for all the jaw-droppingbass playing, is a bit too same sounding,even for a listener who plays the instrument.—Philip BoothThunder: Maestros De Las Frecuencias Bajas; Thunder;Hillbillies On A Quiet Afternoon; Mongoose Walk; Los TresHermanos; Lopsy Lu/Silly Putty (medley); Milano; ClassicalThump; Tutu; Lil’ Victa; Pendulum; “Lemme Try Your Bass”;Grits. (62:38)Personnel: Stanley Clarke, Victor Wooten, basses; Marcus Miller,bass, synthesizers (2–7, 9, 11, 13), Minimoog (4), bass clarinet (1,9), alto and tenor saxophones (1); Ronald Bruner, Jr. (1, 10, 13),Derico Watson (3, 4), Poogie Bell (5, 6), J.D. Blair (9), drums; ChickCorea, piano (4); Kevin Ricard, percussion (7); George Duke,clavinet (3), Minimoog (6); Butterscotch, vocals, beat box, voicetrumpet; Patches Stewart, trumpet (6); Steve Baxter, trombone(6); Ruslan Sirota (1), Karlton Taylor (9), keyboards.Ordering info: headsup.comRebecca MartinThe Growing SeasonSUNNYSIDE 1178AAARebecca Martin is a versatile vocalist with anuanced delivery and great melodic sophistication,and The Growing Season—impeccablyproduced by guitarist Kurt Rosenwinkel—is anexhibition of craftsmanship and subtlety.Supported by a close-knit group of talentedmusicians, Martin charts her way through 13soft, pop-jazz performances with confidenceand style.The arrangements are almost all picture-perfect,and the rhythm section of drummer BrianBlade and Martin’s husband, bassist LarryGrenadier, can do no wrong. While Martin’svoice remains the album’s focal point, her compositionsbenefit greatly from Rosenwinkel’sempathic accompaniment (on keyboards andguitar). The gentle nature of Martin’s songwritingallows for a fine, meditative groove toemerge, and the recording holds together well.The opening tune, “The Space In A Song ToThink,” has a lilting Brazilian influence anddraws the listener into Martin’s gentle milieu.“Free At Last” is a more ambitious performancethat increases in intensity and allows her band toflex its collective rock-jazz muscles. Layers ofbacking voices and multiple guitars gracecharming songs like “Talking,” while the closing“You’re Older” switches from a sparse,folksy approach to powerful instrumental interludes.While the amazing instrumental work ofBlade, Grenadier and Rosenwinkel demandsconstant attention, Martin always holds her ownand keeps the album’s vocal center nailed downtight. Martin’s understated approach is certainlyradio-friendly, and The Growing Season providesa number of rewards. —Mitch MyersThe Growing Season: The Space In A Song To Think; A MillionMiles; Just A Boy; To Prove Them Wrong; What Feels LikeHome; Lullaby; As For You, Raba; After Midnight; Make The DaysRun Fast; Free At Last; Pieces; Talking; You’re Older. (47:42)Personnel: Rebecca Martin, vocals, acoustic guitar; Brian Blade,drums, percussion; Larry Grenadier, bass; Kurt Rosenwinkel,electric guitar, piano, nylon string guitar, keyboards, FenderRhodes, tack piano, vibraphone.» Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.com»80 DOWNBEAT November 2008

The vibraphone maintains its central place injazz mostly through its mainstream storytelling.For vibist/marimba player Joe Baione, Oh Yeah!plays like a live set without a program, whichveers in and out of the blues with originals and afew jazz standards, his extended cast occasionallyincluding horns. Vibraphonist MarkSherman’s band is a set entity, with every standardrhythm section instrument in jazz coveredby his quartet in a two-disc set of originals andstandards.Baione’s band starts things off with a coupleof blues, including the snappy title track. Theleader and pianist Toru Dodo offer solid performances,and Baione’s use of drummer JeromeJennings in different settings can be creative,such as when Jennings solos with urgency overthe vamp that bassist Corcoran Holt gives himon “The Stranger.” Baione spreads solo turnsaround. When featured, trombonist AndraeMurchison and tenor saxophonist Jorge Castroadd welcome color. Many times the leader willinsert his swinging solo voice behind others, ashe does on the band’s conventional reading ofMilt Jackson’s “Bag’s Groove.” As Oh Yeah!proceeds, the moods change, with the stylesbecoming a familiar potpourri—a Latin number(“‘J’ Bossa”), a ballad (a serene take on“Prelude To A Kiss”) and another blues (MilesDavis’ “All Blues” done up as an easygoing 4/4funk piece).Sherman offers an equally intelligent mix onLive At The Bird’s Eye that should pleasestraightahead fans. He starts things off with anuptempo blues, with pianist Allen Farnhamshadowing the leader’s mallets like a cop onmidnight patrol. Over two discs, the bandstretches out, giving Sherman and Farnhammore choruses. No sooner are we through theblues than we get some variety with the singsong“The Winning Life,” an uptempo tune witha bouncy, swinging, implied Latin feel. Thevariety continues with more originals in “Trust,”“Hope” and “Hardship,” three tunes that combinecalm (“Trust” and “Hope”) with livelyswing (“Hardship”). Two more originals mix itup with three standards to close out the program,with Sherman’s “Explorations” the hardestchargingswinger of the set and featuring TimHorner’s taut yet explosive drumming. Shermanpresents a real band feel, with the quartet speakingas one.—John EphlandOh Yeah!: Oh Yeah!!!; Down Fuzz; The Stranger; Bag’s Groove; “J”Bossa; Prelude To A Kiss; Coconut Island; All Blues; Oh Yeah!!! (53:04)Personnel: Joe Baione, vibraphone, marimba; Jorge Castro,tenor saxophone; Andrae Murchison, trombone; Toru Dodo,piano; Corcoran Holt, bass; Jerome Jennings, drums.Ordering info: joebaione.com»Live At The Bird’s Eye: Disc 1—Tip Top Blues; The WinningLife; Trust; Hope; Hardship. (50:48) Disc 2—Explorations; YouDon’t Know What Love Is; There Is No Greater Love; Tip TopRhythm; Moon River. (57:15)Personnel: Mark Sherman, vibraphone; Allen Farnham, piano;Dean Johnson, bass; Tim Horner, drums.Ordering info: mileshighrecords.com»Joe BaioneOh Yeah!JOE BAIONEAAAMark Sherman QuartetLive At The Bird’s EyeMILES HIGH 8606AAA 1 /2November 2008 DOWNBEAT 81

Five PlayWhat The WorldNeeds NowARBORS 19381AAAMany years ago, bigbands begat small bands:Benny Goodman had histrio, quartet and sextet,Cab Calloway his CabJivers, Artie Shaw hisGramercy Five, and Woody Herman hisWoodchoppers. Drummer Sherrie Maricleskims her DIVA Jazz Orchestra for this capablequintet. Like her forebears of the big bandera, Five Play is an instrumentally hot condensationof DIVA.Post-bop and soul-jazz treatments of jazzrepertory dominate, and the heads are seldomcomplicated. A little retooling turns BurtBacharach’s “What The World Needs Now IsLove” into a straightforward groove. Surprisesinclude bassist Noriko Ueda’s pastel reed voicingson “Old Folks,” a thoughtful pizzicato featurefor her. A bright rhythm section treatmentof “I Could Have Danced All Night” showcasesUeda and pianist Tomoko Ohno, bringing tomind the Red Garland tour de force “Billy Boy”with the Miles Davis rhythm section.The personnel are strong and often exemplary.Reed player Janelle Reichman is a standout,with a real singing quality to her phrasing.Her tenor moves beautifullythrough the changes on thetitle track and shows a strongblues vocabulary on ToshikoAkiyoshi’s “Jo-House Blues.”Trumpeter Jami Dauber’sopen horn on the former islikewise warm and limber, buther muted trumpet feature onthe obscure “Moon Song”channels Clyde McCoy’sstiffness, without irony. A littleof Sweets Edison’s puckishness would haveserved better. Maricle’s drums are peppery andpress against the ensemble aggressively, almostin the way Buddy Rich spewed fire at hisorchestra’s back. She’s a team player, parsimoniouswith the breaks and solos.Helen Reddy’s 1970s feminist anthem, “I AmWoman,” may have been an overly obviouschoice, but it’s probably safe to say that the tunewas never before turned into a blowtorchswinger as it is here. Under those circumstances,it would be a worthy choice for the band’s nightlycloser.—Kirk SilsbeeWhat The World Needs Now: What The World Needs Now IsLove; I Want To Be Happy; Moon Song; Groove Merchant;Slipped Disc; Cry Me A River; I Could Have Danced All Night;Jo-House Blues; Old Folks; I Am Woman. (58:40)Personnel: Jami Dauber, trumpet, flugelhorn, cornet; JanelleReichman, tenor saxophone, clarinet; Tomoko Ohno, piano;Noriko Ueda, bass; Sherrie Maricle, drums.»Ordering info: arborsrecords.comFrank CatalanoBang!SAVOY JAZZ 17734AAA 1 /2“Funky energy” is theoperative term whenmentioning the tenorplaying of Frank Catalano,the 31-year-oldformer whiz kid who’sbuilt a solid jazz andpop resumé since the’90s. The title of his latest album signifies hisfondness of burning as hot as naphthalene. Anddig the cover photo: Catalano’s seated at a table,his sax within easy reach, as a woman in theshadows points a pistol at his back. Is he agoner? Nah, he’ll grab the sax, turn quickly,clamp teeth onto mouthpiece and slam theintruder with his astonishing firepower.Catalano’s urgent playing leaves the acridsmell of cordite hanging in the air over eightoriginal tunes. Those exciting blasts of r&blacedjazz, glad to say, derive from a fertilemusical imagination and seldom flow as jumblesof timeworn walk-the-bar histrionics. It’sgood when he stretches out on “Damn Right”and “Funky Dunky,” not so good when asalbum producer he arbitrarily fades “SoulBurner,” “Shakin’” and “Bang!”shy of the four minute mark.The Chicago-based fire-spewerhas it in him to vent creativeideas at greater length, even if itmeans cutting out solo space forelectric keyboardist ScottWilliams.After launching the standard“My One And Only Love” highup in the stratosphere, Catalanodarts back closer to earth to concoctan alternating prickly andtender mood, free of the sentimentality the tunewould give rise to in the hands of others. HisJohn Coltrane-inspired spontaneity is thrilling tohear. But he stumbles when modernizing WayneShorter’s “Footprints,” his jittery tenor at oddswith the plodding techno rhythm. On “NightMoves,” the bandleader switches over to altoflute, which he plays competently but unremarkably.This pyromaniac should stick with hiscombustible horn. —Frank-John HadleyBang!: Bang!; Soul Burner; Shakin’; My One And Only Love;God Made It Beautiful; Damn Right; Funky Dunky; NightMoves; Later; Footprints. (44:45)Personnel: Frank Catalano, tenor saxophone, alto flute (8), programming(10); Scott Williams, piano; Adam Whitson, bass;Daron Nelson, drums; Chris Paquette, percussion.»Ordering info: savoyjazz.com82 DOWNBEAT November 2008

BEYONDThe Godfather’sLive SalvationThe centerpiece of I Got The Feelin’: JamesBrown In The ’60s (Shout! Factory 826663)AAAA, a three-DVD box devoted to theGodfather of Soul’s performance powerand influence during 1968, is The NightJames Brown Saved Boston, a 75-minutedocumentary directed by David Leaf andnarrated by actor Dennis Haysbert that originallyaired on VH1.Brown had a concert scheduled for theBoston Garden on April 5 of that year, butone night prior Dr. Martin Luther King, Jr.was assassinated in Memphis, Tenn., atragedy that turned the country upsidedown. Immediately, many American citieswere in flames, as pent-up frustrations andanger erupted in widespread rioting andlooting. Boston, a city with fierce racial tensions,was among them. Mayor KevinWhite initially planned to cancel the Brownconcert, certain it would cause trouble. AsDr. Cornel West notes in the documentary,it was one thing if blacks were rioting intheir own isolated neighborhoods, but itwould be something altogether different itthe violence moved downtown.Black city councilman Thomas Atkinsintervened and eventually convinced themayor that canceling the show would onlycreate more anger, and the city governmenthit upon a novel solution. It allowed theshow to go on, but it broadcast the concertlive on WGBH in hopes that folks would stayhome and watch rather than roam thestreets with barely contained rage.The gambit paid off. Although attendancewas low, Brown and the FamousFlames put on a brilliant performance thatwas introduced by Atkins and White urgingcitizens to respect the memory of King byembracing his non-violent ethos. Towardthe end of the concert, as amped-up audiencemembers started rushing the stage,Brown waved-off the heavy police presenceand took care of the issue himself.While other American cities continued toburn, Boston was calm. (The TV stationrebroadcast the entire concert again at midnight,extending the music’s balm-like qualitiesfor another 90 late-night minutes). Thesinger’s effectiveness at bringing order ledto a heightened involvement in politics; thenext night he was in Washington, D.C.,calming black residents there.Members of Brown’s band, Boston radiopersonality James “Early” Bird, and blackleaders like Al Sharpton and Andrew Youngare among the talking heads recalling thoseJames Brown:calming forceby Peter Margasakevents and assessing its impact. It’s a sharpand lively documentary, but like so manyfilms that examine music, the performancefootage gets short shrift.That’s where the rest of the box setcomes in. Most of the Boston Garden concertgets its own separate disc (some bits ofcomedy and space afforded to his bandmatesdidn’t make the cut here). Takenfrom the WGBH archives, the black-andwhiteconcert footage isn’t perfect; therewere some problems with the video feed,resulting in an old-fashioned “please standby” image while the music blared on, andat times the TV crew, used to shooting onlyclassical music, seems overwhelmed by thepower and excitement of Brown’s stageshow. Yet once you adjust to the technicallimitations, it’s hard not to be awed byBrown’s charisma and presence, his powerfulsinging and the well-oiled machine thatwas the Famous Flames.The final disc features a TV special called“James Brown: Man To Man” producedfrom a concert at Harlem’s Apollo Theatrejust one week before the Boston show. Thespecial is afflicted by quasi-psychedelic productioneffects in vogue at the time, andmuch of the footage is edited out. There’s ashort section where a camera followsBrown on the streets of Washington, D.C.,Harlem and Watts, where he utters thepowerful demand, “My fight now is for theblack American to become American.”Although it was shot in color, the transferis flawed; there’s even a hiccup in the earlyminutes where an imperfection in the tapedistorts the image and sound for a second.Ultimately, though, the power of the performancemakes such qualms irrelevant. Alsoincluded are single-song performancesfrom Paris concerts in 1967 and 1968 and aclassic clip of Brown performing “Out OfSight” on “The T.A.M.I. Show.” DBOrdering info: shoutfactory.comDOWNBEAT ARCHIVESNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 83

Peter SchärliTrio FeaturingIthamaraKooraxObrigado DomUm RomãoTCB 27702AAAIthamara Koorax,from Rio de Janeiro,has one of the loveliestsinging voices increation. Peter Schärli,based in Switzerland,plays as pleasing atrumpet as can found in European jazz. Almosthalf of their heartfelt Zurich studio tribute tofriend Dom Um Romão, who died in 2005 justbefore the three were to tour, attests to the powerof beautifully performed Brazilian music.On “Estate,” Koorax casts a spell with herbreathy, impeccable control over the Portugueselyrics; when Schärli solos, it’s a concentration ofloveliness colored. Recalled as part of the controversialMiles Davis and Gil Evans collaborationQuiet Nights, “Aos Pés Da Cruz” is anotherarchetype of exquisite style, kept at low-mediumemotional pitch by the lissome singer, the trumpeter,guitarist Markus Stalder and string bassistThomas Durst. Melody is dear to the heart ofKoorax and then the soloing horn player on“Recado Bossa Nova,” which ends with Schärlicleverly approximating the percussive soundsRomão might have lent the performance. MinusKoorax, the three musicians specifically salutetrombonist–pianistVince Benedetti by providingeasy-glidingbebop to Benedetti’s“Two And One.”Several tracks are lessappealing. Koorax’s justtoo thick with the dramasinging the standards“Love For Sale” and “IFall In Love TooEasily” in English. Shemay well have an understandingof everything atrue heart could careabout, but the remarkable range of her voicecomes off as showy and sounds unconvincing.Her swoops on Rachmaninoff’s “Vocalise” andSchärli’s “Minature IV” wear out their welcomequickly, emotional specificity lost in the giddysplendor of it all. On “Prenda Minha,” rippledlightning flashes of trumpet are incongruouswith the blue-sky vocal, bass and guitar, whilethe “Manhã De Carnaval” duet of brass andRomão’s gourd-and-metal-string berimbao(taped in the ’90s, the only percussion on thealbum) is at once fascinating and pretentious.—Frank-John HadleyObrigado Dom Um Romão: Estate; Love For Sale; Aos Pés DaCruz; Recado Bossa Nova; Vocalise; Minature IV; Manhã De Carnaval;I Fall In Love Too Easily; Two And One; Prenda Minha. (51:54)Personnel: Ithamara Koorax, vocals; Peter Schärli, trumpet;Markus Stalder, guitar; Thomas Dürst, bass; Dom Um Romão,berimbao (7).Ordering info: tcbrecords.com»SUBSCRIBE!1-800-554-7470Antonio Ciacca QuintetRush LifeMOTÉMA 00015AAAJazz pianists from Italy have infiltrated andenriched the jazz world, first near home afterWorld War II, then throughout Europe andtoday enjoy deserved international recognition.Germany-born Italian Antonio Ciacca isno newcomer to the New York scene; hisfourth album serves up a not-quite straightforward,respectful but slightly edgy set,backed with well-schooled youthful yeomen.His piano style’s hints of Horace Silver andSonny Clark, with a sprinkle of Jaki Byard’szany wit, stand as crisp finials on his sturdyhand-tooled staircase to the future.Judicious if unambitious charts execute snappily—“Squazin”and “Riverdale”—withoutextending perceptibly a long-familiar idiom.Benny Golson’s “I Remember Clifford” servesadmirably as a relaxed feature for trumpeter JoeMagnarelli. But where Ciacca shows some stuffis on standards that exceed the pleasantly capablewith tweaks. “Green Dolphin Street” gets itstag-phrase extended to fresh effect. Elsewhere,Ciacca lightly reworks “Cherokee” as“Chipewha,” with good solos from him andMagnarelli. The title tune is modeled on “BodyAnd Soul”; with its chords altered a little, it’s ahearty, full-blooded feature for tenor saxophonistStacy Dillard. Throughout, the band swingswith a sense of fun. —Fred BouchardRush Life: Squazin; Chipewha; I Remember Clifford; Flat 5 Flat9; On Green Dolphin Street; Rush Life; Riverdale; Prince OfNewark; Without A Song. (60:16)Personnel: Antonio Ciacca, piano; Kengo Nakamura, bass;Rodney Green, drums; Joe Magnarelli, trumpet; Stacy Dillard,tenor saxophone.»Ordering info: motema.com84 DOWNBEAT November 2008

HISTORICALby Ted PankenMixed Monterey MomentsIf a unifying theme can be found in the secondbatch of archival releases by MontereyJazz Festival Records, it is the stylisticdiversity that has marked fest’s programmingsince 1958. Two items—50 Years OfDave Brubeck: Live At The Monterey JazzFestival 1958–2007 (MJFR 30680; 70:24)AAAA and The Best Of Cal Tjader: Live AtThe Monterey Jazz Festival, 1958–1980(MJFR 30701; 69:25) AA 1 /2—reach back tothe festival’s beginnings.Brubeck chose his 10 tracks, all but twoof them performances by his three primaryquartets (Paul Desmond–Gene Wright–JoeMorello; Gerry Mulligan–Jack Six–AlanDawson; and Bobby Militello–MichaelMoore–Randy Jones), and sequencedthem to give the album the feel of a wellpacedconcert. “Sermon On The Mount”and “Jumping Bean,” both with Mulliganand Dawson, are welcome additions toBrubeck’s discography, as is the 1985 performanceof “Tritonis,” on which Brubeckuncorks a fascinating solo, blending hispercussive blues feel, earthy and communicative,with highbrow counterpoint andharmony.Given the option, Tjader might wellhave declined to release his own 1958 concert,comprising long, pedestrian solos byBuddy DeFranco, Vince Guaraldi and theleader over the plodding swing beats of AlMcKibbon and Willie Bobo on “Summertime”and “Now’s The Time,” followed bya pair of livelier drum chants by MongoSantamaria and Bobo (now on timbales)more suited to an African dance class thana concert stage. More evolved is a rousing1972 workout on “Manteca” with composerDizzy Gillespie and Clark Terry on trumpets,Armando Peraza on congas andMichael Wolff on electric piano. So is a tothe-outer-partials1974 performance ofSantamaria’s “Afro-Blue” propelled by thecomposer’s spirit-raising beats, but acheesy 1980 reading of “Speak Low”recalls the doldrums.Gillespie is sorely missed on Art BlakeyAnd The Giants Of Jazz: Live At The 1972Monterey Jazz Festival (MJFR 30882;47:41) AA 1 /2, on which Terry and RoyEldridge replace the trumpet icon in thebebop “super-group” with TheloniousMonk, Sonny Stitt, Kai Winding, McKibbonand Blakey. It’s a disjointed performance—Monk sounds bored and unfocused,Eldridge squeals a lot, Terry plays technically,Stitt takes long, formulaic solos andBlakey is restrained and polite.More like it is Tito Puente & HisOrchestra: Live At The 1977 MontereyJazz Festival (MJFR 30700; 65:43) AAA 1 /2,on which Puente eschews the salsa trappingsof many of his ’70s recordings on aset of hardcore, acoustic New York Latinjazz. Of course, Puente plays his hits—including “Oye Como Va,” “Babarabatiri,”“Delirio” and “El Rey Del Timbal.” Thesoloists include flautist Mauricio Smith,trombonist Richard Pullin, tenorist AlbertShikaly, vibraphonist Tjader on “Piccadillo”and the leader, who attacks the timbalesand vibes with old-school energyand charisma.Such energies suffuse Jimmy WitherspoonFeaturing Robben Ford: Live At The1972 Monterey Jazz Festival (MJFR 30638,59:30) AAA, a set on which the blues masterfeatures 20-year-old wunderkind Fordon electric guitar. Concluding the album,Witherspoon, circa 1958, sings “When IBeen Drinkin’” with backup from Eldridge,Coleman Hawkins, Ben Webster, WoodyHerman and Earl Hines.The creme de la creme of the batch isShirley Horn: Live At The 1994 MontereyJazz Festival (MJFR 30313, 47:26) AAAA 1 /2,on which the diva offers a textbookdemonstration on how to capture an arenacrowd’s attention without, to use musicianparlance, “doing house.” Like role modelsBillie Holiday and Carmen McRae, Hornfound ways to phrase and inflect that cutstraight to the heart of the lyrics. It’s asstrong as anything in her discography. DBOrdering info: mjfrecords.org

Paul Bollenbackand John HartDueling Guitars 1ARKADIA DVD 72021AAA 1 /2This one’s not just for guitarfreaks. Old friends andcomplementary stylists,Paul Bollenback and JohnHart don’t so much duelas deal on this set of 10standards and originals.Recorded in front of anintimate crowd, the two sit side by side, conversationallyplaying to the audience’s delight.Primarily flat-pickers, both guitarists knoweach other’s moves to the point where you haveto be watching closely to see who is soloing andwho plays backup. In fact, there are a number ofinstances where roles are interchanged at amoment’s notice. The camera work can be distractingat times—close-ups, fadeouts and splitscreensused more than necessary. That said,there is also a fair amount of visual recording thatenhances the various moods created, as whenBollenback is isolated for an extended periodduring his engaging solo on “But Not For Me.”The viewer can be transported by the elegantsound of his classic Guild, free to concentrate onhis finger work, his visual expressions or theJudi SilvanoCleome: Live TakesJSL 007AAAVocalist Judi Silvanohas guts and takes bigrisks: singing in thenew music arena, creatingoriginal materialand functioning as aninstrument in theensemble. If her excavations don’t always strikegold, well, that’s the price of the ticket. Herworking band circa 2000—with reedmanGeorge Garzone, alternating bassists MichaelFormanek and John Lindberg, and drummerGerry Hemingway—provide a solid yet malleableplatform for Silvano’s high dives.She often sings wordlessly, with octavejumpingflexibility and rhythmic snap. Silvano,a soprano, likes to sing in unison with the instruments;she’s smart enough to vary her timbreand attack. Against Formanek’s quicksilver,microtonal arco work on “Bougainvillea,” hervoice becomes liquid. On “Yapi Credi,” sheaffects an altered state, and her soaring upperregisterflights may top off with a bird trill. Theboppish, fleet “Boscarob” has her scatting thehead with Garzone’s tenor. The extended bassand drum exchange is a bit of a relief from hersomewhat stringent upper range.overall mood he creates. Played witha bouncy demeanor, “But Not ForMe” also features a clever arrangementof the theme using the chordchanges to John Coltrane’s “GiantSteps.” There’s fun to be had whenthe two stand together for StevieWonder’s “Superstition,” Hart channelinga little Wes Montgomeryalong the way. Ditto TheloniousMonk’s “I Mean You,” a song thatcomes off sounding like it was writtenfor two hollow-bodied guitars tojam on.Like “But Not For Me,” other songs suggest afair amount of rehearsal/time spent away fromthe camera. Hart’s “Scenes From A Song” andBollenback’s “Reflections Of Jaco” includeinvolved arrangements and thematic materialalong with well-placed solos. Featuring a touchingrendition of “You Must Believe In Spring”as a bonus track, with Bollenback on nylonstringedguitar and Hart playing a modified hollow-bodiedelectric, the DVD also includes biosand interviews.—John EphlandDueling Guitars 1: Alone Together; Scenes From A Song;Superstition; I Mean You; Reflections Of Jaco; From ThisMoment On; Double Gemini; But Not For Me; Trio (Duo) Slant.(79:52)Personnel: Paul Bollenback, John Hart, guitar.»Ordering info: arkadiadvd.comThe liner notes offer norecording information andmost of the tracks suffer froma poor balance. Silvanosounds as though she’s in adifferent room from the band.Higher frequencies aresquashed and Hemingway’stom toms sound like emptyoil drums. A thoughtful, ifelementary, alto flute featureby Silvano, “Hand AndHeart,” is barely audible.Sun Ra’s “Love In Outer Space,” from hisSaturn period, is a spacey waltz, taken at a fluidtempo. Silvano contributes suitably spaceysound effects and, if this were the late 1950s,she’d be a visionary. Now it sounds naïve.These are a series of audio snapshots ofSilvano, circa 2000. Unlike formal portraits,where angles and stances can be chosen toadvantage and blemishes can be obscured, thesecandids are raw. As such, those qualities caneither be exciting in their spontaneity or scattershotin their success.—Kirk SilsbeeCleome: Live Takes: Cleome; Bougainvillea; Yapi Credi; HandAnd Heart; Boscarob; Cocolalla Land; Love In Outer Space;Dobranotz; Sakura. (48:10)Personnel: Judi Silvano, vocals, alto flute; George Garzone, clarinet,soprano and tenor saxophones; Michael Formanek (1–6, 8),John Lindberg (7, 8), bass; Gerry Hemingway, drums, vocal (9).Grace Kelly/Lee KonitzGRACEfulLEEPAZZ 15-8AAAA 1 /2I love this record. It’s about as inter-generationalas a band can get. Lee Konitz is 80, Rufus Reidis 64, Matt Wilson and Russell Malone in theirmid-40s, and Grace Kelly is ... 15. They all playlike family, which is not to say they all stringalong in file. Take Kelly’s solo on Konitz’s classic“Subconscious Lee”—rather than mimic hermentor’s mellifluous lines, she stems the flowwith an audacious sequence of half-note punctuation.Immediately, Wilson and Malone are oncreative alert and respond accordingly. Thisyoung lady has bags of talent, even Konitz concedesamusingly in the liners: “I gave her permissionto play better than me, if she justcouldn’t stand it any more.”However, Konitz’s influence is not to beunderestimated. Kelly is not a riffsmith, but a listener,an interactive improviser. The two altossynch sweetly on the undulating linear head tothe opener, as well as on their eponymous compositionalcollaboration. But the big surprise isKelly’s ballad playing. Her duet with Malone on“Just Friends” is stunning in its simplicity andfeeling—how can a teenager communicate thisdepth of expression? Taken at an unusuallydoleful pace, Kelly picks up attentively fromMalone’s atmospheric intro. She does not throwout an agenda; she’s open-eared but knows whatshe wants to communicate on a tonal level.“No Greater Love” pitches Kelly with Reid’sarco bass; Kelly takes part of the melody into thealtissimo range without fanfare and includes anunexpected cartwheeling phrase. Konitz is afeathery foil on “You Don’t Know What LoveIs,” with Kelly clocking Konitz and Malone’sphrases while confident about her own ideas.Konitz loves “Alone Together” as a duo; herethe altos puff perfect smoke rings together. Thissession isn’t all standard fare, as there are severalimprovised miniatures, including the intensecloser, “NY At Noon.” —Michael JacksonGRACEfulLEE: Subconscious Lee; Just Friends; GRACEfulLEE;There Is No Greater Love; You Don’t Know What Love Is; AloneTogether; Buzzing Around; Thingin’; Call Of The Spirits; NY AtNoon. (54:14)Personnel: Grace Kelly, Lee Konitz, alto saxophone; MattWilson, drums; Rufus Reid, bass; Russell Malone, guitar.» Ordering info: jslrecords.com» Ordering info: gracekellymusic.com86 DOWNBEAT November 2008

BOOKSby John McDonoughHow EllingtonPersonifiedGrace UnderPressure atNewportA relatively new genre in seriousjazz literature is the albumbiography. Ashley Kahn’squests on the making of KindOf Blue and A Love Supremesealed their iconic status inhardcover eternity. But thereare not many albums so incontrovertibly immortal that they couldsustain such book-length micro-histories. In Backstory In Blue:Ellington At Newport ’56 (Rutgers University Press), John FassMorton has claimed one of the bellwether prizes. Duke Ellington’ssui generis turn at the 1956 Newport Jazz Festival on“Diminuendo And Crescendo In Blue” was, in Morton’s words,“postwar pop culture’s first certified and recorded happening.”One difficulty in telling a small story casting a large shadow isbackground creep. Morton piles on a bit more than his mandaterequires. The book doesn’t arrive at the actual happening untilPage 101. But Morton ultimately delivers a gripping account of theriotous and dramatic night.The Ellington band was in decline, and he was unsure what thefuture held. Morton presents the Newport gig as a moment oftruth in which that future would be decided. Newport had becomethe epicenter of the jazz world, and the media was out in force tocover it. Time was looking for a peg for an Ellington cover story.Columbia was to record Newport, marking the band’s return towhat was the richest, most powerful promotional force in music.Ellington was worried that Saturday. He had prepared an originalwork in recognition of the evening’s importance, but it wasstill under-rehearsed and messy. Meanwhile, an overbooked lineupof musicians chewed up stage time and audience patience. Itwas 15 minutes before midnight when Ellington finally rallied hisweary men with a pep talk and led them to their date with fate.At that point, Morton’s book gets down to real business.Chapter 10 gives a detailed account of Ellington’s early set and theendless procession of players that followed. Chapter 11 retreatsfor a bio of hero-soloist Paul Gonsalves and a brief history of “D &C.” Chapter 12 goes through “Diminuendo” and into Gonsalves’early choruses, and Chapter 13 introduces readers to Morton’sother hero, or heroine, Elaine Anderson. With this book, she istransformed from an urban legend to a real person.Unfortunately, the LP of this landmark performance is out ofprint today. Morton might have probed a bit more deeply into thereissue purist Phil Schaap assembled in 1999. Declaring the original“phony” and a “subterfuge” because it mixed live performancewith studio remakes made to sound live, he combined theoriginal Columbia mono tape with a version recorded simultaneouslyby the Voice of America and produced a stereo master witha clearer rendering of the Gonsalves solo.If you want to understand why Backstory In Blue was written inthe first place, listen to George Avakian’s original mono LP for thetorrent and the spectacle. Then go to Schaap’s CD for the musicaldetail. Then read the book.DBOrdering info: rutgerspress.rutgers.eduNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 87

Michael AdkinsQuartetRotatorHATOLOGY 660AA 1 /2Rotator is a fine statement byemerging tenor saxophonistMichael Adkins. The performancesare first-rate and without ostentation.Adkins’ sound is solid and his playing is shaped by tortuous legatolines. Pianist Russ Lossing is alternately angular and dissonant, but he is ameasured player whose intentions are to avoid filling all the spaces inorder to present the saxophonist with optimal choices. Bassist JohnHebert’s intricate support displays a rare sense of timing and pacing. Asfor drummer Paul Motian, his admirers will want to check out this date.Busy without being obtrusive, he constantly lights a fire and feeds ideas.On the other hand, this set of Adkins’ originals is somewhat lackluster.It relies on mid to slow tempos and remains within a well-defined perimeter.Not even the intense but controlled “Pearl 21,” which offers a glimpseat other possibilities, disturbs the noir and urban atmosphere. The compositionshave at first an intriguing quality that is unfortunately not sustainedon repeated investigations. Rotator is an example of how great musicianshipdoes not always succeed in creating a memorable work. It lacks theingredients that entice the listener to revisit and probe the compositions insearch of a more satisfying experience.—Alain DrouotRotator: Rotator; Their May Wings; Silent Screen; Pearl 21; Forena; Encrypted; Number Five;Reflection. (62:55)Personnel: Michael Adkins, tenor saxophone; Russ Lossing, piano; John Hebert, bass; PaulMotian, drums.Ordering info: hathut.com»David Berger OctetI Had The Craziest Dream:The Music Of Harry WarrenSUCH SWEET THUNDER 2206AAAADevotees of what Benny Golsonfelicitously labels dearth writing—giving a mid-size ensemble projectorchestral depth—will find inspirationin I Had The Craziest Dream, David Berger’s sixth release on hisimprint. After showcasing his short- and long-form compositional skillson recent dates with his 17-piece Sultans of Swing, Berger dons hisarranger hat. He assembles a crackling octet from six Sultans, augmentedby Harry Allen on tenor saxophone and Joe Temperley on baritone.The group performs a suite by Great American Songbook tunesmithHarry Warren, who produced a slew of well-wrought melodies, many ofthem springboards for iconic improvisations. Berger’s charts reference butdon’t Xerox his various deeply assimilated influences—the vocabularyevokes Duke Ellington, Quincy Jones, Tadd Dameron and even JoeLovano’s Dameron-inspired nonet. There is ample room for all membersto express themselves; propelled by Jimmy Madison’s crisp swing, theysolo with elegance and imagination.—Ted PankenI Had The Craziest Dream: Jeepers Creepers; You’ll Never Know; September In The Rain; OnThe Atchison, Topeka, And The Santa Fe; Summer Night; I Had The Craziest Dream; Boulevard OfBroken Dreams; I Found A Million Dollar Baby (In The Five-And-Ten Cent Store); Serenade InBlue; I Only Have Eyes For You; I’m An Old Cowhand (From the Rio Grande); The Gold Diggers’Song. (61:04)Personnel: David Berger, conductor; Harry Allen, Joe Temperley, Matt Hong, reeds; BrianPareschi, trumpet; Marshall Gilkes, trombone; Isaac Ben Ayala, piano; Yasushi Nakamura, bass;Jimmy Madison, drums.Ordering info: sultansofswing.com»88 DOWNBEAT November 2008

WoodshedSOLOby Jimi DursoMaceo Parker’s Syncopated Alto SaxophoneSolo on ‘P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)’On Parliament’s 1977 Live album (Casablanca),“P-Funk (Wants To Get Funked Up)” has thehorns open up the tune with solos before thevocal enters. Maceo Parker’s alto saxophonestatement showcases many of the elements thathave made his style so imitated (and funky).First, look at his use of syncopation. There isa tendency for Parker to accent weak beats,especially weak 16ths. The first measure is allon off-beat 16ths, as well as the lick that spansmeasures 4 and 5, and the ascending figure inmeasure 11. Also, notice the phrase that runsfrom the end of measure 8 to the middle ofmeasure 10, with staccato jabs that vary fromstrong to weak beats. Check out his rests, aswell, from the 16th-note rests that fall on strongbeats to the longer rests that typically separatephrases. As Parker once said, “The funk is inwhat you don’t play.”Parker also creates a different syncopationby doubling notes, with the first one on theweak part of the beat, as in measures 12 and 15.Then there are the repeated staccato notes inmeasures 6 and 7, where the pitch changes noton the strong beat, but a 16th after. Toward theend of his solo, he creates a four-against-threepolyrhythm in measure 26 by playing dottedeight notes in succession.Parker also offers hip phrase lengths. Healmost always phrases over the bar line, withstatements beginning before downbeats andending after. It’s notable that the exceptions arethe first small phrase (which resolves to the Don the downbeat of measure 2) and the lastphrases, resolving to the root on measure 27,and then the minor third for the final note inmeasure 39. He concludes with the same pitchto which his first phrase resolved.Parker’s scale choices are also interesting.He begins with a simple B minor pentatonic,and not until measure 5 does a C#, the second,appear. This note gets a lot of use throughout,often used as a grace note leading to the D natural.Though this note helps create a modalsound, it alone does not define the scale asDorian or Aeolian. Not until measure 23, closeto the end of his solo, does he start to incorporatethe G# that makes it Dorian.Parker plays only two chromatic notes in thesolo. One happens at the end of measure 13,where he plays the major third D#. With all thepreceding minor sounds, the note sounds almostwrong, and Parker resolves it up to the fourth—the highest note in his solo, as well as the middleof it—for a dramatic effect. The other is achromatic passing tone connecting the root andsecond in measure 28.The saxophonist creates a sense of finalitywith his incorporation of the melody. At theend of measure 16 through measure 23, Parkerstarts quoting the melody for the chorus of thesong, but does so liberally, changing pitches,altering rhythms and adding notes while stillretaining the sense of the chorus vocal.Compare this section with the chorus to get anidea of how to play around a melody in a creativeand funky way.DBJimi Durso is a guitarist and bassist in the NewYork area. He can be reached at jimidurso.com.90 DOWNBEAT November 2008

WoodshedLEGAL SESSIONby Alan BergmanThe Compulsory License and the Droit Moral:Another Take on Author’s Rights, Free Speech and Artistic CreativityThe request for questions in the last columnhas generated many interesting inquiries. Onequestion came from the respected and influentialpost-Coltrane saxophonist and composerDave Liebman, who asked whether he coulduse portions of Béla Bartók’s “String Quartets”as the jumping off point for a new jazz albumproject.Under the compulsory license provisions ofthe Copyright Act of 1976, once a work isrecorded and copies distributed to the public,anyone has the right to record that work withoutobtaining a license from the copyrightowner as long as they pay the statutory royaltyand comply with the strict accounting requirements.This compulsory license includes, “Theprivilege of making a musical arrangement ofthe work to the extent necessary to conform tothe style or manner of interpretation of the performanceinvolved, but the arrangement shallnot change the basic melody or fundamentalcharacter of the work.”That language could be intimidating to anartist because it’s not clear what would constitutea fundamental change. If Liebman wantedto be sure if he could record the “StringQuartets,” he could approach Boosey andHawkes, the publisher of the Bartók works. Iwarned him that he would probably be turneddown (which, unfortunately, proved to be thecase when he approached them). Although mylitigator friends aren’t aware of any reportedcases on the issue of what constitutes a permissiblearrangement, the annotation to thissection of copyright law contains the language“to make arrangements of music being usedunder a compulsory license, but without allowingthe music to be perverted, distorted, ortravestied.”I have had two situations where this wasillustrated by high-profile examples. I was thefirst attorney in the United States for Emerson,Lake & Palmer. On that group’s first album,Keith Emerson recorded a short piano solocalled “The Barbarian,” which was almost anote-for-note performance of Bartók’s “AllegroBarbaro.” The U.S. publisher was still Booseyand Hawkes, then headed by Stuart Pope, whosaid to me upon hearing the recording, “I wanta full statutory royalty and a box of LPs for mykids.” He got both.That group sold millions of albums, andBoosey and Hawkes did quite well in the U.S.In Europe, however, there is no compulsorylicense, and the European publisher, UniversalEdition, chose to litigate the issue invoking theDroit Moral, the moral right of an author not toBILL PIERCEDo you have a legal question that you’d likeAlan Bergman to answer in DownBeat?E-mail it to him at legalsession@downbeat.com!have his work changed without his consent.This took years and cost thousands in legalfees. I eventually lost track of it, and I don’tknow if it ever ended. But it’s obvious the U.S.publisher made the better decision, andalthough I’m sure the Bartók estate would havetried to prevent it if there was no compulsorylicense, they would up doing a lot better financiallyas a royalty recipient of that U.S. income.In an earlier article I mentioned StanleyJordan’s recording of Ravel’s “Bolero,” completewith African drums, chanting andJordan’s fantastic guitar solo sounding morelike Led Zeppelin than Maurice Ravel. Thehead of the U.S. publisher of Ravel told me thatalthough he wouldn’t license it, he couldn’tstop us because of the compulsory license. Butif the records are released in France, they couldnot only have the police remove records fromstore shelves, but also arrest the artist or anybodyelse responsible.So, who’s right? Obviously, Liebman is aserious artist. Anything he (or Emerson orJordan) would do would not only have musicalsubstance, but would be done with the highestrespect for Bartók or Ravel. Liebman was alsoplanning to use this work to feature a youngartist he has been mentoring, an educationaldimension that benefits society and promotescreativity in a new generation.I once spoke with the attorney for the AaronCopland estate about adding a percussion partto the string version of Copland’s “AppalachianSpring.” He said that Copland wouldhave loved it; he was all for exposing his musicto the largest possible audience. In my opinion,Bartók would also have loved Liebman’swork. Can you imagine a meeting betweenBartók and Liebman, or possibly a potentialcollaboration? It’s clear that the author shouldhave full control over the disposition of hisworks, but when years pass and you deal withsometimes distant relatives or business entitiesmaking artistic decisions based solely on economicfactors, the issue is not so clear.The compulsory license provision under ofthe Copyright Act of 1976 is a restatement ofthe original language in the 1909 law, whichwas passed in an era of trust-busting andantitrust laws under Teddy Roosevelt. Theconcern of Congress was to prevent a monopolyin music distribution by companies like theAeolian Company, which made piano rolls, thedominant form of music distribution then.Although preventing Aeolian from having astranglehold on the market for piano rolls isnot a concern today, the scope of the compulsorylicense issue is still significant in terms ofbalancing the interests of the copyright ownerand the interests of the artists seeking to expandtheir creative horizons.If Liebman intended to use theme fragmentsor small portions of the Bartók work to createan essentially new work, then the transformativeaspects of fair use might protect him fromexposure to a claim for infringement. But it ismost important to remember that fair use andthe compulsory license are creations of U.S.copyright law and have no weight outside theUnited States, a severe limitation when dealingwith the increasingly global world of intellectualproperty.DBAlan Bergman is a practicing attorney—and jazzdrummer—in New York who has representedthe likes of Ron Carter, Jack DeJohnette, JoeLovano, Dreyfus Records, Billy Taylor and theThelonious Monk estate. To contact him, go toalanbergman.com.92 DOWNBEAT November 2008

Jazz On CampusSchool NotesMintzer TakesCharge of USC’sJazz DepartmentSaxophonist Bob Mintzer has long wornmultiple hats, as a leader of his ownrespected big band, a member of TheYellowjackets, in-demand sideman andsession player, and an educator with a longhistory of residencies and 20 years as anadjunct professor at Manhattan School ofMusic. This fall, Mintzer added anotherhat to the collection—he’s an official universityfaculty member, taking the positionof an endowed chair at University ofSouthern California’s Thornton School ofMusic in Los Angeles.“I was comfortable and set up in NewYork,” Mintzer said. “I lived there mywhole life and had friends and family, andwas close to Europe. It took a lot of thinkingand meditating to come to this decisionto make the move. But so far, every indicationis that I’ve done the right thing.”Pianist Shelly Berg, who had held theUSC chair funded by jazz supportersBowen “Buzz” McCoy and HelenMcCoy, became dean of the University ofMiami School of Music. Drummer PeterErskine, also on the USC faculty, said thatthe “position begged for a jazz musicianpossessing great stature as well as composingand arranging abilities. He or she would need tobe a proven educator. You put all of those ingredientsinto the mix, and Bob Mintzer’s namewill come up every time. So, we invited Bob tovisit the school, and he liked what he saw andheard.”Erskine, who has known Mintzer since bothattended Michigan’s Interlochen ArtsAcademy as high schoolers, gave his colleaguehigh marks.“Bob’s writing is a joy to experience as botha player and listener,” Erskine said. “His musicianshipis first-class, and he has been aroundlong enough to know the best way to communicatemusical ideas.”Mintzer’s new position is flexible enough toallow him to continue with his musical life—touring and recording (his latest album ishis new big band project, Swing Out, onManchester Craftsmen’s Guild). He alsorecently published the instructional bookPlaying Jazz Piano (Alfred), the most recent inan ongoing series. But the USC job finds himanchored in a solid institutional setting, aunique situation for him.“For the first time in my career, I’m involvedon a level where I can affect the things that happen,”Mintzer said. “I’m in the inner sanctum.BRANDON MCCHESNEYBob MintzerI’m going to faculty meetings. I’m expected toplay an active role in decision-making in theprogram.”USC’s jazz program has been growing, andits faculty includes Erskine, Vince Mendoza,Alan Pasqua, John Clayton, Ndugu Chancler,Alphonso Johnson, Russ Ferrante and BobSheppard. As a veteran educator, Mintzer hasseen the exponential growth of jazz programs atthe university level in America in the lastdecade. One of his missions is to look beyondthe musical pedagogy and encourage students tolearn survival skills in the jazz business.“What we have to be sure to do is to provideplaying and working situations for students, sothat they get to apply the knowledge they’re takingin, in practical situations,” Mintzer said.“Prior to all these university jazz programsbeing around, the way I learned how to play jazzwas by playing in bands.“When I went to college, I was a classicalclarinetist,” he continued. “I didn’t study jazz incollege at all. But it’s a good thing to have jazzprograms in schools, and organize the teachingof this music. In conjunction with that, we haveto make sure that students know how to be instigatorsof playing situations, know how to putbands together and encouraged to do so, and goout and play.”—Josef WoodardNew Trier Changes: Jim Warrick,director of the jazz ensembles at NewTrier High School in Winnetka, Ill., hasannounced that he will retire following the2008–’09 school year. Warrick is keepingbusy during his final year at the school, ashe’ll run the 26th annual Frank MantoothJazz Festival on Feb. 7, 2009, with guestappearances from the Count BasieOrchestra and a Jamey Aebersold masterclass on improvisation. Details: ntjazz.comJupiter Announces Competition:Austin, Texas-based Jupiter Band Instruments’XO Series has announced its thirdjazz solo competition. The contest is opento all high school students who play saxophone,B♭ trumpet or trombone. Entriesare due on March 20, 2009.Details: jupiterxo.comKutztown Honors Rat Pack: TheKutztown University Jazz Ensemble I, ofKutztown, Pa., under the direction of KevinKjos, has released its tribute to the musicof the Rat Pack era, The Best Is Yet ToCome (Sea Breeze). Vocalists KristinGrassi and Jim Cargill are featured performers.Details: seabreezejazz.comMSU Commissions Marsalis: MichiganState University commissioned WyntonMarsalis to compose a new piece to celebrateMichigan. The trumpeter premieredthe new work with the MSU Symphonyand Lincoln Center Jazz Orchestra onSept. 24 at the university’s Cobb GreatHall at the Wharton Center. Details: msu.eduLyons Winner: Berklee College of Musichas awarded trumpeter Aaron Bahr ofLafayette, Calif., its Jimmy LyonsScholarship this year.Details: berklee.eduScottish Jazz Boost: The Royal ScottishAcademy of Music and Drama in Glasgow,Scotland, will add its first full-timejazz courses for the 2009–’10 school year.Saxophonist Tommy Smith will serve asartistic director of the university’s jazzprogram. Details: rsamd.ac.ukCOURTESY OF NEW TRIER HIGH SCHOOL94 DOWNBEAT November 2008

DB Music ShopRates: Minimum 15 words per ad. Advertise in one issue for $1.70/word, 3 consecutive issues for$1.40/word, 6 consecutive issues for $1.25/word, 12 consecutive issues for $1.10/word. Displayads: call (630) 941-2030 Ext.100 for rate card. All ads are prepaid, no agency commission. Sendcheck or money order. Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Deadline: Ad copy and full paymentmust arrive 2 months prior to DB cover date. Send your advertisement to: DownBeat classifieds,Att. Sue Mahal,102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126; or FAX your ad to: (630) 941-3210.ALBUMS & VIDEOSINSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIESJAZZ DVDs / VIDEO1,300 Concerts, Documentaries, TV,Instructional. DVDs, Videotapes orLaserdiscs. FREE CATALOG. JAZZWEST,Box 3515 (DB), Ashland, OR 97520(541) 482-5529 www.jazzwestdvd.comCIMP RECORDS, CADENCE RECORDSover 1,000 labels 20,000 LPs/CDs/Books stockedwww.cadencebuilding.com, 315-287-2852GLOBAL SOURCE FOR JAZZ—EJAZZLINES.COM.Largest jazz site: 40,000 CDs, 800 DVDs, and1,000s of music books, and big band charts-manyitems you won’t find elsewhere! We feature hardto-findCDs from Japan and Europe: Venus, FreshSound, Absord, King, Candid, Criss Cross, Dawn,Meldac, Canyon, Sound Hills, Toshiba. Visit us onthe Web: www.ejazzlines.comTOP $$ PAID FOR YOUR JAZZ LPS, CDS & MOREMUSIC. No Collection Too Large. We Buy andSell, New and Used. 150,000 CDs, LPs, DVDsin stock: Modern Jazz: Blue Note, Prestige,Mosaic, etc. as well as Blues, Rock, Classical,and more. PRINCETON RECORD EXCHANGE(609) 921-0881, 20 South Tulane St. Princeton,NJ 08542, www.prex.com, Since 1980.WeBuyCDs&LPs@prex.comWWW.EASTWINDIMPORT.COMJapanese import jazz CDs: Marshmallow,Venus, Sawano and more! We ship worldwide.RARE JAZZ LP AUCTIONSAll instrumental styles plus vocals and Latin.Free lists sent worldwide. A. Lewis, P.O. Box4834, N. Hollywood, CA 91617. Fax: 818-762-3563, e-mail: mrbluenote@peoplepc.comVINYL JAZZ AT SET PRICESOver 30,000 rare, out of print Vinyl JAZZ LPs at setprices, searchable on our web site. Over 30 yearsof international service. Foreign inquiry welcomed.Also rare jazz publications and literature sold.Gary Alderman G’s Jazz Inc. P.O. Box 259164Madison, WI 53725 USA e-mail: gjazz@tds.netwww.gjazz.com www.vinyljazz.comWWW.JAZZLOFT.COMJazz, Blues, Experimental & Modern Classical CDs& DVDs. Now featuring Black Saint, Soul Note &HatHut Records. Music for people who listen.WWW.CHARLESCOLIN.COMBrass and Jazz methods, Aebersold seriesKendor charts. Free catalog: Charles Colin Publ.DB–315 W. 53 St., NYC 10019 (212) 581-1480.$5 discount with this ad.JAZZ VINYL RECORD COLLECTION,approx. 300+ records (33, 45, 78 rpm), late 1940sthrough 1970s. Discography available. Sold asentire collection only - $3,500 obo. Contact Jim at877-425-3284; e-mail: schafe1@insightbb.comWHERE TO STUDYINTERNATIONAL ONLINE LESSONS BYINTERNET, MAIL OR PHONE. Study all styles/aspects of jazz improvisation and saxophone withJeff Harrington, Berklee Professor, MIT AffiliatedArtist, Harvard University MLSP Instructor.Website: jeffharrington.comE-mail: lessons@jeffharrington.com(781) 643-0704. P.O. Box 1257, Arlington, MA 02474LEARN JAZZ PIANO ON THE INTERNETwww.JazzPianoOnline.comINSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIESGRAND OPENING!MUSICAL INSTRUMENTS ’N’ MOREQuality new and used instruments for the studentor professional. www.minmore.comHighland Park, NJ P: 732-227-0776J O E S A XWoodwindsKnown worldwide for expert repairAlways a great selection ofused instrumentswww.joesax.com(800)876-8771 (607)865-8088Fax (607)865-8010 joesax@catskill.netVINTAGE TRUMPET WANTED:Martin Committee, Elkhart Large Bore: #3Contact: Mino Spadacini, Via Pancaldo 1,20122 Milano, Italymino.spadacini@gmail.comWEB SITESwww.truthinmusic.comWWW.EMWINSTON.COMwww.haorecords.comBOOKS & MAGAZINESVINTAGE JAZZ BOOKSI have more than 2,000 books in stock.History, biography, criticism and ephemera.Send for my latest catalogue.David Stimpson Books on Jazz and Blues164 Hillsdale Ave. EastToronto, Ontario Canada M4S 1T5(416) 484-8296fax: (416) 484-0602e-mail: dcstimpson@yahoo.comNovember 2008 DOWNBEAT 95

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Blindfold TestBy Dan OuelletteIn the seventh annual live “Blindfold Test” atthe North Sea Jazz Festival in Rotterdam,Holland, The Bad Plus—pianist Ethan Iverson,bassist Reid Anderson and drummer DaveKing—weighed in on a roundup of tunes shortlybefore the group performed on July 12.Dave King (left), Reid Anderson and Ethan IversonRon Carter/Herbie Hancock/Tony Williams“Lawra” (from Third Plane, Milestone/Original JazzClassics, 1977/reissued 1992) Hancock, piano;Carter, bass; Williams, drums.Dave King: This is from Third Plane, withRon Carter, Tony Williams and HerbieHancock. The song is “Lawra.”Ethan Iverson: It’s written by Tony.Reid Anderson: I didn’t know the music, butfrom the first bass note I knew it was Ron, andthen there was Tony and then Herbie came inafter a few notes. This period of jazz from the’70s has a completely different sound, especiallyTheBadPluswith the bass when people started using a pickup. It’s remarkable howgreat Ron sounds with it. Everyone hated that direct bass sound at first.But Ron transitioned from the acoustic recording of the ’60s with Miles[Davis] into this. It’s testimony to his musicianship and the power of hisplaying.DK: The same holds true for Tony’s drumming with those kick drums andthose great floor toms.EI: Whenever you have Ron and Tony together, it almost doesn’t matterwhat the song is. It’s going to be good. I don’t think this is one of their bestrecordings, but there’s still that special vibe.Ahmad Jamal“Back To The Island” (from It’s Magic, Birdology/Dreyfus, 2008) Jamal, piano;James Cammack, bass; Idris Muhammad, drums; Manolo Badrena, percussion.EI: We’re a little less confident about this one, but we think we know whothis is. We’re thinking Ahmad Jamal and probably Idris Muhammad ondrums. This feels loose. The leader was an older master versus someyoung guys who are worried about doing the music exactly right. There’sa casual feeling that’s important for playing jazz. Also, I could tell the wayAhmad voices his chords and the way he didn’t feel like he had to startimprovising right away.DK: I like the swampy, loose funk feel of Idris’ drums that gets intermingledwith legitimate jazz playing. That’s a dead giveaway to Idris’ playing.RA: We appreciate the ensemble looseness that comes with people playingover a long period of time and getting to know each other. It’s notstressed. It’s fun listening to a band like this play.EI: Ahmad is one of the most significant pianists in the way that he getsthe sound out of his instrument. Right before the fade, you could hearthese little lines that he was playing. They’re small, but they have depth.Marco Benevento“Atari” (from Invisible Baby, Hyena, 2008) Benevento, keyboards; Reed Mathis,bass; Matt Chamberlain, Andrew Barr, drums.EI: We don’t know who this is.DK: I’m trying to think of guys working in the drum-’n’-bass world wherethere’s electronic music with acoustic elements. That makes the emotioncomplex for us the way the acoustic piano came into the mix here. We’reall for electronic music made by electronic musicians, but we don’t knowa lot about bands that are mixing the acoustic and electronic.EI: I’m struck by all the different sections in this tune. It’s thinking on alarger canvas. All the notes are diatonic, from the major scale. That I findinteresting, which has also come back with electronic music.RA: There can be so much more done in the electronic music world. Thesurface has just been scratched. So I take my hat off to anyone who’s tryingto push the music in this direction.Pat Metheny/Brad Mehldau“Ring Of Life” (from Metheny/Mehldau, Nonesuch, 2006) Metheny, guitar;Mehldau, piano; Larry Grenadier, bass; Jeff Ballard, drums.RA: Pat Metheny has such a signature sound. It’s unmistakable. And, ofcourse, that’s Brad, Larry and Jeff.EI: Thank God we recognized our friends. We would have been in troubleif we got this one wrong.RA: Jeff, Larry and Brad have so much experience as a trio, but when youadd in another element it shapes them as a group in a new way. Because oftheir deep respect for him, he takes them into a different direction.DK: Before Pat entered in this tune, I wasn’t sure it was Brad, Larry andJeff. It was as if they were changing where they place their beat. With Pat,it sounds like they were placing their beat in a place where he would feelmore comfortable, so they could make the best music.EI: There’s no better pianist than Brad at drawing interesting lines andshapes over the thick harmonies without making the music sound blocky.Esbjörn Svensson Trio“In My Garage” (from Seven Days Of Falling, Superstudio Gul/Diesel Music,2003) Svensson, piano; Dan Berglund, bass; Magnus Öström, drums.EI: Almost certainly this is E.S.T.DK: You can hear the modern, electronic things going on, like what Danis doing on the upright bass.RA: The first thing that struck us was the Keith Jarrett influence, whichwe understand deeply because we were influenced by his music as well.Here you’ve got the electronic elements and the compositional intricacies,which are things that made E.S.T. so popular. They take you someplacethat makes a lot of sense musically.DK: They take care of a lot of detail like that Keith Jarrett band with JonChristensen, Palle Danielsson, Jan Garbarek. We’d heard E.S.T. a lot overthe past four or five years. It’s an unbelievable loss with Esbjörn dying. Hewas such a beautiful person. Just like everyone else, when we heard hedied, we were knocked off our feet.EI: There’s nothing to say except it’s so sad.DBThe “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss and identifythe music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist is then askedto rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artist prior to the test.JOS KNAEPEN98 DOWNBEAT November 2008