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june 2013Volume 80 / Number 6PresidentPublisherManaging EditorNews EditorReviews EditorContributing EditorArt DirectorProduction AssociateBookkeeperCirculation ManagerCirculation AssistantKevin MaherFrank AlkyerBobby ReedHilary BrownAaron CohenEd EnrightAra TiradoAndy WilliamsMargaret StevensSue MahalEvelyn OakesAdvertising SalesRecord Companies & SchoolsJennifer Ruban-Gentile630-941-2030jenr@downbeat.comMusical Instruments & East Coast SchoolsRitche Deraney201-445-6260ritched@downbeat.comAdvertising Sales AssociateMaggie Glovatski Cuprisin630-941-2030maggie@downbeat.comOffices102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, IL 60126–2970630-941-2030 / Fax: 630-941-3210http://downbeat.comeditor@downbeat.comCustomer Service877-904-5299 / service@downbeat.comContributorsSenior Contributors:Michael Bourne, John McDonoughAtlanta: Jon Ross; Austin: Michael Point, Kevin Whitehead; Boston: FredBouchard, Frank-John Hadley; Chicago: John Corbett, Alain Drouot, MichaelJackson, Peter Margasak, Bill Meyer, Mitch Myers, Paul Natkin, Howard Reich;Denver: Norman Provizer; Indiana: Mark Sheldon; Iowa: Will Smith; LosAngeles: Earl Gibson, Todd Jenkins, Kirk Silsbee, Chris Walker, Joe Woodard;Michigan: John Ephland; Minneapolis: Robin James; Nashville: BobDoerschuk; New Orleans: Erika Goldring, David Kunian, Jennifer Odell; NewYork: Alan Bergman, Herb Boyd, Bill Douthart, Ira Gitler, Eugene Gologursky,Norm Harris, D.D. Jackson, Jimmy Katz, Jim Macnie, Ken Micallef, Dan Ouellette,Ted Panken, Richard Seidel, Tom Staudter, Jack Vartoogian, Michael Weintrob;North Carolina: Robin Tolleson; Philadelphia: David Adler, Shaun Brady, EricFine; San Francisco: Mars Breslow, Forrest Bryant, Clayton Call, Yoshi Kato;Seattle: Paul de Barros; Tampa Bay: Philip Booth; Washington, D.C.: WillardJenkins, John Murph, Michael Wilderman; Belgium: Jos Knaepen; Canada:Greg Buium, James Hale, Diane Moon; Denmark: Jan Persson; France: JeanSzlamowicz; Germany: Detlev Schilke, Hyou Vielz; Great Britain: Brian Priestley;Japan: Kiyoshi Koyama; 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 11688, St. Paul, MN 55111–0688. Inquiries: U.S.A. and Canada (877) 904-5299;Foreign (651) 251-9682. Change of Address: Please allow six weeks for your changeto become effective. When notifying us of your new address, include current DOWN-BEAT label showing old address.DOWNBEAT (issn 0012-5768) Volume 80, Number 6 is published monthly by MaherPublications, 102 N. Haven, Elmhurst, IL 60126-2970. Copyright 2013 Maher Publications.All rights reserved. Trademark registered U.S. Patent Office. Great Britain registeredtrademark No. 719.407. Periodicals postage paid at Elmhurst, IL and at additionalmailing offices. Subscription rates: $34.95 for one year, $59.95 for two years. Foreignsubscriptions 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 permissionfrom publisher. MAHER PUBLICATIONS: DOWNBEAT magazine, MUSIC INC. magazine,UpBeat Daily.Postmaster: Send change of address to: DownBeat, P.O. Box 11688, St. Paul,MN 55111–0688. CABLE ADDRESS: DownBeat (on sale May 21, 2013) MagazinePublishers Association.Á

JUNE 2013On the Cover24 DaveDouglasIn His WordsAs Told To Frank AlkyerTrumpeter and Greenleaf Musiclabel head Dave Douglas discussesthe struggles, joys and triumphs oftaking the creative path less traveled.Douglas, whose new quintet album isTime Travel, aims to celebrate his 50thbirthday by embarking on a U.S. tourthat will include stops in all 50 states.24FeaturesCover photo of Dave Douglas (and image above) by Jimmy and Dena Katz32 Money Jungle:50 Years Afterthe SummitBy bill milkowski40 Darcy James ArgueA Fable Grows in BrooklynBy brad Farberman46 Free To BeJane MonheitBy allen Morrisonspecial section97 36th Annual StudentMusic AwardsPlus52 Indie LifeKadima CollectiveJaponize ElephantsThe Oatmeal Jazz Combo62 Bobby MatosDepartments8 First Take10 Chords & Discords13 The Beat20 PlayersBeka GochiashviliNoah PremingerCynthia SayerElias Haslanger66 Nicholas Payton 72 Roscoe Mitchell59 Reviews86 Master ClassBy Brad Goode88 Transcription90 Toolshed126 Jazz OnCampus79 Ben Sidran130 Blindfold TestAllison Miller6 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

First Take By bobby reedHonoringMusical HeroesAt press time, the DownBeat staff was busy tabulating the resultsof our 61st Annual Critics Poll. The results will be published in our Augustissue, but there is one winner we can announce now. Our Veterans Committeehas elected blues icon Robert Johnson (1911–’38) into the DownBeat Hallof Fame. This induction, which we feel is welcome and overdue, speaks to theimportance of blues as an American art form that has spread across the globe,and it honors Johnson’s oeuvre a key influence on jazz, rock and other typesof improvised music.Here’s some “inside baseball” info about the induction process: In additionto voting in the other categories of the Critics Poll, the Veterans Committeeparticipates in a separate round of voting for the Hall of Fame. Candidatesmust receive at least 66 percent of the Veterans’ votes to be inducted.In the 2012 poll, JohnsonPhilly Joe Jonesreceived 52 percent. In2013, he earned 69 percentto push him acrossthe finish line. Welcome,Mr. Johnson.Johnson—whose recordingsof “Cross RoadBlues,” “Hellhound OnMy Trail,” “Sweet HomeChicago” and “RamblingOn My Mind” have influencedgenerations ofmusicians—joins BessieSmith, Frank Zappa andJimi Hendrix as one ofthe very few members ofthe Hall of Fame who isnot generally categorizedas a jazz musician.The Veterans Committeewas founded in 2009 with the intention of honoring great artists whohelped shape the direction of the music DownBeat readers love. The candidateson this ballot are either 100 years past the anniversary of their birth or 50years past the anniversary of their death. These are candidates who, for a varietyof reasons, had not been inducted in years past via either the Critics Poll orthe Readers Poll, but that we feel are important musical pioneers.Prior to this year, the veteran critics had inducted nine great jazz artists:Oscar Pettiford, Tadd Dameron, Baby Dodds, Chick Webb, Philly Joe Jones,Billy Eckstine, Paul Chambers, Gene Ammons and Sonny Stitt. Now Johnsonjoins the elite club. Of the 133 members of the DownBeat Hall of Fame, somewere inducted while they were still active and their careers were thriving. Butothers had to wait.Drummer Max Roach (who is discussed in our Money Jungle feature onpage 32) was elected into the Hall of Fame via the regular Critics Poll in 1980.The following year, drummer Art Blakey was voted in via the Readers Poll. Butthe great Philly Joe Jones wasn’t inducted until 2010, and his route was via theVeterans Committee vote.The DownBeat Hall of Fame is an important ledger that helps current andfuture generations understand, appreciate and celebrate the artists who havehelped make improvised music the grand, diverse melting pot that it is.That Money Jungle feature includes a lot of great details on a couple ofother jazz musicians who permanently altered the path of the music: Duke Ellington(Readers Poll inductee in the Hall of Fame in 1956) and Charles Mingus(Readers Poll inductee, 1971).Just mentioning those artists’ names can inject an air of reverence into aconversation. But listening to their music can change your life. DBDownbeat archives

ChordsDiscordsStrictlyCommercial?As a DownBeat subscriber,my excitement over seeingFrank Zappa’s name on thecover of the May 2013 issuewas severely tempered bythe article itself. JournalistGeoffrey Himes’ article “ASerious Man” focused considerableattention on Zappa’swhining widow and hertiresome complaints abouthow everyone is ripping offher late husband’s legacy.Frankly speaking, the onlyfolks making a fortune offZappa’s good name are thelitigious Gail and her bloatedtrust-fund offspring.Not only does Gail Zappawant a substantial piece ofevery Zappa-related dime,she now apparently wants todictate how his compositionsare played: note for note, asthey were originally written. Andthat’s the way her devoted sonDweezil performs them, albeitslowed down a bit so the younglad is able to play them proficiently.But the capper has to bethe dutiful Dweezil having theaudacity to justify his mama’sdecree by equating Zappato Beethoven. I mean, I loveFrank’s music, but Beethoven …really? Shame, shame, shame.Gordon WebbSanta Clara, Calif.Frank Zappadownbeat archivesPolitical Jazz Weasels?I’m writing to comment on Mark Barosko’sChords & Discords letter in the May issue(“Harpooning Harper”), and its accompanyingEditor’s Note. Barosko has a point, sodon’t brush him off. I agree with him thatthe Ben Harper/Charlie Musselwhite article(“Dancing Around the Bones,” March) hadno place in the pages of DownBeat. Thatarticle would have been a better fit in anewspaper’s Sunday supplement. Barosko'sassertion was basically “DownBeat is ajazz magazine, and let’s keep it that way.”But then Barosko (who is a jazzer butno politician) mentioned a few jazzers,which gave the managing editor (who isa politician but no jazzer) a way to weaselout by citing DownBeat’s coverage ofsome of those jazz musicians. There havebeen some articles recently (such as thoseon Bobby Hutcherson and Charles Lloyd)that continue the DownBeat standard.Keith Cockettkeith@tunnelend.comEditor’s Note: Our staff worked hardto ensure that the articles on—andphotographs of—Bobby Hutcherson(“California Dreaming,” April) andCharles Lloyd (“Tender Warrior,”May) were of superior quality. Wedid the same thing for the coverstory on Ben Harper and blues iconCharlie Musselwhite. We’re notpoliticians. We’re jazzers who arefollowing the DownBeat motto tocover “Jazz, Blues & Beyond.”Next Generation ThrivesOne of the big reasons I dig DownBeat so much is youremphasis on the kids coming up, like those I saw at theNext Generation Jazz Festival, presented by the MontereyJazz Festival (MJF) in the first week of April. Three of theexcellent jazz educators at the fest were Doug Tidaback,Thara Memory and Keith Johnson. These cats are thegods of why jazz is still very, very much alive and welltoday. What joy these three—and all the other greats inthe education systems—have given us over the years!And, again, thank you to DownBeat for your incrediblecoverage of their scene. I’ll see y’all in September at MJFto re-up my subscription to the hippest magazine going.Robert A. Howehowesthis1@yahoo.comEditor’s Note: The DownBeat 36th AnnualStudent Music Awards (page 97) are one of thekey ways that we work to support young musiciansand the educators who guide them.Corrections• In the May issue, a photo illustrating a Caughtreview of the Portland Jazz Festival did not correctlyidentify multi-instrumentalist George Colligan.• In the April issue, the review of the selftitledalbum by Pretty Monsters misspelledthe name Owen Stewart-Robertson.• In the January issue, a Caught review of theStockholm Jazz Festival misspelled the nameJon Fält. Also, the review implied that MariusNeset is Swedish, but he was born in Norway.DownBeat regrets the errors.Have a chord or discord? Email us at editor@downbeat.comor find us on Facebook & Twitter10 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

TheNewsViews From Around The Music WorldInside14 / San José WinterJazz Festival16 / NEXT Collective17 / Paul MotianTribute18 / Sweet HomeNew Orleans19 / Roscoe MitchellNew York Voices Celebrates25 Years with First Live AlbumFor decades, vocal jazz groups have fought for recognitionin the music marketplace and even amongsome jazz fans. A new live album by New YorkVoices celebrating the group’s 25th anniversary, however,may attract some new converts to the genre.The Grammy-winning quartet has never enjoyed themass audience of previous generations of vocal jazzgroups—from the Hi-Los and Four Freshmen in the ’50sand ’60s to Manhattan Transfer in the ’70s. With the currentvogue for tight harmony singing, as seen in the huge popularityof college a capella groups and TV shows like “TheSing-Off” and “Glee,” New York Voices—and vocal jazzgroups in general—are ready for a comeback.On Live With The WDR Big Band Cologne (Palmetto),their first full-length live album, the Voices—DarmonMeader, Peter Eldridge, Kim Nazarian and LaurenKinhan—shine as soloists and in luscious four-part harmonies,in which they function as an additional “section” ofveteran arranger/conductor Michael Abene’s first-rate bigband. The set was recorded in Cologne, Germany, in 2008.“For this show, we picked songs that represent our history and mixed ina few new tunes as well,” said Meader, NYV founding member, musicaldirector and tenor saxophonist. “Michael’s charts are insane, so they givethe older tunes a fresh take.“We also transitioned many years ago from a quintet to a quartet. In theprocess, our old charts never got re-voiced in a way that works well forfour singers. So we decided to revisit those arrangements.” One example isa moody reading of Oliver Nelson’s classic “Stolen Moments,” which thegroup hadn’t performed in years. “We dropped the key down a step andvoiced it out for four,” Meader said, “so that it works for us now.”Other standout tracks include a hard-swinging “Darn That Dream”;unorthodox versions of two Paul Simon songs, “Baby Driver” and “I DoIt For Your Love”; a jazz treatment of Annie Lennox’s song “Cold”; andcompelling NYV originals, including the lilting, Brazilian-inflected “TheWorld Keeps You Waiting,” written by Kinhan and Eldridge.NYV’s members lead busy lives. As a group, they gig regularly at clubsand festivals all over the world. They have collaborated with vocalist BobbyMcFerrin, reedist Paquito D’Rivera, guitarist Jim Hall and the Count BasieNew York VoicesOrchestra. They frequently perform at symphonic concerts with the BostonPops and other major orchestras. They are finishing up a holiday album, tobe released later this year.Meader, Eldridge and Kinhan have issued solo albums, and all themembers compose, arrange and teach, including an annual vocal jazzcamp the group leads each August at Ohio’s Bowling Green University.“It’s challenging at times to balance all this, but it’s one of the reasonsthe group has lasted 25 years,” Meader said. “We’ve had slow and steadygrowth. In a typical year we do 60 or 70 concerts. That way, we’re not gettingburnt out on [Voices] … and the solo projects help keep us musicallystimulated, which brings fresh energy back to the group.”Their schedule this year includes several joint appearances withManhattan Transfer, a group they once idolized. “As one of the closers wesing an eight-voice version of ‘Birdland,’” Meader said. “Even as long asthey’ve been in the business, when we’re together, we kick each other in theass a little bit. Everybody wants to be on their game, in a really good way.It’s such a gas to be singing one of the tunes that influenced us greatly.” —Allen MorrisonJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 13

RiffsCaughtJosé JamesGregoryPorterSan José Winter JazzFest Offers CrossoverFavoritesPorter Patrol:After vocalist Gregory Porter'sApril 6 performance at theCape Town International JazzFestival, he participated inan autograph-signing eventthat was abruptly halted byofficials. According to managerPaul Ewing, Porter was chasedto the side of the festival’sExhibitor’s Hall by Stalls Securityunder the premise that he hadunknowingly violated thefestival's autograph policy.Capital Soul: Booker T. Jonesserved as the music directorand bandleader for the “InPerformance at the WhiteHouse: Memphis Soul” event,which was hosted on April 16by President Barack Obama.The celebration featured performancesby Mavis Staples,Al Green, and Ben Harper andCharlie Musselwhite, and wasstreamed live on the officialWhite House website.Freedom Finalist: TrumpeterWadada Leo Smith was nameda Pulitzer Prize finalist in Musicon April 15 for his civil rightsinspiredalbum Ten FreedomSummers (Cuneiform). Smithpresented his New York premiereof the project at Brooklynvenue Roulette on May 1–3.Spirited Performance: PianistMarcus Roberts premiered hisfirst piano concerto, “Spirit OfThe Blues: Piano Concerto In CMinor,” on April 4–6. Robertsdedicated the piece, whichwas co-commissioned by theSavannah Jazz Festival and theAtlanta Symphony Orchestra,to collaborator Seiki Ozawa.He performed with bassistRodney Jordan and drummerJason Marsalis.Like a Silicon Valley tech company thatspins off a subsidiary, San José Jazz launched its leanerWinter Fest in 2011 as a complement to its broadlyprogrammed summer festival. The festival gainedmomentum last year with bookings such as a specialduo concert with trumpeter Ambrose Akinmusire andpianist Gerald Clayton as well as a performance by altosaxophonist Grace Kelly’s quintet. For the 2013 WinterFest on March 6–15, San José Jazz pulled off an impressivehat trick with sold-out shows by José James, TheRobert Glasper Experiment and the Vijay Iyer Trio.James kicked off the weekend, headlining the 180-seat Theatre on San Pedro Square, a black box spacethat has previously hosted revues and Stephen Sondheimmusicals. The jazz-informed singer/songwriterproved to be the perfect choice for a Friday night,stretching seven songs out over a more than twohourset.James joked that he was thrilled to play a citywhose occupants knew how to pronounce his firstname—and elevate him to sainthood, too—at the conclusionof “Blackmagic,” which featured an interpolationof Marvin Gaye’s “Mercy Mercy Me” and a classicalllytoned solo from trumpeter Tatsuo Kuroda. BassistSolomon Dorsey and pianist/keyboardist Kris Bowersboasted a particularly tight connection on songs like“Trouble” and “Do You Feel.” James also pointed outthat British drummer Richard Spaven was playing hisfirst U.S. show of the group's current tour that evening.The Robert Glasper Experiment performed twosets the following night, and spirits were still high onthe bandstand as well as in the audience when the lattershow started. Featuring saxophonist/Vocoder-processedvocalist (and crowd favorite) Casey Benjamin,bassist Derrick Hodge and drummer Mark Colenburg,the Experiment predictably sizzled on reinterpretationsof Sade’s “Cherish The Day” and Nirvana’s “Smells LikeTeen Spirit” as well as on “Ah Yeah,” a track from thegroup’s 2012 Blue Note release Black Radio.Glasper’s trademark sense of humor was on display—asheard during an instrumental medley interludeof popular favorites including Mike Post’s “HillStreet Blues” TV theme, Sondheim’s “Send In TheClowns” (appropriately enough given the setting) andCyndi Lauper’s “Time After Time,” which turned into acommunal sing-along.Organist Tony Monaco held court at the samespace the following afternoon, leading a trio that featuredlocally based guitarist Barry Finnerty and drummerAkira Tana. Performing standards such as “TheVery Thought Of You” and an incendiary version of hismentor Jimmy Smith’s “The Sermon,” Monaco was engagingand informative when addressing the crowdin between numbers. Originals such as “I’ll RememberJimmy” and “Indonesian Nights” were also precededby generous back-stories.One-time Bay Area resident Iyer concluded WinterJazz Fest the next Friday with a program that challenged,rewarded and delighted the crowd. The interplaybetween him, double bassist Stephan Crump anddrummer Tyshawn Sorey was sublime at times and playfulat others. Starting with a pair of abstract vignettes (includingthe title track from his 2012 ACT album Accelerando)and stretching to pieces as diverse as Heatwave’s“Star Of The Story,” Henry Threadgill’s “Little Pocket SizeDemons” and Herbie Nichols’ “Wildflower,” the threeperformed with a remarkably explorative spirit.Winter Fest was planned so guests could also attendconcerts at the nearby and more spacious SanPedro Square Market as well as three other eating establishmentsall on the same block (and a fourth onestreet over). Whether it was organist Brian Ho takinga request for “Autumn Leaves,” Amy Dabalos singing“Lullaby Of Birdland” or the San José State UniversityJazz Orcehstra taking on a Lennie Niehaus arrangementof “One Mint Julep,” a broad range of music persistedover five nights and an afternoon.For the first time, San José Jazz broadened thescope of its extra-musical offerings to the general publicwith educational seminars. Glasper’s master classwas broad and had a biographical angle, while Monacohad 10 organists in the audience and gave a more traditionalone. In a locally appropriate context, Iyer presenteda Thursday night multimedia Techxploration talkand brief solo piano performance at the PayPal campusin San José. His subject, “The Sound of Bodies in Motion,”was based on his dissertation from the Universityof California at Berkeley.—Yoshi Katorobert birnbach14 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

NEXT Collective ReimaginesContemporary TracksFrom left: Gerald Clayton, Walter Smith III, Ben Williams, Logan Richardson and Matthew Stevensjohn rogers/johnrogersnyc.comThe NEXT Collective challenges preconceived notions about standards. The ensemble’s impressivedebut, Cover Art (Concord), has generated a buzz among critics and fans with its jazz interpretationsof songs from the worlds of hip-hop, r&b, pop and indie rock.The project began as a way to promote three newly signed Concord artists—tenor saxophonistWalter Smith III, guitarist Matthew Stevens and alto saxophonist Logan Richardson—and in the processof reworking contemporary compositions, the members of the NEXT Collective developed acohesive, cooperative vision.DownBeat sat down with the members of the NEXT Collective—Richardson, Smith, Stevens,pianist Gerald Clayton, bassist Ben Williams, drummer Jamire Williams and special guest trumpeterChristian Scott (Christian aTunde Adjuah)—shortly after wrapping up their sound check at NewYork’s Le Poisson Rouge. Pianist Kris Bowers, who is currently touring with vocalist José James, waslinked into the conversation via Skype. For the full interview, visit DownBeat.com.This album seems like a rite of passage. What hasit been like to come together on this project?Kris Bowers: We have such strong ideas ofwho we are musically and what we’re into. Atthe same time, we’re very selfless with the waywe approach music. That comes from being aleader. These guys have found a way to be thatway with their own bands. They all broughtthat to the session.How did Jay-Z & Kanye West’s “No Church In TheWild” become a part of this project?Christian Scott (Christian aTunde Adjuah):When I heard what most of the other guys weredoing, some of it was indie rock stuff, and I haddabbled in that. I wanted to go in a bit of a differentdirection. When I first heard that bass lineand realized what key it was in, I didn’t reallywant to move it. But I found out Ben Williamswas on the [track] so I knew he was going to beable to chop that up.It was interesting to see how Ben navigatedthe line and to see what Jamire was putting onit because that line has a lot of momentum. Ithad looseness from listening to a lot of the othermaterial.How did you choose to interpret D’Angelo’s“Africa”?Gerald Clayton: We could have tried togo to a completely different place, but it wouldhave maybe been a little bit forced. There’ssome bootleg versions going around [with]just D’Angelo playing the piano and singingit—a closer interpretation of how he thoughtof it. It’s stripped down, with a beautiful chordprogression and him just singing his messageabout Africa. I just wanted to keep it kind ofwhat it was.Matt, much of your work has combined yourrock influence with jazz, giving you a uniqueniche on the album. Was that a conscious decisionyou made as a guitarist?Matthew Stevens: It’s sort of like being awriter, like that cliché,“If you don’t write whatyou know, then it’s fairly obvious.” It’s greatto be open-minded, to expand and to get better.Something that I really admire about eachof [the band members] is that they’re reallycommitted to improving. They’re demandingit of themselves rather than other peopledemanding it of them. I got to be true to whoI am; to deny those influences would just bereally unnatural. You would smell it a mileaway, and it would suck.You can hear these wonderful influences fromthe 1970s soul-jazz era, with artists such as RoyAyers and Johnny Smith, on the Stereolab track"Refractions In The Plastic Pulse." Did they or similarartists inspire your arrangement?Jamire Wiliams: Not while I was arrangingit. I wanted to do something just off theradar, so I had them playing doubles—Loganplaying flute and Walter playing incrediblebass clarinet. I’m proud about that. I wantedto get that vibe where you could just put it onand chill to it, that you could ride to it. I thinkthat’s the only song with electric bass on it, soit added to the variety of the whole record.This project seems to addresses a controversy aboutthe void of inspiration and deep meaning in today’spopular music. Did that factor into what you weretrying to do?Ben Williams: It kind of proves a pointabout popular music and our standards onhow we measure what’s good and what’sbad. This makes everybody reconsider whatthey think of as good music and what’s worthyof presenting on certain stages. A lot ofpeople in the jazz world wouldn’t think ofJay-Z and Kanye West as something musical,but we found an element that we didour thing with. Some of the artists that wepicked are a bit obscure. I think [our albumwill] help people take a closer listen to thepop music that’s out there.MS: I hope this is ongoing, where we cancome back together every couple of years anddo another set of songs. It could be a reallycool thing to do in addition to everything thateverybody’s doing individually.—Shannon J. Effinger16 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Joe Lovano (left) and Bill Friselljack vartoogian/frontrowphotosMotian Saluted at Symphony SpaceUntil his early forties, drummer PaulMotian (1931–2011) was almost exclusivelya sideman. Motian then acquireda grand piano from then-employer Keith Jarrett,took composition lessons, made his first leaderrecords (Conception Vessel and Tribute) andlaunched a second career as a bandleader. “Ibegan to realize that you could write little ideasand have people interpret them,” Motian said ina 2001 DownBeat profile.Those ideas blossomed into an extraordinarytribute concert at New York’s Symphony Spaceon March 22. The evening’s co-curators, guitaristBill Frisell and saxophonist Joe Lovano—two-thirds of the Paul Motian Trio from 1984until the drummer’s death—convened a groupof musicians who had either played with Motianor paid close attention to his musical production.Drummers Joey Baron, Andrew Cyrille, BillyHart, Dave King and Matt Wilson rounded outthe program. Each performer’s intuitive juxtapositionof tonal personalities made each unitseem like part of a meta-ensemble. Vibrations oflove and high artistic intention permeated everynote. Perched on a cymbal stand, Motian’s whitebrimmedfedora stood watch.“You can’t talk about Motian’s music separatelyfrom his playing style,” said The Bad Plusbassist Reid Anderson, who functioned as aninformed rhythm section for Lovano and saxophonistRavi Coltrane on “Abacus.” Andersonadded that Motian “opened up rhythmic flow ina way that isn’t grid-based but is very compositionallyconnected,” presented “a personal way ofstructuring freedom and phrasing that hadn’t reallybeen done” and possessed “a beautiful, mysteriousmelodic and harmonic sense, a deep pop sensibilitythat our generation related to.”As the proceedings transpired, the most palpableimpression was the unitary strength ofMotian’s pieces, how their melodic integrity andinternal logic made his absence almost immaterialto successful interpretation.The audience felt Motian’s presence asLovano and Frisell opened invocationallywith “Conception Vessel,” the title track fromMotian’s first ECM release. The drummer alsoseemed to be on Baron’s shoulder as he propelledsoprano saxophonist Billy Drewes, bassistEd Schuller, Lovano and Frisell—four-fifthsof Motian’s ’80s quintet—through the intense,interactive tune “Dance.”There were no fallow moments, and manymemorable ones. Masabumi Kikuchi, Motian’spianist of choice since the early ’90s, conjuredup two poetic improvisations: a minimal, overtone-richsolo, and a fulsome call-and-responsewith bassist Gary Peacock, who executed crystallinelines with clarity and force. Peacock’smaster skills also emerged in two duos with pianistMarilyn Crispell, one a spare, delicate readingof “Etude,” the other a bracing tour through“Cosmology,” a spiky, atonal dance. Lovanoand Cyrille joined in on the rollicking “MumboJumbo,” which Cyrille transformed into his ownargot as Lovano tranced out on the melody andCrispell soloed turbulently.After a welcome-the-spirits drum duo withCyrille, Hart stayed for “Olivia’s Dream,” withsaxophonist Greg Osby, bassist Larry Grenadierand pianist Geri Allen. Spurred by Wilson, analumni edition of Motian’s Electric Bebop Band(Drewes, Chris Cheek, Bill McHenry, saxophones;Steve Cardenas, Jakob Bro, Ben Monder,guitars; Jerome Harris, Grenadier, bass) interpreted“Mesmer” as a peaceful Aylerian hymn. Frisellthen joined the guitars for a ravishing “Lament.”Osby and Frisell duetted like long-standingpartners on “Sunflower” and “Last Call.”Saxophonist Tim Berne—who recruited Motianfor three of his early ’80s LPs—illuminated“Psalm” with huge sound in duo with pianistMatt Mitchell. Allen and Frisell played the spectral,contrapuntal theme of “Fantasm” with transparentgrace before Lovano and Coltrane ratchetedup the intensity. McHenry played the tonepoem “Endless” and the jammish “Morpion” withMonder, Anderson and Cyrille.After reading a valedictory note from her ailingfather, bassist Charlie Haden, Petra Hadensang “The Windmills Of Your Mind”—the titletrack of Motian’s final album, on which she performed—withoutaffect or embellishment. Friselland Lovano took a trip with the elegant melodyof “It Should’ve Happened A Long Time Ago,”the title track of the Paul Motian Trio’s 1984debut recording. For the finale, nearly 20 musicianscollectively navigated Motian’s own perennialset-closer, “Drum Music,” with a luminous,“Ascension”-like feel. —Ted PankenJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 17

Sweet Home New OrleansEmpowers MusiciansCrescent City’s cultural communitiesare slowly sustaining themselves—notby receiving handouts or emergencygrants, but by learning to treat what they dolike a business.That’s the concept driving the EconomicEmpowerment Education Program at SweetHome New Orleans, a non-profit musicians’ aidorganization created to bring home musiciansdisplaced after Hurricane Katrina. As artists,Mardi Gras Indians, and social aid and pleasureclub members gradually returned in recentyears, Sweet Home reacted to its clients’ changingneeds, offering financial, legal and socialservice support while meticulously trackingtheir income, employment, health insuranceand other census-like statistics in an annualState of the Music Community Report.Years of analyzing data about the city’s culturaleconomy and how its leaders are faringfinancially showed organizers that the mostproductive use of their resources would be“to empower and educate musicians as businesspeople,” according to Sweet Home’s missionstatement. The non-profit launched its firstseries of free courses for musicians in February.Students who are enrolled in the class“Accessing Current Revenue Streams” meet fortwo hours every other week in the computer labat the new Ellis Marsalis Center for Music inthe New Orleans Habitat Musicians’ Village.Each session focuses on a different royalty-collectingperformance rights organization, suchas ASCAP and SoundExchange.In the past, Sweet Home has sent numerousclients to an entertainment law team willingto handle cases on a pro bono basis. “But theydon’t need to go a lawyer,” Program DirectorSarah Gromko asserted. “They should just havethis arsenal of knowledge.”Though forward-thinking, the shift inSweet Home programming has added newfinancial challenges to a non-profit sufferingfrom a drop in expected donations.“It’s hard as we try to communicate thetransition from assistance to empowerment,and to connect empowerment to overall sustainability,”said Sweet Home New OrleansDevelopment Director Isaac Netters.Difficult, maybe, but not impossible:Shortly after kicking off the new education program,Netters and his colleagues rolled out afundraising campaign that earned more than$20,000 in just a few weeks.Classes are small, but the application processis designed to keep the student bodydiverse, and the participants are people consideredto be, according to Netters, “influencers intheir niche,” so that they can spread the informationthey learn to others.“If I can learn and educate my peers andfurther my own understanding as well asgenerate revenue, I’m all for it,” said hiphopbandleader Renard “Slangston Hughes”Bridgewater, who enrolled in the February session.“I can go in meetings and not be on theoutside looking in.”Other courses in the Economic EmpowermentEducation Program will serve artists with differentlevels of professional needs. A course in selfmanagementand another in social media/fanengagement are on tap for the summer, while afan-fundraising workshop is scheduled to beginthis fall. —Jennifer OdellFrom left: Cindy Scott, Tamah Yisrael and Dr. Lud Yisraelisaac netters

Roscoe Mitchell (left) and Alvin Fielderpeter gershonCaughtWindy City Free-JazzLives in HoustonThe free-jazz experiment that roared outof Chicago is almost a half-century old. The avantgardemovement is a well-established musicalapproach with virtuosic veteran practitioners andan element of surprise still at its core, sustainingthe movement as a vital and vibrant means of jazzexpression.This jazz truism was enjoyably affirmed astwo of its most accomplished masters, saxophonistRoscoe Mitchell and drummer Alvin Fielder,played a standing-room-only concert on March 27at the Contemporary Arts Museum Houston, demonstratingthe continuing evolution of the music.Their succinct but satisfying rendition of the musicalmethod was, at least on this night, one withmore focus on shape and use of space than onthe pure sound and fury that once dominated theapproach. And, ultimately, it made for music thatwas more a definitive statement of purpose thanone just searching for something to say.Mitchell and Fielder have known each othersince their days at the birth of the music in Chicagowhen both were early members of the barrierbustingAssociation for the Advancement of CreativeMusicians (AACM). They recorded togetheron Mitchell’s debut album, the historic free-jazzlandmark Sound in 1966, but hadn’t performedtogether publicly since 1973 before this concert.Fielder said there was absolutely no problemin resuming the musical interaction. “I thinkour experiences have obviously given us moreexpertise, but our musical sensibilities reallyhaven’t changed that much in all this time,” heexplained. “It’s just like resuming a conversationwith an old friend. We just do it musically in frontof an audience.”Mitchell opened the first piece with a gentlesoprano sax awakening featuring a series ofbreathy upper-register squeaks and sonic punctuationsbefore conjuring up intriguing mid-rangephrases and lines delivered in characteristic nonstopstyle. Fielder confined himself primarily tohis drum kit instead of utilizing the exotic percussionparaphernalia that often colored the originalAACM efforts. By doing so, he allowed Mitchellsufficient room for exploration but operated as anequal, not just as an accompanist.Fielder provided a solo introduction for thesecond piece with a four-beat figure meant toecho Mitchell’s name and moved into bebopmode before ranging wide and free, reprisingMitchell’s “Mr. Freddie” as his core inspiration.His encyclopedic knowledge of the history of jazzdrumming was easily evident, but it was his graspof the styles and ability to fuse and transposethem that was most impressive.Mitchell, who had remained seated duringFielder’s opening statement, rose to perform hismost engaging segment of the concert. A flurryof alto sax flights showcased his ability to generatelengthy sustained notes of pristine purity.Fielder, temporarily abandoning the drum kit infavor of bells, let him soar untethered to a traditionalbeat.The concert concluded with Mitchell takingto the sopranino for some additional experimentation,featuring more forced air than notes andsome movement of sound as he waved the instrumentin different directions. Fielder’s most extendedsoloing came during this piece, and it wasfull of unexpected rhythmic tangents and quotations.Like the entirety of the concert, it was a minimaster class of the quintessential jazz dichotomyof control and experimentation. Mitchell returnedto finish the piece with some more energetic altowork, and class was over. The crowd buzzed aboutthe still very contemporary sound of this musicmore than 50 years after its birth. —Michael PointJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 19

PlayersBekaGochiashviliMomentous ArrivalWith keyboard demons getting youngerand younger, it’s growing tougherto separate the prodigy from themerely gifted. But the rare bird whose youthfulabilities rise above the prodigious is easy tospot, and teenage pianist Beka Gochiashvili, anative of the former Soviet republic of Georgia,is decidedly one.That was the assessment of drummer LennyWhite as he observed Gochiashvili at the grandpiano on a quiet afternoon in March at Birdlandin Manhattan. Birdland is a setting of note for thepianist, who already counts among his achievementssome sizzling sets there with high-flyingartists like White. Recalling those dates,Birdland’s owners agreed to make the club availablefor some off-hours music and conversation.Seated at the piano, Gochiashvili cut thewiry, even hungry figure of one who had beencaught up in the painful adjustments of post-Soviet society, not least the transformation froma culture in which jazz was forbidden to one inwhich it was allowed to grow. Days short of his17th birthday, he appeared wise beyond his years.His playing revealed a mature sensibility,which for White invited comparison with thatof a 17-year-old wunderkind from the past:Tony Williams. “When [Williams] came on thescene, everybody recognized that,” White said.“They’ll do the same with Beka.”Such heady talk is nothing new forGochiashvili. By age 11, he was drawing ravesand disarming listeners, including White, whofirst heard him play during a workshop at the2007 Saulkrasti Jazz Festival in Latvia, wherethe drummer was appearing. White said he putGochiashvili through his paces, inviting him tosit in with his band as it ran through “All TheThings You Are.” Gochiashvili contributedwith subtlety and sophistication to the group, atop-flight aggregation that included saxophonistBenny Maupin and bassist Victor Bailey.“Showing that kind of knowledge at such anearly age was remarkable,” said White, whostored the information for future use beforeheading back to the United States.After the Saulkrasti moment, Gochiashvilisaid, he “was in heaven.” But that was not hisonly brush with fame in 2007. Already a pintsizedfixture in the clubs of Tbilisi, the Georgiancapital, he had come to the attention of local governmentofficials, who introduced him to then-Secretary of State Condoleezza Rice. An amateurpianist, Rice was reportedly so captivatedby his playing that she added her support to thatof Georgian authorities, who, viewing him as avaluable cultural export at a time of increasingtension with Russia, helped stake him to a trip tothe United States in July 2008, a month beforewar broke out between Russia and Georgia. Thetrip proved a turning point; he auditioned forJuilliard and was accepted to the school’s precollegedivision, where he began studying withpianist Frank Kimbrough.Despite that acceptance, life in the UnitedStates at first seemed harsh. He was separated fromfamily, friends and hometown fans. “I was sadand depressed, but jazz saved me,” Gochiashvilirecalled. In 2010 he reconnected with White andbegan mixing with two other charter members ofReturn to Forever: Stanley Clarke and Chick Corea,a strong influence on his evolving style. Gigs followed,including a string of performances withClarke’s trio last year, with a stint at Manhattan’sBlue Note being one of the key highlights.This year, Corea asked him to be part of aperformance in May at Jazz at Lincoln Center,along with heavyweights like trumpeter WallaceRoney and bassist John Patitucci—both of whomplayed on Gochiashvili’s eponymous debut CD,released last year under the Exitus label and producedby White. The album stands out for itspersonal statements, highlighted by the openingnumber, “Un Gran Abrazo,” an evocative tributeto Corea that Gochiashvili first performed in asolo turn at the Blue Note in November 2011—at Corea’s request during his 70th birthday bash.Gochiashvili takes such gestures in stride,projecting an understated confidence. Asked toexplain the process by which he works, he playsdown the impressive assortment of tools he has sorapidly acquired and focuses instead on the emotionaldemands of the art form.“There’s nothing to know in jazz,” he said.“There’s something to feel.”Having led groups at Birdland in 2010 and2011, he will return there in June, with a hiphop-leaningquartet complete with turntablist.He also plans to continue his acoustic effortsin a variety of formats. The road beckons andwell-heeled backers are said to be waiting in thewings, though he is wary about being swept up inthe touring life before he knows himself better,lest he risk closing down the channels that havefueled his creative growth.“Concerts are not the main thing in my life,”he said. “The main thing is keeping my availabilityfor improvising.” —Phillip Lutz20 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

NoahPremingerIntuitiveLeaderSam RoblesThe term “old soul” seems to be the defaultdescription when saxophonist NoahPreminger’s elders discuss his tonal personality.Consider, for example, pianist FrankKimbrough’s account of Preminger’s comportmentat the 2007 recording session that producedhis eclectic debut, Dry Bridge Road(Nowt). Fresh out of New England Conservatory,Preminger was 21 at the time.“I thought this kid would be nervous, and we’dhave to do a bunch of takes,” Kimbrough recalled.“What blew us all away is that from the first notehe was just one of us, remarkably self-assuredwithout being cocky. He got the job done, and hisplaying was mature.”Kimbrough spoke the day before he and thetenorist, now 26, would record a duet collaboration.“With Noah, everything is about processas opposed to product, which is how somany young musicians think,” he said, referencingPreminger’s manner when leading therecording sessions for his 2011 Palmetto albumBefore The Rain—a quartet project that includedKimbrough, bassist John Hébert and drummerMatt Wilson. “We called tunes and recordedthe whole thing with no rehearsal in three-and-ahalfhours. I don’t like that science-projecty shitwhere you rehearse a lot and it’s too complicatedto wrap your head around.”On Preminger’s new Palmetto release,Haymaker—recorded with guitarist Ben Monder,bassist Matt Pavolka and drummer ColinStranahan—the proceedings diverge from theopen, freebop-to-floaty feel of Before The Rain,incorporating poppish melodies, rockish straighteighthbeats, soaring jams, odd-metered vampsand virtuosic solo digressions by tenor and guitar.Nonetheless, the ensemble, bolstered by aprior European tour with stops in Switzerland andSpain, follows Preminger’s relaxed approach.“This is New York and everybody can play,”Preminger remarked. “There’s no ego bullshit;just ‘Let’s go do our thing.’ It’s all about intuition.That’s how it should be.”The title track was inspired by Preminger’sformer boxing coach at the Manhattan gymwhere he trained for several years. WhenPreminger hit a sparring partner with a rightcross that propelled him across the ring, hiscoach said, “You hit him with a fuckin’ haymaker,man!” Shortly thereafter, the coach died of ananeurysm. “At the funeral,” Preminger said, “hisson told me that his dad had talked about the haymakerand me on his deathbed.”Preminger perceives no incongruity betweenhis love of adrenalin-inducing activity—he alsoskydives and skis—and the reflective quality ofhis caress-all-the-notes approach to saxophoneexpression. “Boxing is a great sport,” he said.“It teaches patience and respect and composureand breathing. I feel I need to live a full life andincorporate my experiences in music. I prefer toplay grittier, dirtier stuff, and I want to have fun.”Toward that end, Preminger said, he was preparingto launch a collaborative Afrobeat band thatfeatures big-sound tenorist Drew Sayers, a classmateof his at New England Conservatory andWilliam H. Hall High School in West Hartford,Conn. A native of rural Canton, Preminger “grewup on 25 acres with a couple of dogs” and startedplaying music as a child. He attended jazz campwith Dave Liebman at 12, and later enrolled atHall at the invitation of the school’s band director.“I made more money at Hall than I have sinceI graduated there,” Preminger said, mentioning$1,000 paychecks for gigs at local galas. “I wasaround guys who could really play and kick myass.” There was intellectual growth, if less remunerativework, in Boston during his NEC years.Preminger counts faculty members Allan Chase,Jerry Bergonzi and Frank Carlberg as consequentialmentors, as were (following his 2007 move toNew York) elders Cecil McBee, who employedhim, and Billy Hart, whose skills he has retainedon several occasions.Although Preminger gripes about New Yorkeconomics and quality of life, he intends to remainin Brooklyn and to have fun. “I pick people whosecompany I enjoy,” he said. “If you happen to likeassholes, go hang out with them.” —Ted PankenJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 21

PlayersCynthiaSayerNew Territoryfor Jazz BanjoCynthia Sayer, one of the country’stop four-string banjo players,originally started playingthe instrument by default. “I played alot of instruments when I was a kid,none of them very well,” she says.“I wanted to be a jazz drummer andwas already taking lessons. One day, Ifound a four-string banjo on my bed. Iknew it was a bribe. My parents didn’twant a drummer in the house.”Sayer took lessons with PattyFischer, who informed her that thefour-string banjo was an early jazzinstrument. Fischer played with a plectrum,and Sayer quickly adopted that style. “I like thesound of tightened chord clusters, but I originallylearned to play that way to please my teacher,”she says. “Jazz banjo is different from folkbanjo. There’s no claw-hammering or fingerpicking.The approach is similar to jazz guitar. Youstrum and pick, play lead and rhythm, but youcan’t lay down a fingerpicking groove. I can tellif another banjo player is a guitarist as well. I’mnot a guitarist who plays banjo. You can hear itin my style.”In addition to her musical acumen, Sayerknows her instrument’s history. “Banjo came ofage in early times of jazz, and it’s been stereotypedas an instrument that can only play in thatrhythmic mode,” she says. “What I demonstrateon my new album, Joyride, is that that’s not thewhole story. I learned the early music, its history,players and the techniques associated with it, butI don’t want to recreate the sound of the past. I’ma person of today, with a broad eclectic range. Ifyou listen to me, you’ll hear the basic jazz swing,but I go off in other directions.”Sayer has a lengthy resume that includes morethan a decade spent in Woody Allen’s jazz band, aswell as gigs with musicians as diverse as WyntonMarsalis, Marvin Hamlisch, Tony Trischka,Odetta and John McEuen of the Nitty Gritty DirtBand. She brings all those experiences to bear onJoyride, an energetic outing that includes tangos,jazz standards and country music.“All the arrangements are mine,” she says. “Iinvest a lot of time and energy into them. That wasthe artistic challenge. How do I hear a song andhow do I want to interpret it? Then I let the bandtake it to another level by adding their individualvoices. My last album, Attractions: With BuckyPizzarelli, was steeped in early jazz, and in thatworld, there’s not a lot of original music beingwritten or played. I’m always torn between givingold songs a new life and wanting to do originalsongs, so this record isn’t genre specific. It’s a bigmish-mosh to show people everything I can play.”The idea for Joyride was born on the nightSayer met accordionist Charlie Giordano, whoplays in Bruce Springsteen’s E Street Band. “Myfriend Larry [Eagle, percussionist on Joyride]asked me if I’d let Charlie sit in. The sound ofbanjo and accordion meshed so well, I knew Iwanted to make a record with him.”The album was cut live in one room. “A livejazz ensemble creates a conversation between theplayers and gives you the edge you need to makea musical connection. I produced the album andthe main challenge I had to face was that I’moften dissatisfied with my sound. I work hard toget a good banjo sound and a strong vocal.”Sayer’s singing is as nuanced as her banjoplaying, with a bright, lively vigor that makesJoyride sparkle with energy. She plays HankWilliams’ “Move It On Over” with a hot NewOrleans blues feel and adds a slithering kazoosolo to her own “Banjo Blues.” The most compellingtrack is “I Get Ideas,” a tango adaptedfrom the Argentinean song “Adios, Muchachos.”“The arrangement was inspired by LouisArmstrong’s recording,” Sayer says. “[Violinist]Sara [Caswell] plays classical and jazz, and weoften do concerts together. We worked out anarrangement that goes back and forth betweenswing and a Latin rhythm. It gives you the feelingof being suspended between those twoworlds, gently swaying back and forth.” —j. poet22 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Elias HaslangerTexas TenorIt’s an otherwise quiet Monday night in Austin, butdownstairs the doorman is turning away fans, andupstairs the joint is jumping as the band rips throughTexas trumpeter Kenny Dorham’s “Buffalo.” Tenor saxophonistElias Haslanger, arguably the hottest horn rightnow in the Lone Star state, is on his home turf.Haslanger spent a four-year stint in New York City,attending the Manhattan School of Music, touring in theMaynard Ferguson Big Bop Nouveau Band and hangingout with musical mentors. But he eventually returnedto Texas, where the active and eclectic Austin scene providedopportunities to play with everyone from BruceSpringsteen to Bob Dorough while allowing him to maintaina steady gigging schedule for his own jazz groups.“New York was obviously a great learning experience,but I’m more comfortable, personally and musically,back in Austin,” Haslanger said. “I think that’s given memore confidence to develop my own sound and use it toexplore new types of music.”His current sextet, in which he’s joined by trombonistAndre Hayward (an alumnus of the Jazz at Lincoln CenterOrchestra and the SFJAZZ Collective) and trumpeter PeteRodriguez (son of salsa pioneer “El Conde” Rodriguez),is an adventurous unit devoted to original material andinspired arrangements. His previous recordings used themelodic muscularity of his distinctive Texas tenor tone forsimilar explorations.But it has been the success of his recent album,the enlightened soul session Church On Monday(Cherrywood), that has garnered him nationwideradio play, inclusion on critical best-of-year listsand, best of all, steady SRO crowds for his residencyat Austin’s Continental Club.The catalyst for Haslanger’s change ofpace was hearing Hustlin’, the 1964 albumpairing saxophonist Stanley Turrentine andhis wife, organist Shirley Scott. “It’s funto play, especially with this band, and thesound opens up all sorts of possibility if yougo with it,” he explained.Dr. James Polk, an Austin jazz icon whospent more than a decade as music director of theRay Charles Orchestra, plays the B3 organ inHaslanger’s group. The other members are guitaristJake Langley, bassist Daniel Durham anddrummer Scott Laningham. From Polk’s perspective,Haslanger’s success is as much a productof temperament as talent. “Elias has the technique,the tone and the creativity of a great jazzartist, but most of all he has the attitude,” Polksaid. “He knows he has something to say and heknows how to say it.” —Michael PointDHILLS PHOTOGRAPHY

As told to Frank AlkyerPhotography by Jimmy & Dena KatzThe trumpeter, at 50, discusses thestruggles, joy and triumph of takingthe creative path less traveledave Douglas is the unassuming king of independent jazz, a modelof do-it-yourself moxie, initiative and artistic freedom. When hespeaks, there’s an air of calm confidence, but with an overridingsense of self-examination, evaluation and thoughtfulness.“When someone asks, ‘What kind of music do you play,’ areyou sitting next to them on the airplane, or are they really askingthe question,” Douglas said in December during a live interview in frontof jazz students and educators at The Midwest Clinic in Chicago. “If you’reon the airplane, you say jazz. And if you’re in a conversation with somebodywho is really curious, then we’re all involved in all sorts of music and a muchbroader scope.”It’s the kind of answer, articulate and thought provoking, that provides insightinto how Douglas has navigated his music and his career.

dave douglasThat broader scope is what Douglas strives to latch onto andembrace. He is a musician in full control of his instrument, but still tryingto find more. He is a composer who seeks his muse in the old waysand in unmapped territory, in the tradition and the avant-garde. He is abandleader who shares the stage gracefully and powerfully with someof the strongest voices in improvised music. And he is a businessmanwho has taken control of his recording and publishing career by creatingGreenleaf Music as a platform for his own artistry and the work ofartists he admires.These days, Douglas appears to be going through an exceptionallysearching period. In September, he released Be Still as a loving tribute tohis mother, who passed away in 2011. The album contains his arrangementsof traditional hymns such as “Be Still My Soul” and “WhitherMust I Wander,” songs his mother had asked him to play at her funeral.Beautifully performed by the Dave Douglas Quintet—with JonIrabagon on tenor saxophone, Matt Mitchell on piano, Linda Oh on bassand Rudy Royston on drums—it’s the first Douglas recording to featurevocals, handled with a whisper and a sigh by Aoife O’Donovan of thebluegrass band Crooked Still.On April 9, Douglas released his 40th album as a leader, TimeTravel. Using the same personnel as on Be Still (but without O’Donovan),the program is an all-instrumental date of original Douglas compositionsthat is equally embracing but takes on a much more forward-lookingapproach than the preceding album.That might have something to do with where Douglas himself is inlife. On March 24, he turned 50, a time when everyone seems to takestock of where they are in life. For Douglas, that means embarking on aU.S. tour with the über-ambitious goal of playing in all 50 states.“Me and my big mouth,” he jokingly said when discussing the project,but quickly pointed out that even a musician of his stature has playedin less than half the states in this nation during his career. After a set atthe Elmhurst Jazz Festival in Illinois on Feb. 22, he wondered if thiscould actually be accomplished, but he was determined to try.The trumpeter is particularly interested in presenting live music inunusual settings. For example, Douglas said he has played the Suonidelle Dolomiti festival in Northern Italy many times, where the band—and the audience—hike two hours up to a mountain location, performand then hike back down.“It’s a wonderful, communal experience,” said Douglas, an avidhiker. “I was thinking, ‘Why isn’t this happening in the States?’ Weshould be doing concerts in these wonderful national parks, along theAppalachian Trail or the Pacific Crest or you name it.”So, look out. Douglas will be coming to a theater, festival or hikingtrail near you. It may be with his quintet. It may be with the Sound PrintsQuintet with saxophonist Joe Lovano. There might even be a gig or twowith John Zorn’s Masada Marathon project.In the meantime, DownBeat is proud to celebrate Dave Douglas at50 with reflections on his life and career, in his own words.I WAS BORN in East Orange, New Jersey. The Garden State. It was apretty normal childhood. I’m the youngest of four. I was really blessedthat there was a lot of music in the house, and nobody ever said whichmusic was the important music.My father had classical records and jazz records, my sisters had poprecords and my brother had other kinds of pop records.My father was an amateur musician, but thinking back on it, it waskind of amazing. He had a baroque recorder group that rehearsed atthe house every Sunday. He played banjo and guitar with my cousinswhenever they would come over. And also his mother was the familypianist. So, at every family gathering, she would play Tin Pan Alleysongs, Christmas carols and whatever crazy campfire-type songs camearound. So, all of that was going on, and I had piano lessons startingwhen I was 5. I very wisely switched to a brass instrument when I was 7.MY FATHER found a trombone at a garage sale and brought it homethinking, “OK, I’m going to teach myself trombone now because Dave26 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

dave douglasis getting good enough that he’ll be able to accompany me on Tin PanAlley piano.” Once the trombone was in the house, it was mine. I quit playingpiano immediately.It took me two years to realize that in the school band the tromboneplayers only had long notes and the trumpeters always had the melody.Now I wish I still played trombone because I think some of the hippestparts are happening down there.I STARTED TO LEARN TUNES when I was really young and tried tomimic my favorite artists like Billie Holiday. She was the first performer ofsongs that I could identify as something to aspire to.My father was the person who brought the music into the house andcollected it. My mother encouraged me to do whatever it was that I reallywanted to do. If I took on something unorthodox like, “I want to learn‘All Of Me’ the way that Billie Holiday was singing it,” she might not haveknown what that was about, but she knew it was not something that everykid would say. So, she’d give me that, “OK, this is great! Do it!” She wasmy encourager.BEFORE I GOT INTO HIGH SCHOOL, my father bought TheSmithsonian Collection Of Classic Jazz on LP. It was all selected by MartinWilliams, a very astute collection of music from the beginning of jazz, upuntil the mid-to-late ’60s, which was pretty amazing at that time. We’re talkingabout 1973, and I’ve got Cecil Taylor in the house. I gravitated towardThelonious Monk and Miles Davis, Eric Dolphy, Ornette Coleman, CecilTaylor—the last two LPs in the collection. I wore them out. I don’t know why.No one was there saying, “You should listen to the modern stuff.”WHEN YOU’RE YOUNG and hear music, it has great meaning for you.You listen to the same songs over and over and over. And you can probablystill sing the saxophone solo that you memorized from those records whenyou were 11 or 12.So, for me, it was Cecil Taylor’s “Enter, Evening” and OrnetteColeman’s “Free Jazz.” It was only later that I realized how really lucky Iwas being exposed to that music so close to when it was actually made. Itwasn’t like it was a 30- or 40-year-old document. It was really fresh.I was listening to the early sides, too. And I think it’s something particularto my generation and those who came after. When we came up hearingthat complete collection, I wasn’t separating it out in terms of thetime periods and genres. It was like, here’s Louis Armstrong and here’sRoy Eldridge. Here’s Dizzy Gillespie and Charlie Parker. Here’s FreddieHubbard and Lee Morgan. Here’s Ornette Coleman. And it’s all just thisthing that’s together.That’s something that has stuck with me in my own composing and myown vision: There’s no reason that we have to separate all these differenteras and genres. It’s why someone like Mary Lou Williams was so importantfor me as an influence. She was somebody who brought together theentire history of music and really personified it.WE LOOK AT MILES DAVIS, now that he’s sadly gone. We can experiencehis whole 50 years of output in one view and see the full range of allthe worlds of music that he created. It’s so vast. It also inspires us. We don’tneed to be limited to one small thing. We can be wide open.I WAS AN ATROCIOUSLY bad trumpeter, I found out, when I got toBerklee [College of Music]. I had a lot of ideas, but I couldn’t execute them.It took me a long time to find a teacher who could help me get to where Iwanted to go. I had a lot of teachers who would change my embouchure andsuggest this or that. There were a couple of years where I was in crisis andkept thinking, “Well, it’s going to be great once the new embouchure kicksin.” Note that all the trumpet players in the audience just chuckled.I DROPPED OUT OF BERKLEE. I had a trumpet teacher who workedwith me all year and then in the final lesson said, “I don’t think you’recut out to be a trumpet player. I think you should quit and take up anotherinstrument.”I don’t think it was tough love. Maybe it was. Maybe that’s what I neededto hear at that time, but you can imagine how angry I was that he hadn’tsaid it earlier.It wasn’t like I didn’t care. It wasn’t like I was just messing around. Iwas clearly working on music. So I left, and I transferred to New EnglandConservatory because I knew John McNeil was there. I just moved up thestreet to NEC, and John was incredibly helpful. It was great. I’m not puttingdown Berklee. I got a lot out of Berklee. Some of the things I learnedin classes there, I still apply in music. The same goes for New England.IT WASN’T UNTIL I was introduced to the Carmine Caruso techniqueby John McNeil that I was able to find a way to play naturally, without asmuch effort, and was able to have a full range and a full tone.I still swear by the technique, although I do it very differently now thanI did back then. I took lessons with Laurie Frink, and she was, of course, thetop student of Carmine. She has carried on in his spirit, but with her owntake. She’s a fantastic teacher and takes every student as an individual withhis or her own needs. That’s what’s really important.I thought about switching to piano. It’s easier to say in retrospect, but atthe time, it was a complete personal crisis—practicing eight-to-10 hours a dayand not making any headway. Wanting to throw the trumpet up against thewall at the end of the day. Just month after month of fighting with this thing.I think I stuck with it because I could see that, as a composer, I wasgoing to want to have that voice in my palette. I could see the trumpet wasgoing to be part of that for me.I MOVED TO NEW YORK in 1984. After two years in Boston, I saw somany people were practicing, [and they were] practicing so they could moveto New York. I was a headstrong 21-year-old. I thought, “Why don’t I justcut the circuit short? I’ll just move to New York, but I’ll keep practicing.”I moved and then eventually got all my credits to transfer and ended upgetting a bachelor’s degree at New York University as an independentstudystudent. During that time, they had something called the GallatinSchool at NYU, and it allowed me to take classes with Carmine Carusoweekly for credit. I studied composition and arranging for a semester withJim McNeely. I had a semester where I studied with Joe Lovano. So, nowthat I’m out there playing with him, I remind him of the crazy things thathe said during that time.It’s interesting: I moved to New York because I wanted to play, but as28 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

you all know, when you break into a new city and a new scene, you don’tjust go out and right away and have a million gigs. So, I was invited bysome friends to go out and play in the street outside The Plaza Hotel fortourists on a Sunday afternoon. This was on the first week that I movedto New York. I met this culture of street bands on that day. And a lot ofthe people that I met are people I’m still in touch with and became veryimportant in my development as a musician—Vincent Herring being one.I played in bands on the street with Vincent for two or three years.And then in ’86, we both got the gig with Horace Silver at the sametime, but independently, not knowing that the other one had it. KermitDriscoll, the bass player, and Bruce Cox, the drummer, used to play outthere. A great tenor player named Charles Davis, too.IT SOUNDS FUNNY, but it’s reallytrue: When you’re out there andyou’ve played a two-hour set—maybe your second one of theday—and you’re still trying tobounce your tone off the Time-Warner Building or whatever isacross the street in ColumbusCircle, that’s real-world education.That’s how you develop a sound.PLAYING WITH HORACE SILVER was great. I wouldn’t say I was theperfect trumpet player for that group, but he was incredibly generous andpatient with us younger players. He took some time to tell me what waswrong with my playing. He would go on rants occasionally about whatwas wrong with us young players, but it was always based in somethingthat was real. The difference between bebop, hard-bop and modal playingfor him was in the voice-leading. He felt that with younger players, wewere just trying to play the hippest thing over one chord when what’s reallyhip was how you got from one chord to the other. So he would insist onproper voice-leading.ONCE SOMEONE TELLS YOU THAT, and you’re on the bandstandwith them night after night, you start to hear in their playing what makesthem so great. We played the same set pretty often, and we pretty muchplayed “Song For My Father” every set. It was a big hit, people wantedto hear it, and I was thrilled to play it. Horace would play a five- to10-minute introduction to the song … and it was different every time.And it was equally witty and brilliant. He would quote the most hackneyed,nursery-rhyme song, but in just the right spot. You’re laughing,but you’re getting hit in the gut at the same moment. Head and heart—that was Horace.THE WAY I’M TELLING IT, it sounds like I went to NYU and Ifound Carmine Caruso and next thing you know I was on the road andthat was it.It was far from that easy for me. I struggled for a lot of years, not havingany gigs. I think part of it was trying to play a little bit differently, notwanting to sound like every other post-bop trumpet player. But anotherpart of it was after I played with Horace, I came back to New York. I feltlike I had to start again.JUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 29

dave douglasI did a lot of gigs I didn’t want to do. I tooksome non-musical jobs, and I hated that evenmore. Making lemonade in a delicatessen wasnot Dave Douglas. And I wasn’t any good at iteither, so you wouldn’t want my lemonade.I decided whatever happened, I was goingto play the horn. So I did weddings and barmitzvahs and brises and divorces and anythingthat would come in the door—for a lot of years.This was between ’87 or so and ’93. I wasdoing creative music on the side, working onmy own stuff—devoting time to getting outthere with different collaborative groups that Iwas in. I started to play with Don Byron a littlebit, and do some things with Tim Berne.As much as I didn’t like doing those othergigs, I did get a lot out of it. Because so often inmusic, you’re expected to just know everything.You’re going to show up to the gig and there’snot going to be any sheet music. You’re going towalk in, and they’re going to call off the tune.Even if you’ve never even heard the name ofthe tune, you have to stand there and act likeyou know what’s going on. So, you learn very,very quickly how to play something that’s functional,that works, even if it’s in a weird key.I HAD SOME OFFERS to make some recordsof standards with someone else’s rhythm section,or do some sort of thing that made me say,“No, I want my first record to be my own originalmusic, my own vision.”It’s probably all that encouragement I gotfrom my mother so early on that made me soheadstrong. I felt like, “No, I’m going to do thismy own way.”IT WASN’T UNTIL ’92 or ’93 that I started tolead bands and felt like I had some stuff that I hadwritten that I was proud to present.I’M NOT CRAZY about the term “downtownscene,” but there was a creative thing that happenedin New York at that time. It came out ofpeople wanting to find something new to writefor each other. Friends.We wanted to play together. We liked playing“free.” We liked playing tunes. But we wantedto find something of our own. How do wewrite something that’s really fun and really challenging?How do we write something where peoplecan play who are from different traditions andbackgrounds? And how do we get to know somethingbeyond the music that you’ve heard before?I LEARNED A LOT FROM JOHN ZORN.And it’s still a wonderful relationship. Duringthat time when I got my own record deal andthe records started coming out, he brought meinto this group called Masada. It was a big thingfor me because this was a very heightened formof a lot of the elements that we’ve been talkingabout. He was looking into his own personalbackground, his own cultural background. Hewas making music that was really engaging onan improvisational level, that was really technicallychallenging, but that also had a lot of freedomto it, that used chords, but wasn’t afraid togo other places where chords weren’t happening.30 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

All of that felt like it was a dream to me. Thiswas a band where I was pushed beyond my owncapability by all the different things that I wasasked to do.John is very, very specific. I had never beenasked before in an improvised context to playlike Tony Fruscella. And I never had heard ofTony Fruscella, I’m embarrassed to say! So, youthink, now you’re playing with John Zorn, you’replaying in this incredible avant-garde thing. Buthe’s like, “On this tune, this is what I need you toplay, and you have to play it like this to make thetune work.”And I’m like, “But it’s my solo. I’m improvising.”In jazz we’re used to saying, “No, it’s mysolo. I’m going to do what I feel like doing.”And he was like, “You don’t get it. This is thecomposition. And the language of the improvisationcomes from the composition.” It was sort of abombshell for me, coming up a hard-core jazzer.I was thinking, “Wow, I’ve got to learn this otherlanguage so I can play this tune and make it work.”It was not like I was no longer improvising. Itwas more like I learned a new language of howto play in my own playing that would feed intothis musical moment, that would make this piececome alive.I RECORDED FOR INDEPENDENT recordlabels for a good number of years. Then around1999, I got signed by RCA and made sevenrecords for them under the RCA/Victor imprint,Bluebird and BMG Classics. They were boughtby Sony, and it was right at the end of my contract.So, the question for me was, “Do I go back torecording for independents, or do I want to ownthis and take charge myself?”THAT’S WHEN I STARTED GREENLEAF.Greenleaf is a name that’s been in my familyfor centuries. I liked it because I was trying torenovate the idea of a label and supporting artistsand growing something new. So, we startedin ’04 and we [now] have about 25 to 30 titles.Some of them are digital-only titles. We’re alsopublishing sheet music. There is a lot of interactionwith people who are listening to the music,and I like that.I have a team working at the label. I had avery, very brilliant friend working with me whenI started the label, Michael Friedman, who alsodoes Premonition Records. He helped me formthe label and did a lot to explain to me how thelabel should go. He was very smart guy and areally good friend. A few years ago, he decidedto move to Los Angeles and minimize hisinvolvement in the business. So, he’s no longer atGreenleaf. But I have someone helping me manageit, Jim Tuerk, and I have a staff. I put in sometime on the label every day, but it’s not a fulltimejob for me. I feel it’s part of the artistic output,being involved in what your sheet music andCDs are going to look like.I TURN 50 IN MARCH. When I turned 40, Idid a big retrospective of all of my differentbands in New York, and it was a big page-turnfor me. I had, at the time, 15 different bands runningsimultaneously. I thought, “This is crazy.I’m going to take this moment to retire some ofthese projects. We’ve made three or four recordsand we’ve toured and we’ve done it. I’m going togo in a new direction.”That was 10 years ago. I just decided that Ididn’t want to celebrate my birthday in this bigNew York kind of way. I wanted my birthday tobe more about playing in different places. I realizedthat there have only been a few states in theUnited States that I’ve played in—and there happento be 50 of them out there. So, I’ve set out onthis project to play in all 50 states.It’s not going to happen during the calendaryear. It’s an ongoing project.We’ve worked on it, and a lot of things arecoming together. We’ll be visiting a lot of states[in 2013]. But everyone knows the problem ofnot having a good network for jazz in the UnitedStates. It’s an ongoing, long-term problem. Justgoing around, identifying where such thingscould happen has illuminated a lot of potentialsmall-scale solutions that I think are the first steptoward making something happen. DB

MaxRoachCharlesMingusdownbeat archivescourtesy of Joe alper photo collection llcDukeEllington32 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013Downbeat archives

Money Jungle50 Years After the SummitBy Bill MilkowskiFifty years later, the reverberations are still being felt. This year marks thegolden anniversary of the release of Money Jungle, the utterly audacious,cross-generational summit meeting of Duke Ellington, Charles Mingus andMax Roach. How the revered and courtly maestro Ellington—who was 63at the time of this recording—got together with two such mercurial jazz rebels asMingus (40 at the time) and Roach (38) has remained something of a mystery allthese years. Who instigated this session? How did these formidable figures happento gather in the studio on Sept. 17, 1962?Credit goes to producer AlanDouglas, who was heading up the jazzdivision at the United Artists label at thetime and was all of 30 when the historicsession went down. Having alreadyproduced such potent UA sessions asArt Blakey and the Jazz Messengers’3 Blind Mice and the first Bill Evans-Jim Hall collaboration, Undercurrent,Douglas had a bit of a track record whenhe approached Ellington about doing apiano trio recording for the label.“I had met Duke and Billy Strayhornin Paris when they were writing a scorefor the movie Paris Blues,” recalledDouglas in a phone interview from hishome in Paris. “I was working at [theFrench record label] Barclay Records atthe time. Billy and Duke were staying atthe Hotel Trémoille, and Nicole Barclayasked me to do whatever I could to helpthem during their stay there. So I waswith them for about a month, doing allkinds of errands and things, and becamefriendly with them. They had two pianosin their hotel room, back to back,and sometimes they’d play duets together.One day when I was hanging outwith them I said to Duke, ‘How comeyou never made a piano record? You’realways making records with the bigband.’ And he said, ‘Nobody asked me.’I kind of just smiled and just let it go.“About a month later, I got a call tocome to the Barclay office and meetArt Talmadge of United Artists. Nicole,who was very prominent in the recordbusiness at that time, recommendedme for the job of running the newjazz department that Mr. Talmadge wassetting up at United Artists. So I leftParis, came to New York and did a coupleof records for United Artists. Oneday my secretary calls me and says,‘Duke Ellington is here to see you.’Naturally, I’m caught off guard. Hecame into my office, sat down in frontof me and said, ‘You know, you putsomething in my head back in Paris. I’dlike to do a piano record.’ I was workingwith Mingus at the time, or tryingto work with him, so I said, ‘Let’s doit with Charlie Mingus,’ because I feltMingus was the contemporary extensionof the Ellington school. And Dukesaid, ‘Yeah! That would be interesting.’So I called Charlie and he disagreeablyagreed, as usual, and he insisted thatthe only drummer for the session couldbe Max. I then went back to Duke, toldhim about Max and Mingus, and hewas comfortable with the idea.”Money Jungle was recorded tothree-track at Sound Makers Studioin midtown Manhattan in a single day.“I tried to get them to rehearse, and allthree of them said no, they didn’t wantto rehearse,” Douglas said. “Their attitudewas, ‘Let’s just go to studio and see

Money Junglewhat happens.’” And while Douglas maintainsthat Mingus was “a perfect gentleman with Dukeat all times,” he confirms that there was indeeda clash in the studio between the hot-temperedbassist and the strong-willed drummer: “Mingusstarted to complain about what Max was playing.Mingus was getting louder and louder as the sessionwent on. I forget what song they were doing,but in the middle of it Max kind of looked upat Mingus and smiled and said something. Andat that point, Mingus picked the bass up, put thecover on it and just stomped out of the studio.”Douglas described the scene that unfoldedon the street below after Mingus left in mid-session:“That’s one of the visuals I will never forget.We were in the studio on 57th Street betweenSixth and Seventh Avenues, and I rememberleaning out the window, looking up towardsSeventh Avenue and seeing Duke Ellingtonchasing Charlie Mingus up the street. He finallycaught up with him and convinced him to returnto the studio. After they came back together,Mingus was very cooperative and took care ofbusiness for the rest of the session.“Of course, Mingus idolized Duke,” he continued.“And Mingus and Max knew each otherso well that Charlie could yell at Max and itdidn’t bother Max at all. He just kept on playing.So there was a healthy respect for each other andeventually they got into a groove together, whichyou hear on the record.”Writing in the March 28, 1963, issue ofDownBeat, Don DeMicheal critiqued threerecords in a combined review: Duke EllingtonMeets Coleman Hawkins (4 stars), DukeEllington & John Coltrane (4 stars) and MoneyJungle (5 stars), which he referred to as “astonishing,”describing the bassist and drummeras “some of the fastest company around.”DeMicheal’s prose repeatedly praised Mingusfor pushing Ellington into new territory: “I’venever heard Ellington play as he does on thisalbum; Mingus and Roach, especially Mingus,push him so strongly that one can almost hearEllington show them who’s boss—and hedominates both of them, which is no meanaccomplishment.”Over the past five decades, hundreds of jazzmusicians have drawn inspiration from this classicalbum, including many of today’s stars, suchas drummer Terri Lyne Carrington (see sidebaron page 36) and pianist Frank Kimbrough.“[Money Jungle] was one of those ad hocthings—they weren’t a working band—so there’sa lot of experimenting going on in the studio,”Kimbrough said. “And of course, some ofit’s abrasive. But sometimes abrasive is good.Everything doesn’t have to be pretty all the timebecause you’re conveying the range of humanemotions in the music. And look at what washappening in 1962. Things were coming to aboil. So that goes into the mix as well.”Indeed, the Cuban Missile Crisis was just amonth away. A year later, Dr. Martin Luther Kingwould deliver his “I Have A Dream” speech inWashington, D.C., and President Kennedy wouldbe assassinated on Nov. 22, 1963. “The seamswere getting tight at that point,” Kimbrough continued.“It’s like a balloon filling up with water,and Money Jungle happened at a point just beforethe balloon bursts. But for Mingus, it’s gotta bethe happiest day of his life, right? I mean, playinga trio date with Duke, his idol?”Nine days after recording Money Jungle,Ellington would go into the studio to record theImpulse album Duke Ellington & John Coltrane.A few weeks later, on Oct. 12, Mingus would presideover his Town Hall concert (a musical trainwreck, documented on a 1963 United Artistsalbum). But on that historic day in September inthe studio with Ellington, Mingus, Roach, producerDouglas and engineer Bill Schwartau, acertain kind of magic prevailed. “The gods werelooking down on us that day,” Douglas said. “Itcould’ve gone another way, but it didn’t. It was avery successful collaboration. It’s a great record,a tough record, and it came from no rehearsalwith no previous plan to do anything in particular.Just three great spirits together in the roomfeeling each other out.”“Obviously, it’s an important release,” saidpianist Fred Hersch. “I can remember buying

Money Junglethe LP in Cincinnati around ’73 or ’74 and justputting it on and going ‘Wow!’ It’s such a ‘wow’from the first note, like they’re shot out of a cannon.Sometimes you get three or four all-starstogether and they go with the common denominatorand make it simple, but this was a lot of‘push me-pull you’ on all parts.”Depending on one’s point of view, Mingus iseither the star or the saboteur of Money Jungle.“That’s one of the first records in history that hasthe bass-in-your-face kind of sonority to it,” saidMingus Big Band bassist Boris Kozlov, who performswith the group weekly at New York’s JazzStandard (using Mingus’ famous “Lion’s Head”bass). “And I keep thinking that maybe that wassomehow crafted by Duke—that he wanted that.”From the opening salvo of tortured bassnotes issuing forth on the first track, it is clear thatthis is no ordinary piano trio session. “The titletrack has this declamatory intensity and powerand almost shock to it,” observed pianist VijayIyer. “Mingus is playing very much ‘up in yourgrill.’ He’s very interactive, kind of contrapuntalwith what Duke is playing, and the drums fill upa lot of the space. So it had real equanimity, muchmore of an even dialogue among the three, whichis a little different from the kind of blowing sessionsthat are more representative of that time.”Ellington enters the fray on that openingtrack, “Money Jungle,” not with his usual pianisticelegance but rather with spiky chords anda dissonant streak, as if he’s dueling rather thandialoguing with Mingus as Roach cooks underneathwith some hip interaction between snare,bass drum and ride cymbal.“It’s like Duke’s going in this Monk-Cecildirection sometimes,” said pianist Uri Caine. “It’slike an experiment for him, using dissonance andother devices that he normally doesn’t use. HisCarrington Gets ProvocativeTo mark the 50th anniversaryof Money Jungle,Grammy-winning drummerand bandleader TerriLyne Carrington has put a contemporaryspin on that fabledcollaboration between DukeEllington, Charles Mingus andMax Roach. Joined by bassistChristian McBride and pianistGerald Clayton—and augmentedon some tracks bysaxophonists-flutists Tia Fullerand Antonio Hart, trombonistRobin Eubanks, guitarist NirFelder, percussionists ArturoStabile and vocalists Shea Roseand Lizz Wright—Carringtonand her crew radically reimagineDuke and company onMoney Jungle: Provocative InBlue (Concord Jazz).McBride recalled, “WhenTerri Lyne first sent me thedemo tracks, I thought tomyself, ‘Really!? This is MoneyJungle, huh?’ And I was teasingher, saying, ‘You should just putnew titles on and keep ’em asyour own.’ Because they’re sofresh and so different. There’sa little bit of overt saluting tothe original recording, but as awhole it’s just such a wonderfullyreinvented thing.”On the opener, Carringtonexpounds on the political implicationsof Ellington’s title trackby incorporating audio clipsfrom speeches by Dr. MartinLuther King, Bill Clinton, BarackObama and Condoleezza Rice,along with spoken-word snippetsfrom Peter Joseph’s 2007documentary Zeitgeist: TheMovie. On the exotic “FleuretteAfricaine,” the core trio isenhanced by flutes and trombone.Clark Terry, an importantmentor to Carrington, providesstream-of-conscious scattingon this atmospheric track. “Myfirst gig was with Clark when Iwas 10 years old,” Carringtonsaid, “and I ended up joininghis band later on when I movedto New York.”The drummer traveled toArkansas, where the 92-yearoldtrumpeter currently lives, torecord his vocals. “I had somebodybring a portable recordingunit to Clark’s house, andwe captured him doing histhing to the music on the firstpart of the tune,” she explained.“After we had packed up thegear, Clark said, ‘Oh, I have onemore thing to say,’ and I couldsee it was important to him. SoI just opened my laptop andpressed ‘Record’ into GarageBand without a microphone oranything, just a condenser micon my laptop. I put it close tohis face and he did that cadenza.”As the band drops out, wehear Terry, one of the last livingconnections to the Ellingtonlegacy, doing his Mumblesroutine, putting a poignant finishingtouch on that beautifulEllington ode.Wright lends her wordlessvocals to a gospel-tinged readingof “Backward Country BoyBlues” with Felder contributingsome Deltafied dobro playing.“At first I wasn’t sure whatDuke meant by that title,” saidCarrington. “I wondered if hewas referring to somebodythat’s so backwards becausethey’re so country. But then Irealized that it’s a blues, but itgoes to the V chord first, andthen to the IV chord. So they’reswapped. And that’s wherethe backward part comes in.”McBride digs deep withsome virtuosic soloing on astraight-up swinging renditionof “Very Special” and onthe profoundly blue meditation“Switch Blade.”The trio puts a Cubanflavored5/4 spin on “WigWise” and turns in a radicallyreharmonized, clavéfueledreinvention of “A LittleMax (Parfait).” Carringtoncontributes two originals—the surging “No Boxes(Nor Words)” andthe funky “GrassRoots,” a drum featurethat incorporatesclips of formerPresidentGeorge W. Bush.Clayton adds hisballad “Cut Off,”with its gorgeousallusionsto Ellington’s“Solitude.” On the closer, a renditionof “REM Blues,” SheaRose and Herbie Hancock shareduties in reciting Duke’s poem“Music.”“This was the second timeI’ve had a chance to work withTerri Lyne on one of her recordings,”McBride said. “The previousone [2009’s More To Say(Real Life Story: Next Gen)] wasanother wonderfully big visionproject. She aims high, and Iadmire that about her.” —Bill MilkowskiTerri LyneCarrington36 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

playing can be very angular, very sparse. Thenhe gets these riffs that he keeps repeating overand over, almost like the horn section of a bigband. And I love that part in ‘Caravan’ wherehe’s playing the melody way down in octavesand you hear these little Webern-like notes onthe top where he’s just sort of hitting the keys.You can tell that he’s thinking orchestrally there;he’s thinking like a big band. Not everybodyplays the piano that way.”Hersch admires Ellington’s authoritativeplaying throughout Money Jungle: “I think it’ssome of his best playing on record. The otherEllington trio albums [1953’s The Duke PlaysEllington and 1961’s Piano In The Foreground]are pretty manicured, in a way. The tracks areshort and they’re a little more polished. ButMoney Jungle is great because Duke stretchesin a way that he doesn’t on the other trio albums.Because Duke wasn’t totally in control, it bringsout something in his playing that’s very special.He had to come up with it on the spot, andit reveals Duke as more of a fearless improviserthan any of his other trio projects.”Pianist Matthew Shipp is also impressed byEllington’s playing on the disc. “There’s a verydark grittiness and beauty to the harmonic languagethat Duke employs that’s a full floweringof a piano language,” Shipp said. “There’ssomething so integral about the space-time thathe generates … . Every little architectural detailis carved to the Nth degree. It’s one of the greatestexamples of piano playing I’ve ever heard.“Interestingly enough, there are aspectsabout that album that are almost completelyfree,” Shipp continued. “That version of‘Solitude’ … Duke’s playing free on that! Andhis orchestration on ‘Caravan’ is otherworldly. Imean, it’s 100 percent the tune—the materialsengender everything that’s going on—but there’snothing rote about his playing on either of thosefamiliar tunes. Actually there’s nothing roteabout any aspect of this album. It has none ofthat feel of when you’re throwing people togetherin the studio and you’re just going throughthe motions, because the tension was palpable. Ifind it an album of utter vitalism, unlike a lot ofstraightahead albums of that time.”Kozlov compares the conversational playingon Money Jungle to the Bill Evans Trio withScott LaFaro and Paul Motian. “Just conceptuallyand functionally, there’s this heavy counterpoint,this polyphony going on,” he said.“Earlier trio records that Mingus played on withHampton Hawes and Dannie Richmond andanother one from much earlier with Bud Powelland Roy Haynes are pretty straightahead. Youstill know it’s Mingus, but it takes maybe 20seconds to figure out that it’s him. On MoneyJungle, it takes five seconds.”The bassist plays with uncanny force on thatedgy opener, practically mugging his instrumentby thumping a single note repeatedly, then literallypulling the string off the fingerboard at onepoint. Ellington holds his ground in the face ofMingus’ volatile statements, responding in kindJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 37

Money Junglewith some rather ‘out’ proclamations of his own.In Caine’s view, “Duke is being very fatherly toMingus in the sense of saying, ‘I’m going to letyou be obstreperous there; you can do your thingand I’m going to hold it down for you. Next timeyou do it, I’m going to go out, too.’ There’s a lotof psychology going on in this session.”The final minute of the title track hasMingus muscling his bass once again, bendingstrings with such force that he makes the instrumentsound like a cross between a berimbau anda Delta blues guitar. “If they did nothing else butrecord that opening track, it would [still] be notable,”said Hersch. “It’s just so extraordinary.”But of course, there’s much more to MoneyJungle. The hushed, stark beauty of “FleuretteAfricaine” is equally extraordinary but witha wholly different dynamic than the rambunctioustitle track. With Mingus gently trilling likea hummingbird on his bass and Roach underscoringthe proceedings with sparse use of mallets,Ellington paints a portrait of an exotic flowerdeep in the jungle that has never been touchedby human hands. It’s as delicate and mysteriousas “Money Jungle” is brash.“Certainly Mingus is the wild-card of thesession,” Hersch said. “On the first tune he’splaying this insistent high note through the wholetrack and it’s kind of not functional either harmonicallyor rhythmically. Yet, he’s sort of stubbornlyup there and Duke is filling in the blanks.On ‘Very Special,’ Mingus decides to play morefunctionally, and it totally changes the vibe.There are certain tunes where Mingus playedmore compositionally and others where he playsmore functionally. So it’s a pretty schizophrenicsession. It’s almost like two different trios goingon. And really, the person who decides whetherit’s going to be one or the other is Mingus.”Bassist John Hébert, a member of FredHersch’s trio and a leader in his own right, noted,“There’s not a lot of sections where Mingus isjust playing walking time. There’s a lot of brokenplaying and really melodic playing behind whatDuke’s doing. It’s like they’re always blowingtogether. That was fascinating to me back whenI first heard Money Jungle and that’s how I wantto play now—be in the pocket but at the sametime be really elastic with the time and the feel.”“Everybody’s kind of doing their thing, butthey’re together,” added drummer Jeff “Tain”Watts. “And that predates Keith Jarrett’s way ofdoing things and in a way even Wayne Shorter’sway of doing things with his current quartet.They have a much freer way of doing it, buteverybody’s kind of in their own zone and yetthey’re definitely playing the composition intune with each other, just like Duke and Maxand Mingus were doing on Money Jungle.”The original United Artists recording hadseven tracks, including the loosely swingingblues “Very Special,” a gorgeous reading of“Warm Valley” (which Ellington had famouslyrecorded in 1940 as a feature for JohnnyHodges), a hard-driving “Wig Wise,” a uniqueinterpretation of Juan Tizol’s “Caravan” andEllington’s exquisite solo piano reading of“Solitude,” which Mingus and Roach only enterin during the final minute of the tune.The 2002 Blue Note CD reissue (programmedby Michael Cuscuna) contains a stringof blues-drenched numbers wherein Mingus isturned loose to testify on his bass. Along withtwo potent takes of “Switch Blade,” the bear-likebassist reaches deep into a gutbucket vibe on twotakes of “Backward Country Boy Blues.” Thereare also a two takes of “REM Blues,” whichsounds like an answer to Mercer Ellington’s“Things Ain’t What They Used To Be,” andtwo takes of the Roach showcase “A Little Max(Parfait),” a buoyant, Latin-flavored piece thatfeatures some slick fills on the drum breaks.Part of the enduring legend of Money Junglelies not just in the quantity of musicians whoembrace it, but also their diversity. The membersof Medeski, Martin & Wood acknowledgethe album as a touchstone for their own cutting-edgeexplorations. “It is one of my favoriterecords of all time,” said drummer Billy Martin.“The personality is just so fucking strong. Tome, it’s almost like punk rock. They’re virtuososbut they’re approaching it in such a raw way.It’s just so rich and intense and raw comparedto the more refined, classic piano trio recordingsof the time. That blend of personalities, whereeverybody brings their own dimension to it, wassomething we related to deeply. You listen tothose cats and they each have such a strong footingthat it’s just undeniable. So it gave us morejuice to keep going.”MMW bassist Chris Wood recalled that thealbum title became an adjective for the group:“We’d be rehearsing and someone would say,‘Do that Money Jungle thing,’ which meantdon’t groove perfectly, don’t be too tight, keeplooseness, create that tension.’ Marc Ribot hasthis phrase for stuff like that. He calls it ‘wrongand strong.’ If you’re gonna do it wrong, do itstrong! And Mingus’ playing on the title track,which is awesome, is a perfect example of that.He’s not slick. Even though he’s technicallyincredible, he’s not afraid to be raw. He soundsmore like a Delta blues guy on that track, like theSon House of bass.”MMW keyboardist John Medeski said,“Money Jungle, to me, was sort of the pinnacleof grooving jazz trio interplay. No one needed tobe supportive because they’re all playing beyondthe forms, beyond the style, beyond everything.It’s contrapuntally interactive like the AhmadJamal Trio or the Bill Evans Trio, but in a muchmore aggressive, more powerful way. There’sa certain intensity and intention to this recordingthat is just incredible. There’s a lot of spacefor the energy of the communication to be thefocal point, not necessarily the notes or the melodies.And that, to me, is the real spirit of jazz.It’s improvised communication, a conversationalway of playing. That’s what this album is allabout. Hopefully that’s coming back in recording,especially for those who call themselvesjazz musicians.” DB38 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Darcy James ArgueA Fable Growsin BrooklynBy Brad FarbermanThe best way to burrow insideBrooklyn Babylon (New Amsterdam), thesecond CD from composer-conductor DarcyJames Argue’s 18-piece big band SecretSociety, is to listen to it. The second bestroute is to hear out Argue on what’s missingfrom music today. “When someone callsa blues at a jam session,” he said, “it’s notlikely to be a deep, emotional experiencefor everyone.” With his writing for Babylon,Argue tried to “create a sense of audibleunity, which is weirdly something thathas been out of favor in classical music.”Emotion and “audible unity” are things thatBabylon has to spare, making the albumhonest, intimate and larger-than-life. If youwant something done right, do it yourself.1Or, to be more precise, do it with one other person whom you admire and trust.Though all of the music for Babylon was composed by Argue, the project was a true collaborationbetween the Secret Society leader and graphic novelist Danijel Zezelj, whocreated the visuals that accompanied its 2011 live premiere at the Brooklyn Academy ofMusic (BAM) and conceptualized the fictional story it tells. Despite being completelyinstrumental, Babylon communicates the tale of carpenter Lev Bezdomni, who has beenasked to construct a carousel at the top of a proposed Tower of Brooklyn. Once built, thestructure would be the tallest on Earth.“We talked about, in very broad strokes, what kind of story we might want to tell,”Argue recalled about his first meeting with Zezelj in 2009. “Some kind of story aboutBrooklyn. Some kind of story that combined past, present and future. That had somekind of resonance. And then the next time I met with him, he had come up with thisdetailed urban fable about this carpenter, Lev Bezdomni, and his granddaughter, Mara,and Lev’s carousel-building workshop, and this invitation from the mayor to build thecarousel that will crown the tallest tower in the world. It was all there. I saw this synopsisof what the story might be like [and] I was like, ‘This is amazing. There’s so much musicalpotential built into the motifs that he’s laid out here.’”Of course, Argue, who was born and raised in Vancouver but has lived in Brooklynsince 2003, was interested in more than Zezelj’s narrative ideas. The visual artist’s dark,bold images struck a chord with Argue right away.“Immediately, what attracted me to the art was the design sense,” said Argue. “All ofhis panels are framed really beautifully in and of themselves. And they convey story andmotion and energy and all of the things you need in order to flow from panel to panel.Sometimes people compose beautiful images but there’s no dynamism to it. But he wasable to do both, which is so rare in graphic-novel storytelling. It’s the same skill as agreat cinematographer. That degree of dynamism plus design appealed to me and resonatedwith what I want to do musically. But also the fact that [Zezelj] is able to combineso many influences from differentperiods: medieval woodcuts,Soviet-era propaganda posters,243

(1) Darcy James Argue’sSecret Society performingBrooklyn Babylon in 2011.(2) Composer, conductorand ringleader Argue.(3) Danijel Zezelj’s artworkis projected on a screenbehind the musicians.(4) Argue (far right)leading the 18 musicians.(Photos 1–4 by JamesMatthew Daniel. Portraitof Argue on page 41 byLindsay Beyerstein.)

darcy james argueold, expressionist silent movies, andgraffiti, and none of it’s a pastiche. It’sall folded into his own personal style insuch a unique way. It’s informed by thepast but it really feels of the moment.And it’s incredibly distinctive. Yousee one of his images and you knowinstantly who it is.”With a partnership in place and acommission from BAM procured inFebruary 2010, the real work began.But instead of splitting up to create theirrespective halves of the production, theyengaged in a back-and-forth collaborationto make sure the piece would feellogical and natural.“As I was building the storythrough images, Darcy was creatingmusic, chapter by chapter,” said Zezelj,a Croatian who has lived in Brooklynsince the early 2000s. “Eventually bothelements, images and music, mergedinto a final piece connected by the narrativeline, timing and rhythm. It wasinspiring to witness Darcy’s skill increating complex and powerful music and havingit executed by such a large orchestra. His abilityto capture the story’s atmosphere and followspecific story lines without losing any musicalintegrity [or] beauty was stunning.”For Argue, some parts of the process wereeasy, but others were difficult. For example,Zezelj let Argue take the lead on how long thesections of Babylon would last. But fitting musicto visuals was a new frontier for the conductor,and he had to make adjustments.“When I began to work on the music, [Zezelj]sent me this long collection of images,” Argueexplained. “But they hadn’t been assembled intoIllustrations from Danijel Zezelj’s graphic novel Babilonanimation yet. So the timing of it was entirelyup to me: how long I wanted each image tolast before transitioning to the next one, and atwhich point in the music I wanted to correspondto the key frame that I had. So that gave me alot more freedom than I would have had if I hadbeen presented with preexisting animation and

told, ‘OK, now you need to write a cue that is 26seconds long.’ Or three-and-a-half seconds long.Instead, he gave me a structure, and I knew therewere certain moods I had to hit and certain timeswhere I wanted to reinforce what was happeningin the narrative—and other times where I wantedto contrast what was happening visually andmusically. Times where we might want a musiccue to overlap the visual cue and the transitionbetween the visuals and the music to happen ata different time than when we wanted things toland exactly. All of these things that I never hadto worry about before when I was just writingmusic.”Argue’s days of “just writing music” weren’texactly carefree, though. The composer hasworked hard to get where he is today. After studyingmusic at both McGill University and NewEngland Conservatory—the latter institution providedan apprenticeship with the late valve trombonistand arranger Bob Brookmeyer—Arguelanded in the Carroll Gardens neighborhood ofBrooklyn, where he still lives. On May 29, 2005,the five reedists, five trumpeters, four trombonists,four-man rhythm section (bass, guitar, pianoand drums) and single conductor (Argue) knownas Secret Society debuted at the CBGB Lounge,on a triple bill with the Mary Halvorson/JessicaPavone duo and a free-improv quartet featuringguitarist Bruce Eisenbeil and saxophonist ScottRobinson. Four years, a European tour and arecord contract later, Secret Society released itsdebut album, Infernal Machines. Full of swaggeringdrums, rock guitar, Latin influences andthick horn lines that ranged from haunting tothreatening, Infernal Machines was startlinglyoriginal and critically well-received.“I had no reasonable expectation that startinga big band would be in any way a viable careerpath,” Argue said. “In some ways it still isn’t, really.And if there had been some other path open tome, it would have been a much better path forme to take. But I found myself in this really stubbornand irrational position of only being able todo this one thing. This one thing that’s very badfor you, which is trying to run a contemporarybig band [laughs]. But for some crazy reason ithas worked out OK so far. Although every dayI wake up and expect the whole edifice to comecrashing down and be like, ‘That was a good runof it. Guess it’s time to find a real job now.’”Brooklyn Babylon feels authentic. Touchingon multiple genres, the album is as varied asthe musicians who live in its namesake borough.Marked by tough, plodding bass linesand insistent, staccato horn attacks, “Prologue”and “Interlude #6: Arise” nearly burst with busyBalkan beats. “Interlude #5: Unmoored” seemsto originate in Southeastern Europe, too, butfrom a quieter corner. A gorgeously melancholyminiature, “Unmoored” is arranged for soloacoustic guitar and performed with feeling andtaste by Society six-stringer Sebastian Noelle.“The Balkan music obviously comes fromthe fact that my co-creator is born in Croatia ofmixed Serbian and Croatian parents,” explainedArgue. “The only literal folk song quotationcomes right in the middle of [the album], in‘Interlude #5,’ which is an arrangement of thisCroatian folk tune, ‘Cveti mi fijolica.’ I did a lotof research. I met with an expert on Croatianmusic who gave me a lot of recordings to checkout. And I found a lot of stuff on my own. Thething that really stuck with me was just this onesong that I discovered, after, is kind of popularwith jazz musicians, because it’s so beautiful.But it’s just this unaccompanied voice. It’s froman area of Croatia that borders on Romania, sothere’s a bit of a Gypsy influence to it. It’s thisvery lyrical and beautiful song. So I took that andthen took some of the chord progressions that Ihad been using elsewhere [on Babylon] and usedthose to harmonize this melody, because initiallyit’s just an a capella, single-line folk song.”Funk and disco also rear their heads onBabylon. Thumping electric bass, hissing hihatsand warm, buttery tenor saxophone fromJohn Ellis are in effect on “The Neighborhood.”And around two minutes into “Construction +Destruction,” a similar groove materializes, thistime bolstered by a sharp, mean guitar tremolo.To Argue, it’s merely trumpeter Thad Jones—and the 1970s—creeping in.“People think about the ’60s [Thad Jones]records as being the most influential, but

Danijel Zezelj (left) and Darcy James Arguejames matthew Danielthere’s also this [1974] record called Potpourri that has Thad’s arrangementof the O’Jays’ ‘For The Love Of Money’ and a couple of StevieWonder tunes on it,” Argue said regarding the Jones tones that influencedBabylon. “People hate that record. But it’s awesome. And his SuiteFor Pops, which is just incredibly joyful. That sound to me is the soundof community celebration. In a big way, it’s the sound of the ’70s. Andalso on the avant-garde end of things, the Keith Jarrett American quartetand especially what Dewey Redman brought to that. And Old and NewDreams. And just that joyful, full-throated saxophone sound.”Elsewhere on the album, Brooklyn could be mistaken for a grungyrock club. Argue points to the sludgy, distorted first half of “Builders”as the most metallic passage on the album, and credits some of the acheand gloom found there to Ingrid Jensen’s sinister, unhinged trumpet solo.“For that one, [Argue] did more than on the first record, when Iplayed [a solo] on ‘Transit,’” said Jensen, who has been with SecretSociety since its first gig. “[‘Transit’] just sets its own vibe, and it’s allabout playing a certain way. On ‘Builders,’ it took us a minute. We had toreally discuss what he was looking for electronically. I’m not a real computerwhiz, so my setup is pretty organic. Pretty basic. I had a distortionpedal and a wah-wah, and I used a volume pedal to bring it in and out.We discussed in the studio, as well as for the gig, how much the effectsshould dominate or not. We just discussed finding the right balancebetween that really nasty sound but also retaining some beauty in there.”Ugly beauty is also present in the beginning of the album-opening“Prologue.” One of the unique aspects of Babylon is its use of fieldrecordings that Argue made around Brooklyn.“I had a recorder, and I went out with a tripod, and I went outsideDanijel’s studio, where he spent a year painting all of the paintings thatwould go into the animation in Brooklyn Babylon,” Argue said. “Set thatup and started recording. I moved to a few other spots. I went underneaththe Gowanus Expressway. I went by the Smith and Ninth subway bridge.And I went to the Lowe’s parking lot. There’s a demolished buildingacross the Gowanus Canal from the Lowe’s parking lot, and there werecranes that were taking these big clumps of debris from this demolishedbuilding and dropping them onto a barge in the canal, which both symbolicallyand sonically turned out to be the perfect sound for the record.So it’s sort of a soundscape woven from all of these disparate locations.”As a composer, Argue is adept at connecting seemingly differentworlds. On “Grand Opening,” for instance, he ties together an old-timeymarch, epic rock chords, a forlorn trombone solo, minimalist piano, anervous waltz section, noise and a trip to a serene, flute-heavy mountaintop.That’s a lot of twists and turns for just one tune, but Argue is a slaveto his imagination. In fact, he sees no way out.“I’d become addicted to big band,” Argue confessed about the resultof having worked with Brookmeyer at NEC. “Just the sound of it. It’slike being at the center of a maelstrom—there’s all this air coming at youfrom all directions. It can be incredibly chaotic; as a conductor, you’reconstantly at risk of everything flying completely off the rails, and everythingis hinging on you to keep the band together. It’s this incrediblethrill, a very high-stakes situation. But it’s also so rewarding when thingsare right, everyone’s feeling the groove the same way and everyone’s inthe pocket. There’s a spell that it casts on the musicians—and on me, andon the audience—that can’t be replicated any other way. It’s a fix youcan’t get anywhere else. So I’m stuck with it.” DB

“I can bemyself, sing theway I want tosing and notworry aboutbeing theperfectlittle princessanymore.”

Free to beJaneMonheitBy Allen Morrison S Photography by Timothy SaccentiSinger Jane Monheit, whose natural beauty requires very little embellishment, is neverthelesswearing more makeup than the occasion demands. Looking up from hersmartphone in a bistro near her home on Manhattan’s Upper West Side, she offersan apology. “Normally for an interview I wouldn’t be so made up,” she says. “I don’tusually wear false eyelashes.” She has just come from an audition for a Broadwaymusical, she explains, adding, “I won’t tell you what it is, because I probably won’tget it.” She made a quick stop at home to change into jeans, a T-shirt and a graysilk scarf adorned with fuchsia flowers. Even in casual attire, she looks glamorous.Monheit, 35, is especially radiant these days. She exudescontentment. Happily married to drummer Rick Montalbano,who has been in her band since 2001, she is the proud motherof 4-year-old Jack, now a seasoned traveler who accompanieshis parents to concerts and festivals around the world.She’s also never sung better or with more conviction, belyingthe conventional wisdom that the best art rises from theashes of misery. Her new album, The Heart Of The Matter(Emarcy/Decca), takes big risks, goes for big emotions andcheerfully disregards genre. It was produced and arranged bythe formidable arranger/keyboardist Gil Goldstein.The Broadway audition is a natural extension of Monheit’sretro leanings and theatrical flair. Her musical theater ambitionsare not surprising, considering the essential conservatismof her approach to jazz.In an era in which many singers try to define themselves bywriting original material, deconstructing familiar songsbeyond recognition or blending musical genres, Monheitremains old-school. She’s built a catalog of 10 albums by interpretinggreat tunes, mostly standards, in the tradition of suchjazz singers as Ella Fitzgerald, Sarah Vaughan and Irene Kral;Broadway icons like Barbara Cook; and Brazilian songbirdssuch as Elis Regina.Just like her idols, Monheit starts from a place of respectfor the original song. As her longtime accompanist and arrangerMichael Kanan puts it, “These days everybody is concernedwith doing something ‘different.’ I don’t think that Jane is necessarilytrying to find something new. She’s trying to findsomething truthful.”It’s ironic that one of the most transporting moments of thenew album, which is devoted to lyrical interpretation, is a wordless,soaring vocal improvisation. The inspired scatting comesat the end of Ivan Lins’ “A Gente Merece Ser Feliz (PeopleDeserve To Be Happy),” an irresistible samba, and one of twosongs on the album by Lins, a frequent collaborator whom shecalls her favorite songwriter. As arranged with great panache byGoldstein, Monheit’s vocal is supported brilliantly by Brazilianguitarist Romero Lubambo and complemented by two flutes,which, thirds apart, repeat an altered arpeggio that rises and fallslike a swimmer bobbing in the surf off Ipanema.

jane monheitCompared to her previous album, Home (Emarcy)—a relaxed rompthrough a set of road-tested jazz standards—the new project is more ambitious.It also contains less jazz. She calls it her most personal album, reflectingher eclectic musical tastes and, in several standout tracks, her delight inmotherhood. Although there are fewer standards than in past outings, theset includes jazz, pop, folk, Brazilian, lullabies and a Broadway tune thrownin for good measure (“I Wanna Be With You” by Charles Strouse and LeeAdams, from the 1964 musical Golden Boy).“Every song was chosen for the lyrics,” she says. The cinematicarrangements are informed by jazz but also draw on traditions as diverseas chanson, Brazilian and chamber music, making ample use of flutes, cellosand Goldstein’s evocative accordion, in addition to Monheit’s longtimeband (pianist/arranger Kanan, drummer Montalbano and bassist/arrangerNeal Miner). The stylistic diversity includes a Beatles medley (“GoldenSlumbers” paired with “The Long And Winding Road”); “Close,” a lovelyballad by Larry Goldings and Cliff Goldmacher; and three lush, Brazilianinspiredarrangements, including one of Joe Raposo’s classic “Sing,” whichwas featured in the children’s TV series “Sesame Street” and convertedinto a 1973 pop hit by The Carpenters. The program also has two jazzlullabies, one of which is “Night Night, Stars,” the first song recorded byMonheit for which she wrote both the music and the words.At the onset of her career, Monheit took flak from some critics whodescribed her as “too perfect,” emphasizing technique over interpretation,but there is scant evidence of that nowadays. Certainly after the new album,in which her voice sometimes breaks with pathos, no one will accuseMonheit again of singing with too little feeling.“Early on, Jane said she wanted to do songs that were simple and had alot of emotion in them,” Goldstein said on the phone from Ogden, Utah,where he was touring with Bobby McFerrin. “I think she’s very presenton the record. Every time I hear it, I feel Jane figuring out the song andbeing in the moment … . She brings us along, sets up our expectations,then changes her mind or comes in a little after the beat. That’s what makesa good singer and a great artist—when we feel that process unfolding. Wefeel that they are in the moment, and they invite us into theirs.”Between sips of tea, Monheit recalls how she and Goldstein selectedthe songs. “Gil came to me with a bunch of ideas. It’s funny because theywere all songs that I already knew and loved,” including the album’s opener,“Until It’s Time For You To Go,” written by Buffy Sainte-Marie. “Iloved Roberta Flack’s [1970] version but hadn’t thought about it in years,”she says.“Gil also came to me with Bill Evans’ ‘Two Lonely People,’ and I’m anEvans fanatic, so I said, ‘Definitely!’” The song is devastatingly sad, avirtuoso piece that Monheit performs in a stark setting with flutes andGoldstein’s moody electric piano. “There are also songs we play with theband that I’ve wanted to do for a long time,” such as an exceptional readingof Mel Tormé’s “Born To Be Blue.” “That tune does not babysit you!”she says. “You gotta work at it. I really love Mel. Growing up, he was someoneI heard constantly.”Goldstein also suggested a favorite of his, “Little Man, You’ve Had ABusy Day.” “I heard that song on a Sarah Vaughan record when I was about10,” he said, “and I’ve loved it ever since. Before this, I never found the rightperson or place to record it.”Raposo’s “Sing” is a tune that Monheit often croons to her son. “I’vewanted to do a Brazilian version of it for a million years,” she explains.“And now that I’ve been doing it live, I see a lot of smiles break out whenpeople recognize the tune.” At the suggestion that she might sing it on“Sesame Street,” however, she demurs: “Oh, I wish! I’m not famous enoughfor ‘Sesame Street.’ But I loved the Lena Horne version when I was a kid,and still do. I’ve played it for my son a thousand times.”The arrangements are not the only diverse aspect of The Heart Of TheMatter. “The album runs the gamut of lyrical experiences,” Monheit says.“There are the uplifting songs, like “Sing” and Ivan’s song “Depende DeNós.” Then there are the super-personal songs—‘Until It’s Time For YouTo Go,’ which is not what it seems, or the song I wrote for my son, ‘Night

jane monheitNight, Stars,’ or ‘Little Man.’”Monheit and Goldstein also chose to includesome darker songs that don’t reflect her happylife. “I’ve been married for 11 years,” she reflects.“I have this beautiful child … . I have a lot ofwonderful things in my life to sing about. Whenyou have that sort of happiness, it’s easy toextrapolate a little bit and imagine what it wouldbe like if all of those things were gone. And thatcan take you deeper into the sad songs.“I also think it’s so interesting and fun to playcharacters here and there. For instance, therecording of ‘What Are You Doing The Rest OfYour Life?’—we’re doing this incredibly darkversion of the tune,” she says, in which the charactercould be seen as a stalker. “Another songfrom the record that I have not lived—and hopenever to live—is ‘Two Lonely People.’ I wantedto include these [character songs] as well, insteadof having the whole album just be a big old confessional,because I’m boring! I need to get somedarkness in there.”Whitney, Bluegrass & EldridgeSince Monheit began her recording career at thetender age of 20, winning first-runner-up atthe 1998 Thelonious Monk International JazzVocals Competition, her voice has been celebratedfor a bell-like purity that calls to mindBarbra Streisand, combined with the swingand sophistication of a Sarah Vaughan. She is amarvelous scat singer who can sound like Ellawhen she so chooses.Her musical education began at home inOakdale, on New York’s Long Island: “Every dayof my life I had jazz, bluegrass and good musicaltheater, like original cast recordings of Rodgersmusicals. And the music of my own generation—oh man, I wore out my Whitney Houston tape.And modern musical theater—Sondheim—Iloved Into The Woods. I had all of this happeningat once, every day.” Monheit’s parents are musiclovers with eclectic tastes; her father is a banjoplayer who took her to bluegrass shows.So why didn’t she become a bluegrass artist?“I thought about it,” she says. “In my teens, reallyfrom the time I was born, I knew I was goingto be a singer. When I was a little kid, I wantedto be a jazz singer. Then, as a teen, I thought,‘Wouldn’t it be cool to be signed with Rounderand make records and have Béla Fleck play onthem?’ Then I wanted to be on Broadway.”She performed in musical theater in highschool but had no private voice lessons until college.“My voice teachers were the records I listenedto and sang along with,” she says. “Mymother made sure that I listened exclusively tosingers with good vocal technique—so that, withall my copying, I wouldn’t learn problems thatwould cause trouble later on. I sang along to Ella,Sarah Vaughan, Tormé, Judy Garland. And folksingerslike Joni Mitchell and Maura O’Connell.But I also heard a lot of great musical theatersingers like Barbara Cook, Rebecca Luker andJudy Kuhn.”A chance visit to her school by the vocalgroup New York Voices changed the course ofher life, when she met singer Peter Eldridge, herfuture voice teacher. “I applied to ManhattanSchool of Music because he was there. I put allmy eggs in Peter’s basket,” she says. “And whenI got to college and started lessons with Peter, hesaid, ‘Oh, OK, we’re in good shape here.’”Still, acceptance in New York jazz circlesdidn’t come so easily. “For a long time I was tryingto prove myself as a musician with knowledgeand ears and the ability to execute all of the stuffI know. You come into New York at 17 as a girlsinger, and you run into a lot of ‘Oh, your boyfriendis the drummer? Well, OK, I guess she cansing.’ I had to win everybody over one by one.”Monheit released her debut disc, Never NeverLand, in 2000 and followed it up with 2001’sCome Dream With Me.“When the records came out, there was a lotof imaging where I was, you know, very glamorousand pretty, and all that.” She shrugs. “All thatkind of stuff is fun for me. I enjoy that kind ofthing. No one had to force me to put on high heelsand a pretty dress! But when all that happened, itwas still like, ‘Oh, well, we bet she’s not really anygood.’ So [I] was proving, proving all the time.”Having a child has relieved some of that pressureand freed her to express herself more. “You50 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

know how it is,” she says. “You have your child,and this is the most important thing in your life.And work becomes secondary. It allows me to say,‘If I sing a bad note, or say the wrong thing in thisinterview, well, it’s just not the end of the world.’ Ican lighten up, loosen up and be myself, say what Ithink, onstage and off, sing the way I want to sing,and choose whatever weird song I want to choose.And not worry about being the perfect little princessanymore. It’s way more fun. And it’s mademe a much better singer.”Pianist Kanan agrees: “Over the years, I’veseen her get more comfortable at being herself.There’s more of her in everything she’s singing.”Beautiful FlawsAlthough Monheit’s vocal technique is stillflawless when she wants it to be, she agreeswith those who say that sometimes in the pastit was a little too polished.“Yeah, I was a little stiff,” she says. “It wasscary at the beginning [of my career]. I felt I hadto be perfect all the time. I used to worry aboutevery note. I would go back and fix things a milliontimes. Now I’m more worried about themessage getting across. I know I can sing perfectnotes if I need to. Perfection is kind of boring,isn’t it?”Like many singers in the studio, she will“comp” together takes to address flaws. But sheexpresses horror at the idea of using Auto-Tunetechnology for pitch correction: “I would never!If I needed that, I wouldn’t be doing my job, now,would I? I mean, if you can’t sing in tune—workon it! Don’t just rely on a machine to fix it foryou. That’s ridiculous. Sing in tune, have goodtime, communicate a lyric. Bang! Now you getto be a singer! [Vocalists] get a bad name becauseof people who have low levels of musicianship.”Monheit is proud of her evolution as a recordingartist. She feels she is now better able to bringto the studio more of the spontaneity and feelingshe conveys in her live shows. “I’ve learnedhow to communicate in the studio the way I can[in concert]. For so long, it was hard for me torecord and not worry about sounding perfect.I had to accept the fact that flaws are going tobe there. Flaws are there live; flaws are interestingand beautiful. And you can’t get a truly emotionalreading on anything and have it be perfect.Those two things don’t really go together.”Monheit no longer has a need to prove herself.“I have gotten to the point where I don’t care aboutbeing perfect, because I’m a mother, and I’m 35,and I realize how unimportant all of this stuff is,”she explains. “Am I singing good songs? Yes. AmI singing them to best of my ability? Yes. Am Iemotionally connecting and making people feelsomething? Hopefully. That’s the best that I cando. I don’t need to worry about what anybodythinks of me or how they classify me. I’ve heardpeople say, ‘Aw, no one should do standards anymore,’you know? There’s so much fuss all thetime about everything—it’s silly. I just want tosing good songs and make somebody feel better.That’s the point.” DBJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 51

indie lifeKadima CollectiveGive ItYourAllBy Eric HarabadianFrom left, bassists Mark Dresser, Jean Claude Jones and Barre PhillipsJean Claude Jones is a true representative ofthe artistic and improvisational spirit of theindependent jazz musician. He has made hismark on the world as a first-call bassist, composer,educator, bandleader, recording engineer/producerand record label owner. And he’s accomplishedit all against incredible odds.Jones was born in Tunisia and raised inFrance, which remained his home base from1966–’76, when the seeds of his career wereplanted and nurtured. He began on electric bassand guitar, performing at various halls and specialevents with pop groups dedicated to theFrench and British hit parade of the day. His earfor picking up material quickly became an assetwhen he crossed over into doing more jazz gigs insouthern France, throughout the Mediterraneanand in northern Europe. Jones attended BerkleeCollege of Music, and after graduating in theearly ’80s, his taste for the experimental side ofjazz was piqued. “I played in jazz groups with afree twist,” he explains. “This was my Ornette/electric Miles period. There were lots of jazzstandards, with a Scofield sound and inspiration.”Jones continued to alternate between workingin the United States and Europe but was feelinglike he was at a crossroads in his personaland professional lives. In November 1983,while studying at the Musicians Institute in LosAngeles, he read an article in the Los AngelesTimes about music in Israel and the newbornjazz scene that was happening there. “I arrivedin Jerusalem in December of ’83 as a fresh electricguitar and bass jazz-playing immigrant,” herecalls. “I became involved with the music scene,playing with some of the musicians I had readabout back in L.A., and others, like guitaristSteve Peskoff and reed player Steve Horenstein.It was an exciting time, and I was playing jazzfive nights a week. I was very much in demand.”In the summer of 1985, Jones was riding asuccessful wave of live performance in Israelthat culminated with the opportunity to meetand perform with Stan Getz. He was still playingelectric bass at the time and, after a reevaluationof his tone and choice of instrument, eventuallygravitated toward purchasing his first acousticbass in 1987. Little did he know that it would sethim on the path to artistic revelation.On the recommendation of a colleague,Jones was approached by the Jazz Departmentof the Jerusalem Academy of Music and Danceto teach electric bass and guitar. The academicenvironment provided him opportunities todevelop his own double bass skills and meetinspirational artists of all types. “In 1988, I invitedvisiting artist Dave Liebman to share the stagewith my trio,” says Jones. “He urged me to findmy own voice on my instrument. In 1991 I metpianist/composer Slava Ganelin, who blew meaway with his rhythmic concept, reinforcing myown sense of time awareness. I also started formingbonds with the dance community as well.”By the early 2000s, Jones was well establishedin Israeli jazz and art circles. He wasexpanding his palette as a free-jazz improviserand had a cadre of musicians who shared his passionsand musical vision. “It all started in 2004,with the recording Jean Claude Jones WithFriends, made possible thanks to the JerusalemCulture Department,” he explains. “I brought in astudio to record free-improv music with a few ofmy new friends—all volunteers—and publishedthe title under no label. After one year of hardshipand failing to find a proper label to endorsethe album, I decided in 2005 to create KadimaCollective Recordings. I involved local and internationalartists in co-producing their work andpublishing it on the label, set up a website andworked out an agenda of recordings.”The name Kadima is somewhat based on theHebrew word “kedma,” which means to moveon or proceed. Its conception took on much significancefor Jones. Professionally, “proceeding”was what he desired for his own career, his fellowartists and the record label at large. His personallife, however, has had its own set of challengesas the bassist has struggled with MultipleSclerosis for nearly 20 years. “I am physicallyvery handicapped with chronic secondary MSand T-cell lymphoma [a rare form of skin cancer],both incurable diseases,” Jones says. “My conditionaggravates a little more each year. Fatigueand pain prevent me from playing [certain] gigs inIsrael, where I know that accessibility is problematicfor me. Even driving a distance of one hour is52 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

ecoming more difficult. But when I am onstage,all sense of discomfort goes away and music takesme wherever it goes.”Jones’ recording projects often are a mixtureof art, science and social causes. One in particularis the Myelination disc. “The Myelin Projectwas initiated in 2006 by rocket scientist AndyShipway and me,” says Jones. “It enables anunusual and evocative window into MultipleSclerosis.” The myelin sheath is the protectiveinsulating cover of the nervous system. For thisrecording, the sheath’s vibrations were analyzedusing quantum mechanics and captured audibly.Jones and many of his frequent collaborators—such as clarinetist Harold Rubin, saxophonistAriel Shibolet, percussionist Haggai Fershtmanand poet Jake Marmer—improvised over thesechemical sounds. 2009’s Deep Tones For Peaceis presented in a triptych package that containsa CD, DVD and booklet. This assemblage ofworld-renowned bassists started as a peace rallyidea by bassist Barre Phillips, Jones and bassist/composer/conductor Mark Dresser. It broughttogether more than a dozen musicians fromJerusalem and New York who recorded utilizingteleconferencing hardware via the Internet.Phillips has released a number of his ownprojects on Kadima, including a recent triptychtitled Traces. “It seems to me that Jean Claudedeveloped the idea of documenting the worldof the contemporary double bass as far as hismeans would allow,” explains Phillips. “A coupleof years ago, he presented a handful of usbass players—me, Mark Dresser, Joëlle Léandre,Burt Turetzky and [others]—a concept of publishingthat would allow us to express ourselvesartistically and informationally in ways that normallywould not be available to us in the recordingor publishing business. Jean Claude offeredus a rare opportunity. Subsequently, I proposedto him to change the format slightly by actuallymaking a book as the basic part of my project.”The Kadima Collective catalog features aseries of releases by some aforementioned artistsin solo, duo and ensemble settings. Jones’ releasesHosting Myself and Citations offer solo experienceswhere his mix of acoustic bass and electronicsounds is spacey and visceral. Frequentwoodwind collaborator Vinny Golia’s duetrecordings include The Ethnic Project (pairedwith bassists Phillips, Turetzky, Léandre andLisa Mezzacappa). There are a number of otherreleases planned for 2013, including a followupto the Myelination project and new triptychsby Léandre, Dresser and bassists John Eckhardtand Irina-Kalina Goudeva.“One has to acknowledge the enormousinvestment in work, spirit and finances thatJC Jones has invested in Kadima,” observesPhillips. “His desire to document a certain styleof music and musicians is very unusual. It is atrue act of philanthropic activism. I feel thatfor him it is a matter of life and death as muchas it is for us when we go onstage to perform.It is today—this performance—that is the mostimportant one in your life. Give it your all.” DBJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 53

indie lifeJaponize ElephantsNo ParametersBy j. poetSaxophonist/guitarist Sylvain Cartonchose Japonize Elephants as a bandname to prepare listeners for the playfulharmonic pandemonium that’s the band’sstock in trade. “Dave Gantz and I started theElephants after listening to Almanach by theFrench folk-rock band Malicorne,” Cartonsaid. “We began busking on the streets inBloomington, where I was studying musicat Indiana University. As we crashed partyafter party with our music, other friendsjoined us. The size of the group, which canrange from four to 16, made it necessary todevelop inventive arrangements. The eclecticnature of the Elephants gave me a chanceto experiment with different types of voicingsand non-standard textures.”Describing the band’s second album,Mélodie Fantastique, as “eclectic” is anunderstatement. There is a core of improvisationalmusic, but it supports a kaleidoscopeof sounds, including crazed clawhammerbanjo that’s part Old Time, part bluegrass;Mariachi horns; klezmer; surf guitar; swing;spoken word; blues; Asian tonalities; andSpaghetti western twang. “We all have differentbackgrounds,” said pianist/saxophonist Mitch Marcus. “Sylvainloves French music and bluegrass, Dina [Maccabee] plays classical andpop viola, and I was into jazz and classical, so we mixed it all together.The only parameters are that there are no parameters.”The music on Mélodie Fantastique was recorded over a five-yearperiod. “Because band members were spread between San Francisco,New York, Indiana and Colorado, we recorded this album ourselves, givingus more flexibility and freedom in the process,” Carton explained.“We strayed from our original idea of recording live in one room to bemore experimental. I set up a home studio so we could track the entirerhythm section plus one melody instrument at once.”During the process, tragedy struck. Bassist Evan Farrell died in ahouse fire in 2007, so the project was postponed. When the band decidedthat Mélodie Fantastique would pay tribute to Farrell—a musicianof diverse talents who also performed with Rogue Wave and MagnoliaElectric Co.—it changed the significance of the music. “We recorded inour living rooms, bedrooms, closets, stairwells, hallways, kitchens and aballet studio,” Carton said. “It was more like a good hang than a studiosession and was a great way to remember and honor Evan. Not one sessionwent by without funny stories and fond memories of him.”Maccabee, who sings and plays fiddle and viola, agrees. “[JaponizeElephants] are as much a community as a band,” she said. “We all play avariety of styles, and rehearsals are a good excuse to hang out.”Mélodie Fantastique has 20 tracks that nod to the 20 players whohave drifted through the band’s ranks since 1994. To complete the project,the group launched a Kickstarter campaign, raising enough to hire apublicist and cover mixing, mastering and CD and LP production. “Likeeveryone in the digital age, we maintain a website, a Facebook page, amailing list and do the Twitter thing occasionally,” Carton said.Japonize ElephantsCarton has become adept at describing the band’s sound and evolution:“Our music has a hard-core driving rhythmic underbelly with floridFar Eastern cinematic melodies winding around bacon- and whiskeyfueledsongs. After moving to San Francisco, even more people joinedthe band. Eventually, half the people moved to New York, so we nowhave an East Coast band and a West Coast band, but when we can geteveryone together at once, it’s fantastic.”All the members earn a living through music, whether it’s by doingsession work, teaching or playing in multiple bands. Carton performswith his own quartet, dedicated to creating sonic environments forimprovisations; Space Blaster, a surf-metal combo that lets him wail onelectric guitar; and the Mitch Marcus Quintet, which plays “outside”jazz. He’s also active in Carolyna Picknick, a group he started withMaccabee that veers between French café tunes, klezmer, gypsy jazzand tango. As a sideman in Beats Antique, a world music outfit, he playsclarinet and baritone saxophone through an array of pedals and effects.“The biggest, most powerful sound I’ve ever made on any instrument isusing the bari with an octave pedal and some distortion,” he said.Marcus believes Carton is breaking new musical ground: “Using acustom-made mic and pedals, he takes the sounds of the sax into newterritory. At times, you don’t even realize it’s a saxophone.”Carton also works as an endorser and artistic advisor for Vandoren.“I help clarinetists and saxophonists find mouthpiece, reed and ligaturecombinations that allow them to get the most out of their sound andplaying experience,” he said. “I never limit myself to one kind of music.I’ve played and toured with jazz, indie rock, Afro-beat and electronicbands. As long as you like the people you’re with—and the music you’remaking—then you’re headed in the right direction. It’s still a tough wayto make a living, so you’d better at least be enjoying it.” DB54 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

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indie lifeThe Oatmeal Jazz ComboBuilt onTrustBy Thomas StaudterLeander YoungSince graduating from New York’s Stony BrookUniversity in 2009 with a degree in economics,drummer-composer Leander Young has workedas an investment banker, been laid off, suffered the death Tristan Eggenerof his mother from a rare neurological disease, workedas coach for several youth soccer teams and made somemoney day-trading. He has also served as the leader andguiding force behind The Oatmeal Jazz Combo—a septetof cohorts from or connected to Stony Brook’s wellregardedmusic program—and released the band’s twoCDs on his own LGY Records label.All the while, he has been fiercely committed tothe idea that The Oatmeal Jazz Combo will find successif given more exposure. With more than $10,000of his own money already invested in the cause, YoungScott Litroffis making plans to record a third album soon, possiblyin the summer, when all his bandmates will be available.Like many musicians who juggle the responsibilitiesof diurnal duties with the mostly nocturnal joys ofgigging and jamming, the Oatmealers have found thatsimply getting the band members together in one roomcan be a challenge. It doesn’t help that the seven musiciansare now spread around the country.Young, 25, resides at home with his father (a retiredorthopedic surgeon) in a tableau that could inspire agood TV sit-com. As he focuses on the band’s future,he also looks back at his Stony Brook years as themost formative in his musical career. That’s when hedeveloped a bandstand rapport with trumpeter HardinButcher, trombonist David Peterson, reedist Scott Andrew McGowanLitroff, pianist Andrew McGowan and bassist TristanEggener. At one time or another during the mid-2000s, nearly all of thecombo mates were associated with the school’s doctoral program or bigband, which is guided by trombonist Ray Anderson. The Oatmeal JazzCombo’s other trombonist, James Hubbard, has been hard to reach becausehe’s been accepted into the prestigious Heritage of America Band stationedat Langley Air Force Base near Hampton, Va., and recently relocated toSan Antonio to complete his basic training.All the group’s members (including Hubbard) will gather for a recordingsession slated for this summer. Like Young, two of the bandmates live in theNew York metropolitan area: Litroff teaches music as an adjunct professorat three colleges and universities on Long Island, and Butcher—at age 38,the oldest band member—lives in Yonkers, N.Y., and subs in Broadway pitbands. McGowan, who is a member of guitarist Cliff Hines’ quartet, plays inNew York City occasionally, but he mostly earns a living in his hometown,New Orleans. Eggener has a tenure-track professorship at SoutheasternOklahoma State University, and Peterson divides his time between two collegeteaching jobs in Minnesota’s Twin Cities, where he grew up.During a phone call from Durant, Okla., Eggener admitted that being ina band with far-flung membership is “not ideal,” but he added that everyonekeeps in touch and relishes the idea of recording another album. AlthoughButcher was brought into the band around the time of the May 2010 recordingsessions for their eponymously titled debut album, a closefraternity was created among all the Oatmealers duringcountless hours spent in the Stony Brook music department’sbasement rehearsal space. (The “oatmeal” in the group’sname refers to the beige-colored soundproofing substancethat covers the rehearsal space’s walls.)The punchy horn and ensemble arrangements found onthe first CD and on the band’s 2012 disc, All Stirred Up, arethe result of “a natural togetherness and a lot of diligent practicingwhile we’re apart,” Litroff explained. “Other groupsmay work hard to get that feeling of closeness, but we have the trust partdown and are able to move through any issues that come up. It also allows [usto have] a streamlined approach in the studio.”When the first album was recorded, Young had booked only five hoursof studio time, so the musicians had one practice run-through for the program,and a maximum of two takes per song, with no overdubs. “It wassight-reading, basically,” the drummer said. The second CD was also cuton a shoestring budget with a modicum of time, but the band definitely hadmade progress, which resulted in a stronger album.Each of Young’s combo mates appreciates his efforts to keep the bandmoving forward, but he feels that his work is merely part of a commonsenseapproach to making a mark in the music world. “In college and afterward,I saw all these musicians who are amazing, and they all struggledand struggled to get heard,” he recalled. “With the guys [in The OatmealJazz Combo], there is this chemistry, and the music is unique because peoplecame from different parts of the country and got different training. Myconfidence in what we’re doing builds each time I listen to one of our CDs.”“Playing in this band is great because we all developed technically andartistically with or around each other,” Peterson said via phone fromMinnesota. “Logistically, I hope it all works out for this summer. I’m definitelyready.” DB56 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Subscribe to DownBeat“… the world’s greatest jazzmagazine.” —Chicago TribuneCelebrating more than 75 yearsof covering ever-evolving jazzstyles while focusing onthe heart of the music,DownBeat is your bestsource for everything jazz.Call or log on to subscribe!800-554-7470www.downbeat.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 57

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Masterpiece ★★★★★ Excellent ★★★★ Good ★★★ Fair ★★ Poor ★Inside65 / Jazz67 / Blues71 / Beyond78 / Historical81 / BooksRon Carter Carter Golden Striker TrioSan SebastianIn + Out Records 77103-9HHH1/2This elegant, supple, sometimes playful recordingmade at the 2010 Jazzaldia Festival in SanSebastian, Spain, showcases Ron Carter’s GoldenStriker Trio, with pianist Mulgrew Miller andguitarist Russell Malone, last heard on the far lessremarkable Blue Note recording of 2003 calledThe Golden Striker. The trio’s name comes fromJohn Lewis, whose catchy tunes are long past duefor a serious tribute. While Carter (like Lewis)could be prone to priggishness, this July eveningin the Basque country seems to have inspired himto loosen his collar. Though the program is carefullyarranged—and with some nice touches, too,including adjoined treble piano and guitar linesand guitar and piano cast over insistent, wowingbass vamps—the trajectory ranges far from NatCole/Oscar Peterson territory into more modern,spontaneous improvisation, in which all threeinstruments dance as equals.The most scintillating track is an 11-and-ahalf-minuteromp through “Samba De Orpheu”featuring Carter gamboling over Malone’s featherybossa beat, delivering chorus after chorus ofimpeccably crafted lines in his familiarly fat, blunttone, culminating in an astonishing string of doublestops. The trio’s swinging jaunt through “TheGolden Striker” is another highlight, with muscularMulgrew snatching a quote from “St. Thomas”and skittering over the keyboard. Carter’s slow,sumptuous waltz “Candle Light” inspires a lovely“three for all,” with Malone spitting out jumpyintervals then offering a surprise segue into “I’veGrown Accustomed To Her Face.”On the accompanying DVD in the “LimitedDeluxe Edition,” Carter appears to archly, ifgood-naturedly, note Malone’s digression by saying,in the introduction to “My Funny Valentine,”that the virtue of announcing a song is that theband then has to play it. Miller pores over the gorgeousmelody of “Valentine,” alone, note by note,as if he were composing it and later explores thetune with the trio as if he were looking for somethinghe’d lost inside it. —Paul de BarrosSan Sebastian: Candle Light; My Funny Valentine; Saudade; Sambade Orpheu; The Golden Striker (55:49)Personnel: Ron Carter, bass; Mulgrew Miller, piano; Russell Malone,guitar.Ordering info: inandout-records.comTakehiko tokiwaJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 59

Nicole Mitchell’s Ice CrystalsAquariusDelmark 5004HHHH1/2When flautist Nicole Mitchell left Chicagofor a teaching gig in Southern Californialast year, she deprived the city of one of itsleading lights. Fortunately, the deep rootsshe planted in the Windy City remain—she’sstill a core AACM figure and her primaryaccomplices are Midwestern. On Aquarius,Mitchell works with a team of Chicagoansby turns gritty and graceful, long-term colleagueswith whom she has an easy rapportand who understand her music thoroughly.Mitchell is a stellar composer, and whileher work for a larger ensemble has revealedmuch about her musical personality, it’s niceto hear how she manages things in a cozierRebecca MartinTwainSunnyside Records 1330HHHWhen Diane Keaton sang “Seems Like OldTimes” in Annie Hall, she created a kind ofintimate still life stripped of anything thatmight intrude between song and listener.A similar simplicity permeates RebeccaMartin’s austere 13 songs on Twain, discreetlyaccompanied by bassist (and husband)Larry Grenadier, Peter Rende, DonRieser and her own acoustic guitar. Shemakes simplicity a virtue. It’s a person-topersonperformance style that’s equally athome in the cabaret and the coffeehouse.Martin hovers somewhere between jazzand folk—too melodically complex for folk, toopersonal and ruminative for jazz, but with tiesto each. Her voice moves smoothly over a widerange, but with coarse little patches of sand thatgive her soft readings an unstudied but subtleemotional volatility. The only standard onhand, “Sophisticated Lady,” may reach towardthe jazz world and suggest how she sees herself.But it’s an anomaly. The other dozen piecesare Martin’s own, each finding its own formsetting, where the written and the improvisedfuse quite completely. Logical points of referenceinclude Eric Dolphy’s Out To Lunch, butthis music has a softer edge and more crossfadingbetween events than hard cuts.Drummer Frank Rosaly helps immenselyto provide a welcome vessel, his energy propulsiverather than demarcating. BassistJoshua Abrams sounds gorgeous, too, with avery natural sonority and brilliant time feel.On “Yearning,” they move fluidly into a gentleAfro-groove, Mitchell and vibraphonistJason Adasiewicz covering the upper spectrum.Adasiewicz, who is another of thebreakout Chicagoans, is a tad less punchyhere than he tends to be with Rob Mazurek oron his own wonderful records; that just showshis range, since this ensemble calls for morerestraint.As a player, Mitchell has managed tomake interesting an instrument that I findvery difficult. She’s not strictly a soundimproviser—indeed, she works melodicallyand often rhythmically, with intensity andrigor. Mitchell’s got an incredible set of ears,as you can hear on the more fragmentary“Diga, Diga,” where she explores texturesand high harmonics. And when she kicks intoan earthy funk, like she does with electronicassistance on “Adaptability,” Mitchell’s a starwhose radiance you shouldn’t miss. —John CorbettAquarius: Aqua Blue; Today, Today; Yearning; Aquarius; AboveThe Sky; Diga, Diga; Adaptability; Expectation; Sunday Afternoon;Fred Anderson. (69:06)Personnel: Nicole Mitchell, flute; Jason Adasiewicz, vibes; JoshuaAbrams, bass; Frank Rosaly, drums; Calvin Gantt, recitation (10).Ordering info: delmark.comaccording to the requirements of the material.New songs connect (or don’t) in ways thatcan never be predicted or understood. Thesetitles are attractive weaves of chords, melodyand poetry. But I can’t single out any as havingpotential endurance. —John McDonoughTwain: To Up And Go; Beyond The Hillside; Some Other Place,Some Other Time; Sophisticated Lady; On A Rooftop; In The EarlyWinter Trees; Don’t Mean A Thing At All; God Is In The Details; SafeThis Time; Beholden; Oh Well; A Place In The Country; Honestly.(43:20)Personnel: Rebecca Martin, vocals, guitar; Peter Rende, piano;Larry Grenadier, bass; Don Rieser, drums.Ordering info: sunnysiderecords.comJohn MedeskiA Different TimeOKeh 887654424624HHH1/2Versatility has been one of John Medeski’s signaturetraits ever since he and his pals inMedeski, Martin & Wood veered through KingSunny Ade and Bob Marley tunes. But it’s true:Between the scorched-Earth organ adventuresand the kaleidoscopic funk, we pretty muchknow what to expect from the skilled keyboardist—helikes to plug in and blast off. That’s whyA Different Time is a genuine surprise. Medeskihas made a true zig-zag, ditching his norm for asolo piano date that stresses reflection.Last year’s Piana, Medeski’s solo interpretationof piano tunes by Gregory Rogove, mighthave forecast what’s offered on A DifferentTime, but those steely miniatures aren’t as delicateas the originals and covers that Medeskihas marshaled for his own outing. This new programreads like a suite, with a yen for upperregisterfancies that have a bittersweet vibe.Plenty of sustain pedal, a commitment to rumination,parallels regarding tempo and tone—thenine pieces on this short affair may boast individualpersonalities, but they’re part of a family.That means the dour dream of “GraveyardFields” has something in common with therumination of the title cut, which itself is a gorgeousprelude to Willie Nelson’s “I’m Falling InLove Again.” Nuance drives the performances,and also informs the tone the pianist gets fromthe 1924 French Gaveau instrument he chose toplay while recording in a church located in NewYork’s leafy Hudson Valley.Medeski has said Arthur Rubinstein’sexcursions through Brahms and Chopin werein his mind while recording, and the personalityof the Gaveau impacted the performances aswell. So, perhaps, did Ran Blake, the pianist’scolleague at the New England Conservatory.“Ran” is a pithy glide through noir territoryflecked with the kind of ominous phrases thatmark the elder statesman’s work. —Jim MacnieA Different Time: A Different Time; I’m Falling In Love Again; HisEye Is On The Sparrow; Ran; Graveyard Fields; Luz Marina; WaitingAt The Gate; Lacrima; Otis. (41:35)Personnel: John Medeski, piano.Ordering info: sonymasterworks.com60 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

HotTheBoxCritics John McDonough John Corbett Jim Macnie Paul de BarrosRon Carter Golden Striker TrioSan Sebastian★★★ ★★★½ ★★★ ★★★½Nicole Mitchell's Ice CrystalsAquarius★★★ ★★★★½ ★★★ ★★★½John MedeskiA Different Time★★★½ ★★★½ ★★★½ ★★Rebecca MartinTwain★★★ ★★★ ★★★ ★★½Critics’ CommentsRon Carter Golden Striker Trio, San SebastianStrikes out as a trio. But as a series of leisurely showcases for its premium cast, it’s fine. Malone is plush on“Candle Light” and an unbilled “Accustomed To Her Face.” Miller dominates the center 22 minutes, whileCarter locks up “Samba.” But only on the title cut does the trio muster the expected ensemble sparkle.There's more on a companion DVD. —John McDonoughCarter’s wielding a more natural setup than he did in the ’70s and ’80s, woodier, friendlier on the ears,more forgiving intonation-wise. Hard to fail with Malone and Miller; they shoot sparks in this intimate andsubdued setting. —John CorbettI’ve always dug the meticulousness of Carter’s work, and this trio’s collective virtuosity is put to good use.That said, this album is about arrangements as much as it is solos, and the grace that comes from this approachis its own reward. —Jim MacnieNicole Mitchell's Ice Crystals, AquariusA pleasant, if discursive, lace of flute, vibes and rhythm whose airy, transparent textures wind from petite,sometimes swaggering little melodies to ambiguously abstract scraps and loose threads. Overall tone ismore important, though. Mitchell and Adasiewicz pull the needlepoint together nicely. —John McDonoughThe front-line combo of flute and vibes has a singular impact, making this a memorable sound. Plus, theimprovisers have their chemistry on lock, so even the most excursive moments arrive with an enviablefocus. —Jim MacnieMitchell’s fluttering hippie mysticism would be merely tedious if she hadn’t so obviously absorbed the rudimentsas well as the idealism of her inspiration, Eric Dolphy, and if she didn’t swing so damn hard, thoughher celestial seasonings can be just shy of over the top. Love the bass figure on “Adaptability,” bursts offlute light on “Sunday Afternoon” and the paean to Fred Anderson. —Paul de BarrosJohn Medeski, A Different TimeI find myself using the word “introspective” too often these days. But despite its unceasing solemnity,Medeski’s Keith Jarrett trip finds conspicuous solo beauty in Willie Nelson, “Luz Marina” and others. Youhave to keep alert, though. The hushed atmospherics, whether lean or lush, can numb you into a daydream.—John McDonoughExtraordinary solo piano recording, beautifully sound-staged, amazing-sounding instrument, creaky pedaland all. Medeski works in a contemplative mode, sure to confuse fans of his funkier side; it has a dark characterthat’s appealing, avoids fussiness and unnecessary sentimentality, and genuinely seems inspired.—John CorbettThis daringly dreamy, self-reflective solo recital finally kicks in on the sixth track, the gorgeously passionate“Luz Marina,” but that’s a bit long to be stuck in the waiting room. Though not a drop of pretention fallsanywhere (a problem we’ve seen lately with other solo piano albums), it makes you appreciate yet againhow difficult it is to play solo well. —Paul de BarrosRebecca Martin, TwainI like these stripped-down songs, with Grenadier’s bass taking a major role. But if what they say about imitationand flattery is true, Sam Phillips should feel very good. A little too close for comfort. —John CorbettI’m occasionally wishing that the songs were a bit more memorable, but I’m also applauding their pliabilityand open arms when it comes to the steady parade of improv moments. One thing’s for sure: The gentilityof the interplay between husband and wife is central to the disc’s charm. —Jim MacnieMartin’s quietly observed plainsongs, enigmatic lyrics and keen eye for nature place her in an impressivelineage, from Emily Dickinson to Lorine Niedecker (with a little Robin Holcomb thrown in). But Martin’s dynamicrange is so narrow and her delivery so flat that, except on “Sophisticated Lady,” where she cleverlystarts the vocal on the bridge, and the haunting, Leonard Cohen-ish “God Is In The Details,” I found myattention wandering. —Paul de BarrosJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 61

Bobby Matos AfroLatin Jazz EnsembleMambo Jazz DanceLifeForcejazz 1052HHHH1/2Like jazz itself, the term “Latin jazz” meansdifferent things to different people. Timbalesplayer Bobby Matos has stocked his bandwith players who have substantial jazz profilesaround Los Angeles. The result is a little differentfrom a standard Afro-Cuban or PuertoRican-derived Latin jazz group.New Yorkers may recall pianist TheoSaunders (who contributes “Mambo Chris”and “Huevos Rancheros”) as Teddy Saundersof 1972’s Living Time album by Gil Evans andGeorge Russell. Dr. Bobby Rodriguez headsthe trumpet unit of UCLA’s jazz program andis a walking catalog of Latin music styles. Reedspecialist Pablo Colagero can be heard withthe left-of-center Leimert Park aggregations.Violinist Harry Scorzo might be heard playingStravinsky’s “Histoire Du Soldat” elsewhere.Taken from two live recordings, this smallensemble set carries many delightful pleasures,some unexpected. You can almost see the sunsetbehind the palms on Lalo Schifrin’s statelybolero “Recuerdos,” with a dreamy Saundersouting. Weinstein’s charanga violin is indispensableto “Oiganlo.” Rodriguez plays incisivelythroughout—whether muted and late-’60s Miles Davis or open and forte. Colagero’ssnaky tenor’s wide vibrato and chordal complexitysuggest early ’60s John Coltrane in aLatin band, occasionally flaring into multiphonics.His flute solos can likewise overblowinto Roland Kirk split-tones. A floating, notimeinterlude that occurs in “Amancer” showssmart programming instincts.As a timbaléro, Matos mostly minds theclavé. Don’t expect blazing, rim-bendingfusillades à la Tito Puente igniting a 1950sPalladium crowd. He’s tasty and judicious withhis solo outings, and any spotlight turns aremelodic—meshing with the montuno. His recitationon the spacey “New Woman” is gracefultext that would be right at home in a NuyoricanPoets format. —Kirk SilsbeeMambo Jazz Dance: Mambo Chris; Anna; Mama Coolbeans; TheNew Woman; Baha; Recuerdos; Huevos Rancheros; Oiganlo; MasBajo part 2; Amancer; No Me Diga “Na.” (60:33)Personnel: Bobby Matos, timbales, vocals; Harry Scorzo, violin(9–11); Dr. Bobby Rodriguez, trumpet; Gabriel Rosati, trumpet,trombone (9–11); Dan Weinstein, trombone, violin; Pablo Colagero,tenor saxophone, flute; John B. Williams, bass; Robertino Melendez,conga, vocal; Jud Matos, guiro, cowbell, percussion, vocal;Ismael Carlo, percussion, vocal (9–11).Ordering info: bobbymatosmusic.comPeter Knudsen EightSagas Of The PresentCamJazz 3314HHH1/2With his project for the Italian CamJazz label’semerging artist showcase, young Swedish pianistPeter Knudsen moves into some savvy,tastefully venturesome and warming turf.Beyond the tapestry of the sound and compositionalintelligence, he presents a fine exampleof resourceful arrangement-oriented thinkingand what can be done in the format of an octet.The seven alluring pieces making up SagasOf The Present trigger echoes of artists fromthe past and present, including Gil Evans, BillEvans, Ravel and Maria Schneider.Knudsen works well in metric areas divisibleby three, from the serpentine luster of theopening “Kalejdoskop” to the tender closer“Wedding Waltz.” Angst and knotty energiessneak into the restless spirit of “NukedPresent,” but more often, impressionistic elementsof harmonic color and movement figureinto the writing, often adhering to a gentlymelancholic, medium heat emotionality. ButKnudsen also folds in elements of contrastingdissonance and cross-linear traffic among theparts to juice up the musical intrigue. Wheremost of the pieces err on the side of relativecompactness, the leader ventures into a minisuiteform on the narrative-like 11-minute“The Emperor Of Portugallia,” hinting at moreambitious efforts. —Josef WoodardSagas Of The Present: Kalejdoskop; The Emperor Of Portugalla;Winter Walk; Sagas Of The Gingerbread Castle; Nuke Present; AuroraBorealis; Wedding Waltz. (48:24).Personnel: Emil Strandberg, trumpet, flugelhorn; Andreas Gidlund,saxophone, clarinet, flute; Gustav Rådström, saxophone,clarinet; Thomas Backman, saxophone, bass clarinet, flute; LisaBodelius, trombone; Peter Knudsen, piano; Pär-Ola Landin, bass;Sebastian Voegler, drums.Ordering info: camjazz.com

Larry CoryellThe LiftWide Hive 0309HHH1/2The second track from The Lift, the latestalbum from guitarist Larry Coryell, is a slow,probing piece colored by the leader’s delayed,shimmering leads. It’s called “Arena Blues.”And the third-to-last tune on the LP is a machor&b number sportingmesmerizing rhythmguitar. That one’s named “Stadium Wave.”So, going by his song titles alone, Coryellis not thinking small here. But, for the mostpart, the music matches. On The Lift, the sixstringerand his associates—organist ChesterSmith, bassist Matt Montgomery and drummerLumpy—make large music.Take the album-opening “Going Up,” forexample. A crunchy, in-your-face riff in 7,“Up” is all attitude and power, a steamrollerthreatening to flatten any meek compositionsthat get in its way. “Rough Cut,” by Lumpy,lurches along in much the same fashion, takingits power from an unshakeable odd-meter beatand its author’s propulsive percussion.Other pieces derive their bigness fromwhat can only be described as jam-ready classic-rockgrooves minus the vocals. The titletrack’s unrelenting bass line sounds like somethingthe Allman Brothers could have whippedup, and it supports a game of catch betweenCoryell’s clean licks and Smith’s enthusiastic,bubbling-over organ. On “Lafayette,”Montgomery rolls out a pushy, rumbling lowendcarpet for the leader to dance on and Smithto drill into. And Coryell’s “Wild Rye” is bluesyand fuzzy with a dash of country, a formulathat could also describe much of what was onrock radio in the ’60s.Things only really get little when Coryellorders his band mates to lay out altogether.The soothing but focused “Clear Skies” findsthe leader overdubbing acoustic Gypsy-jazzlikeruns on a track of his own acoustic rhythmguitar. And the album-ending “First Day OfAutumn,” by Coryell’s wife, Tracey, is a gentle,smiling nature walk, again arranged fortwo acoustic guitar tracks. But these cuts onlyappear small in comparison to the other, fullbandperformances. —Brad FarbermanThe Lift: Going Up; Arena Blues; The Lift; Lafayette; Clear Skies;Rough Cut; Alternative Recollection; Broken Blues; Counterweight;Stadium Wave; Wild Rye; First Day Of Autumn. (52:18)Personnel: Larry Coryell, guitar; Chester Smith, organ; Matt Montgomery,bass; Lumpy, drums.Ordering info: widehiverecords.comOdean PopeOdean’s ThreeIN + OUT 77112HHHHAt 74, Odean Pope is a warrior who has notreceived the attention he deserves. His vocaltenor saxophone sound, percussive attackand evolved lyricism are all inviting elements,but aside from acclaimed work withMax Roach in the ’80s and ’90s he hasn’thad a high profile. Odean’s Three providesthe breadth and format to change that.Brimming with energy and showcased in apower trio, Pope has never had a better settingin which to shine.The architecturally exciting “PhrygianA’Trois” sets the stage perfectly—from LeeSmith’s rumba bass line to the cry of Pope’stenor, alternating between circular breathingand rhythmic thrusts. It’s almost possible tooverlook Billy Hart’s outstanding-yet-understateddrumming on the piece. There’s no overlookingHart on “Fresh Breeze,” “Almost LikePt. One” and “12th Night,” where the trio lockstightly together to charge through the spiralingthemes that Pope favors, nor on “You AndMe,” where the drummer dominates the threeindependent lines of improvisation.At the center of the set stands “Blues It,”Pope’s tribute to the legendary Philadelphiapianist William Langford (a.k.a. Hassan IbnAli). Following Smith’s resonant intro, Ali’scomposition is marked by a melody that doesn’tquite resolve, and Pope uses the final beats ofHart’s lengthy drum solo to fashion a dramatic,anthemic coda.—James HaleOdean’s Three: Phrygian A’Trois; Fresh Breeze; The Garden OfHappiness; Good Questions Two; Blues It; Blues For Eight; AlmostLike Pt. One; 12th Night; You And Me. (68:49)Personnel: Odean Pope, tenor saxophone; Lee Smith, bass; BillyHart, drums.Ordering info: inandout-records.com64 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Jazz / By Bill MilkowskiJohn ZornRemainsFierce andProlificA remarkably prolific and fiercely independent forcein contemporary music for more than 30 years, JohnZorn has amassed more than 400 recordings in hisTzadik catalog. To commemorate his 60th birthdayin 2013, Zorn will participate in global career retrospectives.Here is a recent sampling from Zorn’s prodigiousoutput—all of which he composed, arranged and conductedlast year.Mount Analogue (Tzadik 7394; 38:23HHHH1/2) is named for a novel by René Daumaland further inspired by the G.I. Gurdjieff book MeetingsWith Remarkable Men. A collection of 61 musicalfragments, randomly composed and then fallinginto place, this stirring, uninterrupted work conveysa sense of mystery and spiritual quest. Performed bypercussionist Cyro Baptista’s Banquet Of The Spiritsquartet and augmented by Kenny Wollesen onvibes and chimes, the music travels from stark minimalismcreated by pianist Brian Marsella’s glisteningarpeggios to dreamy interludes crafted by Wollesen’sfloaty vibes work to mesmerizing Moroccan and MiddleEastern flourishes, courtesy of Shanir Blumenkranz’sgimbri and oud playing, to touches of Balinesegamelan in Wollesen’s chimes.On the other side of the accessibility coin isTemplars–In Sacred Blood (Tzadik 7398; 43:14HHH). A white-hot cauldron of ominous music intendedto call in darker spirits, it features Mike Patton’sbanshee vocals against the backdrop of Joey Baron’spower precision drumming and Trevor Dunn’s ragingfuzz bass lines. John Medeski provides churchy organdrones and eerie swells throughout. Their collectiveexplosive bursts of grindcore cacophony, as on “PropheticSouls” and “Secret Ceremony,” are heavier thananything. Patton’s creepy, cryptic, close-miked recitationsand Gregorian chanting on “A Second Sanctuary”and “Evocation Of Baphomet” are the perfectsoundtrack for a haunted house party.The equally bombastic Nosferatu (Tzadik7397; 61:14 HHH1/2), with drummer-vibist KevinNorton, bassist Bill Laswell and keyboardist Rob Burger,has Zorn playing potent alto saxophone on the ballad“Fatal Sunrise,” then overblowing with blast-furnaceintensity on the cathartic onslaught “The BattleOf Good And Evil.” “Vampires At Large” and “DeathShip” are features for Laswell, and “Stalker Dub” is a bitof ambient trip-hop that will appeal to the stoner set.Pruflas: The Book Of Angels, Vol. 18 (Tzadik7396; 46:35 HHHH) is a vehicle for clarinetvirtuoso David Krakauer. The group interpretsZorn’s Masada compositions in a brilliant blendingof new and old, with Krauker blowing klezmerstyledlines against Bailey’s crunchy distortion-lacedguitar and Michael Sarin’s powerhouse drumming.On the jazzy “Vual,” they engage in unadulteratedswing, paced by Jerome Harris’ insistent walkingbass lines, Sarin’s syncopations and Sheryl Baile’sJohn Zornjack vartoogian/frontrowphotosclean, Pat Martino-inspired guitar work. Krakauerwails over the top; more Sidney Bechet than NaftuleBrandwein. “Egion” is a klezmer-punk-funkmanifesto with sonic embellishments by laptopprogrammer Keepalive. Zorn makes an uncreditedappearance on alto saxophone on the klezmer-fueledblowout “Tandal.”Virtuosity abounds on The Concealed (Tzadik8304; 62:41 HHHHH), an exotic and engagingchamber jazz project featuring violinist Mark Feldmanand cellist Erik Friedlander with Zorn’s residentall-star ensemble of Medeski on piano, Baron ondrums, Wollesen on vibes and Dunn on upright bass.Aside from the stunning sextet pieces, Friedlanderturns in a poignant solo cello reading on “The SilverThread,” while Medeski melds Professor Longhair’srumba boogie with klezmer scales on his rollickingsolo piano piece “The Way Of The Sly Man.”Abraxas: The Book Of Angels, Vol. 19(Tzadik 8302; 44:06 HHHH) is a showcasefor Blumenkranz. Here he exclusively plays thedeep-toned gimbri, a three-stringed Moroccan instrument,in the context of compositions featuringthe twin six-string assault of Eyal Maoz and AramBajakian against the slamming backbeats of drummerKenny Grohowski. Picture a Sephardic JimiHendrix on holiday in Fez. Meanwhile, The GnosticPreludes: Music Of Splendor (Tzadik 7395;48:03 HHHH1/2) is an uncommonly beautiful,graceful encounter among guitarist Bill Frisell, harpistCarol Emmanuel and vibist Wollesen.The depth and breadth of Zorn’s artistry is furtherrepresented by his tributes to French writerArthur Rimbaud—Rimbaud (Tzadik 8301; 47:24HHH1/2)—and poet-painter-philosopher WilliamBlake—Vision In Blakelight (Tzadik 8303; 50:20HHHH1/2). The former is purely experimental andstridently avant garde, while the latter is one ofthe more enchanting and lyrical offerings in Zorn’smassive catalog, with the sole exception of the urgentlyburning free-bop romp “Marriage Of HeavenAnd Hell.” DBOrdering info: tzadik.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 65

Nicholas Payton#BAM Live AtBohemian CavernsBMF Records 001HHHH1/2#BAM Live At BohemianCaverns begins with FenderRhodes chords, played withfinesse in the left hand, quicklyoscillating below an almosthammered melodic explorationissuing from the right.When Nicholas Payton picks up his trumpet for the melody, he playsdouble duty—one hand on the keyboard, another on his horn. The conceitbehind Live At Bohemian Caverns—that of Payton wielding his primarymelodic instrument even as he provides harmonic backing for hissongs—is more than a mere trick. His accompaniment more than suitsthe mood. The idea of him playing multiple instruments is a continuationof his 2011 work Bitches, on which he provided most of the instrumentationand vocals. That album skewed heavily toward r&b and hip-hop, andwhile Bohemian Caverns is more jazz than not, the live album carries hisnew approach forward. This is the first release on Payton’s new imprint,BMF Records, and he’s willing to break out of traditional molds, blendingpop, funk and rock into this offering. That original tune that beginsthe album, “The Backward Step,” moves from tentative exploration intofiery raucous playing, backed by Lenny White’s crashing cymbals andVincente Archer’s playful bass interjections. —Jon Ross#BAM Live At Bohemian Caverns: The Backward Step; Drad Dog; Catlett Out Of The Bag; Pannonica;The African Tinge; The Return Of The African Tinge; Frankie And Johnny. (79:31)Personnel: Nicholas Payton, trumpet, Fender Rhodes; Vincente Archer, bass; Lenny White, drums.Ordering info: nicholaspayton.comBenoît Delbecq/Fred HerschDouble TrioFun HouseSonglines 1600HHHFrenchman Benoît Delbecqand his American counterpartFred Hersch are amongthe most talented pianistsof their generation, and theidea of a double trio is a source of great expectations. Unfortunately,Fun House somewhat leaves a taste of unfinished business. Delbecqcontributes all of the material with the exception of “Tide,” co-writtenwith drummer Steve Argüelles, and a cover. The compositions areloose and abstract. No instrument seems to have a specific role. Theplayers create a maze—their lines intertwined or interlocked—andweave a dense musical fabric. Because the pieces bring the composer’sintellectual side to the fore, the results tend to be overly dry. This isreinforced by the lack of change of pace. Only “Night For Day” seemsto challenge the status quo with its oblique drive and Thelonious Monkaccents.Delbecq opted for the double trio because he had recorded pianoduos with pianist Andy Milne and wanted to explore a different route.The beautiful and personal rendition of Ornette Coleman’s “LonelyWoman” as a duet is reason to hope that he will return to that format.Delbecq’s mastery of extended techniques combined with Hersch’sacute sense of harmony is a pleasure to hear. —Alain DrouotFun House: Hushes; Ronchamp; Strange Loop; Fun House; Le Rayon Vert; Night For Day; One IsSeveral; Tide; Two Lakes; Lonely Woman. (52:36)Personnel: Benoît Delbecq, piano; Fred Hersch, piano; Jean-Jacques Avenel, bass; Mark Helias,bass; Steve Argüelles, drums, electronics; Gerry Hemingway, drums.Ordering info: songlines.comThe Kahil El’ZabarQuartetWhat It Is!Delmark Records 5002HHHKahil El’Zabar moves towardthe center this time around andreleases one of his most accessiblediscs yet. The adventurousdrummer and bandleader steersan impressive quartet, composedof some of the newer generations of the AACM, and emphasizesblues, swing and groove.The disc kicks off with the strutting original “The Nature Of,”which showcases impressive solos from each member, with keyboardistJustin Dillard in particular getting major points for his mastery onthe Hammond B3 organ. The blues albeit modal component underscoresthe haunting “Song Of Myself” as tenor saxophonist KevinNabors and Dillard run mysterious parallel lines across bassist JuniusPaul’s ominous ostinato and El’Zabar’s dancing ride cymbal rhythms,as well as the John Coltrane-inspired closer “Kari,” which featuresDillard pounding out some gorgeous block chords underneath Nabors’declarative tenor saxophone melody. Stripped-down West Africanrhythms and percussion always play a central role in El’Zabar’s music.Here, he employs them ingeniously on the funky “What It Is!” whichhints at Chicago’s deep house music. —John MurphWhat It Is!: The Nature Of; Impressions; What It Is!; Song Of Myself; Central Park West; From TheHeart; Kari. (59:13).Personnel: Kahil El’Zabar, drums, kalimba; Kevin Nabors, tenor saxophone; Justin Dillard, piano,Hammond B3 organ, Fender Rhodes; Junius Paul, bass.Ordering info: delmark.comPedrito MartinezRumba De La IslaCalle 54 88765406072HHHHFans of Pedrito Martinez’scurrent group should prepareto have some of their expectationsblown on Rumba DeLa Isla.There’s a different energyat work on the Cuba-bornrumba master’s interpretationof the work of Spanish flamenco great Cameron de la Isla. Martinezshares de la Isla’s forward-thinking approach, though his aim hereseems not to be finding common denominators between the differentrumbas that exist in Cuban and flamenco music. Instead, Martinezprocesses the music through a lens of his artistry that seems to havebeen created specifically for this project, which makes the results thatmuch more impressive. His take on “Yo Vivo Enamorao,” for example,shifts the intensity that de la Isla’s voice reflected—through raspycries and the downward curled edges of certain lyrics—from emotivevocals to evocative percussion. Martinez’s own clarion voicesweeps along improvised lyrics, calm and unwavering, as thick layersof rhythm intimate de la Isla’s passion. “Dos Estrellas Relucientes DeLas Alegre Primavera” also underscores the mellow beauty Martinezcan unearth through this approach, as his soft touch on the congasand call-and-response vocals build against violinist Alfredo de la Fe’smoments of electrified frenzy. —Jennifer OdellRumba De La Isla: Que a Mi Me Vio De Nacer; Yo Vivo Enamorao; Dos Estrellas Relucientes De LasAlegre Primavera; Solo Vivo Pa’quererte; Volando Voy; Quiero Quitarme Esta Pena; No NaqueresNa’De Mi; Gitana Te Quiero; Homenaje A Camaron. (50:15)Personnel: Pedrito Martinez, composer, arranger, chekere, congas, cowbell, vocals; Román Díaz,bata, cajon, spoons, vocals; John Benítez, bass; Piraña, cajon; Niño Josele, guitar, handclapping;Alfredo de la Fe, electric violin; Xiomara Laugart, backing vocals; Abraham Rodríguez, backing vocals.Ordering info: calle54records.com66 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Blues / By frank-john hadleyEric Burdoncourtesy abkco recordsBlues and Pop HeroesTouched by Soulful SoundsEric Burdon: ’Til Your River Runs Dry (AB-KCO 8927; 55:05 HHHH) Fans of 1960s Britishblues know Eric Burdon of The Animals was asinger of distinction. After about 40 years largelyout of mind and sight, he’s back with a vengeance—andwith all his natural authority intact.Projecting overtones of blues and soul music, hisstrong and highly individuated voice carries avisceral conviction that enriches new good songshe wrote himself or with a colleague like bassistTerry Wilson. Burdon gives us the the lowdownon mortality, anarchic spirit, Memorial Day, thesacred vs. the profane and his hero, Bo Diddley.The faultless West Coast supporting musicianssupply the punch of an iron fist in a velvet glove.Ordering info: abkco.comSouthern Hospitality: Easy Livin’ (BlindPig 5152; 60:37 HHH1/2) Six tracks into its debutalbum, this Floridian band ascends far aboveits entertaining if unremarkable Little Feat-influencedgrooves into the sublime with a version ofthe Afro-Cuban jazz classic “Fried Neck Bones &Home Fries.” Here Damon Fowler and JP Soarstrade lead guitar lines of spontaneous rapture fornearly eight minutes. Sharing singing duties withthird key member keyboardist Victor Wainwright,Fowler and Soars grant distinction to the ballad“Sky Is What I Breathe.”Ordering info: blindpigrecords.comSwamp Dogg: Total Destruction To YourMind (Alive 0141; 37:35 HHHH) In 1969, for hisdebut record with backing by bassist Pops Popwelland other Macon soul-blues heavies, Swamp Dogg(a.k.a. Jerry Williams) hollers in a tense and constrictedway that suggests his throat was jammedwith nuclear lava fresh out of a reactor core. Thatvoice is a minor miracle, whether putting over oneof his own bizarre tunes or songs snatched fromsongwriter Joe South.Ordering info: alivenergy.comErnest James Zydeco: 3 Steps From La La(Jam Rat 003; 45:18 HHH) An accordion playerand vocalist based in Kansas City who has familyties to Louisiana, Ernest James Zydeco lets loosewith the soaring melodies of his own red-pepperzydeco tunes. As passionate about Chicago bluesas he is about rural Louisiana music, the bandleadermixes things up on his third fun album with shufflesand a gospel offering called “Glory Glory.”Ordering info: ejzydeco.comBoz Scaggs: Memphis (429 Records17889; 47:37 HHH1/2) Boz Scaggs has longbeen a smooth-operating singer in the pop world,yet he’s always shown a genuine affinity for jazz,blues, r&b and soul. So it makes sense that hewould spend time in Willie Mitchell’s Royal Studiosin Memphis, assisted by storied musicianssuch as Charles Hodges and Lester Snell. Confidentwith his pacing and unsentimental in hisphrasing, he successfully personalizes old standbysthat link back to Ray Charles, Willy DeVille,The Moments and the country blues tradition.Ordering info: 429records.comBeauSoleil: From Bamako To Carencro(Compass 4591; 48:45 HHHH) Cajunizedblues has been one of the key ingredients inBeauSoleil’s jambalaya since its founding byfiddler Michael Doucet in the mid-1970s. Thebandleader’s wailing vocal in the murder tale“Carencro” derives from some forbidden crossroadsat midnight in the Louisiana swamps, andthe ever-so-spirited string-and-percussion bandreinvents James Brown’s “I’ll Go Crazy” and JohnColtrane’s “Bessie’s Blues” as Cajun dancehallfrolics. They cast a mournful martial spell overMississippi John Hurt’s “You Got To Move.”Ordering info: compassrecords.comJesse Dee: On My Mind/In My Heart (Alligator4952; 43:06 HHH) As the most promisingyoung r&b/soul singer out of Boston since Eli“Paperboy” Reed, Dee combines melodic inventionand conventionality both at once on an entertainingsecond release that has him probing21st century romance. Dee can sound callow orover-extended at times, and some of his productionmoves (sound effects, use of female singers)don’t work, but stick with him. DBOrdering info: alligator.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 67

Nilson MattaNilson Matta’s BlackOrpheusMotéma 103HHH1/2Reimagining classic works canyield dicey results, because therefurbished version will alwaysbe measured against the original.But Nilson Matta’s wistfultake on the 1959 moviesoundtrack Black Orpheus works to his advantage.Matta benefits from a 50-year distance from the original as well ashis nostalgia for that music. While he keeps the original feel of classicbossa nova intact, the bassist takes discreet liberties with the programmingof the compositions, and even adds some original interludesand tunes. With Klaus Mueller’s lush orchestrations and Matta’s diaphanousarrangements, the disc evokes a cinematic splendor, starting off onthe wide-screen treatment of Antônio Carlos Jobim’s “Overture” to thesauntering “Hugs And Kisses,” one of the fantastic originals. The discalso hits high marks on the gentle “Vasa De Eurídice,” which featuresGretchen Parlato’s lissome soprano mostly in tandem with GuilhermeMonterio’s spidery guitar. The sensual “Manhā De Carnival” places thespotlight on Kenny Barron’s impeccable piano improvisations. The bristlingyet too-brief original “Ascend, My Love” is a percussive workoutthat recalls Matta’s early ’90s work with Don Pullen. —John MurphNilson Matta’s Black Orpheus: Overture; Repinique Interlude; Samba De Orfeu; A Felicidade; CuicaInterlude; O Nosso Amor; Manhā De Carnival; Batucada I; Eu E O Meu Amor/Lamento No Morro; FrevoDe Orfeu; Vasa De Eurídice; Ascend, My Love; Um Nome De Mulher; Batucada II; Se Todos FossemIguais A Vocé; Violão Interlude; Hugs And Kisses. (58:25)Personnel: Nilson Matta, bass; Randy Brecker, trumpet; Kenny Barron, piano; Anne Drummond, flute,Klaus Mueller, piano; Guilherme Monterio, guitar, Alex Kautz, drums; Anat Cohen, clarinet; FernandoSaci, percussion, cuica, pandeiro; Leny Andrade, vocals; Gretchen Parlato, vocals; Erivelton Silva,drums; Alfredo Cardim, piano.Ordering info: motema.comGene Bertoncini/Mike Mainieri/MichaelMoore/Joe CorselloReunionAmbient Records 009HHHIf you visited the tiny Italian restaurantZino’s in New York duringthe 1980s, you no doubt enjoyedthe frequent duet performances ofguitarist Gene Bertoncini and bassist Michael Moore. The pair practicallyran the joint. This was years after Bertoncini made his mark recording withLuis Bonfa, Hubert Laws, Michel Legrand and Paul Desmond. Similarly,Moore is a session mainstay with immaculate credits.Reunion brings the guitarist and bassist together with Mike Mainieriand Joe Corsello. Recorded in super-high-resolution format, the musicalperformances are of a similarly premium quality, Corsello’s drums revealingevery cymbal glance, every brush stroke with pristine distillation.Beyond sonic swoons, the music is classic Bertoncini/Moore: standardsgreeted with sublime relaxation, fingerings delivered with all the assuranceof a master carpenter oiling his wood, or a fine winemaker basking in thesun as the vines ripen. There’s no need to hurry, time will take care of itself;swing, harmony, and rhythm too. Mainieri relives his early days as a warmbloodedvibraphonist here, and as the perfect melodic foil for Bertoncini’sgracefully flowing lines. Reunion doesn’t roll in the fast lane, but it certainlyowns the road. —Ken MicallefReunion: Besame Mucho; Somewhere; Strollin; Soul Eyes; The Lilter; Reunion; Embraceable You;Bertha The Dragoness. (51:41)Personnel: Gene Bertoncini, guitars; Mike Mainieri, vibraphone; Michael Moore, acoustic bass; JoeCorsello, drums.Ordering info: ambientrecords.com68 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

SexmobCinema, Circus &SpaghettiThe Royal Potato Family 1304HHHHMood is a central concern of slidetrumpeter Steven Bernstein. To hisquartet Sexmob, for instance, a boisterous,celebratory vibe is seeminglyas important as any purely musicaldetail. So it makes sense thatBernstein is into film music, and that Cinema, Circus & Spaghetti, whicharranges Federico Fellini composer Nino Rota’s music for Sexmob, ishardly the brass player’s first tribute to an agent of atmosphere. The spiritof New Orleans looms large on “Volpina (Amacord).” That tune includesa persistent second-line groove headed up by Wollesen, not to mention atheme that, in one place, friskily recalls “Down By The Riverside.” And“La Dolce Vita” also swings down to the Crescent City, due mainly to thesweet and greasy interplay between Bernstein’s singing hybrid trumpetand saxophonist Briggan Krauss’ tough bari. Punk-rock makes its presencefelt, too. The last 40 seconds or so of the aforementioned “Volpina(Amacord)” toss a throbbing bass riff and bashing drums underneathKrauss’ maniacal, animalistic wailing. The crazed surf beat of “NadiaGray (La Dolce Vita)” is abused by squealing horns and a clobberingdrum solo. —Brad FarbermanCinema, Circus & Spaghetti: Amacord; Il Teatrino Delle Suore (Juliet Of The Spirits); La Strada;Volpina (Amacord); Paparazzo (La Dolce Vita); Toby Dammit’s Last Act (Spirits Of The Dead); La DolceVita; Zamparo (La Strada); Nadia Gray (La Dolce Vita); The Grand Hotel (Amacord); Gelsomina (LaStrada); I Vitelloni. (62:37)Personnel: Steven Bernstein, slide trumpet, hybrid trumpet, alto horn; Briggan Krauss, alto saxophone,baritone saxophone; Tony Scherr, electric bass; Kenny Wollesen, drums, gongs, log drum,waterphone, vibraphone.Ordering info: royalpotatofamily.comChampian FultonSings And SwingsSharp Nine 1049HHHJazz has always had the dialectictension of art vs.entertainment. There’s usuallybeen room for both, buteither can be taken to anextreme. Pianist and singerChampian Fulton is intenton knocking herself out toentertain. Her playing on “I Cover The Waterfront” can nimbly movelike Erroll Garner, yet it falls into cocktail excess. Maybe worse is thatshe sometimes sees each sung word as an opportunity for melisma. Thesongs seem to have no interest for her past what she can put on them.Fulton’s playful reading of Bud Powell’s “Celia” dances and twirlsamiably. Yet on “It’s Alright With Me,” she rifles through a mercurialright-hand solo, then sings as if trying to get it over with as fast as possible.A bright reading of “Samba De Orfeo” diagrams Fulton’s strengthsand weaknesses. Scatting throughout, she sings in unison with her pianoruns. While it’s technically impressive, by the end of the tune it smellslike shtick. Father Stephen Fulton tries to cram a whole resume into hisflugelhorn solo, overstaying his welcome. Their “Summertime” is allover the scale, with little thought to the story of the tune. Eric Alexanderbrings much-needed clarity of purpose. Though he only appears on fourtracks, he’s authoritative and cogent—using space to his advantage, andmaking it count within the space of a chorus. —Kirk SilsbeeSings And Swings: Tenderly; You’re Getting To Be A Habit; It’s Alright With Me; I’d Give A Dollar For ADime; I Cover The Waterfront; Samba De Orfeo; It’s Too Late (Baby It’s Too Late); Foolin’ Myself; I’mGonna Sit Right Down; The Shadow Of Your Smile; Celia; Summertime. (56:41)Personnel: Champian Fulton, piano, vocals; Stephen Fulton, trumpet, flugelhorn (2, 3, 6, 9); Eric Alexander,tenor saxophone (2, 3, 7, 10); Hide Tanaka, bass; Fukushi Tainaka, drums.Ordering info: sharpnine.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 69

Nobuki TakamenThree WishesSummit Records 594HHH1/2On the opening track to Three Wishes, NobukiTakamen’s fourth album as a leader, the guitaristserves up roller-coaster, angular melodies, playedwith care on a clear guitar, picking out one crispnote at a time, letting it ring out before movingto the next. He occasionally moves to a verticalapproach, playing short chordal phrases, but hemostly sticks to horizontal movement, his somewhatdisjunct playing pulling the song forward.The next tune, “Freddie’s Mood,” presents anentirely different Takamen. Heavily syncopatedfunk chords set the mood over a martial snarerhythm by drummer Akihito Yoshikawa. EvenTakamen’s solo is more liquid, with figures flowingtogether in short runs and fewer large leapsbetween the notes. He’s still the same player, ofcourse, but this different approach highlights hisreluctance to play in a singular style.He slows the mood down considerably on ahandful of tunes as well. “Underground ThemeSong,” after a funky solo bass intro, morphs into afragile tune based on soft chords and a quiet melody.“Greenwich Village Sometimes” has thesame overall delicate feeling to it, but stands asone of the two times piano is added to the mix.Takamen is best, and is likely most comfortable,in a simple trio setting, but the addition of anotherharmonic instrument adds a rich layer to thecompositions.One of the standouts on the album isTakamen’s arrangement of “Scarborough Fair,”which begins with haunting, ethereal chordsbefore evolving into a breakneck piece of swing.Just like “Scarborough,” his closing number,“Homeward Bound” begins as a hopeful ballad,then, seven minutes in, Takamen throws ina hard-rocking coda to give the song the twist heseems to add to every composition on the album.—Jon RossThree Wishes: A Long Way Ahead; Freddie’s Mood; UndergroundTheme Song; Jimi’s Swing; Greenwich Village Sometimes;Three Wishes; Scarborough Fair; Let’s Get Five; HomewardBound. (60:12)Personnel: Nobuki Takamen, guitar; Toshiyuki Tanahashi, bass;Naoki Aikawa, Akihito Yoshikawa, drums; Hitoshi Kanda, piano.Ordering info: nobukitakamen.com70 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Beyond / By Peter margasakJohnCage’sLastingVisionThe year 2012 was the centennialof iconoclast John Cage’s birth,and the year brought forth a veritabledeluge of archival materialand new recordings of the composer’ssprawling compositionaloutput.One of the most fascinatingdocuments is a three-CD seriesthat chronicled Cage’s firstvisit to Japan in 1962—all of themusic, recorded during two concertsthat October, was previouslyunissued. Each of the threeseparately available volumes ofJohn Cage Shock (Em 1104;40:02 HHHH/Em 1105; 44:23John CageHHHH/Em 1106; 39:27 HHHH) features a singlebristling performance of one of his works (suchas the electronically ripping take on his “VariationsII,” on volume one) played by various combinationsof the composer himself, his long-time associateand pianist David Tudor, and some of their Japanesehosts—Toshi Ichiyanagi, Kenji Kobayashi anda very young Yoko Ono. Each title is rounded outby other contemporary works performed duringthe visit, from Stockhausen’s “Klavierstrücke X” (onvolume two) to Christian Wolff’s “Duo For Pianist& Violinist” (on volume one) to work by Ichiyanagiand fellow Japanese composer Toru Takemitsu. Cumulatively,they paint a vibrant picture of a musicalworld opening up (with graphic notation, aleatoricmusic, electronics), swallowing up oceans separatingthree continents with boundary-destroying art.It’s a rich artifact, especially since the music soundstotally fresh five decades later.Ordering info: forcedexposure.comTudor’s performance of Cage’s landmark early1951 experiment with chance procedures, MusicOf Changes (Hat Art 173; 44:34 HHHH),also sounds thoroughly contemporary. Recordedin Cologne, Germany, in 1956, the pianist’s readingbrings a bristling edge to one the composer’searliest efforts employing the I Ching. Nearly everydetail from pitch to note duration to tempo wasmapped out by using the book, but the final scoreleft nothing to chance (unlike later work that reliedon the performer to make decisions). It’s a knotty,difficult piece of music marked by randomly generatedbut meticulously played episodes, and fewcould or can match Tudor’s empathy and precision.Ordering info: hathut.comPianist Alexi Lubimov and singer NataliaPschenitschnikova both met Cage on his 1988 visitto the Soviet Union, where, according to the pianist’sliner notes, the composer participated in livelyconversations about food and foraging as muchas music. On As It Is (ECM 2268 476 4933; 71:31HHH1/2), they bypass the work he’d been creatingduring his visit in favor of 21 early pieces, most writtenbefore 1950. Included are numerous settingsfor the poetry of e.e. cummings and Gertrude Stein,meditative prepared piano pieces and several compositionswritten for the choreography of MerceCunningham. It’s a lovely, restrained collection, focusingboth on Cage’s lyric side and his interest inFar East sonorities.Ordering info: ecmrecords.comEtudes Australes (Wergo 6740; 261:54HHHH) was composed in 1974, with Cage in themidst or returning to conventional instruments, as afour-book piano study that used a collection of starmaps called the “Atlas Australis” as structural objectsand the I Ching to translate the positions of the constellationsin the Southern Hemisphere. He wrotethe exceedingly difficult music separately for rightand left hands, with chance procedures producingalternately jarring and gorgeous harmonies and jagged,challenging lines. Pianist Sabine Liebner bringsa dazzling clarity to this rarely performed epic.Ordering info: harmoniamundi.comCage’s own organization issued the doozy ofthem all with a lavish rendering of his preparedpiano masterpiece Sonatas And Interludes(John Cage Trust 433-2012; 63:17 HHHH)spread over three 45-rpm audiophile vinyl discs—it’s a limited edition of 433 copies. The piece isperformed nicely by Nurit Tilles—a veteran memberof Steve Reich’s ensemble—and while thereare other versions I prefer, she finds a pleasingmiddle ground between introspection and aggression.The records are housed in a glossy cardboardbox and packaged with a beautiful 40-page book that includes notes by Mark Szwedand photos of various objects used along withvintage instructions by the composer himself. DBOrdering info: forcedexposure.comross welserJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 71

Die EnttäuschungVier HalbeIntakt 211HHHHThe collage art that graces each ofDie Enttäuschung’s albums is anapt illustration of the music containedwithin. The German quartetdelights in witty, startling juxtapositions,creating a vivid modernsound out of fragments from variouseras of jazz history pasted together without much concern for lettingthe seams show.Vier Halbe, consists of 21 short, sharp excursions (only one exceedsfive minutes). At 70 minutes, the disc threatens to become too much of agood thing, but that terseness is essential given the tension between freedomand synchronicity that characterizes the group’s sound. TrumpeterAxel Dörner and bass clarinetist/baritone saxophonist Rudi Mahall worktogether like two satellites locked into an erratic orbit; they sustain an elegantwaltz together while engaged in a constant push-and-pull. Bassist JanRoder and drummer Uli Jennessen drive the proceedings with an off-roadswing, a constant momentum undeterred by the jolts and bounces of roughterrain. Dörner’s “Verzählt” is a round-robin of minute bursts; Roder’s“Das Jan Vom Stück” contrasts a meaty rhythm with Dörner and Mahall’ssquirreling, darting sonic doodles. Mahall’s opener “Die Übergebundenen”cubes the jaggedness of Thelonious Monk’s “Evidence.” —Shaun BradyVier Halbe: Die Übergebundenen; Verzählt; Aqua Satin Flame; Das Jan vom Stück; Falsches Publikum;Vermöbelt; Jitterbig Five; Gekannt; Trompete für Fortgeschrittene; Wie Axel; Eine Halbe; Hereich;Hello My Loneliness; Vier Halbe; Children’s Blues; Möbelrücken; The Easy Going; Verkannt; Trompetefür Anfänger; Trompete für Profis; Schlagzeug für Anfänger. (71:31)Personnel: Rudi Mahall, bass clarinet, baritone sax; Axel Dörner, trumpet; Jan Roder, bass; Uli Jennessen,drums.Ordering info: intaktrec.chRoscoe MitchellRoscoe MitchellWide Hive Records 0311HHHHThe latest from Roscoe Mitchell openswith “The Horn,” two minutes of texturalwashes featuring chimes, bellsand gongs, drums and various other“little instruments” that the avant polymathhelped introduce to jazz and contemporarymusic nearly a half century ago. At around the 90 second mark,the titular instrument appears—in the form of one honk of a bicycle horn.It is a fitting beginning. Joined by trumpeter Hugh Ragin and multi-instrumentalistTyshawn Sorey, these 11 tracks run the gamut from Mitchell’saforementioned spatial solo excursions to rollicking ensemble playing.Mitchell’s latest puts him in the position of performing with two succeedinggenerations who have followed his lead. Notable cuts include thetrio’s fierce, cat-and-mouse chase of split-tones and drums on “Scrunch”and the glacial tone shifts of “Waves,” which soon develop into a rollingtumble of group improv. The trio’s contemplation of the three-note motif of“Chant” seems to split the difference between two disparate worlds, conjuringboth the spirit of Albert Ayler and the digital soundtrack of smartphones and alarms that surrounds us in the 21st century. It also appears thatMitchell never really left the universal foundations of blues and jazz. Moreremarkable still upon hearing this latest is the realization that Mitchell continuesto find new approaches of playing experimental and truly free music.—Daniel A. BrownRoscoe Mitchell: The Horn; The Way Home; Bells In The Air; Out There; Scrunch; A Cactus And ARose; Chant; Meadows; A Game Of Catch; Waves; Windows With A View. (66:41)Personnel: Roscoe Mitchell, saxophones, flute (3), percussion; Tyshawn Sorey, percussion and piano(2, 9); Hugh Ragin, trumpet.Ordering info: widehiverecords.com72 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

David Weiss & PointOf DepartureVenture InwardPosi-Tone 8104HHHHDavid Weiss, the innately talented trumpeter, isone of those hybrid-intensive jazz figureswhose identity can be at once slippery andmultifarious. The mystery and mastery continueon his latest release. Among his handfulof ensembles and projects, the band Point OfDeparture takes as its point of departure a historicistmindset that also manages to be rootedin the notion that modernist energies have beenbubbling in past paradigms for decades in jazz.To put a finer point on it, this particularsubtle and fiery quintet, formed in 2006 andjust now releasing its first studio recording,proudly treads boldly in the wake left by suchmodels as the great mid-’60s Miles DavisQuintet. Loosely in the vein of that classicband’s front-line fervor with Davis and WayneShorter, Weiss and tenor saxophonist JD Allenissue assured and never merely showboatingsoloing and ensemble senses, over drummerJamire Williams’ soft-sell propulsive swingand bassist Laques Curtis’ righteous feel (andfeel for for what’s right). The Davis analogybreaks down, but only slightly, with sparemindedand spidery fine guitarist Nir Felder inplace of spare-minded pianist Herbie Hancockin the original, but the comparison stands,respectfully.Perspective-wise, Venture Inward goesbackward and forward, simultaneously. Itgains freshness and purpose by drawing onlesser-known song turf, such as the brightspiritedopening with Hancock’s “I Have ADream” and the coolly urbane moxie of TonyWilliams’ “Black Comedy.” Weiss, whose passionfor icons and underdogs of jazz past ledhim to enable and embrace Freddie Hubbard’slast phase of activity before his death, alsotakes care to bring into the repertoire foldmusic by artists deserving wider recognition.He includes Detroit trumpeter Charles Moore’sintriguing tunes “Number 4” and “Snuck In”alongside Andrew Hill’s compositions. Weissand company give heat and gleam to Hill’saptly named title track and take a sad and lovelyballadic detour with Hill’s “Pax,” whichis wisely arranged by Weiss with an ear forunusual harmonizing with his saxophonist foil.In all, Venture Inward sounds positivelynow, while paying due respects to the attitudesand linguistic manners of then. It adds up to amatter of artistic continuum. —Josef WoodardPoint Of Departure: I Have A Dream; Black Comedy; Number 4;Venture Inward; Pax; Snuck In. (57:00)Personnel: David Weiss, trumpet; J.D. Allen, tenor saxophone; NirFelder, guitar; Luques Curtis, bass; Jamire Williams, drums.Ordering info: posi-tone.com

in Chicago was founded by sculptor and urbanplanner Theaster Gates. Boykin had a sojournas an artist in residence at the center, resultingin this disc. His trio held a week of open rehearsals,and this record was made at a couple of them.Boykin’s music incorporates crisp funk beatsand functional, clearly stated melodies. Thesedon’t sound like compromises so much as sturdystructural elements, which handily frameBoykin’s fluid altissimo explorations and foraysinto rich multiphonics. Alex Wing is no strangerto Boykin’s music, and he works a fair bit ofmelodic adventure into his vamping; the twomen’s fluent soloing is the best thing about thisrecord. But James Woodley seems not to be quitein sync with Wing; the music pulls him along,when it should be the other way around. — Bill MeyerUnknown Known: Unknown Known; Boom Goes The Moon;Settle Down; Look Through It; Eeavening; Pool. (49:37)Personnel: Joshua Abrams, double bass; David Boykin, tenorsaxophone, bass clarinet; Jason Adasiewicz, vibraphone; FrankRosaly, drums.Live At The Dorchester Projects: Walk, Turn, Bat, Shimmy; BlastOff! For Love; Try Harder; Blue Lotus; Star Book; Late Night WithThe David Boykin Trio Theme. (32:30)Personnel: David Boykin, saxophone; Alex Wing, electric bass;James Woodley, drums.Ordering info: rogart.com; sonichealingministries.comJoshua Abrams QuartetUnknown KnownRogue Art 0045HHHHDavid Boykin TrioLive At Dorchester ProjectsSonic Healing Ministries 009HHHIt’s hard to look at the title Unknown Knownwithout thinking of Donald Rumsfeld’s infamousdefense of going to war in Iraq in theabsence of any evidence that the given reason forthe invasion ever existed. It’s hard to escape theconclusion that Rumsfeld really wasn’t listening.Whatever Chicago-based bassist Joshua Abramsthought about the war, he and his musicians dolisten.Abrams is a versatile instrumentalist, as persuasivelaying down swinging rhythms forNicole Mitchell or Jason Stein as he is playingno-net free improvisation with Axel Dörnerand Peter Brötzmann. He’s also a composerand bandleader with catholic interests, as evidencedby the Saharan-influenced grooves of hisensemble Natural Information Society. His threeaccompanists on Unknown Known all appear onthe Society’s last record, but that’s about all thatthe two endeavors have in common. The intentionhere is to showcase Abrams’ compositionsusing a jazz-rooted vocabulary. The album leadsoff with two lengthy tracks built from contrastingpassages, which the group executes with disciplineand precision; “Boom Goes The Moon”opens with a simple, shimmering reverie, thenlurches into a droll shuffle that could come fromthe pen of Henry Threadgill. It then dissolvesinto a tumbling phrase that the group sustainsuntil you wonder just when they’re going to hitthe ground. The record also includes some shortertunes that cohere around a single concept;“Look Through It” brings to mind the yearningway that the John Coltrane Quartet had with aballad (circa 1963).Saxophonist David Boykin, who plays onUnknown Known, leads his own trio on Live AtDorchester Projects. This community arts center

Jan Gabarek/Egberto Gismonti/Charlie HadenMagico: Carta De AmorECM 2280/81HHHRecorded live in Munich in April1981, Magico: Carta De Amor isa live double album from threemusical comrades at the tops oftheir games. The discs meld Latin,Indian and other world sounds with contemporary jazz. The jazz is veryof a period, but still holds up well today. Musically, the trio can be soft,gentle and subtle, as on “Carta De Amor,” or almost prog-rockish inits approach to unison, vertiginous melodies. Intense outbursts of musicaldisplay are contrasted with more reserved performances. On “Spor,”Jan Garabek makes his saxophone bend and sway, while bassist CharlieHaden and guitarist Egberto Gismonti bang on their strings, molding anotherworldly accompaniment. Gabarek is a perfect fit for the dark timbresin the rest of the group. His bright, somewhat adenoidal, sopranosaxophone brightens up the dark presence of Haden and Gismonti.The saxophonist even leads the way on playful exchanges, bendingnotes almost to their breaking point or blithely pushing forward withaggressive displays of 16th notes.Gismonti ranges from careful accompanimentto pointillistic joy in the varied tunes, performing able fingerpickedsupport when switching to guitar. Haden is solid, but brilliant, asthe imposing anchor of the group. —Jon RossMagico: Carta De Amor: Disc One: Carta De Amor; La Pasionaria; Cego Aderaldo; Folk Song; DonQuixote; Spor. (64:16) Disc Two: Branquinho; All That Is Beautiful; Palhaco; Two Folk Songs; Carta DeAmor Variation. (43:38)Personnel: Jan Garbarek, tenor and soprano; Egberto Gismonti, guitar, piano; Charlie Haden, bass.Ordering info: ecmrecords.comEllen RobinsonDon’t Wait Too LongEMR 003HHH1/2There’s nothing extraordinaryabout Ellen Robinson’s voice.It’s an alto comfortable in themiddle dynamic. But turn herloose on songs that have interestingharmonic content andneed emotional interpretation,and Robinson uses her modest voice to great advantage. She swings easily,always sounds relaxed and knows how to subtly phrase to present thematerial in the best light.Recorded live, Robinson shines on Great American Songbook tuneslike “Dance Only With Me,” “But Beautiful” and “Be Careful, It’s MyHeart.” She’s smart enough not to embellish the melodic lines of a goodwriter, and she doesn’t fill up space with meaningless noise. PianistMurray Low’s agreeably dislocated solo on “Almost Like Being InLove” adds an intriguing otherworldly touch and marks him as a candidatefor his own recording. Dead-slow tempos can bog Robinson down;she sounds best with a little rhythm going on. When saxophonist KristenStrom takes one of her well-executed solos on one of these meditativepieces, it’s almost a tonic. The grafting of music onto the Kipling poem“If” points out dichotomies. The words are poetry for the page and don’tlend themselves to musical phrasing. But bassist Sam Bevan turns in anace performance, and Strom dances on soprano. When Robinson wingsa tag line, that’s when she cooks, albeit briefly. —Kirk SilsbeeDon’t Wait Too Long: Dance Only With Me; Soon; If; Almost Like Being In Love; The Storm; You MustBelieve In Spring; Tick Tock; Be Careful, It’s My Heart; Our Day Will Come; Calling You; But Beautiful;Don’t Wait Too Long. (71:58)Personnel: Ellen Robinson, vocals; Kristen Strom, soprano and tenor saxophones; Murray Low,piano, keyboards; Sam Bevan, bass; Dan Foltz, drums.Ordering info: ellenrobinson.comJaleel ShawThe Soundtrack OfThings To ComeChangu Records 002HHH1/2Self-expression and self-reflectionaren’t necessarily a packagedeal. But when they do comewrapped together, it can be aheady combination. A primeexample is Jaleel Shaw’s thirdalbum as a leader. It’s a personalcollection of original compositions that reflect a year’s worth of theartist’s rumination on loss, art and spirituality. Featuring a heavier focuson the propulsive qualities of rhythm and melody and fewer forays intothe atmospheric, tunes on The Soundtrack Of Things To Come are constructeddifferently than those on Shaw’s last release, Optimism, whichshone a bright light on Robert Glasper’s airy Rhodes work. As Shawmines experiences ranging from deaths in the family and unfulfilleddreams to compelling pieces of visual art and dance, his tone remainswarm and engaging, even during the muscular crescendos on “I Wish IDidn’t Know.” Pianist Lawrence Fields’ steadfast comping is calm andcontemplative amid Shaw’s storm of agitation, slow ruminations anchoringmoments of unwanted prescience. “Conclusions” also grapples witha musical expression of difficulty: A plaintive horn part seems to findgradual comfort as the rhythm section echoes its motif. —Jennifer OdellThe Soundtrack Of Things To Come: I Wish I Didn’t Know; Conclusions; Ballerina; The Wheel OfLife; The Understanding; Chroma; Sister; Leel’s Tune; Song For Sid; Faith. (77:57)Personnel: Jaleel Shaw, alto and soprano saxophone; Lawrence Fields, piano; Boris Kozlov, bass;Jonathan Blake, drums.Ordering info: jaleelshaw.com76 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Samuel YirgaGuzoReal World 190HHHHOnce, people outside the Horn ofAfrica would have lacked a frameof reference for a young Ethiopianpianist who blends his soul andjazz influences with the music ofhis homeland. Buda Musique’sEthiopiques series has spent yearsfilling in the context, though, and it’s possible to hear Guzo in a historicalcontext. It stacks up well next to the best music of Swinging Addis.This is Samuel Yirga’s second solo album, recorded in Addis Ababa andLondon with collaborators ranging from Ethiopian folk musicians to aCuban choir to fellow members of Dub Colossus. Yirga knows his wayaround the left side of the piano; his heavy low-end playing grounds thefull-band pieces with a pleasingly dark undercurrent as saxophone andthe fiddle-esque messenqo swirl above, engaging his right hand in fierydebate. His three solo piano pieces show huge range: “Drop Me There”is crystalline and delicate, “Yeh Bati Koyita” is Ethio-blues and “Dancewith the Legend” is as fluid as Keith Jarrett in Köln. —Joe TangariGuzo: Abet Abet (Punt Mix); Tiwista (Tinish Mix); Firma Ena Wereket; Ye Bati Koyita; Nou Se Soleil; I AmThe Black Gold Of The Sun; My Head; Drop Me There; The Blues Of Wollo (Dessye Mix); AfricanDiaspora (bonus track). (63:04)Personnel: Samuel Yirga, piano, Hammond organ, Fender Rhodes, keyboards, whistling; MissaleLegesse, kebero; Endris Hassan, messenqo; Frew Mengiste, bass; Yonas Yimam, percussion; GenetMasresha, vocals (10); Tewodros Alula, trumpet; Yishak Dawit, trombone; Aklilu W/Yohannes, tenorsax; Ben Somers, tenor and baritone saxes, flute; Bernard O’Neill, double bass; Creole Choir of Cuba,vocals; Clark Tracey, drums (2); Dubulah, guitars, backing vocals, programming; Feleke Hailu, tenorsaxophone; Greg Freeman, hand percussion; Jonathan Radcliffe, trumpet, flugelhorn; Mel Gareh, vocals(6); Nicolette, vocals; Neil Waters, trumpet, flugelhorn; Nick van Gelder, drums, cuica; Paul Chivers,congos, percussion; Robert Dowell, trombone; Toby Mills, tambourine, claps, congas, djembe;Winston Blissett, bass.Ordering info: realworldrecords.comEmilio TeubalMusica Para UnDragon DormidoBJU Records 037HHH1/2Emilo Teubal’s Musica ParaUn Dragon Dormido soundsas multicultural as the lineupresponsible for its creation.Comprising musiciansnative to Spain, Japan andUnited States, the ensemble treats the effort as a globe-trotting escapade.Strong hints of Argentinean influences flavoring Teubal’s previousworks appear throughout. Teubal treats formalism as entrances for surpriseand the occasional improvisational burst. He tends to take minorsteps in walking out a song’s progression. As such, it’s easy to mistakethe record’s patient elegance for overt smoothness. Spaciousness—andTeubal’s relaxed command at the piano, granting cohorts openings tocolor delicate textures and dance-baiting time signatures—belies theslight temptation to think the fare belongs in the easy-listening category.The group rarely gets noisy, but a loose friskiness keeps balances interesting.And Teubal uses codas as a race-car driver would a manual gearshift.They allow tunes to angle, turn, accelerate and coast in numerousways prohibited by a straightforward approach. On “Un Simple Objeto,”vibrant exchanges beget a percussive parade that evokes the slinkymovements of the beast referenced in the album title. —Bob GendronMusica Para Un Dragon Dormido: Un Simple Objeto; The Constant Reinventor; El Tema De Ludmila;El Acrobata; Un Dragon Dormido; La Espera; Nikko; La Perla; Milonga Para Terminar. (50:33)Personnel: Emilio Teubal, piano, Korg SV-1; Sam Sadigursky, clarinet, tenor and soprano sax, bassclarinet, flute; John Hadfield, percussion; Moto Fukushima, six-string electric bass; Erik Friedlander,cello; Satoshi Takeishi, percussion, cajon.Ordering info: bjurecords.com

Historical / john mcdonoughLouis Armstrongdownbeat archivesSatchmo’s Sounds for the AgesWhen Louis Armstrong dumped his big band in1947, it was no surprise. Everybody was dumpingtheir big bands then. For some swing-era starsit was a demotion to the low-rent combo districtof the business. For Armstrong, though, was it anopportunity—a return to the classic form that hadshaped his legend, then disappeared too soon.Satchmo At Symphony Hall/65th Anniversary:The Complete Performances (Hip-OSelect 602537038213; 62:00/56:20 HHHH)catches the primal vigor of his new “concert group”three months after it became a working unit. Recordedby impresario Ernest Anderson in November1947, it was released by Decca in 1951 shortlyafter Benny Goodman’s Carnegie Hall LPs hadwhetted the appetite of major labels for live recordings.Armstrong could not have hoped for a greaterpartner in his front line than trombone giant JackTeagarden, whose bobbing counterpoint lacesArmstrong’s lead with elegant filigrees. If you wantto understand why he was the greatest pre-boptrombonist in jazz, these and other early All-Starsconcerts showcase his unique voice and attackbeautifully. Nor could Armstrong have had a moreresponsive drummer than Sid Catlett, who coulditalicize the subtlest space or turn of phrase with thering of a rim shot or a nonchalant swish of a cymbalbackbeat. His performance flexes and breathes. Listento his long, patient solo variations around thebeat on “Steak Face.”Armstrong sounds superb. Inspired by the pliantrecoil of Catlett’s relaxed power, he is loose, struttingand full of crackle—though his content by now wasoften locked in the unchanging matrix of musclememory. It’s as if he had one master blues solo out ofwhich all others were constructed. Compare the excellent“Muskrat Ramble” here to one he made eightyears later for the Ambassador Satch LP, and you’llhear many of the same licks and ensemble riffs. Audiencesat Symphony Hall perhaps doubtless believedthey were in on a jam session. But, in fact, theywere hearing arrangements, some of which had notchanged significantly in years. Though only togetherfor three months, the All-Stars were already a tightact, having adopted little pieces of stage businessthat charmed as well as excited.The original Decca issue contained 18 songs.This edition has eight more, though only four completeperformances. Three are well worth having: apredictable but bravado set piece on “Back O’ Town,”a lazy figure-skate through “St. James Infirmary” featuringTeagarden and a jaunty duet on “Jack ArmstrongBlues.” Dick Cary’s piano solo on “Royal Garden,”cut from the original issue, is also restored. Therest is concert ambiance: assorted introductions,brief theme statements, even musicians tuning up.Unfortunately, the production is unusually carelessfor a major label. Two tunes are cut, along with severalof the announcements. While applause shouldhave provided unbroken continuity from one tuneto another, each title is abruptly cut off without evena fade. Ricky Riccardi provides an informative essayupdating the original notes.Some of the repertoire the All-Stars playedin 1947 originated during the period covered inLouis Armstrong: The OKeh, Columbia & RCAVictor Recordings—1925–1933 (Sony/Legacy88697945652; HHHHH), a 10-CD set that is themost comprehensive collection ever assembled ofArmstrong’s most decisive and innovative years.Though it contains no “finds,” it brings into one compactbox the 174 sides he made as leader (plus fiveaccompaniments) from his arrival at OKeh with hisHot Five to his departure from RCA as a fully settledand mature artist. It’s a brief but epic journey thatcharts the emergence of jazz, led by Armstrong, fromthe ensembles of New Orleans tradition to a solo artto be shaped by a handful of individuals. Armstronghimself grows into a great dramatist, finding thateven something as simple as a static blues can havethe grand emotional arc of a heroic story with a beginning,middle and climactic end (“Tight Like This,”“West End Blues”). More than that even, beginningwith his “I Can’t Give You Anything But Love,” theserecords seal the historic convergence of jazz and theAmerican Song Book and the future of jazz as a majorart form. DBOrdering info: hip-oselect.com; legacyrecordings.com

Ben SidranDon’t Cry For NoHipsterNardisHHHHSome Boomers may claimBob Dylan, Joni Mitchellor Smokey Robinson asthe voice of their generation.Jazzers of a certain agemight well find themselvesdrawn to Ben Sidran to fill that role. He mixes the right amount of cynicismand self-satisfaction in this strong state-of-the-hipster document.Like Dave Frishberg and Mose Allison, Sidran makes great use ofcontemporary concepts to take swipes at where senior citizens findthemselves. On the grooving “Private Guy” he rejects the dominant tellallculture in favor of quietly getting on with things. This introspectionmight be a bit too solipsistic were it not for the sly humor in Sidran’svoice. The band also shines, particularly guitarist Will Bernard, whoweaves funky lines through the largely instrumental “Can We Talk”and burns in an understated style on “Private Guy.” Sidran explores aless ironic side with a bluesy take on spirituality (“In The Beginning”)and a straightahead interpretation of Thelonious Monk’s “Reflections.”Best of all is Sidran’s swaggering take on “Sixteen Tons,” which topsTennessee Ernie Ford’s signature version of the song and positions it asa timeless view of the hipster’s eternal struggle. —James HaleDon’t Cry For No Hipster: Back Nine; Brand New Music; Don’t Cry For No Hipster; At Least We GotTo The Race; Can We Talk; In The Beginning; It Don’t Get No Better; Dying Anyway; Private Guy;Reflections; Take A Little Hit; Sixteen Tons; Rich Interior Life; Hooglin’. (54:23)Personnel: Ben Sidran, piano, electric piano, organ, vocals; Will Bernard, guitar; John Ellis (2, 5, 14),Mark Shim (4, 10, 14), tenor saxophone; Tim Luntzel, Orlando Le Fleming (4, 8 11), bass; Leo Sidran,drums; Moses Patrou, percussion; Trixie Waterbed, vocals.Ordering info: bensidran.comMaucha Adnet/Helo AlvesMilagreZoho 201302HHHHMuacha Adnet’s third album as aleader groups together a numberof Brazilian jazz tunes, pairs herwith longtime collaborator HelioAlves and lets the duets speak forthemselves. Milagre presents ajazz vocalist at the height of her powers supported by a superlative soloistand encouraging accompanist. The two seem at home together, withAdnet’s deep alto dancing lightly over Alves’ precise rubato rhythms.The two give intimate, superb performances of compositions pennedby Antônio Carlos Jobim, Gilberto Gil and other masters. Adnet pickedup her innate understanding of the music while touring with Jobim formore than a decade, and her close study and countless performances arestamped on each tune. “Waters Of March” stands out as one of the onlyEnglish tunes on the disc but is also notable for the casual ease of tempo.The tune’s accompaniment skips along, never rushing, and Adnet is ableto lay on the back of the beat, nearly creating a rhythmic tension thatmakes the song one of the best on the record. The two also perform lesser-knownnumbers, such as the playful “April Child” and the breezy titletune. They seem to work best at a fast clip of a tempo, and the disc isfull of uptempo, danceable music, but ballads like “Desafinada” are alsobeautiful in their slower pace. —Jon RossMilagre: O Cantador; Eu Vim Da Bahia; Waters Of March; Gabriela; Retrato Em Branco E Preto;Coracao Vagabundo; Caminhos Cruzados; Vale Do Ribeira; Desafinada; Amor Infinito/Bons Amigos;Milagre; Tico-Tico No Fuba; Canto Triste; April Child. (57:26)Personnel: Maucha Adnet, vocals; Helio Alves: piano.Ordering info: zohomusic.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 79

Akiko Pavolka &House of IllusionMahorobaFresh Sound/New Talent 409HHH1/2With Mahoroba, the Japanese-born and NewYork-based singer/pianist Akiko Pavolka hasconjured up a culture-stitching sound. Withher understated vocals, she wraps her timbrearound distinctive melodies off to the side ofpop and jazz structures and harmonies. HerJapanese lyrics somehow convey strong emotivemoods despite our lack of contextualunderstanding.The company she keeps contributes greatlyto the whole of the musical character here. Herband, known as House of Illusion, does muchto fill in the colors and textural diversity ofthe sound, between alto saxophonist LorenStillman’s and guitarist Nate Radley’s suppleand limber solo turns, and the tasteful dynamicsof bassist Matt Pavolka and drummer BillCampbell. For extra texture, Guillermo Kleinabets the leader’s foundational acoustic pianoparts with washes of Wurlitzer electric piano.Elements of worldly influences beyondJapan and New York figure into the album’spalette. With “Alfama,” Pavolka pays tributeto the rambling old quarter of Lisbon, a homeof the plaintive fado, and there is a mournfulpatina to the song that makes it sound vaguelyfado-related. “Macaroni Western,” despiteits cheeky Ennio Morricone-esque title, is lesscampy than hypnotic, with its brief vocal partsegueing into an extended instrumental sectionin a cycle of 11 beats. The epic “Immigrants,”which grows from an ambient opening to anintensifying song structural arc, refers to herown itinerant life, and migrates in musicalterms. The closing title track, “Mahoroba,” hasa few Kurt Weill-ish melodic twists in a melodylaid out over a sensuous series of tollingpiano chords.—Josef WoodardMahoroba: Alfama; Child Of Summer; Immigrants; MacaroniWestern; Tango; Pulse; Mahoroba. (47:46)Personnel: Akiko Pavolka, vocals and piano; Loren Stillman, altosaxophone; Guillermo Klein, wurlitzer electric piano and vocal (7);Matt Radley, guitars; Matt Pavolka, bass; Bill Campbell, drums.Ordering info: freshsoundrecords.com80 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Books / By jennifer odellLife of anOverlookedBandleaderThe way the story of early New Orleans jazz is oftentold, there’s a gap between Buddy Bolden, whosebrief career ended with his institutionalization in1907, and the recordings made by Joe “King” Oliver,Jelly Roll Morton and Louis Armstrong in theearly ’20s. What gets glossed over are key facets ofthe music’s development: With Bolden suddenlyout of the picture, how did his danceable bluesand gutbucket wails continue to inspire bands toplay “hot,” polyphonic music interspersed with solos?What made that music catch on and spreadbeyond race lines and outside of the CrescentCity? What legacies from this early period latercontributed to the death of the Jazz Age?As John McCusker writes in Creole Trombone:Kid Ory And The Early Years Of Jazz(University Press Of Mississippi), the life ofone largely overlooked bandleader is a testamentto this turning point in jazz that helps answerthese questions. McCusker states, this is the“story of a jazz musician arriving on the scene atthe same time as the music itself. The man andthe music came up together, reached maturitytogether and, ultimately, faded from the scenetogether.”A longtime photojournalist for the New OrleansTimes-Picayune who moonlighted as a jazzhistory tour guide, McCusker’s pursuit of informationabout Ory began in the mid-’90s aftersomeone in his group challenged his dismissiveremarks about the trombonist’s importance. Mc-Cusker consulted with Bruce Raeburn at TulaneUniversity’s Hogan Jazz Archive, who agreed withthe tourist, positing that Edward “Kid” Ory’s careerwas vital to the development of jazz. Raeburn’ssuggestion prompted a 15-year researchodyssey for McCusker, who worked through—and in part, inspired by—the loss of his home andpossessions in 2005, and of his wife just a fewyears later.Using oral histories, recordings and what hedescribes as “loose pages” from an unfinishedOry autobiography, McCusker pieces togetherthe story of a driven young musician who helpedusher in the era of so-called “hot” playing, cherry-pickedand nurtured the talents of Armstrongand Oliver, and eventually made the first recordingsby an all-black New Orleans jazz band. Ory’searly recordings, both as a leader and in bandsled by Armstrong and Morton, are covered here(along with an in-depth discography), as is hisrole in the 1940s revival of traditional New Orleansjazz. But the picture McCusker paints ofLouisiana’s music scene from 1900–1919 is thebook’s highlight.An early follower of Bolden and an astutestudent of both the music and the music business,Ory’s path was self-determined. He formeda band in his rural hometown of LaPlace, La., withhomemade instruments and wrangled gigs atfish fries and picnics until he could buy real instrumentsfor his young group, who frequentlystole off into the night in search of visiting bandssuch as those led by Bolden or John Robichaux.Ory showed leadership skills from the outset,taking careful notice of variances in style,set-building techniques and, in McCusker’swords, the “cutthroat and bargain basement” natureof New Orleans’ music scene. He combinedthe most successful elements of everything helearned and plowed ahead with a business acumenas sharp as his musicianship.During “cutting contests,” where wagonscarrying bands to advertise shows would battleone another with music, Ory became notoriousfor pushing his group to win. He promoted hisown shows, finding crafty ways with few resourcesto cut out competition. His tenacity in playingfor diverse audiences helped him create whatArmstrong called “one of the hottest jazz bandsthat ever hit New Orleans.” (Giving Satchmo hisfirst steady gig didn’t hurt.)McCusker also offers an honest picture ofthe murky meanings of the term “Creole” fromone parish or one New Orleans neighborhoodto another during that time. Sight-reading Creolemusicians in places like the Seventh Ward,for example, played a different style than the Uptownplayers Ory identified with, despite his ownmixed-race heritage.Creole Trombone fills a needed hole in researchabout one of the period’s most importantbandleaders. But the story of Ory’s success—and, after his move to California in 1919, his slowmovement out of the picture until the 1940s—tells as much about the artist as it does about thedevelopment of the music and of New Orleans asa cultural center, making it a crucial text in thecanon of Crescent City jazz history. DBOrdering info: upress.state.ms.us

Jimmy HerringSubject To ChangeWithout NoticeAbstract Logix 025HHHH1/2While a small tag on the back of this CD reads“File Under Rock,” this ambitious all-starladenouting by the pyrotechnic six-stringerfalls more into the “Beyond” category. A formermember of the Allman Brothers Bandand current lead guitarist for the popular jamband Widespread Panic, multifaceted virtuosoHerring demonstrates a solid command ofWestern Swing (“Red Wing Special”), greasy’70s funk (a blues-drenched take on JimmyMcGriff’s “Miss Poopie”) and Indian-flavoredexotica (a brilliant cover of George Harrison’smysterious “Within You Without You” that hashim channeling his inner Allan Holdsworth onan adventurous solo).Herring’s striking originals like the psychedelic,Mahavishnu-meets-Dixie-Dregs jam“Kaleidoscope Carousel” and the moving, gospeltinged “Aberdeen,” which recalls the lyricallift of some of Eric Johnson’s more rhapsodicinstrumentals, demonstrate the scope of hisopen-minded musicality on his second releaseas a leader. He switches to steel string acousticguitar for the affecting ballad “Emerald,”which is underscored by John Keane’s atmosphericpedal steel work, then nonchalantlyblows over a myriad of changes on the uptempoburner “12 Keys,” which is paced byMatt Slocum’s hard-driving organ, EtienneM’Bappe’s urgently walking electric basslines and Jeff Sipe’s insistently swinging pulseon the kit. One-time Mahavishnu Orchestramember Bill Evans contributes potent tenorwork on an interesting interpretation of JohnMcLaughlin’s opus “Hope,” which has Herringflashing mondo chops. The guitarist brandishessome mean flat-picking technique along withsome Merle Travis licks and Jimmy Bryantstyledcountrified Telecaster twang on the briskhoedown “Curfew,” which also features anappearance from banjo ace Béla Fleck. Andhe pulls out his nastiest toe-curling licks on thefunky closer “Bilgewater Blues.” A revelationfrom the great beyond. —Bill MilkowskiSubject To Change Without Notice: Red Wing Special, KaleidoscopeCarousel; Aberdeen; Within You Without You; Miss Poopie;Emerald Garden; 12 Keys; Hope; Curfew; Bilgewater Blues. (60:38)Personnel: Jimmy Herring, guitar; Neal Fountain, bass; EtienneM’Bappe, bass; Jeff Sipe, drums; Matt Slocum, organ; Bill Evans,tenor sax; Béla Fleck, banjo; Tyler Greenwell, drums; Carter Herring,cello; Nicky Sanders, fiddle; Ike Stubblefield, organ; John Keane,pedal steel.Ordering info: abstractlogix.comAlex ClineFor People In SorrowCryptogramophone 146HHAlex Cline’s heart is in the right place. The percussionistheard the Art Ensemble of Chicago’s“People In Sorrow” in high school and creditsthe piece for helping him get him through atrying period. Having contemplated staging aninterpretation for years, he realized his dreamin 2011 at the Angel City Jazz Festival, whichis documented on this combination CD/DVDpackage.Cline’s reading acknowledges passages inthe original version and adds new elements.Prefaced with a poem by Larry Ward, the renditiontacks on more than 20 minutes to a piecethat already asks large demands of the listener.The biggest deviation comes courtesy of amystic Buddhist chant by Sister Dang Nghiem.Intended to reinforce spiritual undercurrents,it distracts, contributing to the sense thatCline tries to do too much. Multiple sequencesof “People In Sorrow” invite freeform playingyet lack cohesion. An urge for spontaneityruns up against the need to obey the conductor’sdirections. Saving grace arrives via recur-rent themes that cycle throughout, allowingfor soloing from each instrumentalist. G.E.Stinson’s growling guitar lead at the midwaypoint, a short percussive flurry and wailinghorn swell provide highlights. They exude afire that occurs too infrequently over the courseof this performance. —Bob GendronFor People In Sorrow: A Wild Thing; People In Sorrow. (67:44)Personnel: Oliver Lake, saxophones, flute; Vinny Goila, woodwinds;Dan Clucas, cornet, flute; Dwight Trible, voice; Jeff Gauthier,electric violin; Maggie Parkins, cello; Mark Dresser, bass; Myra Melford,piano, harmonium; Zeena Parkins, harp; G.E. Stinson, electricguitar, electronics; Alex Cline, percussion; Sister Dang Nghiem,chant, bell; Larry Ward, recitation; Will Salmon, conductor.Ordering info: cryptotv.com82 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

most dynamic element, aside from momentswhere bassist Salvatore Maiore steps forward.When he does so about five minutes into thetitle cut, Battaglia and Dani fade so far backthat for a while the bass stands alone in a spacewhere time itself has stopped.This sense of stasis permeates even“Armonia,” a 13-minute tour de force witha chorus, if that’s the right word, in whicha series of I–IV chords descend, with a surprisingand satisfying major third triad in itsmidst. Yet even this movement passes like abrief lift in a breeze.More often, in Battaglia’s bare-bonesaccompaniments or exotically evocativethemes on pieces such as the Iberian-inflected“Ismaro,” it feels more like listeners are on ahilltop, taking in the panorama on a windlessday—or taking the time at a gallery to appreciatea painting, enigmatic but beautiful. Thatis never a bad place to be at all. —Bob DoerschukSongways: Euphonia Elegy; Ismaro, Vondervotteimittis; Armonia;Mildendo Wide Song; Monte Analogo; Abdias; Songways;Perla; Babel Hymn. (78:08)Personnel: Stefano Battaglia, piano; Salvatore Maiore; bass;Roberto Dani, drums.Ordering info: ecmrecords.comStefano Battaglia TrioSongwaysECM 3724554HHH1/2Hang around the art museum and it’s likelyyou’ll hear someone express opinions aboutone or another work through analogy. Amonumental painting might be comparedto a symphony, an M.C. Escher engravingto a dissonant fugue, a Jackson Pollock tothe abstract intensities of a Cecil Taylorimprovisation.These sorts of comparisons probablyreflect an intention to invest such works withthe energy of movement. For all the activitysplashed across a canvas, that canvas ends uplocked in a frame and hung on a wall. Evenso, it might stir ideas of movement in theviewer’s mind, whether literally as in MarcelDuchamp’s famous “Nude Descending AStaircase, No. 2” or through William Turner’sviolently poetic storms at sea.What, then, can one say about thereverse—about music that feels motionless?Listening to ECM veteran pianist StefanoBattaglia and his trio on Songways, the wordsthat come to mind suggest visual more thanthan musical references. When there is movement,it is like shadow wafting across an otherwiseunchanging landscape. More often,the sound hangs in the air, a suspension offifths, spare drum taps and cymbal rolls, withisolated bass notes delineating a slow flow ofchords, passing like clouds.The picture, or the music, is breathlesslybeautiful. There’s ample open space, thanksto Battaglia’s extremely restrained performance.This makes every element in themix as critical as each dot in a GeorgesSeurat composition. You hear every cymbalting, muffled tom thump and tiny bellchime played by drummer Roberto Dani;on “Vondervotteimittis” and elsewhere,he adds some noises that suggest draggingsomething metallic across a couple inchesof concrete floor. Their mystery adds asmall but dramatic color to the trio’s overallpalette.On most of Songways, Dani’s drums are theJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 83

Rob Mazurek OctetSkull SessionsCuneiform 349HHHHChicago cornetist Rob Mazurek has formednumerous ensembles with shared personnel andmusical concepts, retrofitting compositions andstructures for different settings. Skull Sessions,recorded live in São Paulo, Brazil, is billed tothe Rob Mazurek Octet and it deftly demonstratesthis almost modular approach, bringingtogether players from his Chicago-based outfitsStarlicker, Exploding Star Orchestra andSound Is with his South American unit SãoPaulo Underground. Some of the five compositionshere were repurposed from some ofthose other ensembles, but ultimately the materialhas been so reconceived it may as well beall new.Mazurek has become focused on ultra-saturatedcanvases of sound, directing his bandsto create loud, dense, resonant and collision-pronecollages that achieve a cumulativepower, and this configuration brings remarkablefirepower to that concept. The band wasassembled to perform in conjunction with aninteractive art exhibition devoted to MilesDavis called “We Want Miles,” but the cornetisteschews any direct tribute apart from aloose affinity for the trumpeter’s late electricmusic. Most of the pieces are episodic withdiscrete sections emerging in thick masses ofsound—there are passages where one or twoinstrumentalists occupy the front line, such asthe braided flute of Nicole Mitchell and electricguitar of Carlos Issa on “Voodoo And ThePetrified Forest”—but within regular accretionand subtraction all of the musicians areengaged in rigorous improvisation most of thetime. Mazurek’s bright melodic instincts areroutinely scuffed up and darkened by the thick,roiling action, but here and there his love forthe folk-like melodies of Don Cherry can’t besuppressed, as on the opening section of “SkullCaves Of Alderon,” a generous, irresistible lineover a churning synth-fueled groove that opensup in a stomp encrusted with layers of soundlike the external walls of an old building thickin disparate colors of paint. —Peter MargasakSkull Sessions: Galactic Ice Skeleton; Voodoo And The PetrifiedForest; Passing Light Screams; Skull Caves Of Alderon; KeepingThe Light Up. (65:41)Personnel: Rob Mazurek, cornet, ring modulator; Nicole Mitchell,piccolo, flute, voice; John Herndon, drums; Jason Adasiewicz,vibraphone; Mauricio Takara, cavaquinho, percussion; GuilhermeGranado, keyboards, electronics; Thomas Rohrer, rabeca, C melodysaxophone; Carlos Issa, guitar, electronics.Ordering info: cuneiformrecords.comSubscribe877-904-JAZZSean NowellThe Kung-Fu MastersPosi-Tone 8106HHH1/2Sean Nowell is an enterprising tenor saxophonistfrom Birmingham, Ala. Based in New York, thisis Nowell’s fourth Posi-Tone release. It hits with athrilling acid-jazz smackdown on Jimi Hendrix’s“Crosstown Traffic,” although the band prefersthe trendier term “jazztronica.” The initial tastedrums up the Greyboy Allstars or one of KarlDenson’s projects. Nowell’s electrically modifiedtenor quacks out a funky solo before AdamKlipple’s percussive organ. It’s tight and exciting.Subsequent tracks are Nowell originals with thebrass section, and saliently, trombonist MichaelDease, sprouting out from Evan Marien’s suspendedbass groove on “In The Shikshteesh.”The keyboard players jockey between organ,Fender Rhodes and effects, and the vibe percolatesunder call-and-response fanfares beforebreaks that remind fleetingly of the AverageWhite Band’s “Pick Up The Pieces.”Suggested by Nowell’s lotus stance on thecover, the leader is partial to sustaining theequilibrium of the septet’s varied elements.The head to “Mantis Style” is more chop-sy with a deft quote from “Invitation” kickingoff the keyboard solo. Nimble bassist Marienand energetic drummer Djordjevic are integral.The ominous grind and metallic effectsof “The Outside World” are not the stuff of theShaolin Temple. —Michael JacksonThe Kung-Fu Masters: Crosstown Traffic; In The Shikshteesh;For All Intensive Purposes; Mantis Style; The Outside World; Prosperity;The 55th Chamber; Uncrumplable; Song Of The Southland;Can Do Man. (51:24)Personnel: Sean Nowell, tenor saxophone; Brad Mason, trumpet;Michael Dease, trombone; Art Hirahara, keyboards; Adam Klipple,organ and keyboards; Evan Marien, bass; Marko Djordjevic, drums.Ordering info: posi-tone.com84 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

fuse things, British guitarist Fred Frith is in onthe proceedings, adding aching, articulate criessubsequently and otherwise. It all fits. Savingthe best for last, the closing two tracks, “HitsOf Sunshine” and “Theresa’s Sound-World,”are kick-ass Sonic Youth covers recorded live,giving the album another welcome dose of theunpredictable, true to the spirit of experimentalrock as much as jazz.This Swiss band of 30-somethings has fourprevious albums under its belt, with a certainaffection for the music of Sonic Youth (checkout It’s A Sonic Life from 2010). Calling theCD Revolution may be an overstatement, butwhen you reflect on what’s out there thesedays, working from the inside-out—perhapsbest exemplified by the bouncy, tuneful radiohit “Tempelhof,” the trio bereft of any of thatjazzy, chops-laden “showing off”—sometimessimpler just might be more satisfyingly complex.—John EphlandRevolution: Berlin Blues; Massage The History Again; Milk; Alice InThe Sky; Kaonashi; False Awakening; Tempelhof; Hits Of Sunshine;Theresa’s Sound-World. (47:11)Personnel: Stefan Rusconi, piano, space echo/preparation,choirs; Claudio Struby, double bass, distortion/feedback, choirs;Fabian Gisler, drum, tape, glockenspiel, choirs.Ordering info: beejazz.comRusconiRevolutionBee Jazz 056HHHHAt first, this group reminded me of the quizzicalrenegade trio The Bad Plus (with a nod toE.S.T.). But, as I ventured forth into this program,I realized that Rusconi’s Revolutioncomes across more as a storybook and less asa collection of quirky, trailblazing songs, quiteunlike those aforementioned notables. Yet eventhough there are nine pieces here, where theybegin and end wasn’t so clear.Which had me thinking about how it’s gotto be hard to play this kind of pop-inflected jazzwith so much improv: Claudio Struby, FabianGisler and Stefan Rusconi must know eachother’s musical selves, inside and out. “BerlinBlues” starts everything with a sweet cadencebefore it twists sideways, then goes in anotherdirection with some whiney voices beforereturning to the main theme statement; then thepretzel position returns before Rusconi’s serenepiano chords set the stage for the song to meanderinto “Massage The History Again.” It’sconventional-sounding instrumental pop witha light backbeat, but, based on what’s alreadycome before, you know something’s going tobe in arrears sooner or later.There’s a definite break after the tuneful“Massage” before listeners are treated to moreacoustic piano that sounds like it’s down thehall and not in the room with you on “Milk.”Slightly groovy, medium-tempo stuff beforeit dovetails into something more raucous, thetrio seems to be into dynamics, mood, a bit oflyrical playing. “Alice In The Sky” is a highlightwith more patterned piano and certainstudio effects that create dreamy images drivenby Gisler’s distortion/feedback on acousticbass. It’s more of that playing around withthe rules of a supposed “acoustic jazz pianotrio.” The playing is straightforward, nothingflashy; it’s not about chops, per se, but,it seems, about coming up with somethingtogether, based on their various influences(add the likes of Paul Bley, Flying Lotus, MilesDavis, Richard Strauss, not to mention other artforms). “Alice,” with its friendly progressions,sounds like a standard in the making. To con-

MASTER CLASSWoodshed By brad goodeBrad GoodeExtensions,Superimpositionand PolytonalityWhen Charlie Parker, Dizzy Gillespieand Thelonious Monk began emphasizingupper-structure tertian chordtones in their improvised lines and chord voicings,they were suggesting a harmonic directionfor jazz that mirrored the experimentationof many of their mid-20th century classical contemporaries.These notes did not violate the rulesof tertian chords but extended the chords upwardto include ninths, 11ths and 13ths. Used in variouscombinations, the underlying implication ofthese choices could be the coexistence of multiplekey centers or, at the very least, the suggestionof the superimposition of one key upon another.Bird described his awakening to these possibilitiesin an interview in the 1955 book HearMe Talkin’ To Ya: The Story Of Jazz As Told ByThe Men Who Made It (Dover Publications):“I’d been getting bored with the stereotypedchanges that were being used all the time,” hesaid. “I found that by using the higher intervalsof a chord as a melody line and backing themwith appropriately related changes I could playthe thing I’d been hearing. I came alive.”Parker’s lines tend to follow the strong beat/weak beat principles of melodic construction,wherein chord tones are usually placed directlyon the beats in his eighth-note lines. By placingthe upper extensions on the beat, he draws greaterattention to those sounds than they would garnerif he had used them as passing tones. In his1942 “Cherokee” solo, you can hear him masterfullyusing this technique.Building on this tradition of controlled dissonance,players in the next generation after Birddealt with the implication of bitonality moredirectly, by using superimposed chords or scales.Perhaps the most detail-oriented approach waspresented by Eddie Harris, in his “intervallisticsystem.” While many contemporary playersuse “triad pairs” for upper-structure superimposition,Harris presented a more exhaustivemethod for the superimposition of triads ontoseventh chords; for example, there are 17 possiblesuperimposed triads that may be applied to adominant seventh chord that would suggest oneor more upper-structure tones, without soundingany non-chord tones. While Harris’ bookIntervallistic Concept: Saxophone (CharlesColin) remains a bit vague as to how to applythese triads, his playing provides a phenomenalexample of the effect this shifting superimpositiontechnique can have on an improvised line.Example 1He goes further than Gillespie, Parker and Monk.He is not merely implying bitonality—he is usingit directly and purposefully to create color andtension in his lines.Years ago, after spending a great deal of timeplaying together and talking with Harris, I beganto explore the possibilities of superimposing fullseventh chords onto other seventh chords. Whilea D major triad superimposed upon a C majorseventh chord strongly suggests the second key,I began to examine the possibility of includinghigher notes: for example, the major seventh ofthe D major against the C major. This more dramaticallydifferentiates the second key. Whilethe C# would traditionally be perceived as a nonchordtone in the key of C major, the support ofthe thirds stacked beneath it in the superimposedkey has the effect of making it sound more tonal.In tertian terms, it might be described as a sharp15th; however, rather than invent my own nomenclature,I thought it would be better to describethis structure as a polychord by utilizing slashchordsymbols. (See Example 1.)When improvising on traditional chord structures,I am now using such superimpositions toadd color to the chords. Over time, I’ve workedout a system of superimposed seventh chords thatinclude not only the commonly accepted extensions,but tones that go beyond the 13th. In constructingmy lines, I highlight members of bothchords—the upper chord of the slash-chord andthe lower chord. Depending on how I decideto use tension or release, I may begin with theupper chord and resolve to the lower, stay onlyon the upper chord or construct intervallic linesthat move freely between members of each. (SeeExample 2.)I also use this system as a method for polytonalreharmonization. I treat the lower chordsas the functional changes, utilizing the superimposedseventh chords to add texture, dissonanceand tension. In choosing which superimpositionsto apply, I take into account not only the sound ofeach composite structure, but the voice-leadingrelationships between the upper-structure chords86 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Example 2Example 3themselves. In this way, I’ve been able to achievethe effect of two progressions sounding simultaneously.On the recordings Polytonal DanceParty (Origin, 2008) and Chicago Red (Origin,2013), I approached the issue of distribution byasking the bassist to play only the lower structure,the guitarist to play only the upper structureand the pianist to play the composite polychord.Each soloist is free to deal with the harmony ashe chooses.On the album Tight Like This (Delmark,2010), I used the polytonal Ssystem to reharmonizethe Walter Donaldson song “Changes.”(See Example 3.) Originally a vehicle for,and also about, Bix Beiderbecke’s masteryof harmony, I enjoyed adding more changesto a tune that is already about changes. The“Countdown” progression on the bridge servesto take this inside joke a bit further. The topparts of the slash-chords have their own interrelationships.I encourage you to experimentwith these concepts yourself. DBTrumpeter Brad Goode served apprenticeships with jazzmasters Von Freeman, Eddie Harris and Ira Sullivan. Hecurrently serves as Associate Professor of Jazz Studies atThe University of Colorado, and he freelances as a leadtrumpeter and bassist. His latest recording is Chicago Red(Origin, 2013). Visit him online at bradgoode.com.JUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 87

soloWoodshed By jimi dursoCharlie HadenCharlie Haden’s LyricalBass Solo on ‘Silence’Charlie Haden’s composition “Silence” mustbe a favorite of his. As the Invitation Seriesartist at the Montreal Jazz Festival in 1989,the bassist and bandleader performed the song atthree of his concerts, each with different instrumentalconfigurations. The version presented herefeatures a trio with pianist Gonzalo Rubalcabaand drummer Paul Motian; it can be heard on TheMontreal Tapes: With Gonzalo Rubalcaba AndPaul Motian (Polygram, 1998).The song is an eight-measure chord sequence,played at a fairly slow tempo. After starting withblock chords on the piano with minimal bass anddrums accompaniment, Haden starts his basssolo at about one minute into the performance.He commences roughly a measure before thestart of the form, creating a nice jump-off, andthen leaves a half measure of silence at the beginningof the form, creating a musical surprise.Haden then plays through the form five timesbefore giving it over to Rubalcaba. Some interestingbroad strokes: It’s the middle chorus (number3) in which Haden goes up into the upper registerof the bass, and the highest note played in this solo(the high Fb sustained across measures 22 and 23)is in the middle of that chorus, putting this highestnote at the exact midpoint of his solo. And afterthis chorus, Haden comes down into the middlerange for the next eight bars, and then goes downto the lower range for his final eight, setting upa nice transition into the piano solo. It’s also testamentto Haden’s fluency over the range of thebass. His solo spans almost three octaves, fromthe low Gb in measure 37 to the extra high Fb atthe end of measure 22.Also worth noting is how comfortableHaden is with different subdivisions. We hearhim using straight eighths and 16ths alongsideeighth-note triplets and sextuplets andeven quintuplets. As testament to his fluency,check out measures 32 and 33, where he variesbetween duple, triple and quintuple subdivisions.Haden’s soloing is melodic and lyrical.Notice how his lines are typically scalar, withlittle chromaticism and mostly stepwise motion.He does vary the scales to fit the chords. Thoughhe plays a lot of C Aeolian for this solo, his firstlick is C harmonic minor, which goes well withboth the Cm/Eb (the key of the song) and G/Ebchords in that bar. Haden revisits this scale againin measures 12 and 25–26, the latter having thesame G/Eb that makes this scale fit so well, dueto the leading tone (B natural), the third of G.The same is true of the chord progressionthat occurs in the fifth and sixth measures ofthe progression (Dbm–Eb7/Db–Absus4/Cb–Abm/Cb). We have the same minor chord alongsideits V, which has the leading tone. And in everyinstance that it appears (bars 7–8, 15–16, 23–24,31–32 and 39–40), Haden plays Ab harmon-88 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Piano PartBass Soloic minor (though in the first instance he doesn’tplay the G natural, so it’s not defined as harmonicminor or Aeolian).Haden uses a similar idea for the Cm7b5through Bbm/Db areas of the tune, but in a veryclever manner. He only uses the second, thirdand fourth in bars 5 and 6, so it’s not clear whatscale he’s using. The next place these chords occur(bars 13 and 14), he fleshes out the scale more, butavoids the crucial A natural that would define itas harmonic minor. He waits until measure 22 toplay this note, and he leans on it at the beginningof the bar, now giving us the full sound. The finaltime he plays this progression (in bars 37–38), heagain gives us the full scale, but waits until themiddle of the second bar to give us that A note. Sohe not only varies his use of scales to better matchthe chords, he also varies how much he defines hisscale choices, sometimes creating very specificsounds but other times leaving his choices vague,creating another type of contrast. DBJimi Durso is a guitarist and bassist based in New YorkCity. Visit him online at jimidurso.com.JUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 89

ToolshedKawaiVPC-1ControllerComfortable &Realistic Piano FeelOne of the things the Kawaibrand has become knownfor is its keyboard action,and the recent release of the VPC-1Piano Controller shows that thecompany is dedicated to deliveringthe best possible action into thehands of pianists everywhere.The VPC-1 is an impressivelookingpiece. It’s rather large fora “portable” controller at almost 5feet long and 65 pounds, but if youare a straight-up pianist, you knowthe importance of heft in your controller—youdon’t want it movingaround while you play it. It has cleanlines, completely unbroken by controlsexcept for the small recessedpower button.Kawai is clearly gunning for thepurist here, someone who is notconcerned with controlling hiscomputer with anything other thanthe mouse. There are no CCs to besent, no knobs or buttons to assign,not so much as a mod wheel to clutterup your playing experience—noaftertouch either. But if you cravea rich and realistic piano feel, theVPC is a great place to start.The VPC is built aroundKawai’s RM3 Grand II action,which feels wonderful. It is a littlestiffer than I normally prefer, butafter playing it for a while, it becamevery comfortable. The keys havegraded hammer weights and counterweightsand a let-off simulationthat lends credibly to the piano feel.This action beats most pro weightedcontrollers easily and comparesfavorably with most of the high-enddigital piano actions I’ve tried.No sounds are included here,and the connections on the backare minimal. There is a USB connector,MIDI I/O and two jacks toconnect the included Kawai F-30pedal unit, which includes all threepiano pedals in a weighty enclosure.The unit also has a power jackand can’t run off bus power. This isnot a low-tech device, however, asKawai has partnered with some ofthe premier piano sampling librarymanufacturers to offer ApprovedTouch Curves tailored to each of thelibraries individually. Included arecurves designed for Ivory, Pianoteq,Galaxy Pianos and Alicia’s Keyspackages. Kawai says this will lendeven greater realism to these “pianos,”and it was interesting to gobetween them. The effect is subtle,but it definitely changed the feel ofeach library. Kawai also includessoftware that allows you to createand edit your own curves, but at thistime it is PC only. You can still usethe factory curves by selecting themusing the keys and power button.With a street price of around$1,850, the VPC-1 offers very fewcontrol options other than its keyboard—butthat is the point. Thekeyboard feel is excellent, andalthough I would have liked to seea few more options and curves forthat price (and some Mac software,please), it truly is a pleasure to play.—Chris Nevillekawaius.comPeter Ponzol Stainless Steel MouthpiecesBalancing Fundamentals with OvertonesSaxophonist Peter Ponzol ismore than just a veteran jazzand studio musician whosecareer spans more than 40 years.He is also an expert in saxophonenecks and mouthpieces who runshis own company from his homebase in Woodstock, Ga. I testdrovePonzol’s entire new line ofStainless Steel saxophone mouthpiecesand paid particular attentionto the TM2 SL 100 and TM2PLUS SL 100 for tenor.Both models (with size 100 tipopenings) were responsive, wellfocusedand powerful. The TM2PLUS SL 100 in particular producedclear, reliable altissimonotes, and down low it was alwaysready to rumble. It projected beautifully,with a discernible edge inall registers. The TM2 SL 100responded well, too, but was a bitmellower-sounding overall. Bothtenor mouthpieces had a richnessto their sound, striking a nice balancebetween strong fundamentalsand ringing overtones. With relativelysmall chambers and a freeblowingfeel, they would be greatfor playing jazz, rock and commercialmusic.Ponzol manufactures all of hisStainless Steel mouthpieces usingCNC machines; then he personallyplay-tests them and makes finaladjustments by hand. The tenormodels come with a Rovner ligature(with a serrated, flexible rubberreed-gripper) and cap that suitsthem perfectly. —Bruce Gibsonpeterponzol.com90 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

ToolshedKeilwerth MKX Tenor SaxophoneModern Sound, Vintage FeelThe Julius Keilwerth line ofsaxophones has evolved yetagain with the introductionof the MKX series—a professionalinstrument that combines new designelements with some tonal characteristicsof the company’s classicSX90R and keywork reminiscent ofa Selmer Mark VI.The concept behind the MKXseries is a best-of-both-worlds scenariowhere the horn produces aKeilwerth type of sound yet is outfittedwith mechanics familiar toplayers who have spent their careersplaying a particular make of vintageinstrument. And with suggestedretail prices of $5,500 (alto) and$6,200 (tenor), it’s targeted to competewith professional horns beingproduced by other major brands onthe market today.The MKX delivers. I play-testedthe tenor and was immediatelyimpressed with its fast response,precise ergonomics and strong tonalpersonality. This is a horn that singswith a voice all its own, and it cancertainly keep up with the player onspeedy musical passages. It feels likeits unwavering ability to project isbuilt right into the instrument. TheMKX not only roars; it plays prettyand lively at low volumes as well.The large bow and bell of theGermany-made MKX are patternedafter Keilwerth’s SX series.The body tube has been redesignedand the tone holes have been repositionedand resized accordingly,resulting in a more focused tonalitythat sounds noticeably differentthan the more spread-out, flexibletone of a Keilwerth SX. Other differencesinclude straight tone holesrather than rolled ones and standardpalm keys instead of adjustable ones.The keys of the MKX have recessedpearls that feel good under the fingers,as do the metal octave-keythumb button and the ergonomicallyslanted E-flat-to-low-C setup.Keilwerth has done a good jobwith the extras, too. The MKXcomes in a Winter Greenline casethat’s made from recycled materialsand weighs about 3 pounds.Also included is a BG neckstrapemblazoned with the JKlogo featuring a metal grapplinghook with rubber liningthat ensures the horn willnever slip off. A microfiberswab by BG comes withit, as does a Crown Royaltypecloth drawstring bagfor holding mouthpieces,reeds, necks and thelike—a welcome bit ofsax-minded ingenuity.The MKX is availablein two finishes:Antique Brass withblack mussel-shellpearl keys and GoldLacquer with whitepearls. —Ed Enrightbuffet-group.comRoberto’s Winds Eric Alexander Masterclass DVDBunker-Buster of Sound & Improv ConceptsIn the new Eric AlexanderMasterclass DVD fromRoberto’s Winds, the tenor saxophonistthrows what he calls a“bunker-buster” of practical concepts,patterns and exercises at hisaudience. He provides enough useful“stuff” for intermediate andadvanced jazz saxophonists to use inthe practice room and on the bandstandfor years to come.Alexander begins the 100-minutegroup lesson by focusing onsound and demonstrating howto practice playing subtones overthe full range of the saxophone—one major element that separatesthe worlds of “legit” and jazz playing.Still in sound-and-tone mode,Alexander suggests methods toincorporate the saxophone’s overtoneseries into practice routines,then segues into ways to practicealtissimo tones by approaching themvia familiar triads and intervals.As a chops-strengthening tool,Alexander gives a long-tone demonstrationthat practically comes froma brass player’s handbook. The pain,he insists, is a good thing, and makesfor a incredible warmup.Alexander shifts gears at thispoint to get into the nitty-grittyof general practice and vocabularybuilding. He starts with playingthe major bebop scale in all 12keys, getting his audience of saxophonistswho have assembled atRoberto’s Woodwinds in New Yorkto play along with various arpeggiopatterns and licks based on the scale.He takes them through variations onthe dominant-seventh bebop scale aswell, and then moves on to makingadjustments to add more chromaticnotes to the patterns. The materialis basic, essential bebop—DavidBaker workouts all the way—butmost important is how Alexanderencourages players to challengethemselves by extending these exercisesand embellishing them withtheir own ideas. Alexander wastes notime delving into advanced conceptslike triad pairs, diminished scalesand tritone substitutions. And he providesplenty of examples and practicematerial designed to help playerslearn to memorize and employthe techniques associated with them.Other Masterclass DVDs fromRoberto’s Winds include sessionswith saxophonists Chris Potter, JoeLovano, the late James Moody, DaveLiebman and an upcoming releasewith Lew Tabackin. —Ed Enrightrobertoswinds.com92 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Toolshed Gear BoxPatrik BonnetRibbon SensitivityDesigned to capture acoustic instruments,Royer Labs’ SF-2 activeribbon microphone is a phantompoweredversion of the company’soriginal SF-1. The SF-2 hasan output level of –38dB, puttingits sensitivity on par with that ofphantom-powered condensermicrophones and enabling themic to be used with a varietyof preamps. royerlabs.comClean ScoreDoReMIR Music Research hasreleased ScoreCleaner Notes,an instant-audio-recognitionapp that makes it possible foranyone who can play, singor whistle a tune to have itrendered instantly into propermusical notation. Users canthen extend their music intoa full score using the notationsoftware ScoreCleaner Desktop.doremir.comFeeling OddOdd Feelings: A Guide To Odd-MeterDrumset Grooves (Wizdom Media),written by Italian drummer/educatorMassimo Russo with drummingambassador Dom Famularo, focuseson making drummers comfortableplaying in odd time signatures. Thebook is divided into chapters coveringdifferent odd meters based onquarter notes, eighth notes and 16thnotes, with an additional sectionabout mixed-meter grooves. A multimediadisc with videos and eightplay-along tracks is included.wizdom-media.comalfredpublishing.com94 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Authentic Latin TimbrePearl has launched a line of Horacio Hernandez Signature series cowbells. The Signature bells feature flator curved playing surfaces that produce the same tone but offer the option of striking the bell directly(facing in) or on the side (timbale-style). Each bell is finished in plated copper. pearldrum.comVocal/Horn StompboxThe Voco-Loco is a combinationmicrophone preamp and effects loopinsert from Radial Engineering thatenables vocalists or horn players toadd guitar-type effects like delay,reverb or distortion using two simplefootswitches. The right-hand switch isused to turn the effects loops on or off,while the left-hand switch can eithermute the Voco-Loco output to turn offthe mic or be assigned as an on-offswitch for the loop. radialeng.comTry TheseJodyJazz has introduced aBand Directors Trial Kit programdesigned to facilitate the testingand selection of the company’smost popular mouthpieces bymusic ensemble teachers andtheir students. Each kit consistsof a velvet-lined hard-sidedcase that contains five mouthpieces.The selection can bemodified to accommodatespecific preferences or particularregional needs. jodyjazz.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 95

’sDrew Zaremba,University ofNorth TexasSettingthe Pace,Raisingthe BarThe Best StudentMusicians of 2013Tom SmithGlobal Jazz AdvocatePage 118A CreativeRenaissancein Camden, N.J.Page 120Connaitre MillerRhapsody in Afro BluePage 122

36th Annual Student Music AwardsJazz SoloistSynchronicity, West Valley CollegeJunior High School WinnerAlexander LaurenziAlto SaxophoneBriarcliff Middle SchoolJim SaltzmanMountain Lakes, NJHigh School WinnersDaniel BerkeyTenor SaxophoneNew Trier High SchoolNic MeyerWinnetka, ILFernandoFerraroneTrumpet &Alto SaxophoneFelix Varela SeniorHigh SchoolDr. Sam LussierMiami, FLHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformancesJulius RodriguezPianoThe Masters SchoolNancy TheemanDobbs Ferry, NYElena PinderhughesFluteBerkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnersAaron ShawTenor SaxophoneColburn School of the ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CATrevor BazileSaxophoneNew World School of the ArtsJim GasiorMiami, FLPerforming ArtsHigh School OutstandingPerformancesJeremy CorrenPianoColburn School of the ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CAJosé AlbizuBassNew World School of the ArtsJim GasiorMiami, FLUndergraduateCollege WinnersDrew ZarembaAlto SaxophoneUniversity of North TexasBrad LealiDenton, TXBrian WardBassUniversity of North TexasLynn SeatonDenton, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesTony GlausiTrumpetUniversity of OregonSteve OwenEugene, ORJosh ShpakTrumpetBerklee College of MusicTiger OkoshiBoston, MAAlex WeitzTenor SaxophoneUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicGary KellerCoral Gables, FLGraduate College WinnersMarc SchwartzAlto SaxophoneUniversity of RochesterEastman School of MusicBill DobbinsRochester, NYSergio PamiesPianoUniversity of North TexasStefan KarlssonDenton, TXGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJeffrey SchneiderAlto SaxophoneUniversity ofMassachusetts AmherstJeffrey W. HolmesAmherst, MAMichael LaggerPianoUniversity of Music &Performing Arts, GrazOlaf PolziehnGraz, AustriaSam LauritsenTrumpetUniversity of CincinnatiCollege-Conservatory of MusicPhilip DeGregCincinnati, OHMichael FenoglioAlto/Soprano SaxophoneUniversity of Illinois at Urbana-ChampaignChip McNeilUrbana, ILGreg JohnsonTenor SaxophoneUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThornton School of MusicBob MintzerLos Angeles, CAJazz GroupHigh School WinnerJazz Combo ABerkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformanceCEC Jazz ComboCEC Middle College of DenverRon JollyDenver, COPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnersAdvanced JazzWorkshopThe JazzschoolMichael ZilberBerkeley, CAAdvanced WorkshopMonday Night BandColburn School of the ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CA98 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

36th Annual Student Music AwardsPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesRoom 107, Valley Christian High SchoolBTW Jazz Combo IBooker T. Washington HSPVAWarren SneedDallas, TXBTW JazzCombo ’13Booker T. WashingtonHSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXHonors Ensemble WinnerNational PerformingArts High SchoolAll-Star Jazz SeptetThelonious MonkInstitute of JazzJB DyasLos Angeles, CAHonors EnsembleOutstanding PerformancesAll-Star Jazz GroupSettlement Music SchoolTony MiceliPhiladelphia, PAHigh SchoolAll-Stars ComboSFJAZZDann ZinnSan Francisco, CAUndergraduateCollege WinnersBrubeck InstituteJazz QuintetBrubeck InstituteJoe Gilman/Nick FryerStockton, CAOrigins VBrubeck InstituteJoe Gilman/Simon RoweStockton, CAGraduate College WinnerPaulo Perfeito’sEastman 6tetUniversity of RochesterEastman School ofMusicBill DobbinsRochester, NYGraduate CollegeOutstandingPerformanceIllinois GradComboUniversity of Illinois atUrbana-ChampaignChip McNeilUrbana, ILLarge JazzEnsembleJunior High School WinnerSutter Middle SchoolJazz BandSutter Middle SchoolJohn ZimnyFolsom, CAJunior High SchoolOutstanding PerformanceCaleb Chapman’sLittle Big BandCaleb Chapman MusicCaleb ChapmanSalt Lake City, UT

Jazz Instrumental SoloistAlone TogetherThe Collaborative Language of aWinning Instrumental SoloIf there’s anything to learnfrom this year's winners of the Best InstrumentalSoloist category, it’s that asolo is a state of mind.“You really are the sum of yourinfluences,” said alto saxophonistMarc Schwartz, a graduate studentat the Eastman School of Music at theUniversity of Rochester. “Everythingyou’ve ever heard in jazz that you’veloved, whether you’ve practiced it ornot, will find a way to come out inyour playing. For me, listeningis the most importantpart of practice.”Marc SchwartzFor each winningsoloist the most vital listeninghappens on thebandstand. “Jazz teachersalways talk about ‘intentionalspace,’ leavingair in a solo,” said pianistSergio Pamies, a doctoralcandidate at the Universityof North Texas. “I’vebeen hearing about it forthe last six years. Onlynow am I realizing howimportant it is. Now whenI’m soloing, I look for harmonic targets, andthe target I choose determines where I resolvemy phrases. But then once I get there,I breathe and listen to what the drummerand the bass player are doing. Now, my soloingis completely different.”Tenor saxophonist Daniel Berkey, a studentat New Trier High School, described asimilar philosophy on improvisation.“My entire thought process is devotedto what’s going on in the music, and at thatmoment there’s nothing else in the world,"Berkey said. "It’s just about what I have tosay and trying to be clear about it.”Alexander Laurenzi, an alto saxophonistat Briarcliff Middle School, stressed theimportance of listening to his band in additionto the greats.The professors and teachers of this diversecrew are nurturing commitment aswell as skill in these young performers. Witha group this talented, that can be as simpleas tracking them down or as delicate asknowing how hard to push and when to letgo.Pamies met his current mentor StefanKarlsson through a yearly master class Karlssontaught in Barcelona, Spain, where Pamieswas an undergraduate.Sergio PamiesAlexanderLaurenzi“The first time I heardhim play, I was convincedI had to study with him,”Pamies said. But he wasn’tthe only one listening. “[Karlsson] heard memy sophomore year and junior year, and inmy senior year he offered me a TA position atUNT to do my master’s. I’m still there workingon my doctoral studies.”Seventeen-year-old Aaron Shaw, a tenorsaxophonist at Colburn School of the Arts,traveled to Brazil while playing with a highschool band when he was 12 years old. Shawdescribed himself as “hooked” once he wasforced to communicate using music in theabsence of a common spoken language.Equally lovely was the moment thatNic Meyer, longtime mentor and privateinstructor to Berkey, admitted that hehad nothing left to teach him and insteadhelped him find a new instructor.“It felt like he was breaking up withme,” Berkey said.Each soloist described a deep respectand lively appreciation for their instructorsand the groups with which they play. Butthat gratitude is concurrent with an addictionto the spontaneity, the focus and thestrange calm that descends when theseperformers close their eyes and improvise.“I already know what I’m going to dowith the rest of my life,” Berkey said. —Zoe Young102 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

High School WinnerJazz EnsembleValley Christian High SchoolDr. Marcus WolfeSan Jose, CAHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformanceAM Jazz EnsembleRio Americano High SchoolJosh MurraySacramento, CAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnerJazz WorkshopOrchestraDenver School of the ArtsDave HammondDenver, COPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformanceLACHSA Jazz EnsembleLos Angeles County High School forthe ArtsJason GoldmanLos Angeles, CAHonors Ensemble WinnerEllington Big BandTucson Jazz InstituteDoug TidabackTucson, AZHonors EnsembleOutstanding PerformancesHigh SchoolAll-Stars OrchestraSFJAZZPaul ContosSan Francisco, CACaleb Chapman’sCrescent Super BandCaleb Chapman MusicCaleb ChapmanSalt Lake City, UTMonday NightStudio BandThe JazzschoolKeith JohnsonBerkeley, CAUndergraduate College WinnerSynthesisBrigham Young UniversityRay SmithProvo, UTJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 103

36th Annual Student Music AwardsUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesElmhurst CollegeJazz BandElmhurst CollegeDoug BeachElmhurst, ILGet Jazz OrchestraSenzoku Gakuen Collegeof MusicYoshihiko KatoriKawasaki, JapanGraduate College WinnersJazz Lab Band IUniversity of Northern ColoradoDana LandryGreeley, COJazz “A” BandCalifornia State UniversityDr. John DaversaNorthridge, CAGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJazz Ensemble IUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasDavid LoebLas Vegas, NVVocal JazzSoloistJunior High School WinnerAnson JonesSpence SchoolGreg DaytonNew York, NYHigh School WinnersClaire DicksonHome-Schooled StudentAubrey Johnson/Michael McLauglinMedford, MATaylor ZickefooseMeadowdale High SchoolJeff HorensteinLynnwood, WAHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformancesElenaPinderhughesBerkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnerFarayi SumbureruFresco Arts AcademyKami MalekEagle, IDPerforming Arts HighSchool OutstandingPerformancesLaila SmithMarin School of the ArtsKerry MarshNovato, CAUndergraduateCollege WinnersBlake MorganWestern MichiganUniversityDuane ShieldsKalamazoo, MIUndergraduateCollege OutstandingPerformancesLauren HendersonElder Conservatorium ofMusicDustan CoxAdelaide, South AustraliaMiko ShudoCalifornia State UniversityBob Cole Conservatory ofMusicChristine GuterLong Beach, CAGraduate College WinnersDaniel CacijaVocal JazzGroupJunior High School WinnerPanache 8Corte Madera SchoolJuliet GreenPortola Valley, CAJunior High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesPanache 7Corte Madera SchoolJuliet GreenPortola Valley, CAHigh School WinnerVocal JazzWorkshopSt. Charles North HighSchoolMichael MolloySt. Charles, ILHigh School OutstandingPerformancesVocal JazzEnsemblePioneer Valley High SchoolRichard A. HernandezSanta Maria, CAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnerLACHSA Vocal JazzEnsembleLos Angeles CountyHigh School for the ArtsPat BassLos Angeles, CAUniversity of Music &Performing Arts, GrazDena DeRoseGraz, AustriaUndergraduateCollege WinnerSynchronicityGraduate CollegeOutstandingPerformancesWest Valley CollegeMichelle HawkinsSaratoga, CAAnnika EsslageUniversity of Music &Performing Arts, GrazDena DeRoseGraz, AustriaMonicaGastelumendiUniversity of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJazzaNovaContra Costa CollegeDr. Stephanie Austin LetsonSan Pablo, CAVocal Jazz EnsembleAmerican River CollegeDr. Art LaPierreSacramento, CA104 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Large Jazz EnsembleEllington Big Band, Tucson Jazz InstiuteMotivated by PassionIt isn't rivalries that inspire this year's BestLarge Ensemble winners—it's dedicationinterestingly, schools from theWest swept the Best Large Ensemble categorythis year, making it clear that jazz is beingseriously cultivated left of the Mississippi.Student musicians discussed the creativefactors, camaraderie and inspiration theyhave experienced in their winning programs.Universally, students had high praise for thededication, discipline and enthusiasm shownby their individual musical directors.For the California State University NorridgeJazz "A" Band, community is a keyfactor. “Everyone is everyone’s friend," saidtrombonist Sean Shakelford. "There’s no vibing,no rivalries. It's all love.” Trumpeter LucasArias found inspiration in director John Daversa’sfrequent caveat to his group to “findthe humanity” in a given piece of music.For the Ellington Big Band at the TucsonJazz Institute in Tucson, Ariz., DirectorDoug Tidaback often invites guest artists toplay with the band as a motivation tool sostudents can interact with professionals andgain confidence. Improvisation is encouraged,but Tidaback believes “matching solostyle to the composition is essential to bringingthe music to life.” He also says that besidesfrequent practice, “performing is essentialto see how we connect to the audience.”Director Dave Hammond of the The DenverSchool of the Arts said his band would typicallyrehearse a chart for about four weeksbefore it was ready to present it to the public.The band's vibraphonist, Henry Chen, speaksto the importance of team camaraderie: “Thestrongest jazz musicians in the group motivatesothers, and excites them about jazz.Without passionate peers, some members ofthe band—including myself—wouldn’t careas much about the music.”Marcus Wolfe, the new director of ValleyChristian High School’s Jazz Ensemble, fromSan Jose, Calif., encourages the group “toplay a story,” words that have made trumpetplayer Jordan Lief see his own developmentas a soloist mature. Nathan Tao, anothertrumpeter in the group, finds inspiration inhis fellow musicians. When asked what VCHSdoes in preparation for competition, alto saxophonistHoward Dietz said, “We don’t settle.”According to percussionist JesseQuebbman-Turley of Brigham Young University’sSynthesis Jazz Band in Provo, Utah,playing in the band was a lifelong dream.“Seeing Synthesis was one of the reasonsI was interested in playing jazz in the firstplace,” Quebbman-Turley said. SaxophonistEric Backman says director Ray Smith "pushesus when we need it, but overall we try tobe a fairly autonomous group.” The group isinspired by the award and is looking forwardto performing in Brazil in May.A repeat winner in the graduate category,UNC’s Jazz Lab Band I ocassionally performsmusic written by its students. This yearmusic was submitted the band composed byeither alumni, faculty or through a composerat the UNC Jazz Press. Director Dana Landry“runs the group as a bandleader would runa professional band," said band member JoelHarris. Staying on top of current trends, thisband finds inspiration in modern groups likeThe Bob Mintzer Big Band, The Maria SchneiderOrchestra, The Vanguard Jazz Orchestraand John Hollenbeck’s Large Ensemble. Bandmember Myles Sloniker said Landry encouragesthe group “to play with fire and to takemusical risks.”Overall, the awards provide much-neededencouragement for students to becomegreat musicians, collectively and individually.—Ralph A. Miriello106 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Graduate College WinnerExtensionsUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicLisanne LyonsCoral Gables, FLGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesLaura Otero &PayawarúFarayi SumbureruUniversity of North TexasStefan KarlssonDenton, TXGold Company SextetWestern Michigan UniversityDuane Shields DavisKalamazoo, MIVocal BaseUniversity of Music &Performing Arts, GrazDena DeRoseGraz, AustriaLarge VocalJazz EnsembleJunior High School WinnerPanache 6Corte Madera SchoolJuliet GreenPortola Valley, CAJunior High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesVocal Jazz 2012Grass Valley ElementaryNatalie WilsonCamas, WAHigh School WinnerRoom 107Valley Christian High SchoolMichelle HawkinsCaptionSan Jose, CAHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformancesNorthern VoicesPlainfield North High SchoolJason HawkinsPlainfield, ILImpressionsMeadowdale High SchoolJeff HorensteinLynnwood, MAJazz Choir IFolsom High SchoolCurtis GaesserFolsom, CAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnerMSA Jazz ChoirMarin School of the ArtsStevie GreenwellNovato, CAPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesBTW Jazz SingersBooker T. Washington HSPVAKent EllingsonDallas, TexasUndergraduate College WinnerJazz Vocal EnsembleSanta Monica CollegeCindy Bourquin DickenSanta Monica, CAUndergraduateCollege OutstandingPerformancesSingcopationMt. San Antonio CollegeBruce RogersWalnut, CAGraduate College WinnerPacific Standard TimeCalifornia State University-Long BeachChristine Helferich GuterLong Beach, CAJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 107

Graduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesUNT Jazz SingersUniversity of North TexasJennifer BarnesDenton, TXSacramentoState SingersCalifornia State University-SacramentoKerry MarshSacramento, CAClassicalSoloistJunior High School WinnerEugenea RaychaudhuViolaHolmes Junior High SchoolAngelo MorenoDavis, CAHigh School WinnersSantino StropoliViolinThe Masters SchoolDr. Nancy TheemanDobbs Ferry, NYElena PinderhughesFluteBerkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAHigh School OutstandingPerformancesAugust RamosDouble BassBrookline High SchoolIrving SteinbergBrookline, MAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnerBen BatallaPianoA.W. Dreyfoos School of the ArtsPedro HernandezWest Palm Beach, FLPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesJosef SamargiaVocalistA. W. Dreyfoos Schoolof the ArtsDr. Susan AtherleyWest Palm Beach, FLUndergraduateCollege WinnersYouyang QuViolinWestern Michigan UniversityRenata A. KnificKalamazoo, MIJoshuaWeisbrod-TorresSaxophoneTexas State University–San MarcosDr. Todd OxfordSan Marcos, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesElisha WillingerClarinetUniversity of CincinnatiCollege-Conservatory ofMusicIxi ChenCincinnati, OHGraduate College WinnerJeffery KyleHutchinsSaxophoneUniversity of MinnesotaEugene RousseauMinneapolis, MNGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesNathaniel LeeTenor TromboneUniversity of IowaSchool of MusicDr. David GierIowa City, IAClassicalGroupJunior High School WinnerAdvanced OrchestraHolmes Junior High SchoolAngelo MorenoDavis, CAHigh School WinnersWind SymphonyWheeling High SchoolBrian LoganWheeling, ILJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 109

36th Annual Student Music AwardsGoldenairesChamber ChoirHarry D. Jacobs High SchoolJake StoufferAlgonquin, ILHigh SchoolOutstanding PerformancesSymphonyOrchestraGarfield High SchoolMarcus TsutakawaSeattle, WAPerforming ArtsHigh School WinnersWoodwindQuintetDenver School of the ArtsDave HammondDenver, COInterlochenAcademy OrchestraInterlochen Academyfor the ArtsDr. Duilio DobrinInterlochen, MIPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesLACHSA SymphonicOrchestraLos Angeles County High Schoolfor the ArtsAlan MautnerLos Angeles, CAUndergraduate College WinnersChamber PercussionEnsembleMillikin UniversityBrian JustisonDecatur, ILPhoenix SaxophoneQuartetTexas State University–San MarcosDr. Todd OxfordSan Marcos, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesOklahoma StateUniversity TromboneQuartetOklahoma StateUniversityPaul ComptonStillwater, OKGraduate College WinnersSymphonyOrchestraUniversity of NorthernColoradoSchool of MusicRussell GuyverGreeley, COHenry ManciniInstitute ChamberEnsembleUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicScott FlavinCoral Gables, FLGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesLamont SymphonyOrchestraUniversity of DenverLamont School of MusicLawrence GolanDenver, COBlues/Pop/Rock SoloistJunior HighSchool WinnerAnson JonesVocalistSpence SchoolMarion SaundersNew York, NYHigh School WinnerSantino StropoliUkuleleThe Masters SchoolDr. Nancy TheemanDobbs Ferry, NYHigh SchoolOutstandingPerformancesJesse PittsDrummerHome-SchooledStudentKarmen HendryTemple Terrace, FL110 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Composition Lead SheetMastering theCompositional ProcessYoung composerslean on influencesoutside of themusical realmWinners in the Original Composition—LeadSheet category share manycommonalities when it comes to their compositionalprocess and sources of inspiration,including excellentleadership fromGeorge Heid IIItheir instructors andmentors. This philosophyis especially truefor one undergraduatewinner, drummerGeorge Heid III.“I’ve had the honorof studying with manymasters from the time Iwas a child, but the manwho has been mostinfluential on my lifeand playing is RogerHumphries," Heid saidof his former instructor.“Those who know himbest lovingly refer tohim as 'Dad.'"Heid so admiredHumphries that he evenpaid homage to him inone of the first songshe composed, which hetitled “Dad." Humphrieswent on to record thestudent's composition Luca Ferraraon an album that featuredtrumpeter Sean Jones.Guitarist Luca Ferrara, a winner in theperforming arts high school category, notedthat teacher Lee Secard “strongly encouragesus to compose our own music.” LikeFerrara, vocalist Emily Merrell attributed thehigh quality of her work to the high standardsto which she is held by teacher RosanaEckert.Compositional ideas come from severaldifferent impetuses. From Merrell's vantagepoint, inspiration can come from sourcessuch as lyrics, melodic content and form,but also from literature, films and other nonmusicalinfluences.“Each time I write something new, Itry to write something very different fromanything I have written before,” Merrellexplained. Each student has his or her ownMichael Orensteinway of arriving at the source of the“aha” moment in composing.Pianist Esteban Castro, winnerof the junior high school category,also nodded to his influences as thefoundation for getting his creativejuices flowing.“Listening to records from thegreats is very inspiring to me," Castrosaid. "They are so accomplishedand have produced such beautifulmusic. Every note and phrase is likea treasure waiting to be discoveredagain and again.”It’s sage advice from a musician of anyage, especially someone as young as Castro.Like their heroes, the winners are accomplishedmusicians in their own right withgoals in mind for the future; to what degreeof specificity is varied.High school winner Michael Orenstein,a pianist, said that his goal is simply “playingcreative music that I like to play and toalways be innovating.” Heid hopes to catapultcurrent projects that feature his writing,such as his co-led group Elevations, into thenext level of performance.In what is perhaps an effect of Eckert'slasting impact, Merrell wants to teach, in additionto record, tour and perform. “I wouldlove to build a vocal jazz program at a universityfrom scratch," Merrell said.—Adam Larson112 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Jeffery Kyle HutchinsPerforming Arts High School WinnerMike MitchellDrumsBooker T. Washington HSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesZach MarquezVocalistCaleb Chapman MusicCaleb ChapmanSalt Lake City, UTMatthew BabineauxAlto SaxophoneBooker T. Washington HSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXUndergraduate College WinnerJohnathan HulettDrumsUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicSteve RuckerCoral Cables, FLUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesBryan BlowersGuitarWestern Michigan UniversityTom KnificKalamazoo, MIGraduate College WinnerAaron HedenstromSaxophoneUniversity of North TexasBrad LealiDenton, TXJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 113

Graduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesGreg JohnsonSaxophoneUniversity of Southern CaliforniaThornton School of MusicBob MintzerLos Angeles, CABlues/Pop/Rock GroupJunior High WinnerSinaloa Middle SchoolRock BandSinaloa Middle SchoolJason EcklNovato, CAHigh School WinnerLast ResortGlenbrook South High SchoolGary ZuckerGlenview, ILHigh School Outstanding PerformancesCary-Grove Jazz ComboCary-Grove High SchoolPatrick WhalenCary, ILSBA Soul BandSt. Benedict at AuburndaleJ. Thomas LinkCordova, TNPerforming Arts High School WinnerBTW MIDI Ensemble ’12Booker T. Washington HSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesBluegrass TrioLas Vegas AcademyPatrick BowenLas Vegas, NVBTW MIDI Ensemble ’13Booker T. Washington HSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXHonors Ensemble WinnerLo-Fi RiotCaleb Chapman MusicCaleb ChapmanSalt Lake City, UT114 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Blues/Pop/Rock GroupSynthesis, BrighamYoung UniversityBending the RulesWinning Blues/Pop/Rock groups aren'tdefined by boundariesDon’t fence in any of this year’sstudent award-winners of the Blues/Pop/Rock category. According to these bright musicians,there are no hard-and-fast rules ormusical “musts” to adhere to in order to reachtheir desired destinations.Though these multifaceted studentsrange in age, musical background and location,there are striking similarities. Jazz isthe biggest common denominator, as manyof the students are simultaneously in theirschools’ jazz bands. The commonalities continuewhen it comes to their acute sensesof individuality, dedication to the craft andapproaches to bridging the gap betweengenerations.That’s not to say that historydoesn’t have its place. Jason Eckl,director of Sinaloa Middle SchoolRock Band in Novato, Calif., giveshis students a rock-solid foundationin Chuck Berry and TheBeatles before they explore morecontemporary groups and eventuallywrite their own tunes. "Wejust take songs that we enjoyand then rehearse them,” saidguitarist Sawyer Ikeda.For the students at the University of Miamiin Coral Gables, Fla., original compositionhas driven the Fusion/Funk Ensemble for thelast 25 years. Referring to the institutionalizationof instruction, director Steve Rucker said,“There’s that whole aspect where what weare doing [as educators] is creating rules tomake the musicians sound like the musicianswho didn’t follow the rules.”Keyboardist Parker Grant offered anotherworthwhile insight from an emergingartist’s perspective. “Playing your own musicis great, but being able to play [fellow musicians’]music is becoming an increasingly importantskill to have for jazz musicians," Grantsaid. "There is a lot of original music, so ifthere’s any group that really prepares you forthe reality of trying to be a jazz musician inthe big outside world, this would be the one.”The students in MIDI Ensemble ’12 at theBooker T. Washington High School for thePerforming and Visual Arts in Dallas take theirknowledge from all the traditions of jazz andgive it a modern twist. “We combine them allinto one universal statement that anybodycan dance to, that anybody can grow from,”said alto saxophonist Matthew Babineaux.With so many elements to consider interms of how to administer and assimilate theSinaloa Middle School Rock Bandhistoric aspects of the music, how do thesebands work collaboratively to make their ownmusical statements?“Everyone in the band comes from extremelydifferent backgrounds,” said MIDIEnsemble ‘12 drummer Mike Mitchell. "Wheneverybody sits down and organizes differentsections, it creates this in-depth composition.”Being at the helm of such accomplishedyoung players—some of who are touring professionally—isa significant responsibility, buteach bandleader trusts his or her students totake what they’ve learned and make a markof their own. —Angelika BeenerJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 115

Honors EnsembleOutstanding PerformancesHooligans Brass BandCaleb Chapman MusicCaleb ChapmanSalt Lake City, UTUndergraduate College WinnersFusion/Funk EnsembleUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicSteve RuckerCoral Gables, FLUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesChamber FunkEnsembleUniversity of Massachusetts atAmherstThomas GiampietroAmherst, MAYamaYamaUniversity of OregonSteve OwenEugene, ORGraduate College WinnersThank You!DownBeat would like to thank thefollowing people in helping tomake the 36th AnnualStudent Music Awards a success.MagnetbandMusikhochschule BaselBernhard LeyBasel, SwitzerlandThe RefrigeratorsUniversity of North TexasBrian WardDenton, TXGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesThe Sarah Kervin GroupUniversity of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXJim AndersonAdjudicatorsJeff CoffinJohn SantosLatin GroupDarcy James ArgueOrbert DavisRoger TreeceUndergraduate College WinnerBob BeldenGregg BendianJanice BorlaDon BradenDavid DemseyLes HooperKevin MahoganyMiles OslandRyan TruesdellJames WarrickDavid WeissPhil WilsonLatin Jazz LabUniversity of North TexasJose AponteDenton, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesLatin Jazz ProjectSince 1934Millikin UniversityBrian JustisonDecatur, IL116 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Jazz Education Hall of FameMike MitchellTom SmithNingbo University, Zhejiang, ChinaGlobal Jazz Ambassador“This is a wonderful honor, not just forthe personal validation that comes fromknowing you don’t work in a vacuum,but for the very pragmatic realizationthat such accolades provide the neededattention that helps you keep doingwhat you’re doing. Still, you can’t buildcommunities without people. I havebeen blessed to work with some of thevery best in Romania, Serbia, SouthAfrica, Montenegro, China … and ofcourse home base, the U.S.A. It is indeeda blessing to do for a living whatyou would be doing for free.” —Tom SmithA group of Chinese children standsin a classroom, hoisting clarinets, saxophones,trumpets and French horns in the air. Thosewithout instruments jubilantly wave peacesigns at the camera. In the middle of the groupstands trombonist Tom Smith, who holds hisinstrument high above the crowd, a contentsmile on his face.Smith is this year’s inductee into the DownbeatJazz Education Hall of Fame for his work asa missionary of jazz. A five-time Senior FulbrightScholar, he was named first full-time professorof jazz studies at Ningbo University in Zhejiang,China, and has spent more than a decade advocatingjazz education all over the globe.Before Smith became China’s jazz educationsavior and started spreading his gospel inelementary schools as well as universities, hespent time teaching jazz students in Romania,assisting at a jazz studies school in Serbia andsupporting the genre in South Africa.Vocalist Karen Gallinger first met Smithwhile she was on a Fulbright scholarshipteaching a jazz camp in Jupanetsi, Romania.Smith was a co-founder of the first jazzprogram at Tibiscus University and took studentsto the countryside for intensive jazzstudy. Before his involvement with jazz inand around Tibiscus, he had spent time developingthe Romanian National Jazz Ensemblein Bucharest. According to JohnnyBota, who teaches jazz at West University inTimisoara, Romania, Scott also authored theEnglish translation of Bota’s book, Blues AndJazz In Banat. Bota sent a letter to DownBeatendorsing Smith for the award.Aside from teaching the students aboutthe approach to jazz, Gallinger said she andother faculty in Jupanetsi had to confrontoccasional overpowering cultural differences,adding that playing jazz requires studentsto develop a thorough knowledge ofthe music. Some students at the camp didn’tunderstand that approach initially, andwhen Gallinger ran into lackadaisical pupils,she turned to Smith for help.“[The students] were not used to the kindof dedication, drive and focus needed to reallymaster this music and play it well,” she said.“[Smith] is spreading the gospel of jazz, butalso spreading the gospel that this wonderfulmusic requires hard work and focus and driveto get anywhere near being proficient.”One anecdote that speaks to Smith’sdedication and energy sticks out in Gallinger’smind. On one of the last nights of the program,the faculty, Smith included, had been out latearound a campfire having a good time. Thenext morning, which came faster than anyonehad anticipated, Smith was up and at ’em,blasting his trombone outside every facultymember’s door.“I don’t know a lot of people who can dothat and still make you smile when you thinkabout it,” she said.Gallinger still keeps in touch with Smith,and the two are even discussing her participationin a vocal workshop in China in the future.Gallinger noted that Smith has already jumpstartedthe initiative by teaching students Englishand jazz at the same time, having themscat common words.The vocalist paints Smith as a committededucator who never shies away from achallenging situation. Even in Romania, ifcertain materials didn’t show up or somethingwent wrong, Smith would simply rollup his sleeves and look for a Plan B.Forming musicians who can take a solidbase of knowledge and expand upon it, creatinga life in music when before there was onlyan interest, is what Smith hopes to achieve atevery stop along his journey. —Jon RossUM Latin Funk EnsembleUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicSteve RuckerCoral Gables, FLGraduate College WinnerFrost Recording EnsembleUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicGary LindsayCoral Gables, FLGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesLaura Otero Colombian ProjectUniversity of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXLatin Jazz EnsembleUniversity of Nevada, Las VegasUli GeissendoerferLas Vegas, NVOriginal Composition– Lead SheetJunior High School WinnerEsteban Castro“Painted Face”The Spring SchoolOscar PerezTenafly, NJJunior High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesShane Turner“UpBeat”Corte Madera Middle SchoolJuliet GreenPortola Valley, CA118 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Jazz Education Achievement AwardsJamal Dickerson | Hassan Sabree | Nasir DickersonCamden, N.J.Camden’s CulturalRenaissanceMany teachers go above and beyondthe call of duty. But when three youngteachers want to serve their hometown of Camden,N.J., which ranks as one of the most dangerouscities in the country, that work deservesa whole other level of recognition. For JamalDickerson, Nasir Dickerson and Hassan Sabree,the reward comes from paying forward whatwas given to them.Sabree and Jamal, both 36, met in fourthgrade and have been friends ever since. Sabree,Jamal and his younger brother Nasir, 29,all grew up heavily involved in the community.While in high school, Jamal and Sabree formedthe Unity Community Center, a youth organizationgeared towards helping inner-city youth.“When we went to college, we wanted to comeback to our city and teach,” Jamal said.He and Sabree studied music as undergraduatesat Morgan State University and laterearned their master’s degrees from RutgersUniversity. “We would use music as a vehicle toconnect with many of the troubled youth,” Jamalsaid. While Jamal has taught and served asband director at the Creative and PerformingArts High School since 2002, Sabree, who previouslytaught at Forest Hill Elementary School,now teaches at Camden High School.Inspired by Sabree and his older brother,Nasir soon followed suit, studying music at theUniversity of the Arts in Philadelphia. Accordingto his older brother, their mentor and formerMorgan Village Middle School teacher CharlesElliott made Nasir an interesting offer. “He told[Nasir] that he would wait to retire until mybrother graduated to take his position,” Jamalsaid. Once Nasir earned his master’s degree andtook Elliott’s place in 2006, the three of them seta larger plan into action: a vertically aligned music-educationprogram.Modeled after an educational conceptfound in the No Child Left Behind Act of 2001,vertical alignment is the consecutive instructionof one grade level to the next. “What we woulddo is work together and plan out the curriculumso that we know what we want them to workon from elementary to high school,” Jamal said.“We would have the high school students mentorthe middle school students. And then wewould have the middle school students mentorthe elementary school students.”The children who started out with Sabreeat Forest Hill Elementary not only became familiarwith their instruments but also with one another.“The most important thing was creatingpersonal relationships with the students,” Sabreesaid. “That’s where we lose the kids sincemost of them are not getting a strong influenceat home in terms of playing instruments.”According to Nasir, encouragement is crucialto his teaching philosophy. “We deal withstudents that have IEPs [Instructional EducationPlans] or special needs,” he said. “They’re reallygeniuses if you take the time to work with them.I don’t run from special needs classes. I actuallygo to them first.” Nasir added that he had beenclassified as a special needs child while in elementaryschool. His parents were told that hewould never learn how to read or write.In addition to the normal school year, thetrio’s students take part in an after-school program,a William Paterson University summercamp and bassist Christian McBride’s JazzHouse Kids organization. They’ve also formedtheir own ensembles, including the Little JazzGiants, who perform all over the country. As aresult, students such as Charlene Boone, JoJoStreater and Sadayah Galloway have studied atprestigious universities such as Oberlin College& Conservatory and Berklee College of Music.Jamal, Nasir and Sabree have helped painta different picture of Camden, but they are stillmindful of its problems. “Imagine what wouldhappen if people were to build relationships insome of our more affluent communities, wherethe students and their parents are engaged inthe learning process,” Jamal said.—Shannon J. Effinger

High School WinnerMichael Orenstein“Task”Berkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAHigh School Outstanding PerformancesNick Lavkulik“B.E.T. On Yorke”Lawrence Park Collegiate InstituteKen HazlettToronto, Ontario CanadaSam Klein-Markman“Get Off My Lawn”Berkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CALiam Werner“S.B.K.N.”Montclair High SchoolJulius TolentinoMontclair, NJPerforming Arts High School WinnerLuca Ferrara“Gathering Of The Minions”Colburn School of Performing ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CAPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesJames Francies“Distant Over Time”High School for the Performing &Visual ArtsWarren SneedHouston, TXBen Hickson“Purge Original Song”Booker T. Washington HSPVABart MarantzDallas, TXUndergraduate College WinnerGeorge Heid III“Emma Rain”Duquesne UniversityRoger Humphries, Kenny WashingtonPittsburgh, PAUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesAndrew LeCoche“Tarzana”Purchase CollegeJohn AbercrombiePurchase, NYJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 121

Jazz Education Achievement AwardsConnaitre MillerHoward University, Washington, D.C.Thinking Melodicallyin fall 2011, a cappella ensembleAfro Blue pushed jazz vocal groups into primetimeAmerican entertainment. These HowardUniversity students stunned audiences on theNBC competition program “The Sing-Off” witha jazz version of “A Change Is Gonna Come.”The group’s optimistic spirit also shone a spotlighton their school and their ensemble director,Connaitre Miller.Miller’s advocacy for jazz harmony singingtook her from middle America to the otherside of the world before she started teachingat Howard 12 years ago. Along with directingAfro Blue, Miller is also the university’s coordinatorof jazz studies. Because she did not originallyset out to sing jazz, Miller knows that it’snever too late to immerse talented singers inthe music.“Someone can sing for me and may notknow a single thing about jazz,” Miller said,“but I can hear that they have the potentialto do this, and do it well if they’re interested inputting the work into it.”While Miller describes herself as “a latebloomer” when it comes to jazz, she alwayswas a dedicated music student. She grew upin Junction, Kan., and studied classical piano atKansas State University. Miller took jazz bandas an elective junior year, and began absorbingalbums of famous pianists.“One of the records I got was Count Basieand Ella Fitzgerald’s A Perfect Match,” Millersaid. “As I was listening to him to learn how toplay piano, I started singing along to Ella.”Matt Betton—who helped start the InternationalAssociation for Jazz Education—wasin Kansas at the time, as was another IAJE director,Bill McFarland. Miller worked with bothof them and still draws on Betton’s advice.“Matt had a big thing about people improvisingand straying so far from the melodyyou couldn’t tell what tune they were playing,”Miller said. “That’s something that tends to becommon with young players, so he would say,‘Don’t forget the melody’ and when you’re improvising,think melodically.”Miller solidified her commitment to singingover the piano when she began teachingvocal music at an elementary school in Manhattan,Kan., while also serving as the directorof the Kansas State University jazz band andan adjunct professor. She wanted to help studentswho had vocal issues. Miller knew thatfurthering her own education would be necessaryand completed postgraduate work at theUniversity of Northern Colorado’s program forchoral conducting and jazz pedagogy.After completing the program, Miller beganbuilding the jazz voice program at the ElderConservatorium of Music, University of Adelaide,Australia, in 1994.“The university wanted the singers to beable to do everything the instrumentalistswere doing, but they didn’t know how to getthem to do that,” Miller said. “So that’s what Ihad to figure out.”Miller taught the singers to get their earsaround pieces the way horn players bring theirfingers around instruments. Along with trainingin arpeggios and scales, she had themtranscribe solos to learn accents and articulations.After six years, she returned to the UnitedStates and taught on the West Coast at CypressCommunity College and California StateUniversity, Long Beach.When Miller began teaching at Howard,she and jazz studies director Arthur Dawkinsworked to make the university’s vocal ensembleas strong as its instrumental groups.“I found singers who had top-notch voices,but didn’t have any jazz background,” Millersaid. “I had to go back to the basics and getthem all playing piano and reading from a pianist’spoint of view.”Afro Blue developed during Miller’s secondsemester because she wanted a primary vehicleto teach them the works of Count Basie, DukeEllington and other jazz masters. Its growing nationalprominence widens her mission.“[Jazz] is something that should be taughtin the public schools," Miller said. "All of my studentsare doing some teaching, and they noticejazz blending with other styles of music: hearingjazz chords in contemporary gospel andr&b singers using jazz. Jazz education is the besteducation they can get because of the ear training,theory and keyboard skills. Everything thatyou need for any style of music is there.” —Aaron CohenBrock Chart“Northern Lights”University of KansasDan GaileyLawrence, KSDevin Wright“Imploding Man”University of KansasDan GaileyLawrence, KSGraduate College WinnerEmily Merrill“Ondine’s Dance”University of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXGraduate College Outstanding PerformancesBrendan Doshi“Vulture”Cal State Long BeachJeff JarvisLong Beach, CALaura Otero“Nuestra Cancion”University of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXOriginal Composition– Orchestrated WorkHigh School WinnerSam Klein-Markman“Get Off My Lawn”Berkeley High SchoolSarah ClineBerkeley, CAHigh School Outstanding PerformancesPete Miller“First Flight”John Jay High SchoolJeff RichardsonCross River, NYNathaniel Doucette“The Rider”Williamsville East High SchoolDr. Stephen ShewanEast Amherst, NYPerforming Arts High School WinnerSara Sithi-Amnuai“Cindy’s Song”Colburn School of Performing ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CA122 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Jeremy Corren“Mikio Inni Af Peim”Colburn School ofPerforming ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CAUndergraduate College WinnersKillian Williams“Blues For Charles”Western Michigan UniversityDr. Scott CowanKalamazoo, MIKatherine Lott“String Theory”Birmingham-SouthernCollegeDr. Rebecca RemleyBirmingham, ALGraduate College WinnerDavid von Kampen“Soft Glow, Sharp Edges”University of KansasDan GaileyLawrence, KSJazzArrangementHigh School WinnerKane Logan“If I Were A Bell"Amador Valley High SchoolMark AubelPleasanton, CAHigh School OutstandingPerformancesPadraigButtner-SchnirerDrew Zaremba“Race To The Finish”University of North TexasRichard DeRosaDenton, TXUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesGene Knific“Music For String Quartet &Jazz Quintet”University of MiamiFrost School of MusicChuck BergeronCoral Gables, FLGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJennifer Bellor“Midnight Swim”University of RochesterEastman School of MusicDave RivelloRochester, NYMichael Nearpass“Durkees Ferry Road”University of IndianaJacobs School of MusicBrent Kenneth WallarabBloomington, INHoward Dietz“Fables Of Fabus"Valley Christian High SchoolDave GregoricSan Jose, CAPerforming Arts HighSchool WinnerJeremy Corren“Con Alma"Colburn School ofPerforming ArtsLee SecardLos Angeles, CAPerforming Arts High SchoolOutstanding PerformancesJames Francies“My Favorite Things"High School for thePerforming and Visual ArtsWarren SneedHouston, TXJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 123

DB201210.indb 738/16/12 4:45 PMRecruitStudents!williamPatersonUniversityRevolutionizingMusic EducationSince 1972money mattersFinancial Advice forBudget-Conscious StudentsHow to Createthe Perfectaudition tapethe Value of amusic degreeFour Alumni Profilesmore than 175schools listed!Advertise inDownBeat's2014Jazz ’S EducationGuideOctober 2013Deadline toReserve Ad SpaceJuly 19mulgrew miller,director of thewilliam PatersonUniversityJazz StudiesProgramWhere to Study Jazz 2014MUSIC GUIDECall U.S. toll free at800-959-5299630-941-2030UndergraduateCollege WinnersJulia Rüffert“Take The 'A' Train"HSLU MusikEd PartykaLuzern, SwitzerlandGregory Blair“My Cherokee"University of MassachusettsAmherstDr Felipe SallesAmherst, MAUndergraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJacob Mann“It Could Happen To You"University of SouthernCaliforniaThornton School of MusicBob MintzerLos Angeles, CAMatthew Dwonszyk“What A Wonderful World"Jackie McLean Instituteof JazzSteve DavisWest Hartford, CTElijah Samuels“All Of Me"University of DenverLamont School of MusicMalcolm Lynn BakerDenver, COJake Chapman“Over The Rainbow"Columbia UniversitySteve NelsonNew York, NYAlexander Lewis“All The Things You Are"Manhattan School of MusicElliot MasonNew York, NYKillian Williams“In Your Own Sweet Way"Western MichiganUniversityDr. Scott CowanKalamazoo, MIAnnalise Stalls“Turns Out"University ofNorth Carolina atGreensboroSteve HainesGreensboro, NCGraduate College WinnersClint Ashlock“Nebula"University of KansasDan GaileyLawrence, KSMonica Gastelumendi“Barco Ciego"University of North TexasJennifer BarnesDenton, TXGraduate CollegeOutstanding PerformancesJohn Summers“African Skies"University of Nevada,Las VegasDave LoebLas Vegas, NVMarc Schwartz“The Two Lonely People"University of RochesterEastman School of MusicBill DobbinsRochester, NYDavid von Kampen“The Tourist"University of KansasDan GaileyLawrence, KSMichael Lagger“Precious Things"University of Music &Performing Arts, GrazEd PartykaGraz, AustriaJeremy Fox“So Many Stars"University of MiamiFrost School of MusicGary LindsayCoral Gables, FLJavier Nero“Little Sunflower"University of MiamiGary LindsayCoral Gables, FLSarah Kervin“Glitter In The Air"University of North TexasRosana EckertDenton, TXAndrew Janak“Take The 'A' Train"DePaul UniversityTom MattaChicago, ILEngineeredLiveRecordingHigh School WinnerNed BowenNew Trier High SchoolNic MeyerWinnetka, ILUndergraduateCollege WinnerSeth HochbergUniversity of MiamiFrost School of MusicPaul GriffithMiami, FLGraduateCollege WinnerPadraigButtner-SchnirerMcGill UniversitySchulich School ofMusicJan JarczykMontreal, Quebec,CanadaEngineeredStudioRecordingHigh School WinnerJackson HigginsSt. Benedict AtAuburndaleJ. Thomas LinkCordova, TNUndergraduateCollege WinnersEduardoJaramilloMiami InternationalUniversityof Art & DesignSebastian dePeyrecaveMiami, FLAlejandroYllarramendyThe Banff CentreTheresa LeonardBanff, Alberta, Canada124 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

Judging criteriaPerformance Criteria1) Overall sound2) Presence or authority3) Proper interpretation of idiom4) Improvisation or creativity5) Technique6) Intonation7) Phrasing8) Dynamics9) Accurate rhythm/time10) MaterialEngineering Criteria1) Perspective: balance of channels;amount and type of reverb; blend (Do allsounds seem to have been performedat the same time and place? Do solosseem natural or do they stick out?).2) Levels: tape saturation or other overload,undermodulation resulting in excessive hiss,consistency of levels, left/right balance, etc.3) Transparency and apparent transientresponse.4) Special effects: Are they appropriate?Do they add or detract?5) Extraneous noises, clicks, hum, etc.(for a non-live performance, anynon-musical sound).6) Professional etiquette: labeling of boxfor tape speed and format, labeling ofcuts, leadering.Awards & PrizesDB Award Plaque is awarded to the musicdepartment of each winning middle school,high school and college.DB Award Certificate is awarded to each individualwinner and director of winning ensembles.JudgesJim Anderson: Recording engineer andproducer; former chair of the Clive Davis Departmentof Recorded Music at New York University.Darcy James Argue: Composer, bandleader.Bob Belden: Saxophonist, composer, bandleaderand producer of new albums and reissues.Gregg Bendian: Percussionist/clinician; writer,producer of new albums and reissues.Janice Borla: Vocalist; Director of Vocal Jazz atNorth Central College; vocal jazz camp founder.Don Braden: Saxophonist; Coordinator of JazzStudies at Montclair State University; MusicDirector of Litchfield Jazz Camp.Jeff Coffin: Saxophonist, composer, educator/clinician.Orbert Davis: Trumpeter/clinician; professorat University of Illinois at Chicago.David Demsey: Saxophonist; William PatersonUniversity Coordinator of Jazz Studies.Les Hooper: Composer/arranger for films, TV,commercials, orchestras and records; clinician.Kevin Mahogany: Vocalist, record labelowner and educator.Miles Osland: Saxophonist; University ofKentucky Director of Jazz Studies.John Santos: Percussionist/clinician; U.S. ArtistsFontanals Fellow; writer/historian.Roger Treece: Arranger/composer; UNC JazzPress author; educator.Ryan Truesdell: Trombonist, composer, producerof new and archival material.James Warrick: Clinician; former Director ofJazz Studies at New Trier High School.David Weiss: Trumpeter, leader of the NewJazz Composers Octet, winner of Chamber MusicAmerica composition grant.Phil Wilson: Trombonist; member ofBerklee College faculty.JUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 125

Jazz On CampusOn June 10, 2008, pianist Fred Herschwas placed into a two-month long,medically induced coma, where hedreamed of Thelonious Monk, tango dancersand a beautiful concert hall in Brussels.The visions would become My Coma Dreams,Hersch’s moving stage production that heperformed at Columbia University’s MillerTheatre in New York on March 2.Peppered with improvisation and Monkinspiredcompositions, My Coma Dreamsfeatured Hersch accompanied by a 16-pieceensemble that included drummer JohnHollenbeck, trumpeter Ralph Alessi, saxophonistAdam Kolker, bassist John Hébert andtrombonist Mike Christianson. Presented byColumbia University’s Program in NarrativeMedicine, the program was written and directedby Herschel Garfein and sung by actorMichael Winther, who portrayed both Herschand his partner, Scott Morgan.“These dreams stuck with me for months untilI was able to write them down,” Hersch said. “Idon’t usually remember dreams, so this wasunusual. As it says in the script, ‘I could havedreamt these in the five seconds before I woke upor in the five seconds after I woke up.’ You don’tjust wake up after something like this, pop youreyes open and there you are. Your consciousnesstakes a while to come back together.”Though it took months of rehabilitation,Hersch continued to compose after coming outof the coma. He and the ensemble, complete witha surreal video presentation, have performed MyComa Dreams throughout the United States, oftento the medical community.“It’s helpful to see from a medical point ofview because intensive care doctors tend to seepeople as their disease,” said Hersch, a longtimeFred Herschperforming MyComa Dreamsat ColumbiaUniversityFred Hersch Lives HisDreams at ColumbiaAIDS/HIV survivor. “This helps doctors see bothsides of the story clearly, in a way that maybe theydidn’t before. At Miller Theatre, there were peoplefrom Alaska and Europe. It has a wide reach.We’d like to do a broader theatrical run, but it’s anodd piece. It’s too much theater to be a jazz event,and not enough jazz for jazz fans. That’s why wecall it ‘jazz theater.’”The locomotion of Hollenbeck and Hébertprovides supple support to the pianist’s pristine,swinging, stately and beautiful playing, and thepaired impact of the visuals with Winther’s performanceis a revelation. One of the show’s mosthumorous moments centers on Hersch’s dreamof Monk.“I am in a cage, 5 by 5 feet, so that I cannotstand straight up nor lie down all the way,” Herschdescribed. “I have to crouch or be in a fetal position.In the next cage over is Thelonious Monk; heis in a similar 6- by 6-foot cage. A man bursts intothe room and orders us to write a tune, and the firstone who finishes gets released. I am franticallytrying to write as fast as I can so I can get the hellout of there. I look up and Monk is taking his timewhile smiling enigmatically and beatifically.”Apart from the production, Hersch continuesto pursue a busy schedule, which includes threeupcoming releases: Free Flying (Palmetto),a duo with guitarist Julian Lage; Only Many(Cam Jazz), a duo with Alessi; and Fun House(Songlines), a recording by the Benoît Delbecq/Fred Hersch Double Trio.“I am enjoying a lot of career momentum,”Hersch said. “I am busier than I’ve ever been, and[any] ill effects from the coma are certainly gone.I’m feeling good about my playing, about beingbusy, and enjoying the collaborations and lotsof trio and solo work. It’s all kind of miraculous.”—Ken Micallefken micallefSchool NotesPiano Lessons: KeyboardistJohn Medeskihas joined the facultyof Creative MusicStudio’s 40thAnniversaryWorkshop,whichwill takeplace atFull MoonResort inWoodstock,N.Y., on May20–24. Medeskiwill conduct intensivemaster classesand conduct jamsessions alongside a star-studdedfaculty that includes trumpeter DaveDouglas, saxophonist Don Byron andpianist Marilyn Crispell.creativemusicfoundation.orgmichael bloomCuban Cuisine: Percussionist BobbySanabria and the Manhattan School ofMusic Afro-Cuban Jazz Orchestra paidtribute to East Harlem and the rootsof Afro-Cuban jazz on March 28 at theMSM’s Borden Auditorium. Along withnew arrangements of compositions byMario Bauza, Duke Ellington, Juan Tizoland Billy Strayhorn, the program includedthe world premiere of saxophonistEugene Marlow’s composition “Let ThereBe Swing!” and trumpeter Kyle Athayde’s“Que Viva Harlem!” msmnyc.eduOriginal Art: The Juilliard Jazz Ensembleperformed original, student-composedworks during a concert titled “My Pointof View, Part 3” on April 16 at the school’sPaul Hall. The performers were coachedby two of Juilliard Jazz’s esteemed facultymembers, pianists Xavier Davis andFrank Kimbrough. juilliard.eduN.Y. State of Mind: The University ofKansas Wind Ensemble premiered In TheShadow Of No Towers, a work commissionedby composer Mohammed Fairouz,at New York’s Carnegie Hall on March26. In addition to recording the piece forrelease on the Naxos label this December,the group reprised the performanceat the Lied Center for Performing Arts inLawrence, Kan., on April 2. ku.eduPass Dues: Frank Potenza, chair of theUniversity of Southern California ThorntonSchool of Music Studio/Jazz Guitarprogram, has recorded a CD tribute to hisfriend and colleague, guitarist Joe Pass.The album, For Joe, includes the samepersonnel that Pass had on the 1964album For Django. The recording will beaccompanied by a documentary film tobe released on DVD. usc.edu126 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

DB Music ShopRates: Minimum 15 words per ad. Advertise in one issue for $1.70/word, 3 consecutive issues for $1.40/word, 6 consecutiveissues for $1.25/word, 12 consecutive issues for $1.10/word. Display ads: call (630) 941-2030. All ads are prepaid,no agency commission. Check, Money Order, Visa and MasterCard are accepted. Deadline: Ad copy and full paymentmust arrive 2 months prior to DB cover date. Send your advertisement by MAIL: DownBeat Classifieds, Att. MaggieGlovatski-Cuprisin,102 N. Haven Road, Elmhurst, Illinois, 60126, email: maggie@downbeat.com or FAX: (630) 941-3210.albums & videosINSTRUMENTS & ACCESSORIESlessonsONLINE JAZZ LESSONS. Study all styles &aspects of jazz improvisation and saxophonewith Jeff Harrington, Berklee Professor, MITAffiliated Artist, Harvard University MLSPInstructor. Visit jeffharrington.com. Email:lessons@jeffharrington.com. 617-332-0176.PO Box 590476, Newton Center, MA 02459Study Jazz Piano OnlineEmploymentWWW.EASTWINDIMPORT.COMJapanese import CDs & LPs: Venus,Marshmallow, Sawano and more!We ship worldwide.RARE JAZZ LP AUCTIONSAll instrumental styles plus vocals and Latin.Free lists sent worldwide. Armand Lewis, P.O.Box 4834, N. Hollywood, CA 91617. Fax: 818-762-3563, e-mail: mrbluenote@peoplepc.comwww.jazzloft.comJazz, Avant-garde, Blues & Modern ClassicalCDs & DVDs. Over 1000 titles of new VINYLin all genres! CD & Vinyl Accessories plusSpace-Saving CD & DVD Sleeves.Music for people who listen.Cats Paw Records Celebrating our20th Anniversary; featuring Jerry Weldon,Bobby Forrester, Mac Chrupcala, RayAlexander, Bob Hinz, Michael Rabinowitz,Bob Hardwick, Bob Gallo and many others.Visit www.catspawrecords.com to view ourcatalogue of great Jazz artists.HIGH END JAZZ LPs NEEDEDfor private collector. Phone: (415) 665-1792VINYL JAZZ AT SET PRICESOver 30,000 rare, out of print Vinyl JAZZ LPs at setprices, searchable on our web site. Over 35 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.comSeriouS CD StorageSave space by replacing bulky jewel boxeswith the Jewelsleeve. Call for a free sample at1-800-863-3312 or visit www.jewelsleeve.comPROMOTION & PUBLISHINGWebsitesWWW.LIVEJAZZONTHETUBE.COMSwing, BeBop, HardBop, straightahead,inside-outside; It’s all here - Internet Televisionat its finger popping best! (215) 548-5894WWW.THESHOWBIZBOOK.COMStay connected free worldwide.Associate or Full Professorof Jazz Studies - MusicThe City College of New YorkThe Department of Music at The City College(CCNY) of the City University of New York (CUNY)invites applications for a tenured Associate orFull Professor of Jazz Studies.:Responsibilities may include:n Teach a variety of jazz related courses at both the undergraduateand graduate level. Courses may includeensembles, improvisation, harmony, and repertoire.n Maintain an active performance or composition career.n Perform with faculty jazz ensemble.n Serve on departmental committees and helpcontribute to the administration of the jazz programs.n Attend auditions and juries.n Attend and participate in the annual CUNY Jazz Festival.n Contribute to growth of the jazz program throughrecruiting and outreach.Qualifications:n Instrumentalist with a high level of professionalaccomplishment and international recognition.n College/university teaching experience. Graduatedegree preferred (or equivalent in professionalexperience).Please see the online posting at www.cuny.edu(Job ID 7600), to apply through CUNYFirst.ETC.LOVE JAZZ ??? Clubs, Musicians and Jazz LoversWanted!!! Make money hosting jazz mixers whileenjoying gourmet coffee/tea beverages!!Call Abner Siegel for more info today!siegel.abner@gmail.com (347) 724-7028SubscribeDownBeat.com877-904-JAZZ(U.S.)651-251-9682(Outside U.S.)128 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013

DB Buyers GuideACT Music..............................................37actmusic.comEastman Saxes....................................... 7eastmanmusiccompany.comNational Trumpet Competition... 104nationaltrumpetcomp.orgSt. Martin’s Press..................................74stmartins.comAlan Broadbent Music......................80alanbroadbent.comEastman School of Music.................116esm.rochester.eduNew Amsterdam Records.................72newamsterdamrecords.comSummit Records................................... 81summitrecords.comAll Parts..................................................80allparts.comAMP Trio.................................................57amptrio.comArthur Circle Music..............................55kenhatfield.comBari Mouthpieces................................80bariwoodwind.comBarrington MusicalInstrument Inc..................................... 45barringtoninstruments.comBeata Pater Music...............................78beatapater.comBilly Bauer Music.................................88billybauersmusic.comBlue Note Records..............................48bluenote.comBrubeck Institute...............................102brubeckinstitute.orgBuffet Crampon USA...........................71buffet-crampon.comButman Music......................................73igorbutman.comCaleb Chapman Music.....................101calebchapmanmusic.comCannonball Music................................. 2cannonballmusic.comChallenge Records..............................75challengerecords.comChicago Sessions.................................55chicagosessions.comCity Boys Mike Productions.............55cityboysmike.comColumbia College Chicago.................4colum.edu/musicConcord Music Group........................61concordmusicgroup.comCorinthia Cromwell Music............... 58corinthiacromwell.comCuba Education Tours.......................91jazzcuba.comCzech Ease.............................................74czech-ease.comDC Jazz Festival................................... 93dcjazzfest.orgDecca Label Group............................... 11deccalabelgroup.comECM Records........................................ 43ecmrecords.comElmhurst College.................................121elmhurst.eduEnja Records..........................................53albare.infoFirebird Saxophones..........................84firebirdsaxophones.comFive Towns College...........................125ftc.eduFlorida InternationalUniversity............................................ 100fiu.eduGeraldo HenriqueBulhoes Music...................................... 76geraldohenrique.com.brHW Products........................................89hwproducts.comIbanez........................................................5ibanez.comIndiana University –Jacobs School of Music.....................121music.indiana.eduIvo Perelman Music.............................51ivoperelman.comJ.J. Babbitt............................................. 30jjbabbitt.comJamey Aebersold................................ 95jazzbooks.comJMood Records.....................................55jmoodrecords.comJodyJazz Mouthpieces..................... 34jodyjazz.comJuilliard School of Music..................103juilliard.edu/jazzKawai...................................................... 39kawaius.comKevin Harris Project.............................57kevinharrisproject.comLitchfield Jazz Festival....................... 85litchfieldjazzfest.comLocal 802................................................72justiceforjazzartists.orgLong Island University......................112liu.edu/post/musicLonnie McFadden Music...................57lonniemcfadden.comNew Jersey PerformingArts Center............................................ 50njpac.orgNew School ..........................................99newschool.eduNew York Jazz Academy..................110nyjazzacademy.comNewport Jazz Festival.............17, 19, 21newportjazzfest.netNorth Central College........................113northcentralcollege.eduNS Designs............................................115thinkns.comOTA Records..........................................57melodia.comOttawa Jazz Festival.......................... 62ottawajazzfestival.comP. Mauriat Instruments....................129pmauriatinstruments.comPatois Records......................................53patoisrecords.comPepe Hernandez Music.................... 58pepehernandezmusic.comPeter Ponzol..........................................94peterponzol.comPrinceton University.........................107princeton.edu/~puje/Rico Reeds...............................................31ricoreeds.comRiverside Records................................55riverside-records.seRoberto Winds................10, 38, 64, 87robertoswinds.comRochester Jazz Festival.....................44rochesterjazz.comRomhog Records................................ 58barryromberg.comRS Berkeley...........................................89rsberkeley.comRyan Truesdell Music.......................125ryantruesdell.comSabian .....................................................35sabian.com/enSam Ash..................................................82samash.comSanta Monica College.......................114smc.eduSunnyside Records.....................65, 67sunnysiderecords.comTelluride Jazz Festival........................ 83telluridejazz.orgTheo Wanne Mouthpieces.................8theowanne.comUMASS...................................................113umass.edu/musicUniversity of Illinois...........................123illinois.eduUniversity of Kansas..........................119music.ku.eduUniversity of Kentucky......................114finearts.uky.eduUniversity of Miami –Frost School of Music........................105music.miami.eduUniversity of Music &Performing Arts Graz........................120kug.ac.atUniversity of Nevada atLas Vegas............................................. 106unlv.eduUniversity of North Carolinaat Greensboro......................................114uncg.eduUniversity of North Texas................110unt.eduUniversity of Northern Colorado...117uncjazz.comUniversity of Southern California –Thornton School of Music................110usc.edu/musicUniversity of the Pacific Library....125library.pacific.eduUnseen Rain......................................... 58unseenrainrecords.comVandoren............................................ 3, 9wearevandoren.comVic Firth...........................................26–27vicfirth.comWavetone...............................................53wavetone.comWBGO, Jazz 88.3 FM.........................94wbgo.orgWestern Michigan University.........96wmujazz.comWidehive Records................................57widehiverecords.comDelmark Records.................................55delmark.comMack Avenue Records.......68, 69, 79mackavenue.comSchilke Music Products......................42schilkemusic.comWilliam Paterson University.......... 109wpunj.edu/Detroit Jazz Festival........................... 70detroitjazzfest.comMACSAX................................................ 29macsax.comSFJAZZ.....................................................111sfjazz.orgWJ3.......................................................... 58williejones3.comDream Cymbals...................................22dreamcymbals.comMad-Kat Records................................. 18madelineeastman.comSony Music............................................ 63sonymusic.comYstad Festival.......................................49ystadjazz.seDrew Davidsen Music........................53drewdavidsen.comMegawave Records........................... 58megawavemusic.comSoprano Planet....................................88sopranoplanet.comZildjian......................................................15zildjian.comDW Drums.............................................23dwdrums.comMotéma Records.................................77motema.comStockholm Jazz Festival....................49stockholmjazz.seZoom/Samson.....................................132zoomfx.comJUNE 2013 DOWNBEAT 129

Blindfold Test By ted pankenAllison MillerNo Morphine, No Lilies (Foxhaven), the thirdalbum by drummer Allison Miller’sBoom Tic Boom, reveals her exemplarychops and stylistic breadth, honedby gigs with artists as diverse asimprovisers Dr. Lonnie Smith andMarty Ehrlich and singer-songwritersAni DiFranco, Brandi Carlile and NatalieMerchant. This is Miller’s first Blindfold Test.Ches Smith & These Arches“Animal Collection” (Hammered, Clean Feed, 2013)Smith, drums; Tim Berne, alto saxophone; TonyMalaby, tenor saxophone; Mary Halvorson, guitar;Andrea Parkins, accordion, electronics.Ches Smith? I knew it when he brought in themetal. I love the sound of his drums—what hedoes with his gongs, his springs, his different China cymbals—and hiscomposing—and that he doesn’t use a bass. That’s his new record withTony and Tim. Ches has spent years developing where he wants to go,and the music he’s writing for these players shows him coming into histhing. It’s repetitive, with a heavy groove, a big beat; then it loosens andgoes elsewhere. He’s coming from that deep, open bass drum sound thatJoey Baron started years ago, like Jim Black and Tom Rainey do. 5 stars.Lewis Nash“Tickle Toe” (Stompin’ At The Savoy, M&I Jazz, 2005) Nash, drums; Steve Nelson, vibraphone;Peter Washington, bass.Definitely an older drummer. So loose. I loved the melodic playing onthe solo, bending the pitches. Playing his heart out, so open and creative.In the beginning, from how the bass drum kept going when it was justdrums and vibes, I thought of my teacher, Michael Carvin. 5 stars.Quest“Paraphernalia” (Circular Dreaming, Enja, 2012) Billy Hart, drums; Dave Liebman, tenorsaxophone; Richie Beirach, piano; Ron McClure, bass.It’s hard to translate live energy through recording. But despite thestrange mix, with the sax so dry and up front, and the drums miked terribly—somuch reverb and air around it, the hi-hats sounded like toys—I feel it happened here. The saxophone player sounded like a modernColeman Hawkins. The looseness makes me think it’s an older drummer—itwas always in time, but whenever he actually hit a groove, suddenlysomething else was happening. Billy Hart? [after] The recordingthrew me off. It’s his tuning, but not his hi-hat sound. 4½ stars.Kevin Eubanks“Resolution” (The Messenger, Mack Avenue, 2013) Eubanks, electric guitar; Marvin“Smitty” Smith, drums; Bill Pierce, tenor saxophone; Rene Camacho, bass; Alvin Chea,vocals.Could be Billy Martin, from that drum sound with the tambourine onthe snare while staying true to the pocket. The drums sound tiny, like ahandkerchief or towel is on the heads, or he was playing the whole timewith not quite a stick. With all those technical ideas around the drumsduring the solo, definitely not Billy Martin. Scott Amendola? Is JohnEllis playing tenor? The guitarist has a ton of chops. I like how the bassistis singing the bass line, too. A separate singer? I could have swornit was the same person. 4 stars. [after] The tambourine and tiny soundthrew me off; for Smitty to play so minimally in the pocket is surprising.Han Bennink“Postlude To Kiefer And A Piece Of Drum” (Bennink & Co., ILK, 2012) Bennink, solo drums.I loved how he started with the snares on, but they quickly went off anddidn’t come back. You could hear his fingertips on the drumhead, andthe side stick and mallets. I’m sure he had a piece of fabric on part of thedrum. I loved how he stayed on the drum through parts where he whistled—Iassume he was whistling—then went to the toms, which didn’tlast very long, and then ended with an open, fat kick drum. Tom Rainey,Ari Hoenig and Dan Weiss come to mind—but it isn’t them. 5 stars.David Virelles“The Executioner” (Continuum, Pi, 2012) Virelles, piano; Andrew Cyrille, drums; BenStreet, bass; Román Díaz, percussion, vocals.I like the bright cymbals. At the beginning I liked the combination ofpretty outside piano playing and the hybrid 6/8 Cuban groove, and howduring the solo section the drummer sits in that groove with the sidestickbefore eventually going out of time in a musical way. The first partof the drum solo sounded derivative of Ed Blackwell’s sound and ideas,but then he does those long rolls around the kit with space in between.When the congas entered, I thought it was a log drum, perhaps AdamRudolph and Hamid Drake together. 5 stars.Corea, Clarke & White“Hackensack” (Forever, Concord, 2010) Chick Corea, piano; Stanley Clarke, bass; LennyWhite, drums.Sounds like an older Roy Haynes, the ride cymbal like skiing across apond. No? I’m quitting! I loved the loose, creative drum solo, how thedrummer went for ideas. The bass and piano were tight with the drummer,very supportive. Al Foster? The drummer keeps quoting MaxRoach’s “Big Sid.” It’s someone I know, playing a little different thannormal. Lenny White or Jack DeJohnette ... but Jack wouldn’t play acymbal that washy—so Lenny. [after] You don’t often get a chance tohear Lenny swing, but he’s one of the most swinging drummers. Theplace during his solo when he plays time, while playing out-of-time patternsunderneath, gave him away. We spent hours doing that in his basement.Was it with Stanley Clarke and Chick? 5 stars. DBThe “Blindfold Test” is a listening test that challenges the featured artist to discuss andidentify the music and musicians who performed on selected recordings. The artist isthen asked to rate each tune using a 5-star system. No information is given to the artistprior to the test.130 DOWNBEAT JUNE 2013